BEST REALTOR

Jim Fulgenzi - Jim Fulgenzi and Company

2475 West Monroe St., 341-5393 Jim Fulgenzi comes from a family of builders, so it was only natural that he’d take the next step and go into real estate. Fulgenzi, who owns Jim Fulgenzi & Company RE/MAX Professionals, has been in the real estate business for 22 years. “I’ve actually always had a love for homes,” he said, adding that he likes real estate because it’s challenging. “Every day, it’s a little bit different,” he said. “That keeps it fresh and interesting.” While Fulgenzi was surprised to have been nominated for “best Realtor,” he hopes it was because of the care and attention he gives each client. “It’s really taking the time to sit down with them and get a firm understanding of what their needs are, and then helping them understand the realities of the marketplace,” he said. “Our goal is to give our clients the best representation they can possibly get.” Runners-up: Kyle Killebrew - Real Estate Group, Jami Winchester - Real Estate Group

BEST JEWELRY STORE

Denney Jewelers

2901 Wabash Ave., 787-0500 Before it was fashionable, Denney Jewelers reached out to gay customers, promoting their wares to same-sex couples at pride events even before gay marriage became the law of the land. Call it both socially enlightened and smart business on the part of Denney, which has long been known as one of the region’s best jewelers. The store got its start in 1963 in Jacksonville, when Ray Denney took over Crawford Jewelers and didn’t change the name for more than 20 years before finally naming it after himself in 1984. The store moved from Jacksonville to Springfield in 2005, more than doubling in size, but the place has kept its small town values. You’ll never feel pressured or rushed at Denney, now owned by Shane Denney, Ray Denney’s son, and his wife, Cathy. With a staff of more than a dozen, an expert is never far, whether you need to know what grandma’s diamond is really worth or why your favorite watch has suddenly stopped ticking. The showroom is one of the biggest in town, as is the selection. Runners-up: Giganti and Giganti, A.B. Lauer

BEST THRIFT STORE

Land of Lincoln Goodwill Industries

2001 Wabash Ave., 220-1036 2531 N. Dirksen Parkway, 789-0400 75 W. Plummer Blvd., Chatham, 220-9431 Readers didn’t specify which of the three Goodwill stores in the Springfield area is best, and so we are left to ponder and consider personal experience. Is it the one on Wabash Avenue, where we scored a KitchenAid stand mixer in perfect condition – and with all attachments – for $50? Or perhaps the store in Chatham that provided us with a spanking-new Brooks Brothers dress shirt, retail store tags still attached, for $9.99? And who could forget the epic find at the Dirksen Parkway store, where erstwhile WICS anchorman Vince DeMentri dropped off a collection of $2,000-plus suits? We have found more treasure at Goodwill over the years than Captain Kidd ever buried. Crystal stemware and chef-grade carbon steel knives. Audiophile quality loudspeaker stands. And, of course, plenty of albums by Olivia Newton-John and Barbra Streisand, plus turntables to play them on. Runners-up: Vintage POP, Clothes Mentor

BEST PAWN SHOP

Monster Pawn

2324 S. MacArthur Blvd., 744-7296 Used to be, pawn shops tended toward the cruddy side. They were sketchy, often dank, places where desperate people went in hopes of getting enough money to keep the lights on or keep from getting evicted, with pawnbrokers all too willing to prey on the misfortune of others. That image has largely disappeared, thanks to “Pawn Stars,” the hit show on the History Channel where treasures of epic proportion – a Jimi Hendrix guitar, a cigar box that sat on John F. Kennedy’s desk – appear out of nowhere to be purchased by smiling guys in polo shirts. Monster Pawn has no such OMG treasures, but it does have smiling guys who chat amiably with both buyers and sellers and welcome browsers. The Fender Stratocasters and other really good stuff hangs safely behind the counter. They have the usual assortment of electronics – if you’re in the market for a tablet, Beats by Dr. Dre or a flatscreen television, this is your place – as well as oddities such as a Playmate of the Year action figure from 1998, a Japanese slot machine and a singing Elvis telephone, still in its original box. Also plenty of jewelry, watches and power tools. A fun place to poke around. Runners-up: Recycled Records, Pawn King

BEST STORE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

The Rock Shop - 1808 W. Jefferson St., 546-8980

The store’s slogan is in-your-face: “Just ’cause you suck doesn’t mean your gear has to.” And the gear here definitely doesn’t suck. Guitars are a specialty, with the selection leaning toward a 1960s aesthetic, with plenty of Fender Strats. They also carry to-die-for models by Gretsch that are nothing short of gorgeous. A music store cannot live by guitars alone, of course, and so The Rock Shop, founded 30 years ago, also rents brass instruments for schoolkids enrolled in band. And they also offer lessons, so you can learn how to play anything from ukulele to the drums to banjo. Plus, of course, guitar. Runners-up: House of Music, Capital City Music

BEST VETERINARIAN’S OFFICE

Coble Animal Hospital - 2828 S. MacArthur Blvd., 789-4200

The problem with dogs and cats is that they can’t talk. “How are we feeling today?” Dr. Dolittle might ask. The response is always the same, either silence or a bark/meow, and unless you are Dr. Dolittle, you will never get a straight answer. Dr. Dolittle doesn’t work at Coble Animal Hospital, but the folks there are as close as it gets in Springfield. When there’s a conference on veterinary care that the office deems important, they shut everything down so the staff can attend. And with 18 vets and support personnel, it’s a big staff. Coble has been in business for 15 dog years (73 years if you’re a human), and no wonder. If you’re a regular client, they’ll cut your pet’s nails for free, which is a huge deal for anyone whose mutt runs and hunkers at the first sign of clippers. And they make house calls, including at the most difficult moment in the life of a pet, and its owner, when everything that can be done has been done and it’s time to send Fido to that great dog park in the sky. Runners-up: Capitol Illini Veterinary Services, Grace Veterinary Clinic

BEST TATTOO ARTIST

Jason Lee – New Age Tattoos - 2915 S. MacArthur Blvd., 546-5006

Jason Lee of New Age Tattoos jokes that being a tattoo artist means he gets to listen to music, wear whatever he wants to work and sit in air conditioning all day. Jokes aside, however, Lee says the real reason he loves his job is because he gets to express himself artistically. “I’m putting my artwork on people’s bodies for the rest of their lives,” he said. “That’s the biggest compliment anybody could ever pay to you.” Lee says he started out long ago tattooing his buddies “the wrong way” before he understood the need for standards of cleanliness in the profession. Since then, he has worked to get tattooing regulations in place to ensure safety and professionalism. He’s also quick to show respect for other Springfield tattoo artists. “It’s really hard to just corner one person as being the best,” he said. “There are so many great artists in this town.” Runners-up: Kevin Veara – Black Moon Tattoo, Benny DeWitt – New Age Tattoo