By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
Looking at the clip art and the premise behind this December 1962 ad for the AM&A’s toiletries department, one can quite easily picture, say, Ward Cleaver showing up in one of the six Adam, Meldrum and Anderson locations with this ad in hand.
Buffalo Stories archives
The perfume counter was on the main floor at the downtown location. Other locations were on Sheridan Drive, University Plaza, Thruway Plaza, Abbott Road and Airport.
By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
It was November 5, 1981, when the sign for the William Hengerer Company was replaced by Sibley’s.
Buffalo News archives
Hengerer’s had been in downtown Buffalo for 105 years when the name was changed. Buffalo’s Hengerer’s and Rochester’s Sibley’s had long been owned by the same parent company.
The downtown store in this photo was closed in 1987, and Sibley’s was eventually merged into Kaufmann’s in 1990. Most remaining Kaufmann’s locations became Macy’s in 2006.
By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
On Tuesdays, BN Chronicles will look at buildings or structures that are no longer standing, and look at what stands there now.
Hundreds of downtown Buffalo buildings were lost to the automobile, either with ways to move them more efficiently or to park them once they got there.
Highways like the Niagara Thruway and the Kensington Expressway caused the loss of some downtown structures, but the planned Elm-Oak elevated highway – which was never built – still precipitated the wholesale demolition of every block between Oak and Elm, between the 33 and the 190.
At the same time Buffalo thought these highways into the heart of the city would “save downtown,” something had to be done with the cars once they got there.
Most look back with sadness or frustration at the fact that entire blocks were lost to civic parking ramps, and many other buildings were demolished to make way for private lots.
But as this was happening 60 years ago, the obviously good-intentioned hope was that given some place to park – perhaps the biggest beef about doing anything downtown at the time – that people would come.
That hope can clearly be seen in the advertising of downtown department stores 60 years ago this week.
The Downtown Merchants’ big two page ad touts the pleasure of downtown shopping with two new ramps open with room for 37,000 cars daily.
Many stores were running their own ads as well. Kobacker’s, Hengerer’s, and JN Adam’s all paid to tell the people of Buffalo that “parking’s a breeze” at their downtown stores.
JN’s ad reminds: “Shop all day, if you’d like. Your car’s safe from based fenders, parking tickets, and all the other hazards of the bad old days!”
All that parking didn’t help JN Adam’s. The store closed in 1960, and AM&A’s took over its location. The building with 37,000 parking spots only steps away was vacant for more than a decade. As reported by Jonathan D. Epstein in May 2015, the building is now being converted to a hotel catering to Chinese tourists.
By Steve Cichon
steve@buffalostories.com
@stevebuffalo
Even before it was called Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving has long been the day where people decide they need to get their behinds in gear for Christmas present shopping.
This year’s big Thanksgiving retail controversy surrounds the many stores which have decided to open on Thanksgiving day, taking employees away from their families and friends on one of the last vestiges of humanity left in our God-forsaken country. I think that’s how I heard the whole thing described. Anyway, it seems the whole world is against this move, calling it unprecedented. Most would point to the notion brought forth in this Sattler’s ad from 1968, wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, and asking them to stop by after the holiday.
For decades, I worked in the radio and TV industry, which can’t shut down for holidays. Even when you hate holidays, hate your family, and have no friends, it’s still awful working on a holiday when the rest of the world isn’t.
There’s always a very small number of people who’ll say, “I’d rather work!” Those people need to find better ways to deal with their problems. Just like the people who are excited about being able to leave their families on Thanksgiving to go buy worthless, consumery presents for those same people they are leaving.
Even if you hate your family, you should still spend time with them. Sitting in an intoxicated stupor on the couch in the same house counts as spending time with your family. At least I hope so.
Anyway, Thanksgiving 2013 is NOT the first Thanksgiving where Buffalonians could leave their homes and shop on the big day itself. In 1968, IDS Department stores advertised their 4 area locations were open on Thanksgiving Day. Could that be part of the reason no one has ever heard of IDS 45 years later? Hmmmmm.
I think shopping on Thanksgiving is a terrible idea, and, like every good American should be, I will drunk on a couch–not shopping on Thursday.
So here is that IDS ad, and the first of about 60 others to come over the next few days… A quick visit back to some of the cool things you could buy… and some of the cool places you could buy them in. Black Friday 1968 in Buffalo. As you’re reading, keep in mind that government data says that a 1968 dollar is equal to $6.71 in 2013 money. Enjoy!
The IDS stores in Buffalo’s Central Park Plaza, Union Rd-Cheektowaga, Union Rd-Orchard Park, and Niagara Falls Blvd were open 10-5 Thanksgiving Day 1968.
Admiral radio’s AM/FM radio is $106.55 in today’s dollars
Classic Corningware from AM&As
AM&As
Gifts for the lady from AM&As
More AM&As toys
come see the AM&As windows downtown…
Bells helping men buy presents for their wives…
LL Berger’s, six floors of holiday savings downtown
LL Berger’s and the Courier Express
Junk from the Cape Cod store
Century: one of Buffalo’s great catalogs used to pick your own gifts!
Some of the junk available from Century
From Hengerer’s
Hengerer’s offered this great Iroquois Beer can lighter for only $2. Smoke ’em if you got em!
Half of a GEX ad… GEX was located where the Walden flea market now stands.
Hey girls! Open your Marine Change at Gutman’s!
Hengerer’s had about 10 pages of ads in the paper.
Hengerers hotties
in 1960s mens ads, there was always a guy smoking a pipe, just like this Hens & Kelly ad. Always.
Not an ad, but photo of Rochester Amerks Defenseman Don Cherry (4) getting owned by the AHL Buffalo Bisons. There’s a gift that keeps on giving.
Three Kleinhans locations
K-Mart stuff
Toys from K-Mart
a subtle reminder from K-Mart that women like blenders
This TV and cart was at my grandma’s house. Its great to go through these ad to find the things that you remember…
Kresges was owned by K-Mart, kinda like K-Mart, but not quite K-Mart. More like Woolworths. Nice phonograph!!
Kobachers
Great stuff from Leader Drug
This was from Leaders. Don’t we all know women who, as girls, played with this doll a bit too much?
There used to be a mall downtown. Wait- BREAKING NEWS- there is still a mall downtown. Who knew? But when it opened, you could actually shop at Main Place Mall.
Was this toy at Neisner’s a result of early LSD experimentation?
Great stuff from Noah’s Ark
Park Edge Grocery
Purchase Radio Label makers!!
“For the modern pad.” Hahahaha.
Ron Burgundy was apparently a model for The Sample
visit Santa at The Sample. Balloons are cheaper than candy canes, right?
Sattlers has more guys with pipes
From Sattlers: This stupid valet chair has been a popular item at WNY thrift stores for 30 years.
Sattlers had freaking everything… Including dogs. ON SALE!!
Toys from Sears…
The ad is black and whte, but the big console TV is COLOR from Sears.
More 1960s retail misogyny: Look how happy the females of the house are with the automatic dishwasher! Unloading in a dress even!
A South Buffalo institution: Spoonley the Train Man
Tanke’s rhymes with Swanky’s. Very posh.
Town Squire in Allentown. This ad was on the theatre page.
Ulbrich’s (junk)
My mom might still have some of this Woolworth’s wrapping paper
This page originally appeared at TrendingBuffalo.com
