Re: [TAC] End Of An Era - Bay Area Astronomy.

[Les Niles]

Well they have made it public now — the website says both Watsonville and Cupertino stores are closing as of March 17, until further notice.  It alludes to the reason being health considerations, but it seems awfully late in the pandemic for COVID-19 to be the reason.  I hope this doesn’t mean they had an outbreak amongst the employees.  I’m hoping they’re just being proactive in dealing with St. Patty’s Day aftereffects and will re-open as soon as people are up and around again.  

John, I do seem to recall the Watsonville store being closed for a while due to remodeling or some such, but I thought it had re-opened back before the pandemic.

  -Les

On 15 Mar 2021, at 12:00, Mark Wagner <mark....@resource-intl.com> wrote:

LOL.... I neglected to see the "we haven't made this public yet" .... so nobody repeat it.  OK?  I'm going to delete the thread from the Google page.

On 3/15/2021 11:55, John Pierce wrote:

On Mon, Mar 15, 2021 at 10:48 AM Mark Wagner <mark....@resource-intl.com> wrote:

Yes, Les.  It sounds like they want to keep the retail store (small
area) at the Watsonville headquarters.

I just found Cupertino so accessible.

as I understood it, the Cupertino store was an independent business as of quite some time ago.   at one time, Orion had 3-4 retail stores, Santa Cruz, Cupertino, SF, and I think one more.     those all were closed, but the management of the Cupertino store took it over and continued to run it with Orion's blessings.

re: the watsonville warehouse, do they have a retail showroom there again?   last I heard, it was willcall by appointment only and nothing on display, and that was some years before Covid.

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[Lumpy Darkness]

This is what I heard:

"We haven’t made this public yet, but unfortunately we are closing the store.  Orion is doing really well during this whole shelter in place, but we decided we had to drop the store, since we have no idea how long it would take foot traffic to build back up to the necessary levels to maintain it.  We will most likely be reopening the wats showroom, but I have no idea how long until they decide to restock it and reopen."

Mark Wagner

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[jrgose cruzio]

Mark, thanks. Bright side, across street from Orion Watsonville is a local brewery, anwinery and of course industrial suppliers for us ATMers. A trifecta awaits. 

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[Akarsh Simha]

closing the store.  Orion is doing really well during this whole shelter in place, but we decided we had to drop the store

Whoa! It looks like more people are indeed getting into astronomy! I certainly have “gotten back” into it during the pandemic. This could be good in many ways. I have this pipe dream that it’ll help with the fight against light pollution.

Regards

Akarsh

[raymo...@aol.com]

A sad day for me too. That store changed my life 7 years ago when I wandered in and bought my ruby-red XT8, reviving the hobby I had mostly abandoned since my teenage years.

Ray Howard

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[Stacy Jo McDermott]

Well, this quite sad news...bought my 1st telescope (the 80mm Short Tube) on April 15th, 2000 at the SF store. Took a MUNI bus there & then back home with my little treasure.

Set it up that night...

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[Andrew F. Pierce]

I tried to shop there earlier this month and it looked like they hadn’t re-opened the Cupertino store.

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[Richard]

You kids. Back in my day I was upset when Optica B/C in Oakland closed down.

Richard

Sent from my iPhone

[raymo...@aol.com]

I remember Optica, but only browsed there.

Does anyone remember the store in Pacheco that looked like it was formerly a feed store? I bought an Odyssey 8 there. Don't remember that guy's name.
Ray

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[Lumpy Darkness]

Ad Astra, Joe Cincerri (so)?

Mark Wagner

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[Steve Gottlieb]

1970s and ‘80s nostalgia!  Although Optica b/c had some impressive scopes on display, their variety of accessories was awesome - filters, eyepieces, adapters, finders, dust covers - all in stock. 

-- Steve

On Mar 15, 2021, at 3:51 PM, 'Richard' via The Astronomy Connection (TAC) <sf-ba...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

You kids. Back in my day I was upset when Optica B/C in Oakland closed down.

[Peter Santangeli]

I still miss the Lumicon store in Livermore!

pete 

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[Richard Navarrete]

What was the name of the astronomy store in Hayward? I think Denny Medlock used to work there.

Richard

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> On Mar 15, 2021, at 5:12 PM, Peter Santangeli <pe...@santangeli.net> wrote:
>
> 

[Steve Gottlieb]

Telescope World!

