Old Shoppers World on N. May?

[rezman]

In the years after Mr. Quick on 50th closed, somewhere along the line it became a hot dog place, a florist, and a fried pie place, among others.

The Port Center is mid century design. In that same center, in one of the units west of the old Baskin Robbins, was an S&H Green Stamp redemption store. I'm not sure but I think it was more in the center of the mall.

When I was little, My mom used to take me in there, and then over to Baskin's for an ice cream. And when she would pick me up from kindergarten, she would take me to Quicks for lunch. By the way, there was also a Mr. Quick in Bethany by 38th & Peniel. East of the post office and across from the old feed/hardware store.

[Tritone]

csparks: What attracted me to and got me hooked on OKCTALK is the collective memories of the people who post here. It seems you can take a slim, faint shred of a memory and in no time at all you will have a full history of the place. Someone or someone's relative will have worked there, or owned it. Occasionally you will get two conflicting memories but usually the mystery is solved.

I grew up in OKC and thought I knew a lot about my hometown but these folks have really expanded my knowledge.

[csparks]

csparks: What attracted me to and got me hooked on OKCTALK is the collective memories of the people who post here. It seems you can take a slim, faint shred of a memory and in no time at all you will have a full history of the place. Someone or someone's relative will have worked there, or owned it. Occasionally you will get two conflicting memories but usually the mystery is solved.

I grew up in OKC and thought I knew a lot about my hometown but these folks have really expanded my knowledge.

That's what has caused me to run across this place many times over the years, but I finally just registered. I lived in OKC from age 3 to 12, so the old neighborhood (Mayfair, Penn Square, Shepherd Mall, May Ave) really has some vivid memories of OKC in my golden era of the 60s-early 70s.

Its funny, I lived in Tulsa for 25 years during the 80s-2000s, and was a big fan. Now I'm halfway between the two. I assumed I'd always think of Tulsa as my go-to, number 1 place, but I find myself a little more drawn to OKC now.

[rezman]

I remember the Mayfair sign with the yellow chase lights that ended with a single white light in the center of the circle at the top that flashed twice at the end of each sequence.

When my brothers and I were riding in the car down May Ave, we would pretend that the sign was a large camera trying to take our picture, and we would time the lights and hide behind the front seat as the white light flashed so it wouldn't see us.

[terryinokc]

I remember Mr. Quicks by 59th & May, and at 50th & Portland, on the northwest corner near the Port Center, where 51st St takes off at an angle from 50th. I don't recall the illuminated spiked ball at either Quicks location. The old Quicks on May was turned into a Long John Silvers, and the peaked portion of the roof at the front of the building lended well to making it look like the prow of a ship when remodeled for Long Johns.

The hamburger shop just west of NW 50 and Portland was called Mr. Swiss....not Mr. Quicks. There were several Mr. Swiss locations around town....downtown Bethany, NW 23 towards Council, N Western between Wilshire and Britton, and S Penn just south of SW 29 come to mind. There is still a Swiss Cleaners next to the old NW 50 location....I remember people wondering if the Mr. Swiss Franchise in OKC was owned by the Swiss Cleaners people. The shopping center on the corner of NW 50 and Portland was always kind of a dud...nothing seemed to last there. There was a short-lived grocery store called Fredericks Discount Foods...If I remember correctly it was related to the Wehba family that had smaller stores in OKC and then Wehba's Grand Bazaar.

[terryinokc]

I also stumbled on this thread by accident, then was intrigued enough to join the forum to dig more. I lived in OKC as a kid in the 60s-early 70s. I remember the Founders Fair, Trade Mart, Arlens also. We lived near NW 50th May/Villa. (a big bonus was that Charcoal Oven was nearby- not many memories better than that.

One thing that has been tormenting me is memories of some other businesses in the area of the old Founders Fair. Just across the street to the east was another favorite of mine, Roy Rogers. A short ways north, also on the east side were a couple of other restaurants. I want to say that one was a Quick's, and near it was either a Mexican or Seafood Place. This would be right about NW 59 Street. My brother thought it was either Quick's or Mr Quick, something on those lines.

