The old location, when it was called Dead Zone Novelties
| Location |
| 203 G Street |
| On the corner of G and 2nd Streets, in place of the old Futon Emporium |
| Hours |
| Mon-Sat 10:00-9:00 PM |
| Sun 10:30-7:00 PM |
| Phone |
| (530)756-0118 |
| Website |
Illusions is a head shop in downtown Davis. They sell a variety of goods including blacklight posters, incense, clothing, body jewelry, tobacco accessories, hookahs (with tobacco and coals) and water pipes. They were called D-Zone Novelties and Dead Zone Novelties when they were located on B Street, between 2004 and 2009.
Please have your ID ready, the guy at the counter cards you if you appear younger than 18 years of age.
Originally, the owner intended to sell sex toys and "ya know, DVDs", but the Davis Downtown Business Association and the City of Davis opposed it.
The owners "Mike and Sam" use "members of the family" as the employees; Sam has recently opened a head shop in Elk Grove.
SD says that you should try and haggle with them as much as possible, it's almost the best part of shopping there.
In November of 2009, Illusions started carrying vinyl records. They have experimental, house, trance, dj dance and some underground stuff. At $1 dollar each we can't go wrong. They are in the room with the pipes, on the floor, to the right.
2005-01-19 22:41:10 The most interesting thing I saw was a pipe that looked like a tube of lipstick. —JenndelaVega
2005-01-20 21:45:34 somebody I know got a glass pipe where the smoke comes out of a dragon's mouth. Pretty creative. —RohiniJasavala
2005-06-09 15:10:13 Could someone post the law here, that says sex toys cannot be sold? Since when could the government prevent someone from selling large vibrating pieces of rubber. That seems ridiculous. Orgasms are bad for us! OMG! Noooo! People are experiencing pleassure! Sinners! —MichaelGiardina
the revelant city code? Doesn't seem to specifically address the issue.
2005-06-09 15:14:47 I talked to the owner about it, and he said he voluntarily stopped selling them to stop the harassment by the Davis City Council. And yes, unfortunately cities can pass ordinanced regulating what is sold. —JimSchwab
2005-06-09 15:18:51 So sad though. I mean if they tried to get him to stop selling pesticides that were labled "Colored like candy to induce consumption by loud crying babies" I could understand. But sex toys? Who's going to get hurt with a sex toy (unless of course they forget to take the blades out of the reciperocating saw prior to placing the rubber member on top) —MichaelGiardina
2005-06-09 15:45:07 Maybe the mysterious College Republican Mason was video taping the sex toys. —JimSchwab
2005-08-31 16:44:23 I have always had great service here. Plus a deal when some moron broke my new pipe. —MattStone
2006-03-11 22:47:54 There are a ton of places that sell sex toys in Sac. —AnthonyGuzzi
2006-03-11 23:26:29 I love dropping by this place occasionally, even though I can't buy anything. They've got spiffy little pipes and gadgets, and gorgeous lighters. —AubreyJohnson
2006-04-16 13:34:17 I like the owner- he's friendly, helpful and willing to bargain —SiennaGrass
2006-11-09 11:45:22 If you want to find Sean Reedy, this is the place. —JohnDudek
2006-11-17 05:23:34 what does it mean by "members of the family?" —LiToRaiN6
2007-01-02 14:42:44 When asked the relation to the various people working, Mike and Same are brothers, and occasionally he has one of his Uncles work, or a cousin etc. —StevenDaubert
2007-01-22 18:43:49 Cool place, horrid glass selection (for northern california) but has plenty of other stuff... Some of the people that work here are cool, one guy gave me some free papers just cuz he sees me in there a lot, but others have been REALLY rude to me at times... It can be hit or miss... —GarrettGallegos
2007-07-05 14:52:08 The VaporGenie wooden vaporizer pipe that you can get here is $70, but it is $50 online INCLUDING shipping direct from the manufacturer's website. —UncleBob
2007-08-04 17:29:05 I grew up with accessories from this place. Love to drop in whenever I'm home. —RichardNichols
2007-09-11 15:43:01 Ray is so awesome! I went in there this weekend and even tho he was in Vegas, Sam called him up for me from the store and we talked over the phone and negotiated the prices and chatted... haha... he gives me a lot of things for free cuz im his "most delightful customer".... but then again i bet he says that to everyone...lol —WeMo
2008-06-20 20:04:50 hilarious! its fun shopping here, especially if you haggle-dazzle :D —ketan
2008-06-21 18:07:18 We bought our pipe here and found the owner friendly and funny. —Zeeba
2008-06-21 18:12:09 Is it just me or does this place seem a bit pricey? —SunjeetBaadkar
2008-08-25 12:24:19 Like most head shops, the sticker price should not be the price that you end up paying.... in fact it should be quite a lot higher than what you end up paying. Always haggle. The more you know about the item in question, the better deal you'll get. These guys can be real sticklers, though. They will throw in cheap novelties like papers or glass screens to help the deal, but keep in mind these items are extraordinarily cheap. —Chronoz
2008-12-17 23:54:22 Does this place sell salvia? —AaronD
Yeah they have Salvia, I think the highest X is 25 but I may be wrong.... —StevenDaubert
2009-02-08 18:24:30 the salvia is absurdly overpriced and comes in packages too large for any one person to consume. if you can avoid this shop, do. if not, be very careful with the prices. the owner said one price and charged another on my visa. the whole store is a ripoff. —ericreed
