Best of 2001: Best Place To Buy Cheetahs

Sanborns
1102 Revolución Avenue (at 8th), Tijuana
(011-52-66) 88-14-33

Beautifully proportioned, life-sized, true-to-color black-spotted golden cheetahs are for sale at Sanborn's. They are papier mâché models from Jalisco. You can also buy an antelope or a four-foot-long, full-size, magnificently decorated peacock in full mating display. According to América Godínez, who runs the department, Mexicans have always loved them as home decor. But they're not cheap: the cheetah and the peacock both run at 3659 pesos, about $400. A zebra is around $300, the antelope about $450. Maybe you could start off with a modest purple, green, and gold tortoise ($130). You can get these elsewhere, but here the quality is consistent.