When I was a Junior in High School (88-89) I worked at TG&Y, in Duncan.

After a few months they closed the store. It was sad because like many of you, I spent a lot of my childhood earnings at TG&Y.

After closing we did a complete remodel, cutting the floor size in half and turned it into a "Bargain Time". It failed miserably.

When I was a Junior in High School (88-89) I worked at TG&Y, in Duncan.

After a few months they closed the store. It was sad because like many of you, I spent a lot of my childhood earnings at TG&Y.

After closing we did a complete remodel, cutting the floor size in half and turned it into a "Bargain Time". It failed miserably. I did some electrical work at that store when I worked for T.G.&.Y..

I did some electrical work at that store when I worked for T.G.&.Y..

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I did some Counter relays in that Store as TG&Y and as Bargain Time....

Got really ticked off today....The after effects of Loritab had worn off and I was on a mission. Stopped at 7-11....Overheard a conversation of two young clerks wondering what was the name of the old Stores before Wal-Mart....Answer:....Family Dollar....another person:....Dollar General ...I said TG&Y:....Ta-da:....Naw...(the clerks said) I think it was McCrory's...Sheesh....

Grrrrrr

Got really ticked off today....The after effects of Loritab had worn off and I was on a mission. Stopped at 7-11....Overheard a conversation of two young clerks wondering what was the name of the old Stores before Wal-Mart....Answer:....Family Dollar....another person:....Dollar General ...I said TG&Y:....Ta-da:....Naw...(the clerks said) I think it was McCrory's...Sheesh....

Something else most of our grandchildren will not experience. I can remember going into a TG&Y back in the mid-seventies and asking a salesperson if they had any tops you wrapped a string around and then threw onto the sidewalk or street. Took me to about a dozen and a half and then demonstrated that mine wasn't the last generation to be able to spin one. We spent the lad's break out on the parking lot having top battles. Another time in the 1982-83 time frame, the Oklahoma City Latino PTA was trying to raise funds for a scholarship or to buy supplies for their students. They decided to have a carnival much like that at Little Flower, and then went begging, literally, for prizes to be raffled or won playing games. Someone at TG&Y told one of them to gather some pickups and come to the warehouse. I was acting as a quasi-liaison between the PTA and the facility where the carnival was to be, and I witnessed them give the facility $500, pay other suppliers and have close to $3000 left for the project fund thanks to the generosity of TG&Y. I'd daresay not too many people experience a shopping experience like I had nor is there that kind of corporate generosity without a properly executed grant proposal nowadays. My hat has been off to your old organization for a long time, General. They done good :bow:

Grrrrrr

Was there ever a Woolworth's in okc? :tiphat:

Was there ever a Woolworth's in okc? :tiphat:

I know there was once one in Grant Square, and I think a few others scattered around town.

On the southside we called them Woolsworths. :poke:

I know there was once one in Grant Square, and I think a few others scattered around town.
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One in Grant square and one downtown...Only one's in OKC. There was a Kresge (later became K Mart) in Penn Square but TG&Y took the lease over. David Green (Hobby Lobby) was the manager that opened he store.....

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One in Grant square and one downtown...Only one's in OKC. There was a Kresge (later became K Mart) in Penn Square but TG&Y took the lease over. David Green (Hobby Lobby) was the manager that opened he store.....

Yep, that store at Penn Square had a lunch counter. Back to Woolworth's..I thought it strange, even when I was a kid, that H.L. Green, Woolworth's and Kress were all in a row downtown (Main & Robinson?). Because they all had the same kind of merchandise. Hal Owen was upstairs in one of them at the time.

There was either a Woolworth's or Ben Franklin at one time in the strip center at NW 16th & Portland where Sheen Drug was located.

