The first habitat in California was in Long Beach near a traffic circle.A road I hated to take
because it was much traveled and the circle was not easy to navigate. We soon found a place in our
beloved Belmont Shore and within walking distance from the store. I cannot recall any neighbors there
specifically, but it was our abode for a few years.
Back to selling shoes ! The former owner had stocked it with well known brands, such as FLORSHEIM
for men, VITALITY for the ladies and RED GOOSE for the kids.Fortunately it did not take me long to
learn " the tricks of the trade" and my dear Mother-in law was both a super sales woman to learn from
and a good judge of brands we later changed to. A vivid memory of that time brigs forth our " X-ray
Machine" where the customers stuck their feet in this gadget to ascertain the proper size. Not soon
after my appearance however,this machine was banned by the authorities because the customers went
from store to store and exposed their feet to an overdose of X-rays which was dangerous. thus we had to
rely on a small metal platform which you held under the customers foot and adjusted a lever or pushed a slide
to ascertain the proper size.Of course personal knowledge was a big factor,as well as peeking inside the
shoes the customer wore and read the size. The important thing was to read the customer's mind and to
produce the right pair. It was not long before I caught on and I prided myself on the fact that, to my knowledge,
nobody got corns from my selections, although some of the ladies were" numbers" conscious and insisted
on squeezing their tootsies in too small a size.
My dear daughter reminded me of two instances I had forgotten. A young ,pretty, lady customer who had
an over sized bust and very small feet,bent down in front of me,sitting on my fitting stool,thus these huge
globes practically hung in my face.Another time a male customer came in with two left shoes in the box
and, unforgettably, two male customers came in together,tried on a raft of expensive pairs and then rushed out
of the store with costly Florsheim shoes on their feet and ran away.Fortunately an isolated incident.
As a whole we were blessed with a wonderful clientele in a great neighborhood and very soon I was able to
become a full partner. This led to the buy of our first house, again about 15 minuted driving time from the
store. It was located in a brand new,middle class neighborhood,called "Lakewood Plaza". While it was still
being built,we had a big rainstorm. The windows were not in yet,the wooden floors buckled and had to
be replaced. After that there was a big oil fire in a neighborhood,called Signal Hill, and black clouds of
oil ruined the outside of our houses and had to be repainted.
More to come
because it was much traveled and the circle was not easy to navigate. We soon found a place in our
beloved Belmont Shore and within walking distance from the store. I cannot recall any neighbors there
specifically, but it was our abode for a few years.
Back to selling shoes ! The former owner had stocked it with well known brands, such as FLORSHEIM
for men, VITALITY for the ladies and RED GOOSE for the kids.Fortunately it did not take me long to
learn " the tricks of the trade" and my dear Mother-in law was both a super sales woman to learn from
and a good judge of brands we later changed to. A vivid memory of that time brigs forth our " X-ray
Machine" where the customers stuck their feet in this gadget to ascertain the proper size. Not soon
after my appearance however,this machine was banned by the authorities because the customers went
from store to store and exposed their feet to an overdose of X-rays which was dangerous. thus we had to
rely on a small metal platform which you held under the customers foot and adjusted a lever or pushed a slide
to ascertain the proper size.Of course personal knowledge was a big factor,as well as peeking inside the
shoes the customer wore and read the size. The important thing was to read the customer's mind and to
produce the right pair. It was not long before I caught on and I prided myself on the fact that, to my knowledge,
nobody got corns from my selections, although some of the ladies were" numbers" conscious and insisted
on squeezing their tootsies in too small a size.
My dear daughter reminded me of two instances I had forgotten. A young ,pretty, lady customer who had
an over sized bust and very small feet,bent down in front of me,sitting on my fitting stool,thus these huge
globes practically hung in my face.Another time a male customer came in with two left shoes in the box
and, unforgettably, two male customers came in together,tried on a raft of expensive pairs and then rushed out
of the store with costly Florsheim shoes on their feet and ran away.Fortunately an isolated incident.
As a whole we were blessed with a wonderful clientele in a great neighborhood and very soon I was able to
become a full partner. This led to the buy of our first house, again about 15 minuted driving time from the
store. It was located in a brand new,middle class neighborhood,called "Lakewood Plaza". While it was still
being built,we had a big rainstorm. The windows were not in yet,the wooden floors buckled and had to
be replaced. After that there was a big oil fire in a neighborhood,called Signal Hill, and black clouds of
oil ruined the outside of our houses and had to be repainted.
More to come
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