Battens and Boards, Sausalito

Sports Unlimited, Orinda

Wellspring Ski and Tennis, Lafayette. all deceased.

Mt. Mike's, Squaw Valley

Orange Sporting Goods on the traffic circle / plaza in "Old Town" Orange.

tri-city sporting goods in fremont. although the owner's son now operates sierra ski & snowboard in sacramento which is pretty nice.

Jim Davis Sports, Harberts, Mountain Hutte, and the Berkeley Yellowjacket.
There is REI.

Welly Sports on Shatuck in Berkeley. I used to work there part-time while at Cal. Copeland Sports drove them out, then someone else drove out Copeland and Copeland went BK Chapter 11.

Also, Dougherty and Dunne on Park Street in Alameda. It was a staple in my young sporting life.

I miss Galyan's Trading Company, which had 48 stores in 2004 when it was acquired by the bigger, crappier Dick's Sporting Goods chain. There were quite a few Galyans in the Midwest...not sure if there were any in CA.

Sadly, when the big chains swallow up the little ones, the loser is often the consumer (example: Longs and CVS)

Is Marin Outdoors, still around.
they moved out of Sonoma County.
They may be OOB.

Abe Rose in Oakland -- for those of you real oldtimers.

Benson's on College Ave, Sierra Designs on Doyle, Northside Tennis on Euclid and The Ski Hut on University....and of course the original North Face on Telegraph.

Bears2thDoc;326075 said:

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Benson's on College Ave, Sierra Designs on Doyle, Northside Tennis on Euclid and The Ski Hut on University....and of course the original North Face on Telegraph.

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hard to believe but Joe and Mary's in Albany is still hanging in there.

Young's Backpacking on Telegraph just down from Cody's. I was like a kid in a candy store.

Abercrombie and Fitch, San Francisco Store 1958-1977

I went there with some regularity when I was living in the City in the 60's/ early 70's. Still have a set of foul weather gear with my name and the boats name on it, circa 1970. Its rotted and tired but I keep it hanging in the garage. That was an amaing store.

The Army Surplus Store at Telegraph or SanPablo and Broadway

piemelon;326085 said:

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I went there with some regularity when I was living in the City in the 60's/ early 70's. Still have a set of foul weather gear with my name and the boats name on it, circa 1970. Its rotted and tired but I keep it hanging in the garage. That was an amaing store.

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That it didn't have competition. It wasn't cheap, but if A&F had it you might not find it anywhere else. Today with the internet you can search over all the world, but A&F brought the world to you.

looking back, 1958 was a pretty special year, A&F opening their first branch store in SF, Cal to the Rose Bowl, a Cal national championship in basketball, the Giants arriving from NY, even the 49ers started the year having been to the brink of the NFL title game. Not many years that good for the Bay Area sports fan since then.

buster99;326076 said:

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hard to believe but Joe and Mary's in Albany is still hanging in there.

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"Hanging in there", my butt.

They are there because they bought drinks for the school boards and made sweetheart deals with the schools and the LL like it was their entitlement. Even the Soroptimists said, "What's your deal?"

If people didn't buy, one of several things happened----unshaven big men wearing gold chains appeared @ their door and inquired "how ya' doin'?", OR a Priest twirling rosary beads, OR there was mysterious whispering of rumors and inquires made by the business partner aka the local John Birch Society, OR Grandma's lawn chairs got busted and her 10-year Old Yeller dog got it's butt shaved and tattooed.

Prices were set so high they retired after they sold their first catcher's mit. Everything else was gravy. Nothing could be returned for any reason because all customers are "liars" and a deal is a deal; therefore, no receipt necessary, but a contract is an obligation for life.

In the 1980's I started to travel to Puget Sound for business on a regular basis. Before then I had been to REI in Berkeley and knew of Eddie Bauers and had been on the mailing list of this Seattle seller of outdoor accessories, Early Winters. They always had a loss leader that you just had to buy and then fill your order with some oddball stuff. Most of the time it was a folding French picnic knife for around $5, they are still sharp 30 years later. I also still have two Nelson knifes (a knife and fork in one for the one-armed British hero) and a very old bag of Swedish blueberry soup ordered back then. They had a retail store near Pike's Place Market, perhaps the rent was too steep, they didn't last there long. Their fall catalog was my main Christmas shopping tool for years.