There was either a Woolworth's or Ben Franklin at one time in the strip center at NW 16th & Portland where Sheen Drug was located.
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that was Allen's 5&10. They had a few stores around OKC. One in Capitol Hill (where Langston's was)...one in Stockyards, one on 16th and portland. No Ben Franklin's as there was an agreement with Butler Brother's that they wouldn't put a Ben Franklin in OKC Proper. there was a Ben Franklin in Guthrie (owned by Carl Meadors) and run by yours truly. Allen's were bought out by TG&Y other than in Packing Town as they (the owners) still wanted a job and company of their own. The Allen's were very good merchants but under financed to compete with the big operators...And, once again, Wal-Mart DID NOT put TG&Y out of business.....The biggest gamble that Sam thought he was making was putting a Store in Guthrie....He told me that. He respected TG&Y and especially Mr. Young. But, Wal-Mart is in business doing great and TG&Y is a memory in All of our lives.....
If I had the Nerve and a few more dollars I'd try it again.....I had 16 stores at one time but stumbled and couldn't catch up....

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There was a Kresge (later became K Mart) in Penn Square but TG&Y took the lease over. David Green (Hobby Lobby) was the manager that opened he store.....

Don't forget the location that was on 25th in Capitol Hill. It was across the street to the west from Brown's, Pennys, and Langstons.

Don't forget the location that was on 25th in Capitol Hill. It was across the street to the west from Brown's, Pennys, and Langstons.

That was S.H. Kress. 1896-1981. Their demise was the same as TG&Y. 1964, Genesco bought the company and started closing intercity stores in order to move them to shopping malls.

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that was Allen's 5&10. They had a few stores around OKC. One in Capitol Hill (where Langston's was)...one in Stockyards, one on 16th and portland. No Ben Franklin's as there was an agreement with Butler Brother's that they wouldn't put a Ben Franklin in OKC Proper. there was a Ben Franklin in Guthrie (owned by Carl Meadors) and run by yours truly. Allen's were bought out by TG&Y other than in Packing Town as they (the owners) still wanted a job and company of their own. The Allen's were very good merchants but under financed to compete with the big operators...And, once again, Wal-Mart DID NOT put TG&Y out of business.....The biggest gamble that Sam thought he was making was putting a Store in Guthrie....He told me that. He respected TG&Y and especially Mr. Young. But, Wal-Mart is in business doing great and TG&Y is a memory in All of our lives.....
If I had the Nerve and a few more dollars I'd try it again.....I had 16 stores at one time but stumbled and couldn't catch up....
Something ain't quite right, Gen. We moved to OKC in '54 and lived a few blocks from 16th and Portland for a year before moving to the good side of town. At that time there was an M&D Grocery at the south end of the strip and a Ben Franklin's next door north. :boxing2: It may have had a short life there but it WAS there. You were only 9 at the time and a year away from starting to work for TG&Y so we can say that it was "before your time." :ohno:

Something ain't quite right, Gen. We moved to OKC in '54 and lived a few blocks from 16th and Portland for a year before moving to the good side of town. At that time there was an M&D Grocery at the south end of the strip and a Ben Franklin's next door north. :boxing2: It may have had a short life there but it WAS there. You were only 9 at the time and a year away from starting to work for TG&Y so we can say that it was "before your time." :ohno:

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In the early 70's, I worked for Ben Franklin (for a little while) and there was an agreement with Butler Brothers that Ben Franklin would NOT come into OKC. They were probably there before the agreement because that was about the time that TG&Y sold to them. Then, Household finance bought them....Ben Franklin had basically the same distribution as TG&Y but, they were mainly Franchise holders that owned them. I'm sorry but, I didn't know.....Now I've got to go and asked some of the OLD TG&Y guys about that...But, I used to have a store in that Shopping Center (1996 ) and no one ever mentioned the fact of a Ben Franklin....That was a tough neighborhood......

That was S.H. Kress. 1896-1981. Their demise was the same as TG&Y. 1964, Genesco bought the company and started closing intercity stores in order to move them to shopping malls.

You're right. It was Kress. I remember shopping in there when I was young with my mother. I didn't really think it was spelled Kresge but I thought they might have been connected.

You're right. It was Kress. I remember shopping in there when I was young with my mother. I didn't really think it was spelled Kresge but I thought they might have been connected.

