An important part of any success in the store is the help. When I arrived on the scene
there were the in-laws and an older gentleman who very often disappeared in the
stockroom in the back behind a separating wall and " took to the bottle", he did not
last long .
He was followed by a younger man who was an excellent shoe salesman and stayed
with us for quite some time. When Dena arrived and converted from shoes to a
boutique, there was a succession of young girls. Some good, some not so reliable
and, of course, my role in selling diminished.
There is one episode that stays in my memory: next to us there was a paint store.
There were three stores in the block at that time with an open space at the opposite
end from us. The paint store moved to the corner and for some time there was an empty
space between us(later occupied by the post office).
I do not recall whose idea it was,but we decided to use the empty store for a sale of
ladies shoes. it was a cement floor and we displayed rows of boxes of shoes which
were poor sellers on the bare floor and we got rid of a lot of stuff.
When Dena and Dan decided to move to Santa Fe and open a boutique there,
the time had come to quit and ,at 80 years of age,Alan's sold out.
We had a big advertised Sale in the paper and, while prices were marked down
somewhat,but still above cost,we were able to dispose of a lot of merchandise,
(with people waiting around the block) and the balance went to the Forty Thieves who
specialized in close-outs.
Needless to state-if Dena would have stayed, I probably would still be there !
Certainly I enjoyed the forty-plus years in this profitable undertaking.
It proved that I was at he right place at he right time and I feel that i have
led a blessed life in something that started so grim !