Spy Headquarters
1450 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, (480) 464-9882
The James Bond in all of us will be satisfied at Spy Headquarters, where anybody can buy both an urban combat manual and bionic ear amplifier without any of the employees thinking twice about the spy wannabe's intentions.
Everything imaginable that has ever made an appearance in a spy movie is available at the store. Pen microphones, police batons, portable metal detectors, digital cameras disguised as pens or lighters and books with titles like "Counterfeit I.D. Made Easy" are the norm here.
More niche items, such as bear guard spray (exactly what it sounds like), disposable drug testing kits - just like the ones employers use, in a nifty briefcase - and professional-quality lock picks line the walls and display cases. Semi-creepy survival manuals that teach the reader to break large animals' necks in self-defense or even fake suicides line the walls.
Looking around Spy Headquarters, one can't help feeling like a badass. It's also difficult to keep from questioning how all of this could possibly be legal, despite the store's legit-sounding motto: "Built to protect your home, business and self." - si.robbins@asu.edu.