We both learned something. It had been closed and gone for a long time before I found out it was S.J. Kress.
I remember Kress better than TG&Y. I think that's because it was closer than TG&Y by a block and a half. I'm serious! Why walk the extra when you can get it closer? Besides, The Capitol Hill Bakery had to be passed without stopping and spending all my cash........:tiphat:

You're right. It was Kress. I remember shopping in there when I was young with my mother. I didn't really think it was spelled Kresge but I thought they might have been connected.
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Kresge was another company that you and I have grown to know as K-Mart. S.H. Kress was right there with Woolworth's and they were in almost EVERY Small town in America. I my opinion, Kress was a formidable foe to Woolworth. But, they kept their Old-Time merchandise philosophy when TG&Y, Wal-Mart, Ben Franklin etc. came along. There was one Kresge store in OKC and it was located in Penn Square Shopping Center (wasn't a mall then). They had the typical Fountain (lunch specials) and the downstairs basement area....TG&Y bought the lease in about 1966 and put in a family center. David Green (Hobby Lobby) was given the task of turning that store around and for some reason TG&Y was hoping the Lunch counter would take off for them....It didn't....TG&Y were variety store merchants not lunch specialist.....I worked at that store during the remodel and I laid out both the toy counters and Sporting Goods sections....

I have mentioned before that there is an S.H. Kress bldg. in downtown Asheville N.C. and is a very impressive bldg.. (Just trivia) If I can find a pic. I'll post it.

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Kresge was another company that you and I have grown to know as K-Mart. S.H. Kress was right there with Woolworth's and they were in almost EVERY Small town in America. I my opinion, Kress was a formidable foe to Woolworth. But, they kept their Old-Time merchandise philosophy when TG&Y, Wal-Mart, Ben Franklin etc. came along. There was one Kresge store in OKC and it was located in Penn Square Shopping Center (wasn't a mall then). They had the typical Fountain (lunch specials) and the downstairs basement area....TG&Y bought the lease in about 1966 and put in a family center. David Green (Hobby Lobby) was given the task of turning that store around and for some reason TG&Y was hoping the Lunch counter would take off for them....It didn't....TG&Y were variety store merchants not lunch specialist.....I worked at that store during the remodel and I laid out both the toy counters and Sporting Goods sections....

Not to be picky, General, but Penn Square did call itself a mall from the beginning, even before it was enclosed. It was almost dead before they enclosed it. I can only think of one "outdoor" mall that continues to succeed and that is Utica Square in Tulsa.

My family frequented the stores in Southwestern Plaza (SW 59th & Western) and Reding Shopping Center (SW 44th & Western). The Southwestern store was known to us as the "little T. G. & Y"; the Reding store was the "big T. G. & Y"; and the 74th & Penn store was the "BIG T. G. & Y!"

In the mid-1970's, I needed some 3x5 index cards for a 6th grade assignment. My mother took me to the Reding store and waited in the car for me. I got a pack of index cards and went to the cash register. The cashier was a big woman named (I think) Mrs. Pollard or Mrs. Pollack. She knew me well - I had been in that store at least once a week for practically my entire life and she had worked there forever. The cards did not have a price sticker, and Mrs. Pollard asked me if I knew the price. I told her 33 cents. She immediately said, "I don't think that's right!" I responded with something clever like "Uh-huh!" She then said, "Are they 33 cents or are they 3 for $1? If they're 3 for $1 and you just buy one, I have to charge you 34 cents. If you bought two, the second one would be 33 cents, though. Do you want to get another one?" I told her I thought one pack would be plenty and that I would pay the extra 1 cent. When I returned to the car, my mom asked what had taken so long. I told her Mrs. Pollard and I had been arguing over a penny.

That one pack of index card lasted me through high school, college, and more than half are still left. They're in my kitchen junk drawer right now.

Does anyone have memories or stories about the Southwestern or Reding stores?

My family frequented the stores in Southwestern Plaza (SW 59th & Western) and Reding Shopping Center (SW 44th & Western). The Southwestern store was known to us as the "little T. G. & Y"; the Reding store was the "big T. G. & Y"; and the 74th & Penn store was the "BIG T. G. & Y!"

