Closed Camera Stores - We Miss You!

[hepcat]

I don't have any pics, but I sure miss Unruh's Photography Shop in Santa Rosa, CA. I sure miss that store. Nice people, too.

I spent lots of dollars and many hours chatting with Bill, John and the crew there in the '90s. They always took good care of me. I still have a fair amount of gear I bought there. Just the other day I smiled when I found a package with an Unruh's price tag on it. I didn't know they'd closed. How sad.

 

[Boris Stupak]

Who remembers Cass Carr's basement camera store in NYC? Full to the ceiling with ancient equipment.

The only problem was he liked everything he had and if you wanted to buy something, he wouldn't give you a price, and then decided he didn't want to sell it.

 

[kshapero]

Back in the late seventies it was always a treat to drive in from the mountains to 47th St Photo. A zoo for sure but the energy was like 3 cups of coffee.

 

[kshapero]

I know it is not a "store" but I miss perusing through Shutterbug when it the "place" for all national used camera sales.

 

[sailor]

I was reading through this thread and decided to check up on my favourite camera shop when I lived in my home town of Kilmarnock (Scotland). I was really sad to see that it had been forced to shut down at the beginning of 2011. The store was called Hector McDonald Camera House and it had been in operation for nearly 100 years. In my time it was run by Archie Niven who was an absolute legend in photographic retailing. He was a real enthusiast and one of the nicest men you could ever meet. He was the exact opposite of a high pressure salesman and was happy to let you play with the merchandise and talk for hours on end. As a result of his lack of pressure I bought loads of stuff from him. I always used to say that when I moved away from Kilmarnock the only two things I missed were the local library (the Dick Institute) and Hector McDonalds.

When I retired I was given some money to spend on something photographic and I took it down to the store to spend. Archie's son David was now running the store (although Archie was still working well into his eighties) and he was continuing in the friendly approach started by his dad. At the time he explained about the difficulty he was having getting stock from the major brands as they seemed not in the least interested in dealing with the small retailer.

I feel really sorry for the family as it must have been heartbreaking to shut up shop after so many years. It was the best type of camera shop and I know that I won't be the only one feeling the sadness.

 

[zuikologist]

Sailor, I echo your sentiment: as a young teenanger in the 80'sI bought photographic supplies from Cameracraft in Palmers Green, North London - then a well appointed area with lots of independent shops now all sadly gone. It is amazing to think that such a fully equipped shop could survive selling chemicals, papers, cameras and lenses in a suburban backwater. It closed about 10 years ago, having operated for more than 40 years.

 

[sailor]

Sailor, I echo your sentiment: as a young teenanger in the 80'sI bought photographic supplies from Cameracraft in Palmers Green, North London - then a well appointed area with lots of independent shops now all sadly gone. It is amazing to think that such a fully equipped shop could survive selling chemicals, papers, cameras and lenses in a suburban backwater. It closed about 10 years ago, having operated for more than 40 years.

I remember Cameracraft. They used to advertise in Amateur Photographer. In the eighties they were selling off the remaining stock of Topcon cameras and I picked up a Topcon Super DM and lens for £99. I still have them.

 

[zuikologist]

I remember Cameracraft. They used to advertise in Amateur Photographer. In the eighties they were selling off the remaining stock of Topcon cameras and I picked up a Topcon Super DM and lens for £99. I still have them.

That was a great deal. I bought a Vivitar Series 1 70-210 which I still have. My Durst enlarger and all the developing kit is long gone, but I spent hours there asking the usual stupid questions which they answered with great patience. It would be nice to find such a shop these days when I could really appreciate it!

 

[telenous]

Frank Foster of Photodesign Studio over in Woolacombe (UK) was as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable camera salesman as I've ever come across. He retired some time in 2009, I think. It was quite costly speaking to him (he had a way to absolve all hesitation). With hindsight though I seem to have landed a couple of terrific deals.

Just thinking today how much "I Love Film" added to the RFF experience when he was behaving. I miss Marvin, talked to him every weekend for many years. The days before eBay were so great.

I remember his posts (under all iterations) and I agree. He was bringing knowledge, common sense, humour but also a rather short fuse.

 

[Lawrence Sheperd]

I miss the "old" KEH--first on Spring St in Atlanta and then an absolutely GREAT store on 14th street. Many days, you could even talk to King Grant, the founder.
They had cabinets full of old Nikon and Leica, that you could see, feel and touch--and of course, even buy! Lots of knowledgeable folks working there, too.
Was a great retail store--next door, almost, to the big pre-Ritz Wolf camera on 14th street. Wolf's also had a great used dept. Days long gone...
Paul

Right there with you, Paul. KEH on 14th was my personal....ahem...photography "loan" shop when I was a starving student attending Georgia State University in the late '70s. I rotated so many cameras in and out through there that I thought they would 1099 me! Great folks and great used gear, too. Although at that time in my life $200 was about the same as $2000 is now, so I couldn't really take advantage of any of the killer deals. Thank goodness they still have their mail-order operation up and running.

