Tom Campbell

[radioman148]

They were hot business' at the time, but things change.

 

[djj]

On the other hand, I must have driven past that location a thousand times and never realized that it was the legendary "Top Of The Hill."

I -- as many others obviously have -- figured that Matthew's was some monster-sized mega electronics emporium that took up half of Daly City.

Yeah ... not so much. It's a fairly humble edifice.

DJ, it's too late now, but if you had known a coupla years ago that this
building was available, would you have placed the Bay Area Radio Museum
at that location?
8)
--jay

 

[radioman148]

On the other hand, I must have driven past that location a thousand times and never realized that it was the legendary "Top Of The Hill."

I -- as many others obviously have -- figured that Matthew's was some monster-sized mega electronics emporium that took up half of Daly City.

Yeah ... not so much. It's a fairly humble edifice.

DJ, it's too late now, but if you had known a coupla years ago that this
building was available, would you have placed the Bay Area Radio Museum
at that location?
8)
--jay

LOL ;D

 

[BossRadioDJ]

DJ, it's too late now, but if you had known a coupla years ago that this building was available, would you have placed the Bay Area Radio Museum at that location?
8)
--jay

In a Daly City minute, I would.

And the next thing I'd do is hire Brother John Flanagan to drive the few blocks over from his home to be our friendly greeter, genial host, chief of security, number one tour guide and all-around dispenser of joy and laughter.

Remind me next time that place goes vacant, okay?

 

[DavidKaye]

Hmmm...interesting...thanks DJ. SMD's website notes that he "retired" from Matthews. Most businessmen that retire from viable businesses sell them to the highest bidder, but Matthew's TV and Stereo just closed down. The storefront on Mission Street was vacant for quite awhile.

Sometimes it's easier or cheaper to go out of business than to sell. Reasons might be that the landlord doesn't want that type of business in their store anymore, or they've raised the rent so high as to make it impossible to turn a reasonable profit. It's not always feasible to relocate a business, either. Sometimes a business depends on the location, and a different location just might not cut it.

Or...he could have gone bankrupt.

 

[radioman148]

Since I lived in southern Cal at the time I didn't get to hear the Mathews commercials. However, I believe CAL Stereo which was all over the radio also went broke.

 

[djj]

Sometimes it's easier or cheaper to go out of business than to sell. Reasons might be that the landlord doesn't want that type of business in their store anymore, or they've raised the rent so high as to make it impossible to turn a reasonable profit. It's not always feasible to relocate a business, either. Sometimes a business depends on the location, and a different location just might not cut it....

According to Page 5 on this document from earlier this decade,
http://www.ci.daly-city.ca.us/serv_for_buss/commercial/pdf/all_listing_april03.pdf

6400 Mission Street was offered for lease @ 2.50/square foot; 6,495 sq ft total,
with improvements...

Kinda high then...I suppose the dollar store that's there can afford it, especially
if the sq ft price has gone up since...
--jay

 

[mred]

I believe mathews, cal, pacific stereo were all popped by attorney general for "bait and switch" back in the 70's.

 

[radioman148]

I believe mathews, cal, pacific stereo were all popped by attorney general for "bait and switch" back in the 70's.

Please elaborate if you can.

 

[LKellerIII]

I believe mathews, cal, pacific stereo were all popped by attorney general for "bait and switch" back in the 70's.

Please elaborate if you can.

Mred can elaborate if he wants to, but "bait and switch" is not the reason that any of these 3 electronics stores went out of business. I do have this vague memory that a complaint may have been lodged against Matthew's for bait and switch, and it was around the time Tom Campbell stopped doing their ads. But Matthews stayed in business for quite a few years longer, with Steven Matthew David doing his own commercials.

I think the worst that can happen with a bait and switch conviction (especially a first-time offense) is a "wrist-slap" by the state Attorney General's office- generally a fine, and some bad publicity.

But viable businesses generally survive that kind of thing, or car dealers would have been dropping like flies during the 70s and 80s. The numerous bait and switch complaints against car dealers were what started those car ad disclaimers... "one only at this price", and "all cars subject to prior sale"

 

[DavidKaye]

Mred can elaborate if he wants to, but "bait and switch" is not the reason that any of these 3 electronics stores went out of business.

Most of these stores go out of business because larger stores with more selection open and take away their business. Even a chain like Circuit City couldn't compete against the largest Best Buy. People tend to go where the selection is.

 

[radioman148]

Mred can elaborate if he wants to, but "bait and switch" is not the reason that any of these 3 electronics stores went out of business.

Most of these stores go out of business because larger stores with more selection open and take away their business. Even a chain like Circuit City couldn't compete against the largest Best Buy. People tend to go where the selection is.

I think you nailed it David.

 

[LKellerIII]

Mred can elaborate if he wants to, but "bait and switch" is not the reason that any of these 3 electronics stores went out of business.