BTW Early Winters was the first company to create and sell a consumer product made with GORE-TEX laminates. EW was taken over by Orvis in 1984

oskihasahearton;326105 said:

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"Hanging in there", my butt.

They are there because they bought drinks for the school boards and made sweetheart deals with the schools and the LL like it was their entitlement. Even the Soroptimists said, "What's your deal?"

If people didn't buy, one of several things happened----unshaven big men wearing gold chains appeared @ their door and inquired "how ya' doin'?", OR a Priest twirling rosary beads, OR there was mysterious whispering of rumors and inquires made by the business partner aka the local John Birch Society, OR Grandma's lawn chairs got busted and her 10-year Old Yeller dog got it's butt shaved and tattooed.

Prices were set so high they retired after they sold their first catcher's mit. Everything else was gravy. Nothing could be returned for any reason because all customers are "liars" and a deal is a deal; therefore, no receipt necessary, but a contract is an obligation for life.

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wow, I happened to notice it the last time I went by on San Pablo. Didn't realize there was such an extensive backstory.

Sporting goods stores and delis should be owned by old jewish guys.

oskihasahearton;326105 said:

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"Hanging in there", my butt.

They are there because they bought drinks for the school boards and made sweetheart deals with the schools and the LL like it was their entitlement. Even the Soroptimists said, "What's your deal?"

If people didn't buy, one of several things happened----unshaven big men wearing gold chains appeared @ their door and inquired "how ya' doin'?", OR a Priest twirling rosary beads, OR there was mysterious whispering of rumors and inquires made by the business partner aka the local John Birch Society, OR Grandma's lawn chairs got busted and her 10-year Old Yeller dog got it's butt shaved and tattooed.

Prices were set so high they retired after they sold their first catcher's mit. Everything else was gravy. Nothing could be returned for any reason because all customers are "liars" and a deal is a deal; therefore, no receipt necessary, but a contract is an obligation for life.

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Wow --- I didn't know that this place had such a shady reputation. I only went there once --- I had inquired on one of the Cal sports message boards about finding a fitted official Cal baseball cap and someone suggested I go there (they didn't have it -- I found one later at the student store).

I remember that I wasn't impressed with the store and wondered how they had stayed in business with lousy parking on a busy street, but I guess I now know (?). I wonder if it is run by the same folks who ran the Alum Rock Cheese Company in San Jose.

Backstory, understory, inventory---yada-yada---but only one slight exaggeration---"OR Grandma's lawn chairs got busted and her 10-year Old Yeller dog got it's butt shaved and tattooed"---the part about the tattoo.

Did it say anything about running numbers?

oskihasahearton;326135 said:

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Backstory, understory, inventory---yada-yada---but only one slight exaggeration---"OR Grandma's lawn chairs got busted and her 10-year Old Yeller dog got it's butt shaved and tattooed"---the part about the tattoo.

Did it say anything about running numbers?

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Numbers? We are talking about the Mary and Joe's in Albany, not Jersey, right?

I think M or J has gone back to nature, though it might be hard to tell. They use to sell childrens clothing (new) and then added sporting gear and when that did well in "their markets" (sic)---heh---@ the "Hotsy-Totsy", the "Fratellanza", etc---they dropped the clothing and the Mary Janes and went for the LL and school PE supplies---balls and uni's----and athletic shoes and Whiting letter jackets---and never issued a refund or exchange. In fact, some complainers had to pay a second time---or get the lawn chairs.

Walking distance to Golden Gate Fields---and old dog tracks almost next door.

Interesting info on Mary and Joes. I've been going there for about 30-35 years (that makes me feel old). Back in the old days they had the entire building they are in now as part of the store - then they moved down San Pablo and then moved back to the current location.

