Good Catch

I always love going there, such nice employees and great selection for the size of the store! it’s my GO TO spot to shop

Businesses are often so uptight about «categories» and «appropriateness». They need not be. The reason I love shopping in thrift stores and dollar stores is because of the possibility of serendipity. It gets the dopamine flowing. That’s why Good Catch is so f’n awesome.

Yes, this place has an eclectic mix of products for sale, but to me it’s quite nonsensical to combine health food products with weird vintage 80s paraphernalia in the same shop.
From a business standpoint, I just don’t get it. Am I missing something?
Is someone really going to come in and buy Baywatch trading cards at the same time as picking up a can of organic chickpeas?
But whatever, I suppose if the owner is making profit, she can do whatever she goddamn well pleases. It IS in Parkdale, so hopefully the rent is not too dearly.
Either way, it’s fun to browse but you probably won’t buy much!

A terribly unique store that you really have to see to understand. Everything from organic frozen dinners, to locally made syrups, to action figures, to old records. Do your self a favour and pop into Good Catch for the experience. And it doesn’t hurt if you need to restock on pickled fiddleheads or agave nectar either.

Everything a convenience store should be! Where else can you buy old classic vinyl and a litre of milk. Vintage chachka and Granola. Takes the banal out of daily shopping.

There should be a category called «HAVEN OF FUN», because surely Good Catch would surely dominate it. Think «It Store» meets «Tuck Shop» meets «Big Carrot» and you’ll have scratched the surface of what’s inside at Good Catch. In fact, it might more appropriately be named «Good Find» because the chances of you stumbling across something you didn’t even realize you needed are very high.
Chokeberry syrup. Guitar strings. Keycutting. Children’s toys. DVDs. Gluten & dairy-​free foods. Jewllery. Housewares. All living in harmony under one roof. And oh, the reason I came here in the first place: helium!
Yes, Good Catch fills balloons with helium for 80 cents a pop! Sure, you can get cheaper helium at Carlton or Hallmark, but who wants to be subjected to the mall that houses these monster greeting card operations? There’s perfectly affordable helium to be had right in the heart of Parkdale!
Tip: buy a bag of your own balloons and ribbon at the dollar store to make it even cheaper.
The owner, «Yola» was super helpful and friendly, and patiently filled up my balloons, tied them with ribbon and then mastered an expert reversible knot at the base that would make any boy scout seethe with envy. Then she explained to me how to pull out the knot in one move so that I could liberate the balloons.
And all this until 10pm every single day!

surprise, surprise.
if you were to just go by look, you might, at the very sight of the sign for The Good Catch, suspect that its contents are fit for those guys who dress up and try to spear each other in the park, or those folks who go to that one weird restaurant in the city where you can pretend like if you dont eat your vegetables youll be doomed to demolition in the iron maiden, or perhaps youre just a big dungeons and dragons nerd and you need some supplies.
after having left The Good Catch, its jarring yellow sign distinguished with a medieval font, altogether a bizarre graphic creation, will seem to be absolutely the appropriate introduction to this store for any passersby.
as you walk into this general store, you might expect, like any store, to get a sense of theme at play. perhaps we might carry very large things. perhaps very expensive things. perhaps food. perhaps exercise equipment, who knows.
well i think that the owners are superlatively indecisive people. or conversely, one might say materialistically enlightened people. for what type of store would carry all of the following things side by side: old star trek books, eco-​friendly cleaning products, acoustic guitars and pet food, to name but a few. now go ahead, sing the song «one of these things is not like the other» and see if you can guess which one doesnt belong.
ITS IMPOSSIBLE! because they ALL belong. because at The Good Catch: THE THEME IS ANARCHY BABY. (but friendly anarchy.) you know, like the kind of anarchy where as the buyer for the store your discretionary method of choosing merchandise doesnt advance beyond a quick glance, a perky smile and an effervescent «whatevs». the only thing that doesnt work at all with this setup is that they only accept cash.
so next time you need some… whatevers…you might want to come down to see if you can find a good catch.
or maybe just for some fun while youre on shrooms.