2009-03-22 12:38:57 Kind store right there. Competitively priced. Location Location Location. This is one to watch. :-) —lilmonstu
2009-05-14 17:10:42 Only headshop in Davis but there are a few in surrounding cities if you have a car. Expensive prices normally unless you know the owner, especially on "glass" merchandise. The sticker price is usually never what you want to pay for something. They have recently started selling cigarettes I guess in an effort to make the establishment seem more legitimate. However, since the cigarettes are in the front of the store, the whole thing is a smoke shop now down to the Jimi Hendrix posters and wide assortment of smoking supplies that is absurdly overpriced because they are the only place in town. I usually just buy coals here and I have to always ask for a specific 100 pack for $10 or else they will try to sell you a 10 pack of quick lites for $3. They sell a wide variety of clove cigarettes here, but the best price for Djarum Black is probably at the 76. For glassware, a roadtrip to San Francisco or Santa Cruz is highly recommended over this place as they insanely overprice the "water pipes" and "chillums" and "pieces." Nice to go in every once in a while just to look over the stuff but not buy anything. —Andy890
2009-05-15 19:07:02 do they sell whips it there? —rrkimble22
2009-06-01 12:23:47 Word of advice. Do not waste your money purchasing a "ROOR" from this place. FAKE! FAKE ROORS! They claim to have these new German made ROOR pipes. The fact is, Illusions is NOT an authorized dealer for ROOR. The "ROORs" Illusions carries are shitty quality pipes most likely made in China or India. Just because it has a "Made in Germany" sticker doesn't mean shit. I am a glass connoisseur of sorts and these "ROOR" pieces are an abomination to a REAL German ROOR. The joint on these POS pieces are hair thin. German ROOR's are known for their durability and quality because a 5mm pipe will have a 5mm joint. Whereas these inferior knock-offs have poorly built joints that WILL break on you easily. It sucks because my friend just emptied his pockets for his dream piece, only to have been swindled. I cannot believe how devious this shop can be at times. DON'T BE FOOLED! —anoneyebee
Unless you import your roor from roorshop.de it's probably going to come from the la roor studio which was shut down, that being said I've been watching deadzone for quite some time, they have no reason to do bad business like this, it just breeds more bad business. I call bullshit on your comment, for someone claiming to be a glass connoisseur with a taste for roors you've got some holes in your story. That being said I think it's worth noticing that your not willing to put your name behind your claim so I'm dubious of your whole story anyways. —StevenDaubert
Using the power of hindsight I realized I know someone who bought a blue label from deadzone and it's as authentic as can be, should I take a picture of the blower mark and contact roor to see if it's genuine?! Are all the PHX, ADS, JBD counterfeit? What about the Volcanos? Besides, If I'm correct the area your talking about that broke is just below the female downstem, and it's the one weak spot cause it's added to the vessel. I'm going to guess someone was careless and it was jarred, or the downstem was jostled and it snapped at the joint! As far as the joint not being 5mm I demand pics with a millimeter ruler...
2009-07-18 15:24:13 The glassware at this store is mediocre at best in quality and ridiculously overpriced. Although the owner is open to haggling, getting 50% off on an inferior product still means you got ripped off. If you need supplies like screens, papers, and the like, by all means use this store. If you're looking for a quality piece, you are better off making a trip to the Bay Area. And for people who think his prices are "competitive," who exactly is he competing with? Personal recommendation: Twilight Zone in Hayward. Avoid tourist traps in SF and Berkeley as well. —InigoM
2009-09-07 18:57:18 Did these guys leave Davis? Shop is empty and sign is gone... —jimtower
- Wow dude, you need to pay attention, LOL. Note new address.-DM
2009-11-02 17:56:20 Illusions on 2nd and G St. now carries vinyl records.
They have experimental, house, trance, dj dance and some underground stuff.
At $1 dollar each we can't go wrong. They are in the room with the pipes, on the floor, to the right. —lilmonstu
2010-02-07 16:58:38 Be careful what you buy here. I bought a very solid-looking, brand-name bong from here and it was flimsy. It broke, and there was nothing the owner would do to help me out with it. My friend bought a different brand-name bong from there not much later, which also cracked. Low-quality, over-priced pieces abound in this store—so choose carefully. This is just from my experience... but many (yes, MANY) others I have talked to have experienced similar upsetting discoveries.
I recommend having a little idea of what you're looking for and having an idea about what constitutes good merchandise and what doesn't before you go into this store, because the owner is a smooth talker and will tell you what you want to hear. I've seen him sell weak or cheap pieces to customers for way more than their actual value, but hey—it's not my business to tell people what to buy. Anyway, go in there knowing about the product you're looking for and you will avoid being swindled. Personally I've decided not to buy pieces there anymore, and just grab some hookah and incense instead.