One of these places had a VERY distinct sign. It was large, and elevated, and like a big spiked ball, with all sorts of colors in neon. Long spikes, but it made a ball, a circle. I think the colors would change, or go off and on, etc. As a kid, I was mesmerized by it. I think it might have been Quick's, but I cannot find mention of one in that area, only one down on Classen. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I'd love to see a photo, or at least find that others remember this the same way.

We were up and down May Ave all the time. Gale Cable was just to the north of these places.

I think the sign you are thinking of was for Mayfair Shopping Center...it was in the east side of Mayfair...big starburst kind of ball at the top of the sign.

Mayfair was quite the place to shop back in the 60's and 70's. The shops I can remember on the East side of May were Langsam Drug, Humpty Dumpty, Streets Womens Wear, Parks Mens Wear, Otasco, JC Penney, a barber shop and a cafeteria...think it was called Mayfair Cafeteria and maybe Cherry's Cafeteria at some point.

On the West side of May, there was Katz Drug store--then later Veazey's drug store, the bank, a grocery store called Thrif-T-Wise (with an owl's head that flashed off and on in neon) and a Woolworth's....one of the few Woolworth's ever in OKC. I have a picture of me and Santa in front of Woolworth's in the very early 60's. Veazeys later became Stones IGA and the Humpty Dumpty on the east side later became Puddin Lane IGA....which was also at NW 63 and May--later to become Consumer's IGA.
In the late 60's there was a Ward's Cut Rate Drug store...later Eckerds and then CVS--on the west side.

[terryinokc]

Arlans had a supermarket on the north end of the building...I think the main store and the supermarket were separated by an interior wall...know they had separate entrances.
When Arlans closed, it became a Humpty Dumpty for a short period of time, then when Target opened they had a Target Supermarket in that area. My sister was born in 1973. When my mom was in the hospital having her...my dad took us to Arlans to shop before she came home. He gave me $25 to buy groceries in the Arlans supermarket--he and my other sister were way over in the other side of the store. I bought groceries....when I checked out the total was $24.70----and with 30 cents for the pop bottle deposit...the total was $25 even! I was very impressed with my shopping talents...but it was probably just luck.
After Target closed the supermarket, it was a Mark Hoffman furniture store...then an Office Depot.

[terryinokc]

There wasn't a Green Stamp redemption store at 50th and Portland...it was where Pier One is now at NW Expressway and Penn. My aunt worked there. There was also a Gunn Brothers Stamp redemption store at NW 63 and May next to Safeway--where Auto Zone is now. Also a Top Value Stamp redemption store along NW Expressway on the north side of the street before May...right in the are where the Hyroops Clothing store was..might have even been that building.

[rezman]

The hamburger shop just west of NW 50 and Portland was called Mr. Swiss....not Mr. Quicks. There were several Mr. Swiss locations around town....downtown Bethany, NW 23 towards Council, N Western between Wilshire and Britton, and S Penn just south of SW 29 come to mind. There is still a Swiss Cleaners next to the old NW 50 location....I remember people wondering if the Mr. Swiss Franchise in OKC was owned by the Swiss Cleaners people. The shopping center on the corner of NW 50 and Portland was always kind of a dud...nothing seemed to last there. There was a short-lived grocery store called Fredericks Discount Foods...If I remember correctly it was related to the Wehba family that had smaller stores in OKC and then Wehba's Grand Bazaar.

Thank for reseting my memory . ... Mr. Swiss. The little guy up on the sign with the white mustache and walking stick.

Man, it really does take bits and pieces from everyone to put it together. I do remember Lester's Phillips 66 on the corner of 50th & Porland.

[Pete]

http://www.okchistory.com/index.php?...aces&Itemid=78

[terryinokc]

It does take all of us to complete the picture! There was a gas station on all four corners there...a Phillips 66 on the SW corner, a Mobil on the NW corner, a Texaco on the NE corner and a DX on the SE corner.

