Cuz we’re heading to another one of my favorite places. No, not Disneyland (nice callback, huh?). It’s the Time Travel Mart! A handy dandy store to grab the convenience items of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

from 826LA

What on earth am I talking about?!? Well, I suppose I should offer a bit of a back story. It all starts with the nonprofit 826 National. This charity provides writing and tutoring centers in eight metropolitan areas throughout the USA. 826LA is the local chapter which supports area children with two tutoring centers in Venice and Echo Park. Check out their mission statement here.

But, it doesn’t stop there. The thing that makes 826 unique is that most tutoring centers are located behind storefronts. Now, these are no ordinary storefronts. In New York it’s the Brooklyn Super Hero Supply Co. In Chicago it’s The Boring Store. And in LA it’s the Echo Park Time Travel Mart. Clearly, these shops are like no other AND they serve as fundraisers for the tutoring centers. Nice!

My first interaction with 826 happened when I visited the Pirate Supply Store in San Francisco. I was instantly won over and have been a supporter of 826 ever since. When the Time Travel Mart opened, I was super excited and eagerly visited it. OH…MY…GOODNESS. It did not disappoint. With supplies for people of all time periods it was a wonderland. Most of the items for sale made me laugh so hard I nearly blacked out. (Seriously, when I laugh, REALLY laugh, I get a pain in the base of my head and start to lose my breath. One of these days I’m going to pass out laughing.)

Check out some of the items for sale (all photos are from the Time Travel Mart online store).

Robot Toupee! Hee, hee. How can you not love this? Seriously, I’ve visited the shop more times than I can count and spent way more money than I should.

Now, you may be thinking, “How is this a bargain?” Well, as I stated about StoryCorps, I feel that when it comes to charity your money is always well spent. If you think about it, it is a bargain thanks to all the (for lack of a better word) karma you get in return. Plus, the Time Travel Mart does have items for every price range. It is a convenience store after all.

So go visit the store, support the cause, and, heck, like them on Facebook too!

Echo Park Time Travel Mart
1714 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
open daily 12-6