Steve's Sundry is closing at the end of the year

[Townsend]

From TW posting:

Citing economic climate, daily changes in the publishing arena, and internet buying culture, owner Joanie Stephenson said the bottom line on the financials made the decision for her.

[cannon_fodder]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Love that store.  Great having a neighborhood book store.

[Weatherdemon]

Very sad

[DolfanBob]

This just sucks. If you ever wanted the hard to find publications. This place is it. Another internet death nail. Cost of doing business in a brick and mortar World.

[guido911]

This just sucks. If you ever wanted the hard to find publications. This place is it. Another internet death nail. Cost of doing business in a brick and mortar World.

Why can't you locate the "hard to find publication" from the....internet? I went in there for the first time a few months back to see what it was all about. I saw the nostalgia value, but that was about it.

[DolfanBob]

Why can't you locate the "hard to find publication" from the....internet? I went in there for the first time a few months back to see what it was all about. I saw the nostalgia value, but that was about it.

I'm mainly talking about the magazines. I don't always want a year subscription when there is a article about a Boxer, Driver or Rider that I want to have, hold, read and save.
I only ate there a couple of times and I do agree that I can get a homemade samich at the house.
I'm getting older and just hate seeing today's technology and progress do away with more memories and jobs. No matter how small they are.

[guido911]

I'm mainly talking about the magazines. I don't always want a year subscription when there is a article about a Boxer, Driver or Rider that I want to have, hold, read and save.
I only ate there a couple of times and I do agree that I can get a homemade samich at the house.
I'm getting older and just hate seeing today's technology and progress do away with more memories and jobs. No matter how small they are.

I feel the same about places, events, and memories. There is a lot of that in this forum, attempts at keeping history and the "good ole days". In my old hometown, I remember as a boy sitting at Kresge Department store lunch counter drinking out the the hollowed out plastic "cup" with the cone paper liner in it. I also remember reciting the pledge of allegiance each morning before school started.

[Conan71]

I get what you are saying Guido.  But for those of us who grew up in mid-town, Steve's is a regular institution.

Steve's was a focal point in my life growing up.  My brother and I would head straight there after earning money raking leaves for neighbors to get some candy or a cherry phosphate at the soda fountain.  Later, we had a paper route throwing the Tribune every night.  We got and folded our papers in front of Steve's.  I'd usually get a snack of some sort like a piece of apple pie prior to starting my route.  Steve was somewhat of a crotchety man and didn't seem to care much for rug rats, though it instilled a very strong respect for him out of my friends and myself.

I'm curious if someone couldn't expand the soda fountain & sandwiches and try and increase the revenue stream from food service if the financial dependence on books and magazines is dragging them down.  When we first moved to the neighborhood in 1969, Steve's wasn't as book and magazine-heavy.  IIRC, that was more of a transformation which took place in the mid-late 1980's.

[BKDotCom]

I'm curious if someone couldn't expand the soda fountain & sandwiches and try and increase the revenue stream from food service if the financial dependence on books and magazines is dragging them down.

That's what I'm thinkin..   Turn it into more of a "Cosmo's" type concept..   soda fountain, sandwiches, coffee.  Or perhaps soda fountain / home-made icecream shop  (which Tulsa is lacking)

[Conan71]

That's what I'm thinkin..   Turn it into more of a "Cosmo's" type concept..   soda fountain, sandwiches, coffee.  Or perhaps soda fountain / home-made icecream shop  (which Tulsa is lacking)

Unless there is still something in the 11th & Harvard area catering to TU students it could be a great beatnik coffee house concept or as you mentioned home made ice cream shop.

It's a great location regardless what goes in there.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I feel the same about places, events, and memories. There is a lot of that in this forum, attempts at keeping history and the "good ole days". In my old hometown, I remember as a boy sitting at Kresge Department store lunch counter drinking out the the hollowed out plastic "cup" with the cone paper liner in it. I also remember reciting the pledge of allegiance each morning before school started.

Were you reciting the one without "under God" in it?  (Yeah, I know....you aren't quite that old....just had to poke just a little - haven't had a chance for a while.)

Does Kmart have a small eating place in it - seems like they used to - then you could kind of/sort of relive those childhood moments...

I remember doing that same lunch counter thing at Rexall in downtown Tulsa (no idea where it was - can't remember that, it was so long ago, and I was too young).  I do remember that we would get off the trolley, have to walk a block (maybe 2?) and couldn't enter in the first door we came to, even though it was closer to the counter than the front door!  For us, that "Colored Only" meant they couldn't use the front door, but we also couldn't use the back door....  I always thought that was just wrong.  

I don't go there more than a few times a year - Steve's - but always enjoy it when I do go.  Don't think I have ever eaten there.

[Red Arrow]

I also remember reciting the pledge of allegiance each morning before school started.

First thing in school was the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.  Maybe the other way around.  It was a long time ago.  I forget which year we stopped reciting the Lord's Prayer.  I'm pretty sure I was still in elementary school.

[cannon_fodder]

When did anyone stop reciting the pledge every morning? Not that I care either way, upon reflection it is a bit soviet-esque to make every child stand and swear allegiance each morning.

I remember making fun of fags, blacks, and Mexicans in school.  Not all nostalgia is good.

But Steve's will be missed.  We still WALK to the BOOKSTORE and buy PAPER BOOKs (i put some words in caps as many maybhave to look upbthe defjjitions) I hope for a last minute salvation. 

[guido911]

I remember making fun of fags, blacks, and Mexicans in school.  Not all nostalgia is good.

Well, I think we all learned something kind of unfortunate and ugly right there.

[tulsabug]

From TW posting:
Citing economic climate, daily changes in the publishing arena, and internet buying culture, owner Joanie Stephenson said the bottom line on the financials made the decision for her.

I call BS on that. Most of the books in Steve's are local interest more than anything and can't be found any cheaper online. Nothing is stopping them from offering their inventory online either, whether through their own site (which looks to be designed by a 4 year old), on Amazon, or eBay. They would do well to expand their magazine selection and their eating area, both of which are cash cows. Heck - they could do a few magazine carts downtown and make a killing. It sounds more than anything that now Steve is gone they just don't want to run the business no matter what kind of money it makes. The "economic climate" and "internet" wah-wah excuses are crap - they could have just said "now that Steve is gone, the heart is too".