European Imports

Physical store is very interesting with good prices on many items, Their website though is the slowest and most frustrating I have ever used so if you plan to order online make sure you have plenty of time and patience. 5 stars for the store and personnel and negative 10 stars for the website.

My wife an I have been regua customers of this store for many years and have purchased many pieces for our Department 56 and Lladro collections here. The staff are always pleasant and knowledgable and they always have a great selection of collectibles from Lladro to Disney to Beer Steins and Precious Moments. Sadly, they have not been able to escape the clutches of the economy and the store appears to be scaling back on merchandise. They will order specific merchandise you are looking for, but they are not keeping as much on hand as they used too. If you are looking for a nice or unique gift for a friend or family member, check this place, you should be able to find something nice!

A gift shop featuring many collectibles. If you know exactly what kind of gift you want and are able to find it yourself in the shop, you have saved yourself a lot of trouble. The salesladies can be more than a bit irritable when faced with the prospect of possibly having to answer a customer question.

While this store is good for collectablles, I’m not a fan of their Vera Bradley collection. Don’t get me wrong its HUGE and probably the most beautiful thing you’ll ever see, but for those of us who can’t afford to buy it at the recommended price, even when they might be retired, they are aweful. Their retired prices are always higher compared to the places I’ve been to that are having a similar sale on the same exact stuff.
Example: Today I went to a Vera Bradley Retailer in Arlington Heights and they had the retired patterns of the Frill for 40% off. When I went to European Import they had the exact same stuff, but their sale was only 25% off. Hmm. wonder where I’d buy it from?
Now when I asked the sales associate if she knew how they determined prices on retired Vera’s, she couldn’t tell me which is fine. I mean what’s it my business anyway. I stood there for 15 min. debating, Do I want to buy it here, knowing I could get it somewhere else for less?
The sales associate approached me again and I still had yet to make up my mind. So I explained my situation to her, thinking maybe they would up the sale. You know 30% off instead of 25% (I know it is only 5%. It’s alot in my head, especially with what gas costs in my head.), but nope her answer was actually shocking and ultimately sealed my decision. I bet you’re wondering what she said, well she told me that if it was her she’d go back to the other store and just buy it there.
Now is that what you really want to say to a potential customer? Probably not. Now if she said, «Oh I understand, let me see what I can do.» and then came back saying that she couldn’t adjust it I probably would have boughten the two items I was looking at, but nope that didn’t happen. So I left the store with nothing.
Now don’t get me wrong their an ok store, but for my Vera Bradley needs, their just not right for me. Perhaps though they will be better for someone else.

This used to be THE spot to pick up beanie babies back in the day during the craze. It’s still a fantastic knick knack collectors place. They have beautiful products from the Music Box Company, Precious Moments, Disney (Paintings, statues, etc.), Beersteins, Peanuts, gifts for ALL occasions, and I think you can still find some beanie babies here. Even if you’re not looking for something in particular you NEED to stop in European Imports to look around. You might find a gift for someone or something beautiful for yourself and your home.

For the first time ever, I am doing a review in 2 parts. The serious one is for the collectors, the second is for single guys.
Located inside Oak Mill Mall, European Imports has all kinds of collectibles: Precious Moments, Lladro, Hummels, Dept. 56, porcelain dolls and more. The store is huge and very well-​staffed. We have a long-​standing relationship with this place, especially since my wife has a massive collection of those sad-​eyed Precious Moments figurines. She stopped buying them when we found we had no more places to put them. Still, let’s just say I have a separate insurance policy covering the collection she owns. We’re so familiar with the place that I can even say the owner (Eddie), a cheerful-​looking German fellow, shares the same birth date as my older son.
If you’re looking for a fancy nativity set from Fontanini, this is the place. Heck, you can reconstruct the entire town of Bethlehem with all the items they offer. Best advice is to keep your hands at your sides, since there’s so many valuables on the shelves, you’d better not break anything.
Checkouts can get long during the holiday season, but are usually pretty efficient other times of the year. Get on their mailing list and you can get postcards, coupons, and other unique offers regularly. On the 2^nd floor of the mall they also have a smaller outlet store called Eddie’s Extras that sells close-​outs and out-​of-​season items at great prices.
Now, for you single guys… Seeking to meet attractive, slender, blonde-​haired, European-​looking, young women in non-​bar settings? Let me give you the low-​down. If there was ever an obvious case of alleged hiring profiles outside of Hooters, this is it. While the checkout ladies are older women, mostly in their 50s+, the girls working the floor of the store are primarily model-​quality long-​haired blondes and they all seem to wear white blouses and clingy black pants. Even if you’re not into Precious Moments or other girly collectibles, they got manly stuff for you. There’s a part of the store devoted to firefighter memorabilia and decorative plates with images of hunting dogs chasing ducks. So strike up a conversation with the helpful sales ladies while looking at these fine collectibles and see where that takes you… I think QB Tom Brady would like this place too.
And if you already have a significant other and need a pretty gift on short notice, buy something here and they’ll even wrap it for you at the front!