In the mid-1970's, I needed some 3x5 index cards for a 6th grade assignment. My mother took me to the Reding store and waited in the car for me. I got a pack of index cards and went to the cash register. The cashier was a big woman named (I think) Mrs. Pollard or Mrs. Pollack. She knew me well - I had been in that store at least once a week for practically my entire life and she had worked there forever. The cards did not have a price sticker, and Mrs. Pollard asked me if I knew the price. I told her 33 cents. She immediately said, "I don't think that's right!" I responded with something clever like "Uh-huh!" She then said, "Are they 33 cents or are they 3 for $1? If they're 3 for $1 and you just buy one, I have to charge you 34 cents. If you bought two, the second one would be 33 cents, though. Do you want to get another one?" I told her I thought one pack would be plenty and that I would pay the extra 1 cent. When I returned to the car, my mom asked what had taken so long. I told her Mrs. Pollard and I had been arguing over a penny.

That one pack of index card lasted me through high school, college, and more than half are still left. They're in my kitchen junk drawer right now.

Does anyone have memories or stories about the Southwestern or Reding stores?

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First official Assistant manager's position was at the 59th st. Store. The manager (won't mention names) was a major jerk and a "Crook" and he required things from the young prettier girls that were not on the application. I stayed there until we got the store opened and on my 37th day straight I was less than five minutes late (7:30 a.m.) ...store opened at 9:00 a.m. and he started showing off in front of the girls....I unpolitely told him what to do, how to do it and so on. I left:... District manager came and found me and wanted to know what the idea was. Without snitching completely, he went to check the store....($500.00 short and the manage and office mgr. were in the back room.) you get the idea. they gave me a choice of stores to work at and I think he got a couple of years....The lady office mgr????...she got a divorce.....I went back to 74th st......I thin managed the store at 59th/Penn....lots of bantering between the three 59th st. stores (May Ave...Penn Ave...Western Ave...).. Oh yeah, the lady's name was Pollard and she was tough.....I worked at both of the Reding stores at one time or the other.....Did you know there had been another TG&Y there????

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First official Assistant manager's position was at the 59th st. Store. The manager (won't mention names) was a major jerk and a "Crook" and he required things from the young prettier girls that were not on the application. I stayed there until we got the store opened and on my 37th day straight I was less than five minutes late (7:30 a.m.) ...store opened at 9:00 a.m. and he started showing off in front of the girls....I unpolitely told him what to do, how to do it and so on. I left:... District manager came and found me and wanted to know what the idea was. Without snitching completely, he went to check the store....($500.00 short and the manage and office mgr. were in the back room.) you get the idea. they gave me a choice of stores to work at and I think he got a couple of years....The lady office mgr????...she got a divorce.....I went back to 74th st......I thin managed the store at 59th/Penn....lots of bantering between the three 59th st. stores (May Ave...Penn Ave...Western Ave...).. Oh yeah, the lady's name was Pollard and she was tough.....I worked at both of the Reding stores at one time or the other.....Did you know there had been another TG&Y there????

The drama that you described - it happened at the 59th & Western store? I spent a large part of my childhood in that little store and the Reding store. I knew the layout of every aisle. It was a big deal to go to the BIG TG&Y on 74th & Penn - so many toys and live pets! It seemed really far away. Later, when the building was a Burlington Coat Factory, whenever I shopped there I had intense deja vu - especially on the "ramp."

"Tough" is a good description of Mrs. Pollard. She lived on the same block as my aunt and uncle and she was tough at home, too. And, no, I didn't know that the Reding TG&Y had originally been in a different location. Do you know when it moved?

I am enjoying reading this thread - such good memories. I thought I was the only one who missed the old TG&Ys. I am reading the Southside OKC memories thread, too.

Generals64 - Did you ever work at the City of Moore store? I have a memory of salesclerk at that store named Julian helping me find my mom. I think he worked in sporting goods because I seem to remember him behind the gun & rifle counter. Odd the things that stick with you...

And, once again, Wal-Mart DID NOT put TG&Y out of business.....
RAPID did TG&Y in all on their own.....

RAPID did TG&Y in all on their own.....

You got that right. The details that came out after the fact are really the kind of stuff that should have been published. Greed, dishonesty and subtrafuge. The people who took over TG&Y were slimy, creepy, dispicable.

