Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go - The Film Noir Thread

[Frankie Teardrop]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

There was another shop near to where I used to live run by a huge fat man who didn't bother with shelves having everything stacked floor to ceiling. Also he stacked books in rows in front of each other so you couldn't get to them without causing a paper avalanche. This place was like a warren with only space for one person to walk at any given time or place. How the owner managed to squeeze his way through the shop still puzzles me to this day.

I presume the internet killed off these type of shops, that and the phase when shops, especially charity shops, would mark up the price of anything older than five years and class it as collectable. My local Oxfam did just that with loads of 60s garage punk reissues I gave them. They had them in the window priced as original releases! And yes it was the boy who again played havoc with my vinyl collection too. Bastard.

There's something to be said for this weirdness of messed up bookshops. I might get into it. Stained cracked walls and sticky, malodourous carpets is how I remember those days. Possible relationship with physical deformity (owner).

I groaned when all that 'vintage' stuff came in. I knew off the bat it'd trash the traditional charity shop. Look at Oxfam - I don't like them at all, there's something sinister and exploitative about it from what I've heard about some of their practices. You can't get jack in any of these places anymore (cept yr pilfered vinyl). BHF - WTF? Why would I need a lilac polyester scarf and a Jackie Collins novel? Those places always seemed about to be full of adventure in some sad way.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

There's something to be said for this weirdness of messed up bookshops. I might get into it. Stained cracked walls and sticky, malodourous carpets is how I remember those days. Possible relationship with physical deformity (owner).

I groaned when all that 'vintage' stuff came in. I knew off the bat it'd trash the traditional charity shop. Look at Oxfam - I don't like them at all, there's something sinister and exploitative about it from what I've heard about some of their practices. You can't get jack in any of these places anymore (cept yr pilfered vinyl). BHF - WTF? Why would I need a lilac polyester scarf and a Jackie Collins novel? Those places always seemed about to be full of adventure in some sad way.

I will look out for your shop and imagine you as the proprietor to be a hunch back cross between Rigsby and the shop owner from Mr Ben offering a world of grubby delights.

[mr 420]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought that MTDS had started to lay bare some of his song lyrics.

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by mr 420

When I saw the title of this thread I thought that MTDS had started to lay bare some of his song lyrics.

Now there's an idea. Sing-a-long-a-Slowly.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

There used to be an excellent second hand shop in Manchester which was a real mix of academia, crime novels, comics, vintage porn and sci fi. The bloke who run it had no hands and was fitted with two fixed plastic hands that looked like he'd stolen them from a mannequin.

Was that the shop round the back of the Arndale centre on the corner as the road curved round?

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Was that the shop round the back of the Arndale centre on the corner as the road curved round?

Yep.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Yep.

He was straight out of the seediest crime fiction wasn't he? He'd have been found dead half way through a Spillane novel.

[Demoncrat]

We had one of those places in my town for years, run by a couple who retired eventually. As you say, stacked floor to ceiling with stuff of a varying nature. One good sneeze and you would have been buried etc! Only found a few things, mainly records, paperbacks etc, but twas always a hoot to go there.

Ah, memories!

[SharonLynette]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Was that the shop round the back of the Arndale centre on the corner as the road curved round?

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Yep.

Right was this near Dantzic street, or around that area?


Empire Exchange is still pretty face.

[SharonLynette]

Right, I'm going to chip in now, I've always hated the gentrification of Manchester in the last 10 years, it's just too smooth and clean. I'm glad I'm not the only one that misses the grub. Although of course some things had to change but most major cities have gone the same way and all just look the same.