Model Railroading > Looking for info on Reeds Hobby Shop in Oakland CA in1960's

Trying to locate some history on Reeds Hobby Shop when it was located on 3129 High Street, Oakland CA in the 1960's and 1970's.

Does anyone remember the shop?  We also know that it was business in 1960 from an RMC ad.

We would like to know when it first opened and who the original owner was.  We have heard the original owner was Homer Reed but no one that we can contact knows if that was true or not.

We know that it was purchased by John Parker and Bob Grandt sometime before the shop was moved to La Mesa CA in 1975.  Any other info out there?  We are updating the stores current website and would like to get the history as accurate as possible.

Thank you,
Charles

In the mid 1950's - Reeds Hobby shop in Berkeley on Telegraph Ave at Dwight Way / Alcatraz

Wasn't there a Reeds also in Montclair District of Oakland into the 1990s?

I believe it was called "the Crossing Gate"

All I can add is my dad, Don Hanesworth did some painting of brass HO scale trains for them from early to mid 1970s.
His business was call DMH.

Tim
Hanesworth

dwatry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wasn't there a Reeds also in Montclair District of
> Oakland into the 1990s?

If there was, It was a different store.  Our Reeds moved from Oakland to La Mesa in 1975.

Charles

Charles Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dwatry Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wasn't there a Reeds also in Montclair District
> of
> > Oakland into the 1990s?
>
> If there was, It was a different store.  Our
> Reeds moved from Oakland to La Mesa in 1975.
>
> Charles

The store in the Montclair district of Oakland was called "The Crossing Gate".

Doesn't anyone at Reed's know?  Don't they know the history of their business?

Streamliner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Doesn't anyone at Reed's know?  Don't they know
> the history of their business?

Allen, if we knew we wouldn't be asking.  Other than Steve, the only other person I could locate to ask was John Engstrom.  Your post did not add any info.

Update, we have found an Oakland Yellow Pages ad for 1957.

If anyone has RMC's from the mid 50's, could you look for us?  We have a RMC directory ad from 1960.

Charles

Charles Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Streamliner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Doesn't anyone at Reed's know?  Don't they
> know
> > the history of their business?
>
> Allen, if we knew we wouldn't be asking.  Other
> than Steve, the only other person I could locate
> to ask was John Engstrom.  Your post did not add
> any info.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know you.  Are you affiliated with Reed's in La Mesa?  I wasn't trying to make a wise crack.  I would just think that one owner sells to the next owner and the story of the business history is told and carries forward, no?

Streamliner Wrote:

>
> I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know you.  Are
> you affiliated with Reed's in La Mesa?  I wasn't

Yes, I am the current manager at Reeds.  Yes, the info about the owners from 1975 on is know, but not the history of the shop while in Oakland.

Charles
 

Charles Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Streamliner Wrote:
>
> >
> > I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know you.
>  Are
> > you affiliated with Reed's in La Mesa?  I
> wasn't
>
> Yes, I am the current manager at Reeds.  Yes, the
> info about the owners from 1975 on is know, but
> not the history of the shop while in Oakland.
>
> Charles
>  

Ah, then that's a different story.  Sorry, I did not know you were affiliated with the shop.

It sounds like somebody along the way dropped the ball.  Usually, at least one would think, as a business changes hands, the history of the business is conveyed to the new owner, and so on.  If it were me, with Carstens long gone, I'd see if anyone at Kalmbach might have any information.  I would bet they do, you just need someone there to take the time to look.  Also, possibly one of the old line distributors like Cal-Hobby might have something in their archives.  Old phone books and Yellow Pages directories can be found at some main branch libraries.  If anyone up in the Oakland area feels like helping you out, that might be a good place to start.  Good luck!

 

atsf62 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the mid 1950's - Reeds Hobby shop in Berkeley
> on Telegraph Ave at Dwight Way / Alcatraz

I thought so, too, but that was Root's Hobby Hub, 6036 Telegraph Ave.

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL

As Streamliner wrote above, the Oakland public library should be an excellent place to look. Some years ago I used their reference section searching back for information for 1946. Look in the old Polk City Directories - actual heavy books - not computers.

Update, we have found an Oakland Yellow Pages ad for 1957.

If anyone has RMC's from the mid 50's, could you look for us?  We have a RMC directory ad from 1960.

Charles