Generals64 - Did you ever work at the City of Moore store? I have a memory of salesclerk at that store named Julian helping me find my mom. I think he worked in sporting goods because I seem to remember him behind the gun & rifle counter. Odd the things that stick with you...
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Yes during the original store layout in 1965...(store was located where Harry Bear's used to be). Then during the original layout of the store where it ended and once during that store's remodel:...the guy's name was Jerry Julian and he was the co-Manager of that store.

This thread is so good to read. It's bringing back a lot of memories for me. In 1968, I was working as the office cashier in the store at 50th & Meridian. That store also held the office of the Supervisor, Ray Hicks. I was never the best at typing (in fact, I’ve always been an awful typist) but I was told I was to be his secretary. He was a nice man to work for and he later became a VP in California, I think. I don’t remember for sure.
After Ray Hicks was transferred to another division, I found myself working for Calvin Skaggs out of the same office. Mr. Skaggs always had difficulty keeping me busy. At one time he sent me on a covert mission to the stores in western Oklahoma. I was to try shoplifting, switching price tickets, etc. and see if the store personnel would catch me. Only one tiny little store caught a switched ticket. It was scary duty for an 18 year old. Mr. Skaggs would also send me into his local stores to get the list of “best sellers” from his managers. That’s where I first ran into David Green in the Penn Square store. (By the way, Jess Murphy was the manager of the Penn Square store before David Green. I know. I started working for the company there in 1966.) Mr. Green always made time to help me with my "assignment". (But, then, all the managers were good to work with me.)
The story goes that since Mr. Skaggs didn’t have enough work to keep me busy, he “traded” me to another supervisor, Ralph Thompson, for a store manager. So…. I went to work in the office over the Capitol Hill store (#11) with Ralph Thompson, Mr. Allen and Edwina Jones around the fall of 1969! Tough duty for a 20 year old!!

As a side note: In 1969 we (women) couldn’t wear pants to work yet. We all wore dresses or skirts until about a year later when the company policies were changed to allow us to wear “pant suits”.

This thread is so good to read. It's bringing back a lot of memories for me. In 1968, I was working as the office cashier in the store at 50th & Meridian. That store also held the office of the Supervisor, Ray Hicks. I was never the best at typing (in fact, I’ve always been an awful typist) but I was told I was to be his secretary. He was a nice man to work for and he later became a VP in California, I think. I don’t remember for sure.
After Ray Hicks was transferred to another division, I found myself working for Calvin Skaggs out of the same office. Mr. Skaggs always had difficulty keeping me busy. At one time he sent me on a covert mission to the stores in western Oklahoma. I was to try shoplifting, switching price tickets, etc. and see if the store personnel would catch me. Only one tiny little store caught a switched ticket. It was scary duty for an 18 year old. Mr. Skaggs would also send me into his local stores to get the list of “best sellers” from his managers. That’s where I first ran into David Green in the Penn Square store. (By the way, Jess Murphy was the manager of the Penn Square store before David Green. I know. I started working for the company there in 1966.) Mr. Green always made time to help me with my "assignment". (But, then, all the managers were good to work with me.)
The story goes that since Mr. Skaggs didn’t have enough work to keep me busy, he “traded” me to another supervisor, Ralph Thompson, for a store manager. So…. I went to work in the office over the Capitol Hill store (#11) with Ralph Thompson, Mr. Allen and Edwina Jones around the fall of 1969! Tough duty for a 20 year old!!

As a side note: In 1969 we (women) couldn’t wear pants to work yet. We all wore dresses or skirts until about a year later when the company policies were changed to allow us to wear “pant suits”.

I'd forgotten that. I went to work in the HQ office in 1969 and was a press operator in the print shop. I had to wear a white shirt and tie to run a dirty, nasty printing press. And a tie was dangerous with a press, so I always wore a clip-on tie. The women then had to wear dresses or skirts and hose. One of the ladies who ran a press got too close to the spinning hand-wheel one day and it took her skirt off. Instantly! Standing there in a slip and a blouse, she looked really surprised.

A couple years later women could wear "pant suits" but still had to wear hose. I didn't like that at the time, because the fashion was still mini dresses and skirts. Ha.

