Woolworth's Record Department (and Other 5 & 10)

[JonUrban]

This was "my" childhood Woolworth's, circa 1960, Rockville, CT. There actually was a W.T.Grants here too, just to the left of the Arthur's Drug Store. I was probably 7 or 8 years old. We'd walk to school on our own, and walk to this shopping center on our own. Today parents get arrested for allowing that! Too funny. My Mom would send me to Arthur's Drug Store with a note and a 50 cent piece to get her a pack of Virginia Slims! I'd get to spend the change on candy. The stuff we remember as kids, who knows how these memories remain after decades!

PS - I think I bought the "Wally Gator" theme song record at that Woolworth's!

 

[Simon A]

The very first strip mall in my hometown had both a Woolworth's and W.T. Grants. As a kid I loved to go to the soda fountain at Woolworth's and get cherry cokes and milkshakes.
I remember when the Beatles came out on LP, I asked my Mother to pick it up for me. Well she let the lady at the checkout at Woolworth's talk her out of it, telling her she didn't want her kids listening to such trash! lol. I went back later and bought it myself with my lawn mowing cash and (I guess) the same lady tried to talk me out of it.

That lady at the checkout was responsible for the Beatles records bonfire in your hometown...

 

[cbmmm3]

downtown GR
I remember Herpolshimers more so

 

[Quadkid]

We had a G C Murphy's and a McCrorys in addition to the Woolworths. Not bad for a town of 25,000 in West Virginia! I'm sure they all had record bins but I think Woolworths was the largest in our town. This would be about 1960-68 and I was buying Christy Minstrels and Letterman discs, as well as some classical as my high school had a music appreciation class. What ever happened to those??
And I was recording the summer parks concert band series on my Shure 55S and a borrowed mono Wollensak. Didn't have any mike stands but I suspended it over the conductor with a rope strung across the rafters! Then borrowed another recorder (think it was a Lafayette Radio) to make copies for band members. Not too HiFi but I was having fun!
I had a cue set up with the conductor. If I took my baseball hat off, he knew I was changing reels and he'd talk a bit between songs till I put it back on! Those were the days of my youth!

You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Clarksburg, WV? That’s my hometown and I remember those stores.

 

[nikomen]

The very first strip mall in my hometown had both a Woolworth's and W.T. Grants. As a kid I loved to go to the soda fountain at Woolworth's and get cherry cokes and milkshakes.
I remember when the Beatles came out on LP, I asked my Mother to pick it up for me. Well she let the lady at the checkout at Woolworth's talk her out of it, telling her she didn't want her kids listening to such trash! lol. I went back later and bought it myself with my lawn mowing cash and (I guess) the same lady tried to talk me out of it.

My hometown of Huntington, on Long Island had a Woolworth's as well as a Grants. In the mid to late 70's when Grants folded, they had a sorts of sell off of stuff from the basement in storage. There was a guy there that was able to buy an entire box of The Beatles sealed Stereo 1st state (paste-over) Yesterday And Today albums, some where around 20 I think it was for virtually nothing! For years he was selling them off in the thousands.

 

[gvl_guy]

Two Guys in East Brunswick NJ. I think I bought my first stereo there, too. An Elgin brand with a mini turntable on top.

 

[mandrix]

We had a G C Murphy's and a McCrorys in addition to the Woolworths. Not bad for a town of 25,000 in West Virginia! I'm sure they all had record bins but I think Woolworths was the largest in our town. This would be about 1960-68 and I was buying Christy Minstrels and Letterman discs, as well as some classical as my high school had a music appreciation class. What ever happened to those??
And I was recording the summer parks concert band series on my Shure 55S and a borrowed mono Wollensak. Didn't have any mike stands but I suspended it over the conductor with a rope strung across the rafters! Then borrowed another recorder (think it was a Lafayette Radio) to make copies for band members. Not too HiFi but I was having fun!
I had a cue set up with the conductor. If I took my baseball hat off, he knew I was changing reels and he'd talk a bit between songs till I put it back on! Those were the days of my youth!

McRory's. Yeah! I forgot about them. As a young boy, on Saturdays I'd go shopping with my Mother and sometimes we'd stop in there for a slice of fresh pie. Great memories. They always had a lot of varities. Yum. The ladies working there were very nice to little kids.

 

[TVB]

Loved Woolworths. I remember going in to buy the beatles 45 of "nowwhere man" when it first came out but it was sold out. I settled for gary lewis and the playboys "green grass", but was disappointed

 

[mandrix]

Loved Woolworths. I remember going in to buy the beatles 45 of "nowwhere man" when it first came out but it was sold out. I settled for gary lewis and the playboys "green grass", but was disappointed

That song, and "Red Rubber Ball" by the Cyrkle got a lot of airplay down here.

 

[MidiMagic]

Loved Woolworths. I remember going in to buy the beatles 45 of "nowwhere man" when it first came out but it was sold out. I settled for gary lewis and the playboys "green grass", but was disappointed

Turn it over. I liked "I can read between the lines" better.

 

[GOS]

We had a pretty cool Woolworth's in Bloomington, IL. That building is still standing, obviously something else. It was on a corner, so it had a curved entrance which I really liked. I'd be lying if I said I shopped records there. I was too young. My grandma used to go there and I'd tag along. Once it closed down, they opened in the local mall, which is the one I shopped vinyl at. It had much less personality though.