ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
Shopping is commerce yes, but it can be gratifying social interaction too.
Smaller shops offered more personalized service, and often were an expression of the owners personality, quirks and all.
Chris
Sega
Established
I need to dig out the scans of rotting camera shop signage taken from around here (its a bit Lomography style as it was taken on a dying Zenit).
I still remember from my Childhood in the 90's seeing the shop windows in my Town centre, there was a Jessops and a Snappy snaps that sold gear and I think a couple of others I can't remember the name of.
Sadly didn't go in the as Parents were not really into cameras bar usual family memories and they were long gone by time I reached the age to go around town on my own, only one remains in the Old town to the best of my knowledge and fortunately they do carry new and old kit which suits me nicely.
Lab shops are fading now too, most are Max Spielmann chain related that survive so its an off it goes to external lab at £10 a pop, even more recently my usual Kodak haunt changed over.
The Internet and Smartphone are to blame in a way, its making the hobby more niche and professionals need their stuff cheap and the stores can't price match online due to overheads.
I still remember from my Childhood in the 90's seeing the shop windows in my Town centre, there was a Jessops and a Snappy snaps that sold gear and I think a couple of others I can't remember the name of.
Sadly didn't go in the as Parents were not really into cameras bar usual family memories and they were long gone by time I reached the age to go around town on my own, only one remains in the Old town to the best of my knowledge and fortunately they do carry new and old kit which suits me nicely.
Lab shops are fading now too, most are Max Spielmann chain related that survive so its an off it goes to external lab at £10 a pop, even more recently my usual Kodak haunt changed over.
The Internet and Smartphone are to blame in a way, its making the hobby more niche and professionals need their stuff cheap and the stores can't price match online due to overheads.
kbg32
neo-romanticist
I remember going there to try and find darkroom equipment. I remember his place, late 1970s, being in an apartment building on the same block as F.I.T.. A huge apartment filled with "stuff". The building is now part of F.I.T..
dlynch
Member
Linden Photo London Ontario
Linden Photo London Ontario
This store had incredible stock. Old gear always worked really well.
Wonderful ethics, good deals.
Miss them.
I bought all my Leica rangefinder equipment from them. And my Leica projectors.
Linden Photo London Ontario
This store had incredible stock. Old gear always worked really well.
Wonderful ethics, good deals.
Miss them.
I bought all my Leica rangefinder equipment from them. And my Leica projectors.
Mikut
Established
Late to this thread. Closed Northern California camera shops that I haunted through the years. A few already mentioned, others not.
Berkeley: Palmer's Camera, Gersh Photo
Montclair: Sarber's
Oakland: Elmwood Camera
San Francisco: The venerable Brooks on Maiden Lane and Adolph Gasser
Palo Alto: Keeble and Shuchat
Petaluma: Camera Corner
Santa Rosa: Unruh's
Sonoma: 2 small shops with names that I can't recall
An empty store front way down south that I hadn't been to: Alhambra Camera.
Berkeley: Palmer's Camera, Gersh Photo
Montclair: Sarber's
Oakland: Elmwood Camera
San Francisco: The venerable Brooks on Maiden Lane and Adolph Gasser
Palo Alto: Keeble and Shuchat
Petaluma: Camera Corner
Santa Rosa: Unruh's
Sonoma: 2 small shops with names that I can't recall
An empty store front way down south that I hadn't been to: Alhambra Camera.