Men had to have good haircuts and facial hair or sideburns were not allowed. In about a year I started wearing sideburns. Then I grew a mustache. Some of the VPs frowned at me, but nobody ever told me I had to shave. Around that time it was getting to be hard for the old school guys to keep it the way they wanted. It was still years before they cracked down on store managers misusing their positions to get "special favors" from female employees.

Hey '64! The former Capitol Hill location is for lease!

Hey '64! The former Capitol Hill location is for lease!

Hey '64! Let's go get it and have another good little store. We could do it.

'64 can stock it out of his van. :D

Hey '64! Let's go get it and have another good little store. We could do it.
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I tried to lease it one time before and the repairs that the building needed was astronomical. I still think a GOOD Variety Store chain could make it in old TG&Y locations.....Remember????TG&Y always had what you needed. Maybe not what you wanted always but if you really needed it....For your dollars best buy shop TG&Y....sheesh....

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I tried to lease it one time before and the repairs that the building needed was astronomical. I still think a GOOD Variety Store chain could make it in old TG&Y locations.....Remember????TG&Y always had what you needed. Maybe not what you wanted always but if you really needed it....For your dollars best buy shop TG&Y....sheesh....

I still have one of those in-store jingle tapes. "Keep your eye on T.G.&Y. just around the corner with your very best buy."

General64:

Do you remember a toy called "Klackers"? They were acrylic balls on a cord. A family acquaintance claims that his father, who was a TG&Y manager, invented them and the family used to make them in their garage for resale. Do you know if this is true?

General64:

Do you remember a toy called "Klackers"? They were acrylic balls on a cord. A family acquaintance claims that his father, who was a TG&Y manager, invented them and the family used to make them in their garage for resale. Do you know if this is true?

Don't know if it is true, but I would like to meet his father and wring his chicken neck. That has to be the most annoying toy ever invented.:elmer3:

I don't think a TG&Y store manager (Invented) the "Clackers" toy.....They were sold to ALL of the stores by a guy named Bud Smith who owned the Big Red shops around town. I wish I knew the name of the manager you were talking about as I was involved heavily with TG&Y when those #$@&% things were being sold. They quit selling us when one of the balls came off and went through the front window of the store at 59th and S. Penn....I was there.....luckily no got hurt.....let me know by PM the guys last name please....they had NO liability insurance at the time....

I was wondering if anyone on here might know or be this person that I am trying to locate. He has black hair and blue eyes, was a manager at TG&Y in Clinton Oklahoma around 1975-1976 until ?. I believe his first name is Randy " possible " last name Reinke.
If you have any info please send me an email at : comedy_tragedy65@yahoo.com

Thanks!

I was wondering if anyone on here might know or be this person that I am trying to locate. He has black hair and blue eyes, was a manager at TG&Y in Clinton Oklahoma around 1975-1976 until ?. I believe his first name is Randy " possible " last name Reinke.
If you have any info please send me an email at : comedy_tragedy65@yahoo.com

Thanks!

I fired off an email to an old friend who lived in Clinton from about 1980 to about 1989 to inquire. I'll follow up if I hear back from him.

R.I.P. E.J. Braun. Once the president of T.G.&Y., he presided over the company when it was still very profitable and not in a wild frenzy to find a "new thing" (like Aim for the Best). He passed away last Saturday and his services will be at St. Eugene's on 9/1/2010 at 11:30 AM. I took him and his wife to the last two T.G.&Y. reunions that they attended. He was a brilliant man, very stern-looking at the office but very warm-hearted on a personal level.

R.I.P. E.J. Braun. Once the president of T.G.&Y., he presided over the company when it was still very profitable and not in a wild frenzy to find a "new thing" (like Aim for the Best). He passed away last Saturday and his services will be at St. Eugene's on 9/1/2010 at 11:30 AM. I took him and his wife to the last two T.G.&Y. reunions that they attended. He was a brilliant man, very stern-looking at the office but very warm-hearted on a personal level.

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Now there was a First Class Act. He was pretty strict to the guys in the field....Man, that brings back major memories......

If I remember right, Mr. Braun had a major vendetta on "coverage".