[rezman]

There wasn't a Green Stamp redemption store at 50th and Portland...it was where Pier One is now at NW Expressway and Penn. My aunt worked there. There was also a Gunn Brothers Stamp redemption store at NW 63 and May next to Safeway--where Auto Zone is now. Also a Top Value Stamp redemption store along NW Expressway on the north side of the street before May...right in the are where the Hyroops Clothing store was..might have even been that building.

Ok, I think your right, because she traded Top Value as well as S&H, so it's got to be Top Value store on the expressway that I remember. I do know the front of the store faced south. The S&H was over on Penn & NW Expressway. On the west side of Penn across from Penn Square, and I do remember goin there as well. But I know there was a place my mom also went in Port Center because we walked over to Baskin Robbins on more than one occasion. I recall a beauty shop being there, but I don't think that's why we went there. She had her hair done over in Sprindale shopping center at 50th & Meridian.

I don't ever recall Pier 1 being in the Port Center. I remember the one at Britton & Penn though. In Casady Square.

[csparks]

I think the sign you are thinking of was for Mayfair Shopping Center...it was in the east side of Mayfair...big starburst kind of ball at the top of the sign.

Mayfair was quite the place to shop back in the 60's and 70's. The shops I can remember on the East side of May were Langsam Drug, Humpty Dumpty, Streets Womens Wear, Parks Mens Wear, Otasco, JC Penney, a barber shop and a cafeteria...think it was called Mayfair Cafeteria and maybe Cherry's Cafeteria at some point.

I remember that sign well, also, as Mayfair was our most visited locale. The Quicks sign was different, I think a variation of that "atomic" symbol in one of the linked photos.

The Otasco and TG&Y were my favs. There was also a Streets that my mom loved. (her mom had worked there). She loved Humpty, and hated to see it go. I liked Puddin' Lane pretty well, because they introduced a new type of shopping cart. The kind that was tall, and designed to fit over the checkout counter.

Still, the Stone's IGA was my favorite. They had lots of open chest freezers....

[csparks]

The hamburger shop just west of NW 50 and Portland was called Mr. Swiss....not Mr. Quicks. There were several Mr. Swiss locations around town....downtown Bethany, NW 23 towards Council, N Western between Wilshire and Britton, and S Penn just south of SW 29 come to mind. There is still a Swiss Cleaners next to the old NW 50 location....I remember people wondering if the Mr. Swiss Franchise in OKC was owned by the Swiss Cleaners people. The shopping center on the corner of NW 50 and Portland was always kind of a dud...nothing seemed to last there. There was a short-lived grocery store called Fredericks Discount Foods...If I remember correctly it was related to the Wehba family that had smaller stores in OKC and then Wehba's Grand Bazaar.

Yes! Mr. Swiss. Loved that place, but neither my mom or brother did. They had ice cream treats like Dairy Queen; Dilly bars, etc.
Thanks.

[mugofbeer]

Makes me sick to see what happened to Target and Wal Mart and to think of what T G & Y almost was.

[csparks]

Makes me sick to see what happened to Target and Wal Mart and to think of what T G & Y almost was.

The TG&Y at Mayfair was my absolute favorite place. Huge counter with penny candy. Every Friday I'd load up on candy, then watch TV late at night. I remember buying everything from Halloween costumes, to lunch boxes, baby turtles, Mexican jumping beans, Hot Wheels, model kits. What a place stuck in time.

I also vividly remember the day it burned sometime around 1970-71 The drug store next door (was in Langsam, Langham, or something different) had a grill, which caught on fire. Burned most of the north end of the shopping center, including the Humpty store.

It was in the summer, I think, and we'd walked to TG&Y just as the fire started. We stood behind a TV film crew, and got on TV. Sad day.

[turnpup]

It'd sure be neat if Mayfair was as vibrant now as it used to be! I didn't grow up here (and it may have been before my time anyway), so never got to experience it the way many of you have. About the only business I have there is an occasional trip to Stein Mart or the UPS store.

