Fun Stuff,  Misc

Store Pictures

May 26, 2016 /

The New WMG Publishing Store

Pop Culture Collectables #2

Professional writer J. Steven York stopped by the new store and took some photos. He has all of them on his Facebook page, but he generously gave me permission to show some of them here. He’s such a great photographer I couldn’t pass up the chance. Thanks, Steve!

To start off with, the store is three very large rooms, over three thousand square feet. A large part of it is books, and yes, a large section is just WMG books.

So impossible to capture everything in every nook and cranny. But here is a general tour.

Store 2

The first picture is looking back toward the one of the two main entrances at me and Josh standing at the main front counter. We have 11 display cases in this store.  Josh is the fantastic store manager we were very lucky to find.

Store 3

Then looking from the main counter over the card display case and toward the bookstore part of the store.

Store 3b

Another image looking from the main counter toward the bookstore room.

Store 5

Headed along one toy shelf into the bookstore area.

Store 4

Books. Just one small part of the hardback area of the bookstore.

Store 6

More books.

Store 7a

A wall of MIP toys, one of many walls.

Store 7b

Looking into the comic and car room from the main counter. (Yes, that is a large Howdy Doody puppet.)

Store 8

Hotwheels, Matchbox, and others, all loose.

Store 9

Hotwheels and a huge wall of comics above them.

Store 10

A nifty model of a Saturn Five Rocket that Steve built that we have up on the top of one shelf in the comic book room. Again, thanks, Steve, for letting us keep that for display.

Store 11

Some misc cars looking back at the main counter.

Thanks again, Steve, for the great photos.

And that’s a rough tour. It’s been fun, still lots of work to do, but tonight I get back to writing.

The store is open and had a good first day yesterday. Great fun.

And one last picture of me after fighting an “Open” banner (to put down on the highway) into existence with two stops at Ace Hardware, three stops at a kite shop, and an hour of fighting and taping. I am signaling touchdown! Meaning success. (grin)

Store 1

15 Comments

  • Sherry Jurykovsky

    May 26, 2016 at 8:35 pm

    We are from Canada but visiting the USA right now. We haven’t decided which way to head home, but I’m now voting for going past your store. 🙂

    • dwsmith

      May 26, 2016 at 10:06 pm

      And you will love the Oregon Coast. Stunningly beautiful. Slower driving, but beautiful. Safe journey.

    • dwsmith

      May 26, 2016 at 10:08 pm

      I wish I could say that was all the packs of Hot Wheels we have, but nope. We have a wall that big (two smaller walls, actually) at the other store and maybe another thousand Hot Wheels in packs in boxes. Not kidding. Just flat silly amounts of stuff.

      Thanks for the nice comments.

  • Colleen

    May 27, 2016 at 8:28 am

    Okay, it’s now official – the WMG Building is no longer familiar in any way, shape, or form! But it certainly does look awesome. Wow!

    • dwsmith

      May 27, 2016 at 12:58 pm

      Thanks, Colleen. I think a few of the people who took workshops in that big main room and sat around at night in the now comic book room will recognize it slightly. But you are right, a complete transformation.

  • James F. Brown

    May 27, 2016 at 8:41 am

    Dean,

    LOL re: the photo of you by the roadside. You need a gorilla or Statue of Liberty costume to really be an effective marketeer. And a big sign with an arrow that you wave and shake while you dance around. (That’s what all the cheapo tax-preparer and going-out-of-business places do down here in LA. Of course, they’re all teenagers hired to do this, and, uh, I don’t think you’d be able to pass as one anymore!) 🙂

    • dwsmith

      May 27, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      I didn’t even think of what cars going by would think, I was just so happy that the banner was up and working, since it had been hours-long battle. (grin)

  • D J Mills

    May 27, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    Is that a whole wall of cookie jars near the exit sign? Wow!
    I think this store would cater to all my family, from hot wheels, matchbox cars, cookie jars (Yum!), comic books and real books!
    Shame I live in Australia, with no plans to visit your shop in the near future. I love it! 🙂
    May you have many sales and trades.

  • Scot C. Morgan

    May 28, 2016 at 5:31 am

    What a beautiful store. Congratulations. The displays for each section are well done. I’d spend hour walking through and soaking it all in if I live anywhere near the store. I just might take a trip up there some day.