I completely agree with InigoM's post.
And to comment on StevenDaubert's comment... They don't have any reason to do GOOD business either, being that they are the only shop for this stuff in Davis. They have an iron grip on this kind of merchandise in the town, and know that regardless of their quality people will keep buying there. Just an thought. Either way, you're better off knowing about the products before you shop here.—Divided.Eye
2010-03-30 15:07:33 hey could anyone tell me if they sell the fake nose studs? it says they sell body jewelery; just curious! —jmac
2010-04-11 16:35:48 I'm from the bay area, so i know some pretty good smoke shops. this isnt one of them. the glass selection here is terrible and overpriced. everything is super generic or ugly novelty pipes. the guys are your typical smoke shop goons who think of prices off the top of their heads, expecting you to possibly say no and lower the price. they are like wannabe smokeshop hustlers that never REALLY learned how to hustle people. i asked how much for a box of swishers, the guy said $40. the next day i went in to buy it for $40, his brother(?) said $45. "what? the other guy said $40 yesterday, thats why i came in here" "no, its $45" "alright ill give you $45 flat or else im good" "ok $45 flat is fine"
a few days later my friend went there to get a box, i told him if the guy wouldnt take $45 flat or under, just walk out. he texted me 20 mins later "i walked out. he would only take $50"
my friend was gonna buy a downstem, but every peice they had was too long, and the guy wouldnt cut one shorter for him, said he couldnt do it. the next day he went in with his friend who bought a waterpipe, and they didnt have downstems short enough for it, so they cut one with a glass cutter right in front of him. my friend said he'd never go back there again.
this is a wanna be smoke shop if you ask me. exactly what youd expect in davis. —Jake510
2010-10-09 02:34:22 I bought a pipe from them today, and they gave me a great deal. The guys knew i was a college student, and gave me a great price. The employees were very kind and helpful. Even though they are the only head shop in Davis, doesn't mean they want to take advantage of us. They know we are students and are willing to work with us for a good deal. They are nice people, I definitely recommend going to this store! —isabelnc
2010-11-16 12:52:39 Purchased a new device there last week. After going on-line to the manufacturer for better directions, I found that I had purchased the device for $30 less than it was available from the manufacturer. Also, left my bank card there and they had it waiting for me when I returned later that day. Honest guys, excellent prices. —ElisaAllechant
2011-01-19 00:28:16 Anyone know if they sell butane for lighters? —MattBlair
2011-04-19 20:57:30 @Jake510: you and your friends probably came in with stupid "bad ass" attitudes. If you come to this shop and are just friendly and don't look like a miscreant they hook you up with awesome deals. —MikeN
2011-05-14 09:56:28 also @jake510- I've lived in the Bay Area myself, and I choose to live in Davis now, as a resident, not a student or Alumni of UC. Your comment seems pretty down on Davis "exactly what youd expect in davis". Maybe that's what YOU'D expect, but I, and many others, think very highly of this town, and it's smoke shop. You create your own reality, so if you expect it to suck here, guess what? It will. Maybe we can't buy a decent sex toy here in Davis, but I personally don't want to buy my sex toys with a bunch of college students milling around, I'd rather do it online with my boyfriend. Illusions has always met my needs as an excellent smoke shop with good prices and excellent customer service, and I am not a 20-something college student. —ElisaAllechant
2012-02-23 19:13:00 Owners are awesome, but the prices are a bit high. —CaroBaro
2012-03-06 18:04:53 The guy that works here is great!! Super friendly, and will give you a good deal if you talk to him and discuss prices. Went in there wanting to spend less than $100 on a new piece, walked out spending $95 on a piece that was worth WELL over $120. He even threw in a nice looking bowl piece and a diffuser downstem! :) VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER! —MarganaSuendermann
2012-03-29 19:50:07 Good Service, good prices. I went to sacramento and the prices there are outragous compared to illusions. I ended up paying double for hookah shisha. —DavidHussman
2012-08-03 12:37:32 THIS SHOP HAS GREAT PRICES! HIS PRICES ARE REASONABLE ON EVERYTHING! DEFINITELY A GOOD SHOP! —peejay
2013-02-17 18:21:10 I visited the shop looking at sheesha prices. I had bought tobacco at home and had some idea of what I expected to pay, so my surprise was evident when the prices seemed a bit steep. As I continued looking at their other products, the owner came to the counter and proceeded to berate me, arguing that his prices were the cheapest I would find, contrary to my past experience. The owner was forceful and threatening, and I left the shop when he began raising his voice insisting I use my smart phone to research prices. The salesman was surly, standoffish, and unfriendly, and didn't offer much in the way of customer service, though there was no one else in the shop to attend to. I did not feel as though my patronage was appreciated, and will not visit the shop in the future. I enjoy supporting local business, but from now on will shop online rather than visit Illusions again. —TaylorWolzen
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