Sunday, May 17, 2009

Old Clocks and Electric Fans fight the good fight

This wonderful shop has been around since the 1970s and is one of Tampa’s most unusual. As we move more and more into the digital age, traditional clocks are seen less often in homes, businesses and on wrists. Fans? Well, when was the last time you even saw one of these beauties in a home or shop? Most kids, those under 30 or so, wouldn't recognize one but could tell you what they do. They've seen them in museums. This mechanical genius and determined entrepreneur, store owner Stan Good, takes great pride in selling and repairing clocks of every age and kind and is a recognized expert in the repair of fans…electric fans from decades ago - the metal blade kind that pushed the air around from the late 19th century until roughly the 1950s. And the ones that could do serious damage to a finger if one wasn't careful. Their designs are superb and they did their job well, especially in Florida’s oppressive heat and humidity. As homes and businesses installed central air conditioning, so people could exist in this semi-tropical climate, fans lost out first to whole house attic-mounted units which drew air into the house through windows and exhausted it out roof gables, then to whole house A/C. In this day and age, very few folks even open their windows in many parts of our state. The air runs year-round. Of course “new-fangled” fans can be found at many stores today, plastic, efficient and of great design, but the ones Mr. Good repairs are closer to 50+years old. His shop is filled with clocks of every size and description and a search of nooks and crannies might bring to light other incredible collections. He’s a proud member of the American Fan Collectors Association and probably can’t count the number he owns. The shop’s outside is just wonderful and says immediately what he sell and repairs. A throw-back to another time and a most welcome link to another era when everyone dreamed of owning a Grandfather or fine mantel clock and electric table-top fans showcased our wealth and the latest marvels of electricity, engineering and technology.

7 comments:

D said...

Love this shop and post. The only clock repairman in our town has a waiting list a mile long. He takes your number and will call you when he's ready for you to bring yours in. My MIL left her number with him about 2 years ago.

VP said...

I don't know if there is still a real repairman here. I'll have to check, but I'm quite sure there isn't any and they send everything out of town.
Any way too see the inside of this shop?

Lois said...

What a wonderful place! I would love to wander through there and see everything. I remember those hot Florida summers without a/c and sleeping with the windows open and the fan blowing. We are so spoiled nowadays!

Lori Skoog said...

I would love to visit this shop. What a funky looking place. By the way, all of your photos are beautiful and INTERESTING!

B SQUARED said...

A vanishing breed in our disposable society.

Frank said...

I really appreciate your kind words. (Believe me, I love visitng your sites. What a joy.)I will try to go over and shoot the inside of his shop sometime soon and post a few more photos here and on www.TampaFloridaPhoto.blogspot.com.The inside is much, much better then the outside and is crammed full of everything one can imagine. Wall-to-wall antiques, collections, etc., etc. I'm glad everyone likes the shop and post. - Frank

Lowell said...

I would no doubt recognize numerous items in this very interesting place. The problem with "antique" shops is that I'm older than most of the antiques!

I can't image living in Florida without a/c!