In New York City, people are driven – it’s the classic work hard, play hard. Regardless of how incongruous it may appear, with ease, ingenuity or great difficulty, you will find city residents participating in the most unlikely activities imaginable, using variants or adaptions as needed.

No mountains to climb? Then scale buildings instead (see Urban Night Climbers here). In New York you can find cross-country ski during blizzards, windsurfing, tennis, golf, farming, gardening, birding, fishing, biking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, sledding, jet skiing, sailing, horseback riding, hiking, camping, wind sailing and the flying of radio controlled jets. Of course, whether the big leagues or amateur, the major sports are found here too – football, basketball, baseball, softball and soccer.

And surfing.

While in Quiksilver* on Broadway in SoHo with friends from out of town, displays of full size surfboards really surprised them, particularly when they learned that they were not just decorative but that those in racks were actually for sale. I further explained that these were not only sold for those who may travel outside New York to surfing destinations but if you wanted to go ocean surfing, the real thing was available within city limits at Rockaway Beach, Queens.

Rockaway Beach faces the Atlantic Ocean and is the largest urban beach in the United States. There is a surf community and surf shops. Perhaps the most remarkable, the stretch of beach is directly accessible by subway. In the 1970s, I had a short-lived romance with surfing, influenced by a love of the tropics, the California dream, the Beach Boys, and images of what appeared to be one way to commune with nature and one of the most exhilirating activities.

I quickly learned that surfing required more skill than I had imagined and more effort than I was willing to expend. To make matters worse, because of storage limitations, I purchased a short board, which I subsequently learned was not the board of choice for beginners. I was told that a very long board, essentially a big boat, made learning much easier. I “surfed” a few of the beaches on Long Island as well as Rockaway Beach.

In Rockaway, the train is elevated. On return from one outing, I boarded the A train in beach attire and my board. At the start of my ride back, my appearance was not particularly startling, given the proximity to the beach. However, as I approached Manhattan, the closer I got, the more bizarre and inexplicable my appearance was – evidenced by the type and increasing number of stares. At the point I reached Wall Street in a train car during rush hour packed with businessmen in 3-piece suits, I am sure the sight of a surfer in flip-flops and shorts with a wet board dripping on the A train floor looked like nothing short of a teleportation…

*Quiksilver is based in Huntington Beach, California, and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of surfwear and other boardsport-related equipment. There is an extensive clothing line and a number of stores can be found in Manhattan.

I hate brawling over brands. In the 1980s, I was shopping for an industrial sewing machine. Juki seemed to be the brand I saw in nearly every factory, so this is what I asked for. “Does it have to be a Juki?” the salesman asked. “No,” I responded, “it does not have to be a Juki, but that is what I want.” Lest some may think this was a salesman just being helpful, it is not. His question is business code for I don’t have what you want, so let me sell you what I have. or I’d rather sell you something else. I bought the Juki.

Recently, we were still prototyping bags (see story here), and I was now in need of zippers. I only know one thing about zippers – YKK. A coworker called out, “What’s the deal with YKK? Is that a brand or something?” Yes it is. The brand used on virtually every quality sewn product. Samples or not, that’s what I want. Why ask for trouble?

I called a favorite notions supply shop in the garment district, Steinlauf and Stoller. They did have zippers, but not heavy duty. It occurred to me we had fabric vendors near my office in the Lower East Side. A call to Zarin Fabrics referred me to Oshman tailor supplies. Oshman’s website had small display ads for top brands including Gütermann (thread) and YKK. This looked like a no-nonsense operation. Armed with samples and a camera, I was off to Oshman Brothers, not only to get the sewing supplies I needed, but also perhaps to get photos and a story as well.

Arriving at 88 Eldridge, I knew this was the type of place I had hoped for – the awning stated “Third Generation Family.” The window displays looked like they had not been touched in three generations, but this was a good omen.

I have no idea how this type of place is perceived by someone who has not frequented the business or industrial supplier in New York City. It is not a necessary condition for authenticity that a place have this dreary, drab look and feel. A place selling top quality industrial supplies has a customer base whose only concern is getting those goods. Sales, marketing, displays, and imaging has little or no effect on the savvy commercial buyer.

I was helped by the lone salesperson, Elaine Leong, who I learned was the wife of the owner, Oshman, whose grandfather and grand uncle started the business in 1936. When I showed approval of their thread choice, Elaine proudly showed me their inventory and told me that they stocked all 600 colors of the Gütermann line. She also asked if I had worked with continuous length zippers before, and when I said I had not, she brought out scissors and hardware and gave me a live tutorial.

Elaine’s style is not that typical for a New York City industrial supplier. There was no upsell or hard sell. She only sold me what I needed – a total of $12.35 for zippers, zipper hardware, bobbins, and needles – and spent more than the time necessary to attend my needs. She was quite pleased when I told her I would be doing this story – she fished out her only remaining antique business card (see photo here).

Oshman Brothers is the type of unique, specialized business supplier that reflects New York City’s greatness. Many business owners travel here for places like this. They know they will find a broad range of quality supplies, often unavailable elsewhere. There’s business to be done, everyone is on the same page, and there’s no brawling over brands 🙂

Note: Thanks to Elaine for being such a wonderful mensch.

Things are good when everything is going well, and there usually is no trouble when there are no problems. The test of a friendship or business is how they fare under adversity. Smooth sales are smooth sailing.

I once read a recommendation from a business CEO who suggested that one of the best ways to assess the customer service of your own business is to call your company, fabricate a problem or complaint, and see how it is handled.

The business environment is extremely competitive, and over the years, return policies have become more and more lenient. However, although a very liberal return policy is something that most quality businesses want to proudly offer, the true measure of this policy is how readily the company embraces it and in the customer experience of the return process itself.

