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Gigi Graciette's BloGG

by Gigi_Graciette from Los Angeles

Last Post 29 days, 11 hours Ago


The body wasn't even cold
Mar 1, 2008 | 4:02 PM
Category: News
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It felt like both a funeral and an estate sale...just not right.

Like if the body was right there in the room; still warm to the touch while all the belongings were being sold off.

People were everywhere. Carrying vases, end tables, rugs...pretty much anything they could get their arms around.

While some were sprawled on the furniture with a "this is mine, don't even think about it" look on their face, others were ripping things off the wall.

On a counter, dozens of handwritten signs read "50% off"...but the sales people hadn't even had time to put them out before people began arriving.

I was at Wickes Furniture today.

A sluggish economy and the housing slump/crisis has finally killed off the already ailing chain and today was their goodbye sale.

I've been there a million times and never bought anything but as I watched the store being decimated, I felt incredibly sad.

Wickes was....well, it was Wickes. A store that was always there and now it's about to be gone.

Along with Levitz...and Broadway...and May Company...and Robinson's...and Robinson's May.

Anyone remember Ohrbach's on Wilshire? Zody's on Sunset Boulevard? Tiny Naylors on La Brea? Ada's Hamburgers on Selma Avenue?

The list goes on and on.

Any favorites that you remember? That you miss?

Meanwhile, bye-bye Wickes.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 12
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craftyguy read my blog
Mar 1, 2008 | 11:43 PM

the unpolitically correct Sambo's restaurants..Tower records..the Brown Derby..the Van Nuys drive in...KMET..yep we keep changing for the worse ..
dasvics read my blog view my photos
Mar 1, 2008 | 11:54 PM

Hi Gigi, Im glad to see you blogging again, sorry if I was rude on your last post, I didn’t meant to be. As for Wickes, I never did care too much for it, it was a bit pricey wasn’t it? I remember when Sears Homelife Furniture went under (I used to work for them) and then Levitz...now Wickes. wow, it is kinda sad to see all these stores go down. I hope our economy picks up again and things get better. take care Gigi :-)
cohler
Mar 2, 2008 | 3:35 AM

Gigi, as always, you capture the true feeling of the matter. I guess it's called progress -- but at what price and what kind?
Chale40
Mar 2, 2008 | 6:23 AM

The older I get the more we sound like our parents, but I'm sure they said the same thing. Remember Johnie Broilers in Downey, the South Gate Drive in, (Can't remember the name) the homemade tacos restaurant off of Soto and the 10 fwy, the Firestone factory in South Gate, Ernies Restaurant also in South Gate, and the Gaucho Grill on Sunset Blvd. It's unfortunate and it make me wonder what our kids will miss as they get older.
marv read my blog view my photos
Mar 3, 2008 | 12:02 AM

bullocks, bullocks-wilshire, i magnin, thrifty drug, kowloon chinese restaurant on Pico east of La Cienego, szechuan palace on Pico where fwWestside pavillion annex is, fu's garden on Washington Blvd. at least fu's palace is still around on Pico east of Roberston!
mystere read my blog view my photos
Mar 3, 2008 | 3:28 AM

I also remember Johnie's Broiler in Downey, Fedmart, Shopping Bag grocery stores, Builder's Emporium (which was owned by Wickes), Home Club/Home Base, Ole's Hardware...bought out by Builder's Emporium, National Lumber, T G &Y dimestores, Sav On Drugstores, the Highway 39 Drive In in Westminster (now Lowes/Walmart), Cypress Family Twin Cinema...just closed a few months ago (Walker Street and Ball Road in Cypress).

I also miss American Motors Corporation...it's been 20 years since Chrysler took over the company for the Jeep Division...those cars were unique...the AMC Gremlin, Hornet, Pacer, Eagle, Rambler.

Gigi, this has got me thinking about some great memories! And I also remember Sambos...what great food they had there! A Little Bitty Heaven ninety four point seven K M E T...

Mr. E from Cypress
Gigi_Graciette read my blog view my photos
Mar 3, 2008 | 3:35 AM

Funny, I had a Sambo's bumper sticker attached to my desk as a kid.

What about Fedco and Gemco? Remember those? Didn't membership at Fedco cost $1.00 or something?

Ahhh. memory lane. It's a great place to visit.
Gigi_Graciette read my blog view my photos
Mar 3, 2008 | 3:38 AM

What about Alpha Beta Supermarkets?

And First Interstate Bank? Coast Federal Savings? Security Pacific Bank? American Savings? The one on the corner of Vine and Selma -- home to my first savings account.

I'm on a roll.
mystere read my blog view my photos
Mar 3, 2008 | 12:49 PM

Gigi:

Great memories! Fedco charged $10.00 for a lifetime membership...Gemco charged $2.00 and is survived by Albertsons (was part of Luckys before the Albertsons Luckys merger). First Interstate is now Wells Fargo? Mercury Savings merged with Security Pacific, which is now part of Bank Of America. American Savings became part of Washington Mutual. Now what did Coast Savings merge into? Sumitomo Bank merged with Zions Bankcorp and is now California Bank and Trust (just in California though). Bank Of Tokyo of California is now Union Bank.

Now Alpha Beta is what I called "Ralpha Beta" - Ralphs Supermarket. And Ralphs had a bargain base foodchain "The Giant"; Alpha Beta had "Food For Less" which still is part of Ralphs now...or should I say "Ralpha Beta"? (I think they should have renamed both Alpha Beta and Ralphs to "Ralpha Beta" when they merged...Ha Ha!). Skaggs Drug Stores...part of the "Ralpha Beta" chain.

Federated...now who remembers those wacky ads with Shadoe Stevens on television...Sorry Spit and Weep Mattresses...your ads will never be nearly as funny!!! (Personally, I'd like to forget all Spit and Weep's ads...talk about an irritating screechy ad...). By the way, I have a Security Pacific coffee mug...in great shape, and carefully guarded!
rkdbarber
Mar 4, 2008 | 9:11 PM

Did anyone mention Argos coffe shop on Santa Monica & Fairfax? What about the drive in located in Culver City? THE main thing that made me say s'nuf is enuf with LA was our disrespect for what made LA so special. Money trumps history and one can only learn & grow from the latter.
RKDB
_Bella_ read my blog view my photos
Mar 6, 2008 | 10:29 AM

Alpha Beta....I totally forgot about that store...I used to really like that store, wow!

Remember Zody's?
Gigi_Graciette read my blog view my photos
Mar 6, 2008 | 11:36 AM

Ahhh, Zody's. The store where I got to pick and buy my first outfit....a purple t-shirt and jeans.
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Gigi_Graciette

Gigi Graciette can be seen nightly on the Channel 13 and FOX 11 Newscasts. She is also the host of "Ella Es…Gigi Graciette", a nationally syndicated radio show – a three-hour program heard daily. Raised by her Portuguese mother and grandmother, Gigi loves to travel – she’s already visited 23 countries – and in addition to having lived in Mexico City, has spent a lot of time in Portugal, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti and England. Gigi Graciette is fluent in three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Member Since: 7/4/2006


 

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