Well you might have better luck if you searched for plugs, because gauge is what size your plug would be.
Have you checked out your piercing shops?
Some sites you can use those pre-paid credit cards, where if it costs $20 that's the amount on them.
I'll agree with hot topic being a poor choice for jewelry based on the fact that they sell a lot of acrylic jewelry. Which cannot be sterilized and harbors bacteria.
Your best bet will, as Eleeshuh said, be a piercing shop. They'll have the best materials for your ears and can correctly measure you up should you need it.
Whoever told you that is correct. I bought some tapers and plugs from hot topic and they broke out my ears and made me all itchy and stuff -___- I get my jewelery from Spencers. They have amazing plugs, tunnels, and tapers. They also make them with really cool designs. I buy all of my jewelery from Spencers.
For some reason I still still avoid spencers, to me it's basically the same as hot topic just a bit more organized. In my experience the packages aren't sealed and most of their plugs with designs have some sort of plastic coating.
Stuff in hot topic and spencers is ordered at a corporate level. Every store gets stuff from the same company when it comes to jewelry. The styles vary store to store, but the materials are the same. None if it is suitable for long term wear, even the metals. They are shitty metal with a coating that will wear off after a while and cause SEVERE irritation.
Calling them "gauges" is a relatively new thing, and most people consider it incorrect (me incl.) So maybe try searching for Stretches, plugs, tunnels and so on
All those sites have given me some good jewellery for my ears, and i'm Almost on 2 inches now (only 44, but cba to check how much that is in inches ). So i've tried a bit of all
Good luck.
Well, I guess its just how your body reacts to the material. I just know that when I buy stainless steel tunnels from spencers my ears don't get all irritated. I even bought some from one of the links that VeganVag posted (www.bodyjewelleryshop.com). They have pretty awesome plugs, tunnels, etc.