Uh:..................plead the fifth.................

Do I have my "chain of command" memories right? Mr. Braun was President when I moved into the headquarters. After him came Newgent? Then Kelley? But before him was it Henderson?

Do I have my "chain of command" memories right? Mr. Braun was President when I moved into the headquarters. After him came Newgent? Then Kelley? But before him was it Henderson?

Mr. Young....C.A. Henderson....W.W. George...E.J. Braun...then Mr. Newgent....Dan Kelly.... Mr. DelSanto...John Herron....Then Rusthoven....50 years of Retail.....Down the Drain......22,000 employees....2.6 Billion Dollars in Sales Revenue....and a great Oklahoma Tax Base.....Where have you been lately girl? Too many Wine Festivals in Texas???? Do they still consider Lone Star Beer as the state Nectar?????

I had forgotten about Mr. George!. I was there through the DelSanto, Herron and Rusthoven days. Those guys came and went fast, with terrible results. I must have blocked them from my memory. They each brought in their own people to put in charge of us. It was pretty bad at times. During that last year I had problems with one man. Several of my buyers reported to him. His name was Jack Schwitter. If I said "up" he said "down". One day I'd had enough and I walked into his office and asked him if we had a business problem or a personal problem. It took him by surprise I guess. He then recounted each problem we'd had and told me that each and every time I'd been right. When I went back and told my boss what he'd said to me, he DENIED IT! His name I won't forget!!! EVER!!!
On a better note.....Yes. There are some beer drinkers down here and we let them celebrate that at our wine festivals too. Actually, we keep MGD in the fridge in the garage. Grapefest is still 15 days away and you've probably seen some TV ads in OKC too. When you live in Grapevine though, Wine is King!!

Hey".. if ANY of you guys and gals have any old TG&Y (Golden T) memorabilia could (or would) you bring it to Saturday's Meeting?...Steve Lackmeyer wants some pictures made and I would be a great time to do this....

Hey".. if ANY of you guys and gals have any old TG&Y (Golden T) memorabilia could (or would) you bring it to Saturday's Meeting?...Steve Lackmeyer wants some pictures made and I would be a great time to do this....

Where is this meeting of which you speak? Time?

I'm certain that no one reading this thread has to be reminded, but for each and every holiday that went by, there were always huge posters and other point-of-sale material in the stores featuring a small cartoon boy and girl. For example, on Mother's Day they would be perhaps wrapping a baseball glove...for Halloween they'd be trying on scary masks. Their actual names were T.G. (the girl) and WiseGuy.

My father is the one who hand-drew and painted these pieces of artwork and I'm searching for anyone who might still have some of it, so that I could frame it and give it to him now that he is long since retired. If anyone has any they'd be willing to part with, please post here.

Thanks!

I was at an estate sale in the 4100 block on NW 51st today and saw some small cans of Golden T paint. I bet we would be amazed what all lives on with the Golden T label.

I'm certain that no one reading this thread has to be reminded, but for each and every holiday that went by, there were always huge posters and other point-of-sale material in the stores featuring a small cartoon boy and girl. For example, on Mother's Day they would be perhaps wrapping a baseball glove...for Halloween they'd be trying on scary masks. Their actual names were T.G. (the girl) and WiseGuy.

My father is the one who hand-drew and painted these pieces of artwork and I'm searching for anyone who might still have some of it, so that I could frame it and give it to him now that he is long since retired. If anyone has any they'd be willing to part with, please post here.

Thanks!

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Either Realjimbo, GoldenT63, or myself have a bunch of that stuff.....I know my wife has some of the "Back Room" Saftey posters, I'll get her to find you a couple of them...I know the little boy came before the little girl. I can remember them in the early 60's...they replace the TG&Y family and when Hue Weirsig started pushing the Golden T name, the two kids became quite frequent....

