cwburfle,
Thank you,
I stand corrected, I was told they owned the building.
Then, as usual, high rent prices drove them out, being one of the determining factors!
Ralph
I never visited Madison Hardware, though I often wished I could have. I got my #53 Rio Grande snowplow (mint in box, unused, and with the correct "a") by mail order from them in about 1972. I saw it in one of those MR ads that everyone mentions.
I stand corrected, I was told they owned the building. Then, as usual, high rent prices drove them out, being one of the determining factors!
There are many rumors circulating about Madison, as one would expect, given Madison Hardware's position in the world of Lionel. However, there were no better sources than Carl and Lou. Of course, what is posted here is second hand.
Let me restate: the owner's terms for a new lease was a minor factor. I wouldn't use the term "determining factor".
Was, the closing of a Legend and era. due to age?
Dad took me to Madison one time. Had to have been '55 or '56. My recollection is that of a poorly organized warehouse, not a retail shop by a long shot. It was like an auto parts store managed by a crazy person. From what I've been reading it was probably a gold mine for Lionel enthusiasts who knew exactly what they wanted, but I was not impressed.
Pete
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
Walls of small drawers, maybe 4" by 6", unmarked. Ask one of the brothers for a part, describe it, they would go right to the proper drawer. Price was good and fare.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
Pete and Don,
You're both right.
I don't know how those guys knew where things were, as there were items all over the place, but I found out that most places, like that, function very well.
I realize that this thread is quite dated, but I just came across it, and the subject is very interesting to me, also that you guys all have interest in the old store. Here's some answers/corrections that I hope may still be helpful.Postwar Man07 You asked when the store was opened. As purely a hardware store it was opened in the late twenties, by Wm. A. Morrison, brother in law to Louis Shur. Morrison lost the enterprise during the great depression, and Lois took it over with the financial help of his mother, Esther Anastacia Shur, also William's mother in law. I don't know exactly when, but early in thirties Louis befreinded Lionel Cowan, and out of that friendship he was made a preferred distributor for the Lionel product line.1688torpedoYou said that when the inventory moved to Michigan it was sold mail order. Bears mentioning that through almost its entire history MH in New York also sold mail order. Also, the surname Shaw was an affectation, and never legalized. Carl was originally in show business (he was a drummer and worked in several big bands in the 20s-30s, when semitic names were bad business). His birth name was Carl Shur, and he was Louis's brother.SotaPopHere's a photo of a loco that Louis had brass plated and put on display in the store. Some of you oldtimers may remember seeing it. After his death his nephew Larry Morrison put it up for auction. I don't recall which auction house, but it's a prominent one for this kind of stuff, and the $69K that it brought was the highest price ever paid for this class of artifact.
Train Memories & msaccoSee my response to Postwar Man07 above.Train-0They didn't own the building, they occupied it, for many years, on a lease. At one time (at least) Louis negotiated to buy it, but no satisfactory agreement was ever reached.cwburfleThe major reason for Louis closing the business is that as he advanced in age, and became a multimillionaire out of this little shop, he became intolerant of the stress, and wanted to retire to Florida like the rest of New York. But in typical Louis Shur fashion he did it his own way, not Miami or Ft.Lauderdale, but Gainesville of all places. He lived there into his 101st year.Texas PeteThanks! You gave me a laugh.
Wow, I sure wish I could have seen it. I grew up in Pittsburgh and there sure was something to be said about those old long time stores. I was always just fascinated by hardware stores but to have trains to, wow that must have been something.
I’ve fantasized about having my own hardware store all my life from when I was a kid and I always knew that if it were ever to be, I would also sell trains and a large layout in the store all year long.
It’s kind of funny because I was just talking about this a few weeks ago with some friends as I was putting together my Christmas layout. It’s so big for an average house that I wish I had a place to show it off and someone mentioned maybe renting it to a store front someplace, but there aren’t many places like that anymore.
You're welcome Johnny. It may be of interest to know that until at least the early 60s the store also sold hardware: lamps, nuts & bolts, keys, what have you. Of course that was just an afterthought activity, quite casually managed, but it was there.
Have to correct a typo I just noticed in my original post. The brass plated loco didn't bring $69K, only a mere $60K.
Still true however, that it was the largest sum ever for that sort of artifact.
That's true about Carl, black eye glasses without lenses. Carl was a ladies man. My brother-in-law and I were in the store one late afternoon, and when my wife and sister entered later, Carl dropped his attention off us, and it was all: HEL-LO, LADIES! After that, we could not get a word in edgewise and never finished business with Carl that day.
I guess most folks are aware that a Book has been written about Madison Hardware. The book is being sold direct. Here is a link: http://www.madisonposter.com/
I recall visiting Madison Hardware in the 1950s with my Dad. But we bought American Flyer trains there. Am I remembering the wrong hardware store?
Emerson RailroadAm I remembering the wrong hardware store?
Rob
ADCX Rob Emerson Railroad Am I remembering the wrong hardware store? Yes. The brothers were VERY faithful to JLC.
Emerson Railroad Am I remembering the wrong hardware store?
Yes. The brothers were VERY faithful to JLC.
If what I've read is true they called JLC "Pop."
And supposedly when the question of carrying American Flyer or Marx products came up both brothers agreed and said the same thing:
"No, we can't do that to Pop!"
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