Would Macy's tell Gimbels?

Skip:

As a fellow New Yorker, I always enjoy your posts which focus on the city.

Thanks,

Bob

When I was in HS my mom worked at Gimbels at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream LI. I used to walk there after school (shorter than walking home). My mom would escort me to the employee cafeteria where I would do homework until she was ready to go home. I was also a frequent visitor to the stamp and coin counter. That's how I got into stamp collecting. I don't remember any trains but this was the late 1960's.

Ended up working there during college summers.

Joe

Interesting to those of us who have only heard about those stores.. looks like you could walk from station, shop both atores, and then get back out of Dodge.  Sears/Allstate had own Marx sets for years. I think l have heard of special sets for M and G . I bet some readers on here collect those, and others would like to see them .

NY,

   Here in Pittsburgh, Pa when I was a boy, there was no Macy's, it was Gimbles, Hornes, Kaufmans, Sears and Pennys.   Macy's came here much later, just before Kohls.  Lots of us, in the original era of Miracle on 34 Street,  traveled to NY and knew Macy's quite well however.  Your layout rendition is just fantastic, keep up the great work, we love seeing it!  My layouts have always featured our small mountain towns at Christmas time with the PRR Military trains, WAG logging railroad and Coke factory transport trains, your big city layout is fantastic, nothing like it anywhere!

PCRR/Dave

Those pictures are great.  I'll bet the architect was thrilled when Macys erected those billboards on the corner of the building.....LOL

Growing up in Philadelphia, we had Wanamakers, Strawbridges, Gimbels, Lit Brothers and Snellenburgs, all within walking distance of one another on Market Street.  Winemakers had the best train displays, followed by Strawbridge, Gimbels and Lits.  I can't recall the toy department at Snellenburgs however.  

I remember my mother liking the 2500 series Lionel passenger cars, but they were too expensive for her to get them for my brother and I.   

Dave wasn't there Hornes as well? Now we have no Sears,Kaufman's,Hornes, K Mart,and Macy's is leaving this summer.

great pics, thanks for sharing!

Great thread. I like the pictures of then, and what does it look like today?

I remember in Detroit we had Hudson's, Crowley's, JC Penneys, Sears, and Kresges department stores...

I miss being with the family and going to the soda fountain the most. Was a rare treat to go downtown and have a Coke.

My Mom used to take me to Macy's on the subway and we would visit the Lionel trains on (I think) the fifth floor. Then, we would go across Herald Square to the Horn & Hardart Automat Cafeteria and I would order, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, chocolate pudding and chocolate milk. Very impressed by NYC_FANs layout and enjoyed the NYC photos too.

MELGAR

You always knew it was the holiday season as all department stores had model train layout in the toy dept. Now, of course, we barely have department stores. 

How did you do those fantastic tan high rise buildings. They are really something (as are the Macy's and Gimbel's buildings)? 

Jerrman

Skip, thanks for the memories, like your buildings they look great. I grew up in Manhattan. While in HSin the early 60s I worked part time at Gimbles. I worked in their advertising dept. I was the darkroom tech. They paid me $1.75 per hour. Goods times thanks again guys for the photos. Great layout.

Steamer,

  Dave I forgot about Hornes, you bet great store also!  I will go back and add it to the original post.

Thanks Steamer.

PCRR/Dave

Last time I was in the flagship Macy's, they still had the original working wooden escalators. Amazing. I sometimes dream about making a working model of them.

Being raised in NYC there were many shopping excursions during the holidays.

Christmas shopping was a sneaky proposition. It turns out that the Lionel Trains layout at Macy's dept. store was in fact an interesting bit of social reforms!

From what I remember there was barely a place to stand and watch trains and accessories due to the crowds of children. It seemd that we were all there watching trains while under watch of the train staff. My mother told me every year that I Should stand there and NOT leave the train area, not talk to or leave with anyone, particularly if they didn't know the password ( I think it was our subway line and stop). She would be right back. I  Knew something fishy was going on like Christmas shopping.  Other kids a bit older than me told me that as long as I stood there having fun watching trains I would get some for Christmas. OK! I won't budge.  What a deal, Macy's train dept.  was the best most popular seasonal babysitter it seems.

The stuff we remember!

Dan Padova posted:

Those pictures are great.  I'll bet the architect was thrilled when Macys erected those billboards on the corner of the building.....LOL

 

Dan,

Interestingly, that corner building was not part of Macy's. Back in 1900 the little building on the corner was purchased for an incredible $375,000, by Robert H. Smith on behalf of Siegel-Cooper (the worlds largest store at the time on 6th Ave) hoping to keep Macy's from building the world's largest store. Macy's simply built around the little building and became the worlds largest store in 1902. Many years later Macy's started putting those billboards on the little building by lease agreement with a new owner.

A very early photo showing the little building, whose owners had already recognized the value of it's location for advertising. They would soon increase the height of those billboards eventually hiding that Macy's sign.

Macy's today.

Hi Skip,

Great seeing both Macy's and Gimbel's on your layout - makes for a neat scene and good memories.

