My Two Favorite Stores as a Kid

[Talntedmrgreen]

JCPenny and Montgomery Ward.  😉

 

 

In all seriousness, it was a big deal back then when mom or my grandparents would take me along to “Penny’s” or “Wards”.  Those were the big stores around here, at opposing ends of the only sort of mall we had without travelling an hour.  Interesting what Simplicity was up to at this time.  Both of these have ‘74 powerplants in them and the Homelite transition from AC to Simplicity was happening as well.  Guess I need a Simplicity built Homelite again!

[Chris727]

Awesome looking Machines. Wards was long gone from St.Louis when I was a kid. All I remember about Penny's, back then, was that they had a salon that always stunk when you walked past it. My favorite store would have probably been either Toys R Us, KayBee Toys, Service Merchandise (catalog store ), or Sears. I remember sitting on those brand spanking new silver Craftsman GT's of the late 1980's early 1990's and thinking how much I wanted to drive one. 

Edited January 30, 2018 by Chris727

[wwbragg]

I like Harbor Freight.  Ever notice that every Harbor Freight store smells like Chinese shipping containers?

[gwiseman]

11 hours ago, Talntedmrgreen said:

JCPenny and Montgomery Ward.  😉

In all seriousness, it was a big deal back then when mom or my grandparents would take me along to “Penny’s” or “Wards”.  Those were the big stores around here, at opposing ends of the only sort of mall we had without travelling an hour.  Interesting what Simplicity was up to at this time.  Both of these have ‘74 powerplants in them and the Homelite transition from AC to Simplicity was happening as well.  Guess I need a Simplicity built Homelite again!

I was on the scene about a decade earlier but those stores were big deals to me when I was a kid as well. We had to travel about an hour to Quincy IL to shop at and both stores were located downtown then. JCPenney was a 3 story bldg and where most of our new school clothes were bought. Wards, on the other hand, was frequented more by Dad and Grandpa for the Riverside truck, tractor and implement tires & batteries. 

[Talntedmrgreen]

My grandfather worked for Wards at some point before my time, so I think our visits there were to exploit an employee discount he retired with.  After that, he worked at another local department store...always in a facility maintenance capacity.  My mom would work there part time when school was out, during the summer and then again before the Christmas holiday as a gift wrapper.

I should go to my folks place and dig through Grandpa's old tools.  Most of it is Powr-Kraft brand, most likely donated by his employer from that time.   I recall not all that long ago, being thrilled to learn Simplicity built the Wards riders we are familiar with around here.  I dig em!

[wwbragg]

This from the Montgomery Wards wiki article:  

By the end of the 1930s, Montgomery Ward had become the country's largest retailer ....

In 1939, as part of a Christmas promotional campaign, staff copywriter Robert L. May created the character and illustrated poem of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." The store distributed six-million copies of the storybook in 1946 and actor and singer Gene Autry popularized the song nationally.

When I was in high School, my mom worked at a W. T. Grant store.  But they went Tango-Uniform in 1979.  At that time, it was the second largest bankruptcy in history.  Montgomery Wards filed bankruptcy in 2001.  Sears Roebuck, Wards' main competitor, and J.C. Penney's are not expected to last out the year.  Supposedly, we are better off with a Walmart in every town.  But it is a memorable treatise to the good-old days.

 

[Snojetter]

I suppose that means 50 or 80 years from now, people will be on a forum discussing their memories of traipsing around a Wal-Mart.

My mom dragged me to and through many a JC Penney's store and my memories center on the boredom of such trips. I did get a kick out of hiding in the center of the circular clothing racks, though.  That's a pretty good memory. 

I was really interested in Snapper rear-engine riders back in the late 80's and early 90's.  I remember looking at the Penney's catalog and eyeing their version of an RER.  They were bright yellow!  I think why I was so interested in those rather than a garden tractor was the sub-$1000 price tag.  Surely my dad could afford that and save me from having to use the push mower...

[Chris727]

X 2 on the circular clothing racks!

[Talntedmrgreen]

1 minute ago, Chris727 said:

X 2 on the circular clothing racks!

X3!   Haha.  The things that have slipped my mind. 

[spi]

Remember just a few years ago when everybody was throwing a fit because Wal Mart was "putting all the mom and pops out of business"? 

Now the internet is making stores obsolete and no one seems to care.