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[Steve Gottlieb]

1979 catalog — http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/Illustrations/telescope_world-catalog-1979.pdf

[Lumpy Darkness]

Quite an accessory on page 3!

Mark Wagner

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[Akarsh Simha]

accessory: "a person not actually or constructively present but contributing as an assistant or instigator to the commission of an offense"

Aren't most of the people in our lives accessories to deep-sky observing?

Regards

Akarsh

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[Stacy Jo McDermott]

Oh my goodness! Me too!!!

So much has gone by the wayside as it were.

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[Steve Gottlieb]

This thread could easily go downhill, Mark ...

-- Steve

On Mar 15, 2021, at 6:55 PM, Lumpy Darkness <itsmar...@gmail.com> wrote:



[Lumpy Darkness]

Everyone just should behave.

Mark Wagner

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[ma...@astrospotter.com]

I first heard about TAC from Brian who worked there Cerca 2000.

The store in Cupertino is a half mile from my house.   Handy for years.

Marko

[Jay Freeman]

I started visiting Orion when it was a tiny shop on 41st Street in Capitola, in 1979 or thereabouts. Bought a lot of stuff there and at the later shops, over the years.

-- Jay Reynolds Freeman

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[John Pierce]

I thought the original Orion retail location was in Santa Cruz proper?    Then they moved to Live Oak, over West Marine, before ending up at the warehouse in Watsonville

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[Jay Freeman]

If I recall correctly, Orion started under a different name, manufacturing mainly drive correctors, out of a hole in the wall in Santa Cruz, I think off River Street between Water Street and State Highway 1. They moved to 41st, then to downtown (near Soquel and Ocean, I think it was), then to over West Marine, then to Watsonville. But I do *not* trust my memory for these details.

-- Jay Reynolds Freeman

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On Mar 16, 2021, at 1:50 AM, John Pierce <jhn.p...@gmail.com> wrote:



[John Pierce]

Ah.    In the late 70s I was living in Pacific Grove working long hours at a tech startup.    I think that downtown store was the first I knew of.

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[Steve Gottlieb]

In that little store off River Street, I remember Gieseler sold a mixture of electronics stuff and telescopes.  Maybe more the the former. Lots in boxes on shelves. Very cluttered in a small space. 

-- Steve

On Mar 16, 2021, at 2:38 AM, John Pierce <jhn.p...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[John Pierce]

I noted Geiseler is no longer listed on their About Us... page.

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[Richard Ozer]

It is sad.  I used to go there to pick up GSSP door prizes and will miss it.  What a world we live in.

RO

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[Christopher Kelly]

Brigs back great memories, from Orion, Telescope World, Optica b/c all from the pages of my Sky and Telescope.   Being a young astro teen living in Toronto, Canada I had no idea where all these places were...now I have an idea and they are gone.   I am impressed by the implied quality of the Telescope World instrument....all soon to be obliterated by the dobsonian revolution.  Thanks Steve for posting the catalog, page 3 girl and all.

<sigh>

Chris

[Steve Gottlieb]

And here’s another one of sorts.  Anyone remember THE ODD ASSORTMENT?   The proprietor was Owen Durden and the store was in Concord and later at the rear of the Pacheco post office!  It was quite a collection of electronics and some telescope gear.  I’m sure a geiger counter was thrown into the mix.

Steve

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[Alex]

To amend the problem at its root, I think, we need a community-driven showroom like the Exploratorium with the "paid privilege" for visitors to handle some telescopes/gear before ordering online. Vendors should be happy to provide specimens. Perhaps, Chabot SC might have space and manpower for that? Could be a beautiful exhibition with QR codes to vendors' online stores.

[Peter Santangeli]

As another Toronto astronomer growing up in the 70's, we had Efstonscience locally as well, over by Yorkdale mall, who also advertised in S&T, where I bought my first mirror grinding kit and mirror. Also long gone.

The Pandemic is the force that has tipped the last of these places over the edge and off the cliff that was rushing towards them because of online shopping.

pete

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[Christopher Kelly]

Peter, did you ever visit them when they were on Avenue Road, north of Lawrence?  That's where I got my second 8-inch mirror kit (mirror on display in my bedroom).   I used to go down to the Optical Workshop in the basement of the McLaughlin Planetarium, where I say my first foucault test and got hooked.....

Chris