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1939 NEWSSTAND PIC TIME MACHINE JOURNEY INTO THE PAST
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2,392 posts in this topic

 

I see a few ones I own in there. Those definitely went up in flames, that or destroyed some other way. What a shame.

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Did you guys read the text in the last pic?

 

According to the write-up, the paper collected would be shredded for the purpose of home insulation. Kids would sort through all paper products collected and pull out the comics. The ladies are making sure what was pulled was appropriate. No mention of burning, just simple recycling.

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oops I didn't see that lol The way they were posing and had comics hung up behind them and that they were all horror books they were holding, it looked like other photos I have seen with kids that went around collecting comics for their church and then posing with them before they burned them.

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I hear you but this is an interesting write-up as to the purpose of the paper drive, one I hadn't heard before. Now, is it related to the pictures themselves (i.e., write-up from the same time period) or additional information the seller found elsewhere is hard to say.

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I haven't heard the expression, "paper drive" since the '50's! :)

 

If that truly were one, however, you would also see stacks of newspapers and magazines (usually the largest sources), and of course all genre of comic books. Frankly, I really don't recall seeing comics present at the paper drives at school back then.

 

No, this was a genuine witch hunt for specific comics. Notice that the kids are only holding up horror comics, and the woman is specifically reading one. You can rest assured that none of them eventually became slabbed, lol!

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Notable comic fan and collector David Wigransky shows off his collection in July 1948.

Wigransky wrote a strong rebuttal defending comics to Wertham’s anti-comics article in the Saturday Review of Literature in 1948.

Note the sharp corners, cover gloss and the spine bulges in his comic stacks.

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Sheldon? Is that you?

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A forum member wanted to know where this picture was taken and after some research, I was able to determine exactly the location.

What a lot of great research! Thanks for sharing it and the great stories. Love the picture of Frank with the 1948 picture behind him!

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I see a few ones I own in there. Those definitely went up in flames, that or destroyed some other way. What a shame.

 

Was anybody here the high bidder on these photos? As cool as they are, I bid VERY aggressivly on them but just had to back down. There is just only so much I can pay for something. They are VERY cool photos none the less.

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A forum member wanted to know where this picture was taken and after some research, I was able to determine exactly the location.

What a lot of great research! Thanks for sharing it and the great stories. Love the picture of Frank with the 1948 picture behind him!

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It was an amazing coincidence that the forum member asking about this 1942 picture actually patronized this same drugstore years later when he attended school in Chapel Hill.

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Here is another story of places that used to sell comics but are still in business.

 

The Blue Front Cigar Store on 701 Packard Street was founded in 1902 near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan.

Ray Collins, born in Ohio in 1902, acquired the Blue Front store in 1927 after working there as an employee.

He was a literature student at University of Michigan. Collins operated the store for 51 years which was open every day until his death in 1978.

Collins had a gruff demeanor and scowled benignly at customers who wanted to browse instead of buying magazines.

Jill Warren who worked for Collins for 10 years said he actually was friendly guy.

 

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Ray Collins in Ann Arbor News article 7/1/77

 

When Collins operated the Blue Front, it was a cluttered store with worn wooden floors with narrow aisles crowded with boxes of merchandise from floor to ceiling.

It stocked over 2000 different magazines, hundreds of different comics, paperbacks, newspapers from all over the US and the world, games, candy and tobacco.

Customers and employees said the store was a dark and dusty place.

The clutter was a point of contention between Collins and the fire inspectors because over the years Collins had been cited several times for creating fire hazards at the store.

He did the minimum amount of cleaning to pass inspection.

There were stories of poker games being held in the basement of the store with some city officials in attendance which might have had some influence on his situation.

 

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Blue Front store in 8/15/80

 

Collins was perhaps the first businessman to sell the New York Times in Ann Arbor and sold about 450 copies a week in 1977.

He said he sold upwards of 1000 comics per week and a big share of the 3500 book titles were soft core porn novels.

Playboy was his best selling title. Probably because of the clutter, the store was notorious for shoplifting.

There was a story of a shoplifter who stole stacks of comics over the course of a year and returned them tied in bundle on Collins’ doorstep after having read them.

In 1947 the store was expanded to the present size and Collins eventually bought other buildings on the block.

 

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Original caption for photo taken at the store on 2/17/49:

For a five-year-old, choosing one comic book from a whole stand of them is like trying to select the biggest, reddest apple from a bushel basket.

Russell Whitehead, kindergarten pupil at Perry School, decided on "The Three Little Pigs," but not until he had given a dozen other offerings the twice-over.

His mother, Mrs. Barry Whitehead of 711 Arch St., figured it wouldn't be long until Russell huffed and puffed and blew his way through "Pigs."

Then they'll probably be back at the magazine stand.

Almost all genres of comics can seen on the racks here and the only genres that are not seen are crime and horror.

The comics are glossy and look in pretty good shape. It could be tough to choose one comic if you only had a dime.

Note the sci-fi pulps on the top shelf.

 

The store was frequented regularly by coach Bo Shembechler and coach Jim Harbaugh when he was a student.

Musician Bob Seger who grew up in Ann Arbor also patronized the store when he lived nearby.

 

When Collins died in 1978, the store was inherited by Jill Warren, a former employee of the store for over 10 years.

She maintained the same emphasis on magazines and newspapers and she said the store carried 500 different comic titles and the best customers were student collectors who believed comics might increase in value.

When she cleared up the clutter, she held an open house to sell all the toys from the 1950s and 1960s that were stored in the basement.

The store used to sell toys but the story goes that Collins got the “bah humbugs” one day and refused to sell anything to children.

Among the toys were collectible 50s and 60s Barbie dolls, Disney toys, Beanie and Cecil caps, model airplanes and Flintstone bowling sets.

The sale drew buyers from all over the city and the toys were sold at the original grease pencil marked prices (29, 50 cents, etc).

Warren later sold the business to an owner of a liquor store chain in 1981 but retained ownership of the property.

 

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Owner Jill Warren and manager Tom Paul at the store counter on 8/15/80.

 

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The magazine racks in the store.

 

The store was remodeled and the magazines, books and comics were phased out after the 1980s.

The business went through a series of different ownerships becoming primarily a convenience and liquor store selling wine, beer, convenience products and snack foods.

The store was renamed the Blue Front party store and was known for having a wide selection of beers and cheap kegs which would be important to know in a college town.

A decline in business forced the store to close in 2014.

 

Are there any Michigan alumni or Ann Arbor residents here with memories of this place?

 

After a 5 month closure in 2014, the store was completely renovated and reopened as a craft beer and wine store with a selection of 600 beers and 150 wines.

 

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Remodeled Blue Front exterior in 2014.

 

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Remodeled interior in 2014.

 

 

more Blue Front pictures

http://oldnews.aadl.org/taxonomy/term/42032

 

Blue Front Store closure

http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/blue_front_party_store_closes.html

 

Blue Front memories

http://annarborobserver.com/blogs/movieblog/2014/02/blue_front_memories__by_mike_gould.html

 

more Blue Front memories

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/04/other_voices_fond_memories_of.html

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