Screws. A whole shop especially for screws and nuts, and you could buy bigger boxes, or smaller boxes, or only one or two, and they took their time to give advice, always with the same friendliness and helpfulness, whether you left a few cents or some real money.
We have a 'Mr Gwint' shop in my city ('gwint' means 'thread' in Polish, and the word is probably familiar to The Witcher players). They mainly sell various fastenings, but also tools and other related stuff. They have a big note on the door 'Only wholesale, no retail. Only full packaging.' But whenever I went there and asked for some screws, they would sell me much less than the full package. Friendly (to the Polish standards, that is) and helpful, unlike the sign on the door. But I wouldn't dare asking for just one or two basic screws.
I came across a very narrow, 5 story store in Japan, a bit off the beaten path in Akihabara, selling exclusively N scale model trains. They had a floor or two dedicated just to the models, another one for scenery, and at least one just for repair parts for your trains. It was really cool to get to see a store that was pretty clearly a passion project for the owner(s) apparently doing well, and filling quite the niche in the hobby (I imagine)
I was being facetious, because otherwise there would be rubber duck stores at every river. Also it would be an environmental disaster if the ducks were for the river
Yes, it's not acrylic baby-melting trash. You're comparing McDonald's to omakase. Try visiting your local yarn store before making any more assumptions.
Is that... uncommon? There was one in the town I grew up in.
Actually I looked it up and it also sold thread, ribbons and stuff like that. I guess you'd call it a haberdashery. Maybe one just for wool is less common?
There's a bunch of oddball stores in the Pike Place Market in Seattle but the Left Hand store was the most specific place. All left hand tools and stuff. Lots of different scissors.
I visited Pike Place in 2005 with my best friend and his wife, I had a horrible head cold and could not enjoy anything about the place. Sounds like I need to get back so I can visit the Left Hand store.
there are a lot of things to smell, like its a lot sometimes. especially if you arent feeling very well. they have expanded the market. No more car traffic on the street outside it and they expanded and built up the area closer to the waterfront, because the viaduct is gone. Many of the old school stuff is still there though. Make sure to give yourself a full day to explore, its a massive and confusing place
I had to go to a store that only sells custom made stirrups as my kid needed some for their horse. I was absolutely overwhelmed about how many differences there are about them. Kid was happy.
There’s a delicious little shop in my city that sells all types of synths, cassette players, custom pedals and circuit bent goodies.
We have a fairly robust noise and experimental scene here that loves them so they get lots of patronage but I’m going to cry if they ever go out of business.
It’s not super specific, and makes sense for where I saw it, but I’ll never forget the Wisconsin tourist trap I drove past as a kid that has a big sign out front advertising “Cameras, Cheese and Guns”.
826 Valencia is a non-profit organization in the Mission District of San Francisco, California, United States, dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
826 Valencia runs San Francisco's "only independent pirate supply store". The store is the front entrance of the tutoring center and has the look and feel of an authentic pirate shop.[5] It sells pirate clothing, eyepatches, compasses, spyglasses, pirate dice, skull flags, and secret treasures. It features handmade signs, scattered around the store, offering tongue-in-cheek wisdom, such as "Uses for Lard" (#5: "Lard Fights") and "Guidelines for New Shipmates" (#4: "No forgetting to swab"). Unsuspecting visitors are sometimes treated to surprise "moppings."
Shoppers can also find back issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, books published by McSweeney's, and literary compilations written by 826 Valencia students. The books of student writing published by 826 Valencia include forewords, illustrations and interviews from public figures such as Former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and actor Robin Williams.
The Pirate Supply Store was originally created through necessity. After being turned down for regular use of church basements and school facilities, the founders discovered an empty store on Valencia Street. City ordinances required businesses in that area of the city to be either retail or catering, so the Pirate Supply Store was opened in 2002 as the "legitimate" business front for the writing center. It also helps fund the tutoring program.[6]
It sounds really British to pay a visit to the local canist when you find yourself needing a new cane, who is a super detailed professional who knows and supplies canes of all kinds to all walks of life
I'm sure that would have made a great Monty Python scetch
If there's still one around somewhere, should open up a competitor across the street that deals only in cheap counterfeits of the brands they sell and call it Unjust Socks.
