Several years ago (more than
I like to remember), I worked in a camera store. We were the main Leica dealer in town which,
of course, meant, we also sold the Leica Binoculars.
One day, a gentleman
indicated that he was interested in a pair of binoculars for his 10 year old
daughter. Thinking that he probably was
thinking of something in a more modest price range, I proceeded to take a
medium priced pair of binoculars out of the showcase. He immediately rejected it and said that he
wanted to give her a pair of Leica binoculars.
“After all,” he said, “her
eyes are the only ones she will ever have.”
For complete information on
the Leica sport optics go to:
That's one hell of an argument. What store was it?
ReplyDeleteIt was Jay's Cameras at 510 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.
DeleteAre they still at the same location? I don't recall ever seeing a camera store on Nicollet Mall.
ReplyDeleteNo. Jay Ingraham, the original owner, retired and sold the store against his better judgement in 1979 to an individual who was totally unqualified to operate the business. The result was that store went out of business in 1980. It takes some doing to run a 40 year old established retail operation into the ground within a year.
DeleteDid the store have financial problems prior to the sale?
DeleteNot at all, to the contrary, it was one of the best known camera stores in the Twin Cities and for many years the main Leica dealer in the area.
DeleteIt is hard to believe that a successful business would result in total failure so quickly. Do you know what went wrong?
DeleteYes. When the new owner took over the operation of the store, he tried to be the benevolent new boss and gave everyone a raise. In addition he lowered the general price structure of the store and bought a substantial amount of new merchandise. However, he refused to do any advertising to let the public know that the store was under new management. This created a situation of a substantially increased overhead without any increase in the customer count. With less cash flow and profits, the store quickly fell behind once the bills for the new merchandise became due. The store never recovered and was forced to close its doors within a year.
ReplyDeleteHere's the deal on Jay's Cameras. I worked there too, and the new management had it head totally up it's butt. They lost sight of their strengths, weaknesses, their business model, and the power of a young exciting staff. There was no use of advertising, of manufacturer's reps, or of how to promote the business. It was a tragic example of how just because someone is related, it doesn't mean that they are competent. This was indeed a tragedy in the truest sense of Greek drama.
ReplyDeleteDo I understand you correctly that the store was sold to an apparently totally unqualified relative?
DeleteYes, that is correct.
DeleteUnbelievable.
Delete