AOBTD :(

(Another One Bites The Dust)

Well, gang, to make a long story long ...

Today it's my turn to pick up our department's Fattening Friday Fix, so on my way in just a few minutes ago I stopped at Donut Central (one corner which as both Krispy-Kreme and Winchells -- some of our people are picky) which also has/had a small independent camera shop, Midwest Camera, in a small strip mall to the south.

So as I'm leaving Winchells I see a big orange dayglow sign in Midwest Camera's window. Uh-huh, you guessed it: Going Out Of Business

For some reason I'm kinda feeling guilty here. I've lived in this area for 20-some-odd years, shot hundreds of rolls of film, but never once did I shop there. Why? No reason, really. I've known they were there for years, and I used to go to an art shop about a mile south of there semi-regularly. I just never stopped in.

For camera stuff I almost always go to their competitor about a mile east, since it's very convenient for me on the way to/from work. (Rockbrook Photo -- three locations, one near you.) I guess that makes Rockbrook now the only surviving indie shop in the area. They, coincidentally, just opened up their third location, and yes, they carry a lot of {d-word} stuff.

Oh well, so it goes ... and so do I ...

You're talking Omaha, here?

I wonder if there's a sale. I turned down a chance to come up for the Spring game in Lincoln tomorrow, I'd have been in Omaha most of the weekend.

Rockbrook? Would that make you in Omaha by chance? Lived there for about a year and a half. Nice town, good people.
I thought I heard some time ago that Rockbrook was closing- guess I heard wrong.
Don't feel guilty. Just make sure you never buy a camera from NFM, (if they even sell film stuff anymore) and hopefully Rockbrook will survive!

Deans Camera is the business that closed.

RobLewis said:

Rockbrook?

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Uh-huh.

Would that make you in Omaha by chance?

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Actually, I live out in the toolies between Omaha and Lincoln. I may be buying a place closer in, however.

Lived there for about a year and a half. Nice town, good people.

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Actually, it's a great place to live. (But I wouldn't want to visit.)

I thought I heard some time ago that Rockbrook was closing- guess I heard wrong.

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No, they have 3 shops now, the one just off the expressway on 108th, the one on 70th in Lincoln, and a new one on 168th in Omaha.

Don't feel guilty. Just make sure you never buy a camera from NFM, (if they even sell film stuff anymore) and hopefully Rockbrook will survive!

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I don't think NFM sells anything but {d-word}. I have bought a lot of various things from NFM over the years and never had a bad experience, however.

Rockbrook is going strong. I usually go there over lunch and there's always a good crowd there. On Saturdays it can be totally zooey!

I really LOVE Omaha (and the toolies surrounding it). People are courteous there. At least they tell you that their camera shop is closing before it gets nailed shut. In my area we lost a good shop last year - it was there one day and cleaned out the next... no sign, no warning, no notice.

Oh... and sorry about your loss!

BrianShaw said:

I really LOVE Omaha (and the toolies surrounding it). People are courteous there. At least they tell you that their camera shop is closing before it gets nailed shut. In my area we lost a good shop last year - it was there one day and cleaned out the next... no sign, no warning, no notice.

Oh... and sorry about your loss!

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Yeah, I've seen that phenomenon, too. There was a longtime camera store on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, VA (name escapes me...I only lived there for a little overa year) that closed at the end of 2003. They were having a tough time and somebody walked in and offered them 25% over lease to sublet. Mind you, this was a time when commerical leases for retail space were rising in value 20% a year...

They were out in a week. No clearance sale or anything, it all went up at auction about 800 miles away in Chicago.

This isn't just affecting photography stores. Any specialty store that isn't a major chain has been getting progressively more heat for the past 35 years.

Sociological studies have cited the one-on-one interaction between customer and shopkeep as being healthy, even essential. I sort of shudder to speculate on what we may be reduced to as a species when all we do is recite tracking and RMA numbers over a phone and cuss...

Hey, there's always Wal-Mart.

Photographics in Omaha

At least there is still a good pro lab in Omaha. Check out Photographics, 40th and Farnum. I take all my 4x5 and MF color work there. They provide great service--you can even get 2 hour service on the MF slides.

Allen