There’s a small town I drive through frequently that, for many years, had a Christmas shop. It was always open, usually empty. It closed down last year.
I have seen lots of niche stores, but what usually gets me is that they're in very premium locations. How is that empty Custom Umbrella Emporium still open while the packed coffee shop next door can't afford their lease?
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler
Money laundering, probably
:::
Saw that in Cambridge (the original one, in UK), and they had insane prices. We went to the market, and found the same shirt for a quarter of the price.
Oh that reminds me of a spot in Connecticut I think.
It was a headshop down stairs and discgolf shop upstairs.
With a sometimes skate shop in a room next to the discgolf stuff.
San Francisco has two of them: Misdirections, a store that's been there for decades, and Houdini's/Vanishing Inc. in touristy Pier 39 who have a second location near Disneyland.
Also, the San Francisco Archery Shop seems very specialized in this age of big box sporting goods stores, but again they've been around for decades it feels like.
The Bee Healthy Honey Shop in Oakland, selling honey, beeswax, and related products and also beekeeping equipment. It's run by a Yemeni family of beekeepers.
As a former archer there are a number of archery shops! I went to one place to buy something and found it very strange that it was just in a row of about 8 shops as part of a small housing estate's little "high street" - alongside a takeaway, tattoo parlour, beauty salon, funeral director - the kind of thing you need a lot more of than archery shops!
It's moved now, I assume something more normal has taken its old spot...
There's a store not too far from me that sells rabbits and guinea pigs, and accessories for them. That's it. Need cat food? A leash for your dog? Fuck off, is not a 'pet' store, lol
There are quite a few shops like that for reptiles, likely because of the special care requirements.
On the one hand, you don't want a minimum-wage no-training staffer who cam barely keep a hamster fed killing a $4000 lizard by not setting the heat and humidity right.
On another, it's sort of weird to sell pet and feeder rodents together.
Mixed tape store. This was like 12 years ago, long after streaming was a thing. A buddy of mine went in and asked if they sold CDs and the guy legit said, "No. Just mixed tapes." Pretty sure it was a front for something.
97 Comments
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 40 pts · 1d
Rubber stamp store. Just shelf after shelf of rubber stamps and rubber stamp accessories.
RebekahWSD@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d
Childhood me gasped. We loved stamps!!
speckofrust@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 1d
The royal we?
RebekahWSD@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
Me and my twin. I just use we a lot cause of that.
Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org · 30 pts · 1d
Screws. A whole shop especially for screws and nuts, and you could buy bigger boxes, or smaller boxes, or only one or two, and they took their time to give advice, always with the same friendliness and helpfulness, whether you left a few cents or some real money.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1d
I wouldn't go in there often, but I'd be grateful for it when I did.
Jajcus@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1d
We have a 'Mr Gwint' shop in my city ('gwint' means 'thread' in Polish, and the word is probably familiar to The Witcher players). They mainly sell various fastenings, but also tools and other related stuff. They have a big note on the door 'Only wholesale, no retail. Only full packaging.' But whenever I went there and asked for some screws, they would sell me much less than the full package. Friendly (to the Polish standards, that is) and helpful, unlike the sign on the door. But I wouldn't dare asking for just one or two basic screws.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
Würth?
ZapBeebz_@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1d
I came across a very narrow, 5 story store in Japan, a bit off the beaten path in Akihabara, selling exclusively N scale model trains. They had a floor or two dedicated just to the models, another one for scenery, and at least one just for repair parts for your trains. It was really cool to get to see a store that was pretty clearly a passion project for the owner(s) apparently doing well, and filling quite the niche in the hobby (I imagine)
taiyang@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1d
I think my favorite is Nothing Bundt Cakes that sells Bundt cakes. It's a chain, and yes I only like it because of the pun.
velma@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 1d
A good pun will get me in the door every time.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
And the delicious cakes will keep you coming back.