I've never dealt with them for any organized sports - just went in to buy stuff when I was growing up and occasionally go in there to get stuff for my kids now. They have always been a little on the expensive side - and the service and selection isn't anywhere near what it used to be.

But I've never had any really unpleasant experiences there - sounds like you have. Was this recent or from way back in the day?

highwireact;326148 said:

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Interesting info on Mary and Joes. I've been going there for about 30-35 years (that makes me feel old). Back in the old days they had the entire building they are in now as part of the store - then they moved down San Pablo and then moved back to the current location.

I've never dealt with them for any organized sports - just went in to buy stuff when I was growing up and occasionally go in there to get stuff for my kids now. They have always been a little on the expensive side - and the service and selection isn't anywhere near what it used to be.

But I've never had any really unpleasant experiences there - sounds like you have. Was this recent or from way back in the day?

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I remember buying a New Era 5950 fitted Cal cap there. 100% wool and made in the USA. It's probably somewhere in my house. I also bought a satin "CALIFORNIA" Starter jacket there, although I left it somewhere and never found it again. Apparently one sold on eBay a few months ago.

http://cgi.ebay.com/vtg-UNIV-CALIFORNIA-starter-SATIN-JACKET-cal-bears/390151926907

Heck - I got way back and remember when I was big into table tennis, and got a Butterfly brand paddle there.

Oshman's WLA. Pico & Sepulveda, where nobody's dream comes true.

GoldenBeaR6;326007 said:

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tri-city sporting goods in fremont. although the owner's son now operates sierra ski & snowboard in sacramento which is pretty nice.

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damn when did tri-city go down? I used to get all my baseball stuff from there

highwireact;326148 said:

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Interesting info on Mary and Joes. I've been going there for about 30-35 years (that makes me feel old). Back in the old days they had the entire building they are in now as part of the store - then they moved down San Pablo and then moved back to the current location.

I've never dealt with them for any organized sports - just went in to buy stuff when I was growing up and occasionally go in there to get stuff for my kids now. They have always been a little on the expensive side - and the service and selection isn't anywhere near what it used to be.

But I've never had any really unpleasant experiences there - sounds like you have. Was this recent or from way back in the day?

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If you had a good experience and are happy with the goods, that's good and OK with me and excellent for the community. Maybe the ownership is in other hands. This place was one of those local "landmark institutions." My experience goes back to the late 1950's when the operators were a miserable lot. Prices were "outrageously high" and the service was a "whiney" obnoxious "back-biting" pain in the communities.

Things change.

I was aware of the business's evolving profile and locations; however, I have not been in the store since the late 1970's. I love Albany, and though it's closeby, I haven't lived there in 35+ years (University Village).

You are all super old.

oskihasahearton;326199 said:

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I was aware of the business's evolving profile and locations; however, I have not been in the store since the late 1970's.

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A forty year old boycott. That is so rich. You had me laughing uncontrolably as I read through your posts.

A+

You sound like my dead old man, will you adopt me?

In the Richmond district, Sullivan's on Geary.

Park Presido Sports on Clement, which may be reincarnated as Lombardi Sports on Polk at Jackson.

FTC Sports on Bush was around until a few years ago.

I bought many skis from Ski Circus, a small store on Laguna near Lombard. Closed within the last 10 years. Ken and Nancy (?) were the best.

In south Orange County all of the Chick's Sporting Goods have gone out of business............they've been replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods.........no joke.

touchdownbears43;326222 said:

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In south Orange County all of the Chick's Sporting Goods have gone out of business............they've been replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods.........no joke.

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Wow, does this beg for a cheap one liner ---- but, I ain't gonna do it, as tempting as it is.

grandmastapoop;326204 said:

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You are all super old.

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Last year (SEP) I was on 14-day rafting trip in the Grand Canyon---that's old. Anyway, I was day hiking with the young folks in the Nankoweap, and there in Marble Gorge wall of the pre-Cambrian Vishnu schist was a fossilized image of my Uncle Mel---a former halfback @ UU---that's really old.