Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[Joie DeVive]

And speaking of noble rural institutions that have fallen by the wayside, how about the Grange?

Good one.

Here's another, the local armory....

 

[Dr Doran]

Good one.

Here's another, the local armory....

the old armory in SF (Mission street) is now an S&M establishment.

That's SF for ya ....

 

[Diamondback]

Good one.

Here's another, the local armory....

Still got a few around here...

the old armory in SF (Mission street) is now an S&M establishment.

That's SF for ya ....

What are they gonna do when the Mutant Zombie Commie Mall-Ninjas invade, use whips and chains on 'em?lol

 

[Rachael]

they would probaly be better prepared for Zombies than Ninjas.fftopic:

 

[Diamondback]

OT: Doubtful, zombies you don't want anywhere within 30 feet--long-range tools are best. Flamethrowers are excellent, if ya got the fuel to spare... besides, Mall-Ninjas aren't the same as katana-wielders, they're the guys you see around the mall in all-black and tactical-gear like they're SWAT-wannabes.

Apologies, attempting a little humor...:eusa_doh:

 

[Dr Doran]

How about BUTCHERS? It feels like those are slowly vanishing. In some places, at least. You can get meat delivered to your store in pieces, requiring very little skill.

 

[Minerva]

How about BUTCHERS? It feels like those are slowly vanishing. In some places, at least. You can get meat delivered to your store in pieces, requiring very little skill.

I miss the butcher that was in town. They were in business since the 30s and just closed a couple of years ago. I always liked telling them what cuts of meat we needed, and have them go cut it right then.

We get some meat from one of the Italian delis now, but there's no sides of meat hanging the freezer. It's not the same, even if the one place does all their non-imported sausages in-house.



How about shoe repair shops? We seem to have in our town the only place for several towns around. Don't people repair shoes anymore? I know, I know -- throw them out when old and replace, right? :eusa_doh: Damned disposable culture.

 

[LondonLuke]

We have a local butcher, grocer, chemist, general shops, bakers and cobblers just up the road from here, bearing in mind that this is the middle of london! Most of them are independently owned as well!

 

[LizzieMaine]

For a long time I had to drive fifty miles to get to the nearest shoe repair place, but last spring we had one open up right downtown here. He's quite good -- but he keeps up yet another old tradition, that of taking forever to finish the job.

There's an old joke -- this guy is going thru his grandfather's old trunk and finds a claim check for a pair of shoes, with a faint date rubber stamped on it -- 1933 is all he can make out -- and the name of a shoe repair shop. He's intrigued and does some digging, and finds out that, amazingly enough, that shop is still in business. So he gets in the car and drives way out to the oldest part of town, and wanders down a bunch of side streets and he finds this tiny, dusty little hole in the wall shop. He walks in, and it's like a time machine -- dark cabinets, shoes in boxes stacked everywhere, repair equipment in the back. He looks around a bit, and the proprietor comes out, this little gnome of a guy wearing an eyeshade and sleeve garters. He says to the guy "You won't believe this, but my grandfather brought a pair of shoes in here 75 years ago, and never picked them up. And I know it's a long shot, but..." And he hands the guy the claim check. Shoe guy doesn't say a word and goes into the back of the shop. He roots around for a while, and then comes back out. "Yeah, we got 'em," he says. "That's incredible!" the first guy says. "After 75 years!!! Can I see them? Can I take them home???" "Yeah, sure, " says the shoe guy. "Be ready Thursday."

Well, it wasn't that bad for me, but pretty close. Took four months to get a new pair of heels put on.

 

[scotrace]

Our shoe repair guy does great work, fast turnaround, and for cheap! If I ever move, I have to move him too, shop and all.

Now, if the seamstress who was supposed to do some trouser copying would move as fast (two years and waiting), I'd be all set. I am several sizes smaller now than when I took them in!

 

[Sunny]

For a long time I had to drive fifty miles to get to the nearest shoe repair place, but last spring we had one open up right downtown here. He's quite good -- but he keeps up yet another old tradition, that of taking forever to finish the job.

There are two cobblers that I know of in my city, both within 10 minutes of my house. Neither is in a very old part of town, either. I suspect that boot repair is their biggest business around here, and the reason they're relatively thriving; there are more in the phone book. I've had reenacting boots re-soled, a boot heel fixed, and a couple of tears in a pair of pumps "repaired" just so they'd be wearable.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

They used that joke in a Blondie comic strip in the 90s, when I was a tailor.
I miss notions counters. Even big department stores had them. Dollar stores and odd job lots stores are the nearest thing for me anymore, since I can't go to Woolworth's in England.

 

[Kassia]

I miss the butcher that was in town. They were in business since the 30s and just closed a couple of years ago. I always liked telling them what cuts of meat we needed, and have them go cut it right then.

We get some meat from one of the Italian delis now, but there's no sides of meat hanging the freezer. It's not the same, even if the one place does all their non-imported sausages in-house.



How about shoe repair shops? We seem to have in our town the only place for several towns around. Don't people repair shoes anymore? I know, I know -- throw them out when old and replace, right? :eusa_doh: Damned disposable culture.

We have both were i live!! We are semi suuburn and rural so we have many "old" things still... And that reminds me i need to see my shoe repair soon about a purse.....

 

[Kassia]

We have a local butcher, grocer, chemist, general shops, bakers and cobblers just up the road from here, bearing in mind that this is the middle of london! Most of them are independently owned as well!

We have the best baker in the world here!!!!

 

[Kassia]

Do any of you live in a town that has resurrected the weekend farmers market? They do that here and it's a huge success.. From spring to fall we can get the best, fresh produce right here in town...

 

[Dr Doran]

I am several sizes smaller now than when I took them in!

Congrats. Less Sierra Nevada?

 

[Kassia]

Our shoe repair guy does great work, fast turnaround, and for cheap! If I ever move, I have to move him too, shop and all.

Now, if the seamstress who was supposed to do some trouser copying would move as fast (two years and waiting), I'd be all set. I am several sizes smaller now than when I took them in!

We have an Asian lady in the mall that does alterations and such... I take my pants to her for hemming... She charges $7.50 cdn and sometimes i can pick them up the next day... Sometimes it's 2 days...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Do any of you live in a town that has resurrected the weekend farmers market? They do that here and it's a huge success.. From spring to fall we can get the best, fresh produce right here in town...

Oh yes, we have that every Friday during the season down at the public landing (yuppie-speak for the city docks.) Best sweet corn in the world is there...

 

[Custom79]

Ice cold Coke...

I'm not sure if anyone has hit on this one yet, but I miss those old school Coke machines.

I could put in my dime and fish out an ice cold bottle of my favourite.

Regards.

C79

 

[Miss Sis]

I miss notions counters. Even big department stores had them. Dollar stores and odd job lots stores are the nearest thing for me anymore, since I can't go to Woolworth's in England.

I hear you, sister! But I'm afraid Woolworths only have rubbish notions in a tiny little section same as you'd get in a supermarket. Even trusty old John Lewis's haberdashery department in London is a shade of it's former self these days.

*Luckily* for me, I have discovered a local shop that looked like a card craft place but has lots of haberdashery, yarns etc through the back. These days, it's like hitting the jackpot! And I made sure I told the lady behind the counter how pleased I was and she could be sure they'd see me back.