Jajcus@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 1d
I have read it is 'nothing but burned cakes' and thought, that this quite specific and weird.
kboos1@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 1d
I've been in a Christmas store that all year long only sold Christmas stuff.
MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 1d
True story. My niece went into a Christmas shop in our home town looking for a nativity set.
Assistant: "A what?"
"A nativity set - you know, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus..."
Assistant: "What's Jesus got to do with Christmas?"
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d
There are at least three of them in Germany.
Blibly@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 1d
An entire store full of african-american romance novels. In a VERY white area. It did not stay open long 😞
Feathercrown@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 22h
The existence of that store feels more like a statement than a business decision
GatesMcBalmer@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 1d
Those stores that only sell Rubber Duckies come to mind.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
There are several, for some unknown reason, in Amsterdam.
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 1d
It's because of the river, duhh
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 22h
We live at the same river, but I have yet to find a rubber duck store anywhere closer than Amsterdam - which is hundreds of kilometers from here.
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 15h
I was being facetious, because otherwise there would be rubber duck stores at every river. Also it would be an environmental disaster if the ducks were for the river
blackbrook@mander.xyz · 13 pts · 1d
My town has a mushroom shop.
InGodWeThrust@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 1d
Bah, Morrowind has a ton of shops in mushrooms too, a lot of cities have several
neidu3@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 1d
I used to live across the street from a ballbearing shop.
RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 1d
Must take some balls to open one of them.
leaky_shower_thought@feddit.nl · 11 pts · 1d
spirit halloween seems just the place for a certain one night event.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 10 pts · 1d
For some of us, Halloween is not a night, but a way of life.
leaky_shower_thought@feddit.nl · 2 pts · 1d
indeed. that's how the store stays alive 😄
sanguinepar@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1d
It's very recently closed its doors, sadly, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more specific shop than long-time Edinburgh landmark, Borland's:
RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 9 pts · 1d
Cycling clothing. No bikes, no helmets, just more lycra than a gimp convention.
artifex@piefed.zip · 9 pts · 1d
I’ve been in a knitting store before. Just yarn and needles and patterns. I can’t imagine how they stay in business.
starlinguk@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1d
There are lots of those. Many people knit.
artifex@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 1d
yep, I have two in the family, it just didn't seem like there could be enough knitter-foot-traffic to keep the place open selling $4 spools of yarn
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1d
That's because the skeins are $40.
tal@lemmy.today · 0 pts · 1d
It's been a long time since I've bought a skein of yarn, but surely one can get one for less than that.
hits Amazon
It looks like on Amazon, they start at about $4 individually. If you get a pack, it goes under $1/skein.
Those brick-and-mortar stores much have a pretty substantial markup, unless we're talking premium yarn of some sort.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Yes, it's not acrylic baby-melting trash. You're comparing McDonald's to omakase. Try visiting your local yarn store before making any more assumptions.
RebekahWSD@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
Looking over at the lantern moon knitting needles and the merino wool skeins nervously, as though they'll start tattling on their costs!
FishFace@piefed.social · 6 pts · 1d
Is that... uncommon? There was one in the town I grew up in.
Actually I looked it up and it also sold thread, ribbons and stuff like that. I guess you'd call it a haberdashery. Maybe one just for wool is less common?
luthis@lemmy.nz · 3 pts · 1d
Haberdashery? Poppycock!
sudoMakeUser@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 1d
Those are fairly common in North America and in a lot of places in Europe are found everywhere. Knitting is having a resurgence with young people.
RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 1d
haberdashers are still relatively common in the UK.