 

[Vince Lupo]

Can't forget Kominek's on Yonge St in Toronto. I dealt with Mr. Kominek once back in the very early '80s, and he tried to help me out with my Exakta VXIIa (unfortunately his 'fix' didn't work). Then Russ Forfar and Hugh Cooley took it over in about 1990, and I had the extreme pleasure of dealing with them for quite a number of years. Hugh unfortunately passed away, and I lost touch with Russ a number of years ago.

I do see that there is a Kominek website, but I don't know if it's still a going concern or not.

 

[Ronald M]

The reason it is gone is you buy online and the local guy is left without sales. Some will go so far as to look over the merchandise locally and then buy on line.

That and nobody buys print & processing which were high profit margin items.

You all just screwed yourselves trying to save a few $.
It is not a whole lot different from Walmart, Costco, etc. You local who gave good service went out of business and left the big box who buys from China so now your job is gone too.

 

[jalLee2001]

Ronald, funny you should say that. I have felt that for a while. I also feel the internet is a part of the issue. Whenever I am back in Chicago, I will go make the pilgrimage to Central and buy something-even if it is just a brick of TMAX 400

BTW the owner is a great guy.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

Optechs in Seattle. Opened around 1981 by a couple (he worked at Boeing as I did). Small store on the fourth floor of a cool office building downtown. saw my first Nikon rangefinder there, a chrome dial S2 with 50mm 1.4. Clyeds and a small shop on Aurora near our house were also my haunts then, 1979-1983.

I used to shop at Optechs when they were on Fairview Avenue--haven't been in to see them since they moved down to Sodo. The staff at Clyed's were always supremely patient with me when I was a beginner.

Don't forget Warshal's on First Avenue. They had good prices and selection. Their gun department (the other half of the store) had a cameo in that John Wayne detective flick, "McQ." (If you want to see what Seattle used to look like, there's your movie.) The Duke bought a machine pistol from them in the movie--they didn't really have a firing range in the back room, however.

I'm glad Glazer's is still around.

 

[Chuck Albertson]

OMG that polyester plaid coat! Those polyester shirts! Those polyester ties! Brings back the bad old days 😀

Back in the day, known as "the full Cleveland." Shades of Herb Tarlock!

 

[lxmike]

Unfortunately just heard that Bonsers Photographic in Newcastle upon Tyne is closing in the comming week, very sad, I bought my first Billingham bag there in 1985, and my first Pentas MX in 1986, Ive been going there for years

 

[kknox]

I remember Nobi's Camera in Seattle, great custom film lab. They did sell some gear, I could not afford much then.

All these great places are all gone now.

 

[jtm6]

I remember Nobi's Camera in Seattle, great custom film lab. They did sell some gear, I could not afford much then.

All these great places are all gone now.

I mentioned Iveys to a guy who worked at Glazers and he didn't know what I was talking about.
(Glazers is a store. Iveys was a custom lab. They were so close they shared a wall. In all fairness, I think he was actually surprised to hear that name.)

 

[Filmnut]

The first camera store I ever remember being in, with my Dad, was Lochart's Camera Exchange here in Toronto, Ontario, which was where he bought most of his cameras and supplies from the 40's on. It closed sometime in the early 70's, I think.
Someone mentioned Jerry's, which I patronized myself, and Alt Camera on Queen St E., where I bought my first Nikon AF there, and many other things till they closed late 90's or early 2000, I think. Dealt with a great guy at Alt's named Don for most of my purchases.
Keith

 

[fuji645]

Growing up as a teenager in NYC in the mid 60's, an enthusiast had an incredible amount of stores to shop in. Saturday mornings always involved a trip to Olden Camera on 32nd st in the heart of the camera district. I spent many a day looking and fondling old Exakta, Nikon and Contax cameras. Bought my M3 there (still have it!), a rare Canon black VI L rangefinder which I later traded in for a brand new 50mm 2.8 Elmar (list price $86.00, I think I got fleeced on that deal). There was also Camera Barn, where I'd search for outdated film and paper, Minifilm Camera where I bought my first accessory lenses for my Mamiya Sekor 1000TL SLR. Some years later I discovered my favorite vendor, Ken Hansen Photographic, located on lower Broadway. His shop was the best! I bought several cameras there, a Bogen tripod (still works) and my first medium format cameras. Ken is still active, I believe, but no longer has a public showroom to the best of my knowledge. This thread is a wonderful trip down memory lane.