I always preferred the Macy's train displays back in the early to mid 50s. But, for a few years, Gimbel's had live reindeer in their "Photos with Santa Corner"!!!

I wonder how they enjoyed the elevator ride to what I believe was the 6th floor toy department! 

Jim

Skip,

As a Queens kid we saw a lot of Macy's, the Lionel showroom, Horn & Hardart, Polks hobby, etc, etc.

And I do remember those wooden escalators.  My memory is failing me but as I remember that not all the floors had the wooden escalators.  Maybe they were phasing them out with the newer metal escalators during that time period.

I look forward to your posts, especially during the holidays.   Your layout is incredible.

Thanks,

Ed

Great info right now Iam reading the book on the history of the Macy's parade and enjoying the nostalgia of the parade. Up here back in the day it was Whitneys vs Myers department stores. Whitneys had Lionel and Myers was HO.

Isn't it interesting how those childhood department store names stick?

Quiz time:  Mine were Lazarus, Pomeroy's, and The Boston Store. Who can name the city?

Nice story and pictures Skip. I learn something every day. Thanks for posting.

Rike's, and Elder-Beerman.....city?...

Stewart's, and Kaufman's,....city?

Pete,

I'm guessing you are talking about Wilkes-Barre PA.

colorado hirailer posted:

Rike's, and Elder-Beerman.....city?...

Stewart's, and Kaufman's,....city?

Rike and El Bee- Dayton!!!! I went to UD..Go Flyers!!

Avanti posted:

Last time I was in the flagship Macy's, they still had the original working wooden escalators. Amazing. I sometimes dream about making a working model of them.

They still do, I was on them on Sunday!!

BTW  At one time Sears was the largest store and ran  radio station WLS in Chicago. And too not be taken too lightly the Chicago  tribune ran radio station WGN [Worlds Greatest Newspaper] MY 2cents worth enjoy

Conductor Earl posted:

Pete,

I'm guessing you are talking about Wilkes-Barre PA.

 

Bingo!

It's sad Macy's recent store closings with more ahead is reducing it to a shadow of its once magnificent self. I wonder for how many more holiday seasons new Macy's boxcars will be manufactured as this once robust chain continues the downward spiral to its eventual demise.

NYC Fan posted:

Well, they are sure close enough on my layout! And, in real life too. As a kid my toy train recollection is, if you wanted Lionel you went to Macy's and if you wanted American Flyer you went to Gimbels.

Back then, Gimbel's and Macy's were actually a block apart. Both located where Broadway crossed 6th Avenue, Gimbels was between 32nd Street and 33rd Street facing 6th Avenue on Greeley Square, and Macy's was and still is between 34th Street and 35th Street facing Broadway on Herald Square.

At one time Saks 34th Street (sister store to Saks 5th Avenue) was between Macy's and Gimbels. The Pennsylvania Hotel shared the block with Gimbels and faced 7th Avenue, directly across the street from Pennsylvania Station.

This is an awesome post, and as usual, I also find myself drooling over your layout!  By the way, growing up in NYC, the best and most varied toy train selection was actually a few blocks away at FAO Schwarz.  In addition to Lionel and AF, the had HO, the teeny tiny trains and the giants, including all sizes from Marklin and others on which a boy of 8 felt he could probably ride. 

Peter

Avanti posted:

Last time I was in the flagship Macy's, they still had the original working wooden escalators. Amazing. I sometimes dream about making a working model of them.

Those wooden Otis escalators were installed a little over 100 years ago and, other than normal service, have operated just fine in this time. 

J Daddy posted:

Great thread. I like the pictures of then, and what does it look like today?

I remember in Detroit we had Hudson's, Crowley's, JC Penneys, Sears, and Kresges department stores...

I miss being with the family and going to the soda fountain the most. Was a rare treat to go downtown and have a Coke.

So, Crowley's was a real department store? I've seen the film Holiday Affair many times and always thought it was conjured for the film!  I wonder what the arrangement was that would allow Crowley's the opportunity to benefit from so much "free" advertising, and in perpetuity...

I believe Gimbel's eventually became the EJ Corvette store...and now today it the Manhattan Mall....boy does time fly...great pics and greater layout Skip!!!

fastman posted:

BTW  At one time Sears was the largest store and ran  radio station WLS in Chicago. And too not be taken too lightly the Chicago  tribune ran radio station WGN [Worlds Greatest Newspaper] MY 2cents worth enjoy

Last weekend a guy I work with went to the West Towne Mall Sears store here in Madison Wi. He found it to be half the size it had been, the other half is going to be a Dave & Busters. How far they have fallen!

Skip, that is a great scene! Love the history and pictures. I had never looked at the Macy's building that close, I never noticed the small building below the Worlds Largest Store sign.

The Gimbels at Hilldale Mall here in Madison became a Marshall Fields and is now a Macy's. 

Along with Gimbels, Sears and Penneys we had H. C. Prange or "Pranges" ,they were bought by Younkers which became Boston Store. I guess Younkers still exists, just not here.