Hungry111@lemmy.today · 9 pts · 1d
In Turkey we have shops that only sell pickles!
cattywampas@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1d
Art Smart's Dart Mart and Juggling Emporium in Milwaukee.
noxypaws@pawb.social · 3 pts · 1d
of course it's on Brady. of course it is
thisbenzingring@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 1d
There's a bunch of oddball stores in the Pike Place Market in Seattle but the Left Hand store was the most specific place. All left hand tools and stuff. Lots of different scissors.
nocturne@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 1d
I visited Pike Place in 2005 with my best friend and his wife, I had a horrible head cold and could not enjoy anything about the place. Sounds like I need to get back so I can visit the Left Hand store.
thisbenzingring@lemmy.today · 4 pts · 1d
there are a lot of things to smell, like its a lot sometimes. especially if you arent feeling very well. they have expanded the market. No more car traffic on the street outside it and they expanded and built up the area closer to the waterfront, because the viaduct is gone. Many of the old school stuff is still there though. Make sure to give yourself a full day to explore, its a massive and confusing place
Kolanaki@pawb.social · 8 pts · 1d
Batteries + Bulbs.
They sold nothing but batteries and lightbulbs.
Truffle@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 1d
I had to go to a store that only sells custom made stirrups as my kid needed some for their horse. I was absolutely overwhelmed about how many differences there are about them. Kid was happy.
NeatNit@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 1d
There's a chain of shops in my country that, at least for a while, pretty much only made and sold bean bags. Freaking fantastic ones, too.
poolitzer@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
I have been in a shop only for set equipment for cooking book pictures
Doublenut@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 1d
Me too. In Japan.
noxypaws@pawb.social · 6 pts · 1d
Synthesizer store. RIP to Seattle's Patchwerks. Such a damn shame they went out of business.
VirtigoMommy@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1d
There’s a delicious little shop in my city that sells all types of synths, cassette players, custom pedals and circuit bent goodies.
We have a fairly robust noise and experimental scene here that loves them so they get lots of patronage but I’m going to cry if they ever go out of business.
datavoid@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1d
I fucking love synthesizers
4grams@awful.systems · 6 pts · 1d
It’s not super specific, and makes sense for where I saw it, but I’ll never forget the Wisconsin tourist trap I drove past as a kid that has a big sign out front advertising “Cameras, Cheese and Guns”.
RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
There's a "craft"-art shop in the same cave I work in that exclusively sells racism.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
Name and shame man
blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1d
... there's a cave with shops?
tal@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 1d
I have not, myself, been there, but San Francisco has the Pirate Supply Store.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/826_Valencia
RBWells@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
We had a store that sold only pirate costumes here. For real.
https://piratefashions.com/
idunnololz@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d
I went into a store that specialized in selling canes when I visited London.
InGodWeThrust@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 1d
It sounds really British to pay a visit to the local canist when you find yourself needing a new cane, who is a super detailed professional who knows and supplies canes of all kinds to all walks of life
I'm sure that would have made a great Monty Python scetch
slothrop@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 1d
There was a store in Vegas that was magnets. Fridge, city, anything magnets.
And sardine stores in Portugal, airports and elsewhere.
joe_archer@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d
In County Cork in Ireland I once saw a shop that was a "Gentleman's hairdresser and railway bookshop."
CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 23h
There used to be a store in my town called “Just Socks” that sold, just socks
betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 22h
If there's still one around somewhere, should open up a competitor across the street that deals only in cheap counterfeits of the brands they sell and call it Unjust Socks.
JonnyW@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d
There’s a small town I drive through frequently that, for many years, had a Christmas shop. It was always open, usually empty. It closed down last year.
Octavio@piefed.social · 5 pts · 1d
Probably Pop Mart. A three-story shop filled with nothing but these odd little collectible toys of cartoon characters. It was absolutely mobbed.
stickly@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
I have seen lots of niche stores, but what usually gets me is that they're in very premium locations. How is that empty Custom Umbrella Emporium still open while the packed coffee shop next door can't afford their lease?