[jfrank1962]

6 hours ago, Chris727 said:

X 2 on the circular clothing racks!

X 4 !!!   My brother and I were very entertained by those clothing racks much to our mothers dismay 

[Talntedmrgreen]

This is a tractor I used think was flat out ugly.  I saw another member’s at the GOTO in Oakley and fell in love with the industrial look.  This one will clean up real nice once its warm enough for a bath!  

I installed rear lift today and found the lights that didnt work was simply a wire loose from the switch.  Cleaned the gas tank and replaced the fuel line.  The starter generator doesnt seem to spin fast enough, so Ill swap that out   The mount is broken so that will swap too.  Needs a welch plug yet and I will go through fluids   

 

 

 

[PhanDad]

Josh,

It looks like you removed some stuff hanging down from the front of the tractor going back underneath.  It's in the first pic, but not the others or so my eyes think.

What's the story?  Doesn't look "OEM" to me, but maybe a Penny's special?

 

[Talntedmrgreen]

The PO bought a Garden Way 54” snowplow and adapted it.  Actually did an very very nice job.  Its currently looking for a new home 😂

[ShaunE]

8 hours ago, Snojetter said:

I did get a kick out of hiding in the center of the circular clothing racks, though.  That's a pretty good memory.

That was the best part about shopping with my mother as well!

8 hours ago, Snojetter said:

I remember looking at the Penney's catalog and eyeing their version of an RER

That is NOT the reason I looked at the Penny's catalog when I was young & I can't be the only one...

[wwbragg]

7 hours ago, spi said:

the internet is making stores obsolete

But isn't it exciting when that big brown truck pulls up next to your house?

https://www.google.com/search?q=wells+fargo+wagon+song&ie=&oe=

[fishnwiz]

My favorite stores were coast to coast and when I was a bit older it was Spencer gifts which sold posters and soft porn gag gifts. Lots of boobies for a 12 year old kid to stare at including Farra Faucets nip pics.

[dhoadley]

(Hear the voice of Beavus & Butthead) He said, "Nip Pics" 

[Snojetter]

14 hours ago, Talntedmrgreen said:

This is a tractor I used think was flat out ugly.

Well...I hate to say this, but it still is pretty ugly.  But at the same time, the look is uniquely appealing.  Don't really know how to classify it - I wouldn't be embarrassed to mow with it in full view of the county road going by the house.

10 hours ago, wwbragg said:

But isn't it exciting when that big brown truck pulls up next to your house?

https://www.google.com/search?q=wells+fargo+wagon+song&ie=&oe=

One of my favorite movies...and I'm not that old...

[spi]

But isn't it exciting when that big brown truck pulls up next to your house?

https://www.google.com/search?q=wells+fargo+wagon+song&ie=&

Wow, I must be pretty jaded I don't get nearly that excited.

[Josiah deshong]

I to was a patron of the jc penny center section catalogue now that u mention it I browsed frequently through elementary school it’s a wonder they were just laying around everywhere then all ten pounds of it 

[fishnwiz]

On 1/30/2018 at 10:40 PM, wwbragg said:

But isn't it exciting when that big brown truck pulls up next to your house?

https://www.google.com/search?q=wells+fargo+wagon+song&ie=&oe=

I don't remember the big brown wagon but do recall the daily milk man and his truck..

[dince]

On 31/01/2018 at 3:40 PM, wwbragg said:

But isn't it exciting when that big brown truck pulls up next to your house?

https://www.google.com/search?q=wells+fargo+wagon+song&ie=&oe=

Oh dear, we have internal combustion powered delivery vans in Australia!  And here was I thinking the US was more advanced than us!!   LOL!

[Hick]

On 1/30/2018 at 11:39 PM, fishnwiz said:

My favorite stores were coast to coast and when I was a bit older it was Spencer gifts which sold posters and soft porn gag gifts. Lots of boobies for a 12 year old kid to stare at including Farra Faucets nip pics.

Yeah, and my buddies and I referred to this poster as "Farrah's Fawcets"
And laughed hysterically at our wit!
Kids . . . 

[fishnwiz]

 

Ohhhhh Baby ..that's what I'm talking about. 

Those Fawcets have most likly developed a leak by now

I feel old.......She was HOT.

Edited March 2, 2018 by fishnwiz