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Either Realjimbo, GoldenT63, or myself have a bunch of that stuff.....I know my wife has some of the "Back Room" Saftey posters, I'll get her to find you a couple of them...I know the little boy came before the little girl. I can remember them in the early 60's...they replace the TG&Y family and when Hue Weirsig started pushing the Golden T name, the two kids became quite frequent....
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I got Mr. Young's book out and did a little research on how things happened and my memory got refreshed quite a bit. The names given to the two Kid Character's were (the little girl) Tee Gee (the little boy's) Y guys. The first large warehouse for Central Merchandise Co. was located at N.W. 8th and Broadway. The building is still there. There was a TG&Y Store located (before any of our time) on the ground Floor. In 1977 at the SOUTH SIDE STORE located on 74th/ S. Penn was where the $1 billion dollar mark in one years sales happened. It was on December 22nd, 1977 and the lady was getting her Christmas shopping done and her total bill was &84.83 and she was given the goods for $1.00....Notice it was A Southside Shopper.....She probably went to GRANT....

t was on December 22nd, 1977 and the lady was getting her Christmas shopping done and her total bill was &84.83 and she was given the goods for $1.00....Notice it was A Southside Shopper.....She probably went to GRANT....

Her picture in the newspaper article shows her missing several "top teeth" In her purse they found a pint of "Rebel Yell" and a German Luger. She was the Secretary at U.S> Grant:tiphat::tiphat:

I often went to the old downtown Norman T.G.&Y. on Main at Crawford in the 1950's...on Sat. am to buy freshly "roasted" (boiled in oil actually) cashews at 11am (35-cents got 8 oz--what a deal!)...to take to the University Theater next door (20-cents) to watch the Sat. double feature of atomic-mutant monster movies first-run...then afterwards I would buy a 5-cent balsa wood airplane and a tube of BB's...it was a very happy time in life...fly the plane all the way home then lay ambushes for everything I could later towards twilight... :)

When I was a kid I would get my allowance on Saturdays. The kids in my block (we lived at 56th and Hammond) would all get on our bikes and ride up to the TG&Y at 50th and MacArthur and spend our allowance every weekend. It was a blast going into that place and just spending hours looking at all the neat things from toys to candy. We always came home with a bag full of stuff (even though I only got 50 cents a week). Man, you could get 5 pieces of bubble gum for a penny, all kinds of candy and toys and just gobs and gobs of "treasures". Those were the days, that's for sure.

I often went to the old downtown Norman T.G.&Y. on Main at Crawford in the 1950's...on Sat. am to buy freshly "roasted" (boiled in oil actually) cashews at 11am (35-cents got 8 oz--what a deal!)...to take to the University Theater next door (20-cents) to watch the Sat. double feature of atomic-mutant monster movies first-run...then afterwards I would buy a 5-cent balsa wood airplane and a tube of BB's...it was a very happy time in life...fly the plane all the way home then lay ambushes for everything I could later towards twilight... :)

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when I first started working for TG&Y ( June 1962)...they still roasted the peanuts....I would work every other Saturday evening shift...But, (Tinnie Mae Andrews) the candy lady cooked on Saturday mornings...Fresh Peanuts/Cashews/Mixed nuts/ and Popcorn.....man, I'm getting hungry now... anyway, I made a deal with her, I would come in the Saturday mornings that I was normally off and help fill the candy bins, and get the peanuts out etc....Cleaning behind that "nasty" counter aisle was not much fun but, I got all the peanuts, popcorn and Candy I wanted.......Ah heaven...Still love peanuts and Cashews......the Peanut Clusters were tremendous when you opened the case...Had to try them and make sure they weren't bad for the customer you know.......reminds, I've got to go to the dentist next week....How about "Fresh" Orange Slices and Marshmallow peanuts....now I'm getting sick....from these memories I began to get my manly figure......Round is a shape right?????

For years...I tried to simulate TG&Y cashews by putting some oil on Planters from the can and putting them in the oven--all to no avail. No amount of experimentation could come close. But I would kill to have a double-walled greasy paper bag of those with me today...I could almost weep...

For years...I tried to simulate TG&Y cashews by putting some oil on Planters from the can and putting them in the oven--all to no avail. No amount of experimentation could come close. But I would kill to have a double-walled greasy paper bag of those with me today...I could almost weep...

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All right, this is gonna cost ya.....go to a natural foods store. Buy some.......I'll send you a PM so you can get it right....