::: spoiler Tap for spoiler Money laundering, probably :::
Nemo@slrpnk.net · 4 pts · 1d
Stores that sell clothes branded with one college's logo / name.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
Saw that in Cambridge (the original one, in UK), and they had insane prices. We went to the market, and found the same shirt for a quarter of the price.
onlyhalfminotaur@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
Disc Golf Mart in Columbus, Ohio.
Doublenut@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 1d
Oh that reminds me of a spot in Connecticut I think. It was a headshop down stairs and discgolf shop upstairs. With a sometimes skate shop in a room next to the discgolf stuff.
zabadoh@ani.social · 3 pts · 1d
Magic stores.
San Francisco has two of them: Misdirections, a store that's been there for decades, and Houdini's/Vanishing Inc. in touristy Pier 39 who have a second location near Disneyland.
Also, the San Francisco Archery Shop seems very specialized in this age of big box sporting goods stores, but again they've been around for decades it feels like.
The Bee Healthy Honey Shop in Oakland, selling honey, beeswax, and related products and also beekeeping equipment. It's run by a Yemeni family of beekeepers.
FishFace@piefed.social · 2 pts · 1d
As a former archer there are a number of archery shops! I went to one place to buy something and found it very strange that it was just in a row of about 8 shops as part of a small housing estate's little "high street" - alongside a takeaway, tattoo parlour, beauty salon, funeral director - the kind of thing you need a lot more of than archery shops!
It's moved now, I assume something more normal has taken its old spot...
datavoid@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 1d
Childhood me loved magic stores, the best one I found was in Victoria BC
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
We had a bee shop at the fair yesterday.
mmcintyre@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
A glove shop in Lisbon.
Fishnoodle@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
There's a store not too far from me that sells rabbits and guinea pigs, and accessories for them. That's it. Need cat food? A leash for your dog? Fuck off, is not a 'pet' store, lol
HakFoo@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 1d
There are quite a few shops like that for reptiles, likely because of the special care requirements.
On the one hand, you don't want a minimum-wage no-training staffer who cam barely keep a hamster fed killing a $4000 lizard by not setting the heat and humidity right.
On another, it's sort of weird to sell pet and feeder rodents together.
RBWells@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
My favorite was Wizard's welding and hair salon, sadly closed now.
The Catholic gift shop near me that's open like 8 hours a week. Maybe it's money laundering.
Envios a Cuba, some shops here just send items to Cuba for you. Only to Cuba, only from here
Professorozone@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Mixed tape store. This was like 12 years ago, long after streaming was a thing. A buddy of mine went in and asked if they sold CDs and the guy legit said, "No. Just mixed tapes." Pretty sure it was a front for something.
Smoogs@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
japan. anywhere in japan
jtrek@startrek.website · 2 pts · 1d
Saw a store that was just rubber ducks. They had celebrity ducks and colored ducks and all sorts of similar things.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
At least three of them in Amsterdam, for whatever reasons. Independent stores, not multiple shops from one company.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
I've been in not one, but three different round the year Christmas stuff stores.
There is a chain of stores in Europe only selling Gouda cheese (Henri Willig).
In Hamburg I've been in a shop specialized on umbrellas.
In Rotterdam I've found a shop selling only socks.
anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
I have a container that is specifically used to store my flour.
gmask1@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 22h
https://youtu.be/BfnfOdQVHAQ
90’s throwback. Of note - Stacks of Slax and the Bolt Bloke.
toast@retrolemmy.com · 1 pts · 1d
Kite store in Chicago (it's really not that windy there, really)
tiramichu@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 1d
The Glow In the Dark Cat Shop
You'll never guess what it sells
https://shop-york.co.uk/places/cats/
aramis87@fedia.io · 2 pts · 1d
Well, that's an incredibly disappointing store ... :(
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
Exactly my thoughts when i checked it out.
CathyBikesBook@piefed.zip · 0 pts · 1d
Do the running stores that are popping up everywhere count
Sibbo@sopuli.xyz · -1 pts · 1d
I guess underwear stores are pretty specific?