In the 1980s, I was located in lower Manhattan near J&R Music World. Prices were competitive, inventory good, and the sales staff very knowledgeable, so this is where I found myself making virtually all of my electronic purchases. Salesmen would extol the lenient return policy in making the sale. However, when we needed to make a visit to their return department, it was with great trepidation.

The return department was located in the basement – the perfect metaphor for what was often a short hellish experience of being put through a fire of questioning as to why an item was being returned. There was always a “scary guy” serving as gatekeeper to getting the coveted store credit. Telling him that the salesman had said that any reason for return was adequate was apparently no longer really adequate on the day of return. Sometimes a small interrogation and/or debate ensued, with the customer having to justify his or her return. The customer typically prevailed, but the experience served as a warning to the whimsical returner.

Things have changed since then – we are in a different world. Most retailers have learned that if you make an offer, don’t punish the customer for accepting it. At B&H Photo (see You’re Not in Kansas) e.g., returns are done without a question (other than perhaps if the product was broken), even with products in the thousands of dollars.

Retail giants are quite routinized in their handling of returns. The volume of returns prohibits customer interrogation, and the size of the companies allows for absorption of monetary loss. Companies such as Nordstrom’s and LL Bean are legendary, with no time limits on returns. In New York City, Macy’s is well-known for a very liberal return process.

With the small independent shop, however, taking many returns can be a financial hardship. This is where the customer may find many terms and conditions, difficulties, and charlatans. In times of personal hardship or when returning goods in New York City, you will quickly find out who your friends are 🙂

The Internet has provided new opportunities, including the ability for individuals to hide easily behind a cloak of anonymity in cyberspace. In the case of online businesses, it has also enabled many to create barriers between customers and live agents, one of the frustrations of the modern consumer.

I have owned a business for 35 years in New York City. I am old-school when it comes to customer service and believe a business that takes your money has an obligation to provide easy phone access and transparency. Many companies do pride themselves on this and advertise as such on their websites. Others, even though reputable such as Amazon, offer no phone number on their websites. There are sites that do nothing but provide customer service telephone numbers for large companies.

Unfortunately, even when businesses have a physical presence, a visit in person to the offending store is no guarantee of satisfaction. When it comes to unscrupulous merchants, New York City has had a long history as a place with a fair number of weasels who drastically overcharge, lie, and cheat in a variety of ways. Electronic shops in Times Square are notorious. But overcharging alone is not a crime, so let the buyer beware, even in the world of bricks and mortar.

I was recently in the market for a no-contract cell phone. The phone options for this are often limited. An unlocked phone can be configured by the phone carrier, and just a short stroll away from Verizon and AT&T on Broadway in NoHo is the CeX (Complete Entertainment Exchange), a dealer who buys and sells unlocked cell phones (along with video games, DVDs,CDs, computers, and other digital electronic products).* My single previous experience was when I had accompanied someone who purchased a unlocked iPhone.

So, before my visit to Verizon, I decided to quickly drop into CeX and peruse the wares. I was greeted with locked doors, gates down and a number of ominous looking documents duct-taped to the shop doors and windows: CLOSED BY COURT ORDER and RESTRAINING ORDER, which warned that “Removal of property from these premises is prohibited, and the following activity is prohibited: use and occupancy.” Below that was the reason: “Criminal possession of Stolen Property.” In looking at online reviews, some alleged that CeX knowingly traded in stolen laptops. Apparently the NYPD was also aware. Whether in cyberspace, Times Square, or any place with the character of the Wild West, beware of horse traders 🙂

*I was surprised to learn that CeX is not a mom and pop operation but one of over 100 stores in the US, Canada, and the UK, where the corporation was founded in 1992.

It is said that in hard times, people turn to small luxuries and vices. Historically, companies dealing in alcohol, tobacco products, and gaming/gambling have fared quite well during recessions or depressions. There is even a vice fund, VICEX, that invests in so called “sin” stocks. Candy and chocolate manufactures also flourish – many of the household names in candy started during the Depression years: Snickers in 1930; Tootsie Pops in 1931, and Mars Bars and Three Musketeers in 1932.

A close friend who lives out west and visits from time to time is a cigar smoker. Part of his agenda on trips to New York City is always a visit to a cigar shop. On October 10, 2008, I wrote about a wonderful retail excursion in New York Moment.
On his most recent trip, we visited Barclay Rex on Broad Street in the Financial District, new to both of us. As a non-smoker, these establishments are very foreign to me – going there is entering an alien world. Barclay Rex has been in business in New York City for 100 years. The original founder was Vincent Nastri, a pipe maker from Salerno, Italy.

The store was opened on Barclay and Church Street and taking the cue “a dog is man’s best friend”, Nastri, with his Great Dane Rex in tow, set out to create Barclay-Rex. This partnership was a touching testimonial to Mr. Nastri’s character as he was rarely without his faithful companion Rex, who also served as an ingenious way to advertise the store. The Great Dane wore an emblazoned blanket with the name Barclay-Rex and drew the curious and potential customer.

The company has three locations in Manhattan and is owned by Vincent Nastri III. You can read more about Barclay Rex at their website here.

The flagship store at 75 Broad Street is exquisitely done, with a classic, mahogany paneled library and polished cherry oak floors. There is a humidor on site, as well as a smoking lounge.

There is a tradition, history, and its own vocabulary in the world of cigars. There is also a greater defiance and rebellious spirit to smoking, in a world which is postured against smoking with increased taxes and a very limited number of environments where one is permitted to smoke.

Good times or bad, when it comes to vices, dollars are found to feed the appetites, whether things are eaten or go up in smoke 🙂