Most of these stores go out of business because larger stores with more selection open and take away their business. Even a chain like Circuit City couldn't compete against the largest Best Buy. People tend to go where the selection is.

I think you nailed it David.

Actually, it's sometimes the opposite. WalMart and Target have practically put Toys R Us out of business. It's not because either store has a bigger selection of toys and games than Toys R Us - clearly they don't. But their prices are lower, and people save time when they buy their toys at the same place they're buying their paper towels and diet soda.

And it's WalMart, Target, and Costco that are killing off electronics stores. Again, those stores clearly have a smaller selection of TVs and stereos than Best Buy or Circuit City - but the prices are lower and everybody's at Costco to buy milk and eggs anyway.

I bought my first HDTV last year at Costco - it was about $300 cheaper than Best Buy or Video Only, and I didn't need 30 different brands to choose from...their selection was more than adequate.

 

[radioman148]

Mred can elaborate if he wants to, but "bait and switch" is not the reason that any of these 3 electronics stores went out of business.

Most of these stores go out of business because larger stores with more selection open and take away their business. Even a chain like Circuit City couldn't compete against the largest Best Buy. People tend to go where the selection is.

Right, for example I can go into Cosco & buy a DVD. Why go to a video or electronic store.

I think you nailed it David.

Actually, it's sometimes the opposite. WalMart and Target have practically put Toys R Us out of business. It's not because either store has a bigger selection of toys and games than Toys R Us - clearly they don't. But their prices are lower, and people save time when they buy their toys at the same place they're buying their paper towels and diet soda.

And it's WalMart, Target, and Costco that are killing off electronics stores. Again, those stores clearly have a smaller selection of TVs and stereos than Best Buy or Circuit City - but the prices are lower and everybody's at Costco to buy milk and eggs anyway.

I bought my first HDTV last year at Costco - it was about $300 cheaper than Best Buy or Video Only, and I didn't need 30 different brands to choose from...their selection was more than adequate.

 

[DavidKaye]

Actually, it's sometimes the opposite. WalMart and Target have practically put Toys R Us out of business. It's not because either store has a bigger selection of toys and games than Toys R Us - clearly they don't. But their prices are lower, and people save time when they buy their toys at the same place they're buying their paper towels and diet soda.

I will say that one-stop shopping is very appealing to people, but again it has to be a large store. Matthews TV and Stereo City was a small store.

That said, Best Buy is doing quite nicely, thank you, even with the economic crunch, so there are a lot of people who will go visit stores where there is plenty of selection. I'll also say that Best Buy gets high ratings for customer service. That's important to people.

 

[LKellerIII]

Yeah - the help at Best Buy is helpful. But other than big screen TVs and DVDs, they have too many kinds of items and not enough selection. A couple years ago I needed a new washer/dryer. Best Buy had 3 to choose from. I bought at Sears which had about 30 to choose from.

Same thing last year with a refrigerator - Best Buy had 2 or 3 to choose from. I bought at Home Depot which had about 20 models. And the prices were just as low at those 2 places, if not lower than BB.

But we'd better get back to radio. I hear you can buy radios at those places...

 

[radioman148]

Yeah - the help at Best Buy is helpful. But other than big screen TVs and DVDs, they have too many kinds of items and not enough selection. A couple years ago I needed a new washer/dryer. Best Buy had 3 to choose from. I bought at Sears which had about 30 to choose from.

Same thing last year with a refrigerator - Best Buy had 2 or 3 to choose from. I bought at Home Depot which had about 20 models. And the prices were just as low at those 2 places, if not lower than BB.

But we'd better get back to radio. I hear you can buy radios at those places...

Do they still make radios?

 

[djj]

Do they still make radios?

That's actually a good question, RM148...

I challenge anyone to go to a Long's (CVS) Drugs or other similar store to find a big selection of
portable or hand-held radios, not the boom-box type, like Long's used to have in the camera
dept...

I've been in several Long's stores and have noticed that the radio selection has decreased
significantly in the last 10 to 15 years...
Radio Shack doesn't have the amount/variety of radios they used to have, either...

Even Tom Campbell said in 2005, "I believe the audio specialist is going away"...
Source, paragraph 3 herein:
http://www.twice.com/article/CA6250...E-tailing&industryid=23098&pubdate=08/22/2005

Whew! I managed to get us back on track with the "Tom Campbell" thread...
;D
--jay

 

[radioman148]

Tom was right (keeping on subject)

DJJ--I too went into Longs about a month ago and all they had were these little japanese made transistor radios that can fit in the palm of your hand.

 

[Unregistered]

Tom Campbell Cal Stereo

Bellflower Canoga Park Garden Grove Torrance West Covina West LA San Bernardino North Hollywood Pasadena Whittier City of Orange Costa Mesa Riverside Monterey Park Cal stereo now