I LOVED service merchandise. I used to look through the catalog all year. I bought my Swiss Champ Swiss Army knife there when I was 15 years old for what at the time was a hole years worth of money. I still have and use that thing.
There used to be a store called Ben Franklins in this area when I was young and they had a cool staircase that led to the lower level and I'd go down there and pick out He-Man and Thundercats toys.
Speaking of crazy stairs. In EC on the opposite corner where the bank that Dillenger robbed there was a walgreens like store that had a basement with a ton of stuff. Mainly sewing stuff and fabric but those stairs were kool.
Also on ridge rd en route to the IL border there was a lumber store called "handy andy" I think that had a staircase on the inside that only the adults were allowed to go up to see the wood, etc.
And the corner store in the Harbor called busy corner had those old fashion seats like a bar where you could get soda floats. On that same strip there was a men's high end suit store with a tailor (my grandma got pants tailored there), a women's show store (my grandma bought shoes from there) and a grocery store at the very far end of the strip. The grocery store had a cool dip when you entered in the buggy. My grandpa would push me and let the car go and I would race pass the dip and end up in the fruit section before my grandma would be screaming at him!
No need for seatblets or car seats back then either!
Back in my day...we has to crank start the horseless carriage.
North hammond WM had 2 boxes of .40 yesterday. If you read my rant post, you know I won't be buying it.
you people