Purchase Radio closes

[WA8FOZ]

From The Ann Arbor Observer, May, 2007
“CLOSINGS:
“Purchase Radio Supply was started by ham radio operator Roy Purchase (W8RP) in 1930; his daughter OlaJeanne McCollough, inherited it in 1986, and her husband, Dan (WB8UXO)…is its last manager. ‘Van’s Electronics in Ida (MI), neat Dundee has bought all the inventory,’ says Dan…..In later years, Purchase became more of a specialty business dealing in antique and supplying parts to ham radio operators.”


Purchase Radio, a traditional yet unique radio store in Ann Arbor, has closed. This was expected; Dan WB8UXO told me last fall that this was coming. The retail electronics business, especially for specialized markets (e.g., us) has been rough for a long time. Purchase was an institution in its region. Generations of hams, from OTs to the greenest newbies benefited from is products as well as the wisdom and kindness of its staff. They had a great run.


Roy W8RP was a true pioneer, a friend of John Kraus,W8JK. Many of us impecunious students were the beneficiaries of Roy’s cheap prices and easy credit when we bought our first gear. And many other markets, from commercial to university labs, also depended on Purchase.
http://www.mlive.com/busines....&coll=2 (http://www.mlive.com/business/aanews/index.ssf?/base/business-5/1171554165223990.xml&coll=2)

The inventory was unbelievable, and I am grateful that someone picked it up. Just to visit the store was an experience.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vox/464137333/

And so it goes.

73 all,
Bill WA8FOZ

[w8znx]

hell
wish i had known

some of us could have
gong by one last time

bought my then new
ten tec 509 argonaut
and my used 75S3 from
Purchase Radio

what with Michigan Radio
closing down a few years ago
this means there is
no ham radio store in Michigan

remember as a young squirt
taking the bus in to downtown Detroit

first stop would be Reno Radio
to look at and drool at the PR crystal display
may be buy another novice rock

down the block to the Lafayett store

then across Woodward to
M N Duffy and then the long treck
north to Radio Supply and Engineering

often would include lunch at the automat
( man we thought it was so cool )
and a movie
then the bus back home

i did not discover Purchase Radio
till after i got back from a few years
in the army

my camera store "Century Camera"
has also closed
after beeing in bis for over 40 years

mac

[W1GUH]

Quote[/b] (w8znx @ May 04 2007,15:07)]hell
wish i had known

some of us could have
gong by one last time

bought my then new
ten tec 509 argonaut
and my used 75S3 from
Purchase Radio

what with Michigan Radio
closing down a few years ago
this means there is
no ham radio store in Michigan

remember as a young squirt
taking the bus in to downtown Detroit

first stop would be Reno Radio
to look at and drool at the PR crystal display
may be buy another novice rock

down the block to the Lafayett store

then across Woodward to
M N Duffy and then the long treck
north to Radio Supply and Engineering

often would include lunch at the automat
( man we thought it was so cool )
and a movie
then the bus back home

i did not discover Purchase Radio
till after i got back from a few years
in the army

my camera store "Century Camera"
has also closed
after beeing in bis for over 40 years

mac
Oh, man, yes, those stores! Me and a friend of mine made regular trips to Detroit on the morning commuter train for him to try (once more) to get his general. After he got out of 1029 Federal Bldg. on Fort St. we'd hit all those shops and drool. We always ate at the Big Boy restaurant downtown. You forgot one...Silverstein's Surplus store.

I'll bet that you can remember when downtown Detroit was bustling...

Did you ever see the Broadway (I think it was called) Market? I think I went in there once.

And it's a pity about Purchase Radio closing. I didn't live in Ann Arbor long, but I was at Purchase regularly 'cuz there's always something else you need for a station!

Was Purchase Camera (I think on south U.) owned by the same guy?

Finally...my childhood camera store somehow got it right. It was the Camera Mart. First, it was downtown Pontiac, then it was in the Tel-Huron Shopping center. I bought my first "real" camera there - an Exa I made in Dresden. Cost 39.95!

Now, they're a large discount camera shop, similar to Adorama or B & H, and occupy a larger store in the same shopping center.

[N2RJ]

That is tragic.

I was talking to a friend a couple of days ago about ham stores in NYC. I can't believe that NYC, which was home to "Radio Row" now has exactly one ham store (Barry electronics) and that store is a real dump and is on its last dying breath.

But on the bright side, online retailers like Giggleparts seem to be doing well.