[Bill Robertson]

The TG&Y at Mayfair was my absolute favorite place. Huge counter with penny candy. Every Friday I'd load up on candy, then watch TV late at night. I remember buying everything from Halloween costumes, to lunch boxes, baby turtles, Mexican jumping beans, Hot Wheels, model kits. What a place stuck in time.

I also vividly remember the day it burned sometime around 1970-71 The drug store next door (was in Langsam, Langham, or something different) had a grill, which caught on fire. Burned most of the north end of the shopping center, including the Humpty store.

It was in the summer, I think, and we'd walked to TG&Y just as the fire started. We stood behind a TV film crew, and got on TV. Sad day.

Some of my most vivid memories of being a kid are the TG&Y and Otasco at Mayfair. I grew up between 36th and 39th on Miller so Mayfair was an easy bike ride. A lot of my allowance was spent there.

[Pete]

TG&Y was a child's paradise, as it had everything a kid could want at the time.

Besides the things mentioned (models, toys, candy) they also had a good record selection. Bought many a 45 there.

I bet almost every kid that grew up in OKC in that era had a TG&Y within walking distance. Mine was at NW 63rd & MacArthur.

Was really pretty lucky in that respect because at the same intersection was the Warr Acres Library and then later, the West Park movie theater. And about that same time, Godfather's Pizza opened and my younger sister worked there and I got free pizza all the time. There was a 7/11 right there as well.

We were actually equidistant to 63rd & Meridian, which had a Braum's, Pizza Planet, Pizza Hut and Neptune's.

Lots and lots of great memories in all those places.

[rezman]

Back in the 60's, my brothers got their picture in the paper when they went with my dad to pick out a Christmas tree at the Humpty in Mayfair. I remember going to the Otasco store with my Dad, as well as Streets with my mom. I also recall Kiddie City toy store as well.

[TheTravellers]

...

I bet almost every kid that grew up in OKC in that era had a TG&Y within walking distance. Mine was at NW 63rd & MacArthur.
...

I haven't checked to see if any were closer, but I'm pretty sure there weren't any 'cos we would've gone to it instead of Woolco, which was my TG&Y-substitute. The TG&Y we went to was at Britton and May (along with CR Anthony and Otasco). We lived at NW 63rd/May, and Woolco was within walking/biking distance - decent, but no TG&Y, stole my first records from there though (well, price-tag-swapped) - Dressed To Kill and Rock'N'Roll Over by KISS.

[rezman]

Since I grew up in Warr Acres at 47th & State, my go to TG&Y was at Sprindale shops at 50th & Meridian. Rode our bikes or walked up there a lot. Right next to it was Conrad-Marr drug where we would grab an Ice cream, and there also was Campbells Hobby House.

Woolco was cool to me because I didn't go therevery often, and they had a decent selection of model rairoad stuff that TG&Y didn't have. I have a remnant of the old 63rd & May Woolco auto service department in the form of a steel Quaker State motor sign the hung from one of the parking lot lights along May ave in front of the service bays. After the Venture store moved in, I had noticed that sign on the pole for quite some time. Since Venture didn't have a service department, I decided I wanted that sign to decorate my garage wall. So one day I went in and talked to the store manager and told him it was from the old Woolco days, and asked him if they would be willing to sell it. He asked if it was attached to the building, and when I told him no, it was on a pole, he said I could have it, and I still have it to this day.

[Computerguy]

Before it was old shoppers world, there was golf. After old shoppers world, In the 80's it was a Service Merchandise(was a good store at the time for jewelery, home electronics, small appliances) and after they closed, it was used as a close out/outlet by a store I had never heard of before called Whites. They had Alabama University stuff, I think, so I guess they were from Alabama. It seemed kind of like Gibsons or Kmart. After the White's outlet closed, the building was torn down, and became the Best Buy, Home Depot and other stores it is today.

[rtz]

I just remember the concrete foundation that sat for many, many years before the HD/Best Buy were built at that location. What caused the building to get torn down?

[RealJimbo]

FYI, that Target Store and the one at SW 44th and Western were Arlen's Department Stores before they were Targets.