My father, continued to play piano at the Workmen’s Circle, a Senior’s Community Center nearby their apartment in Elizabeth, New Jersey. But he was still bugging me so I would get married and have a boy so he could have a grandson. I had married, prematurely, in 1969 but it simply didn’t work out because, first, we were just not ready for such a commitment. Secondly, our lives were incompatible with me being a songwriter and she being a school teacher, getting up at 5 am and, me, getting up at 10 am. We never had much time together. It just didn’t feel right to either of us. We met at a bar (neither of us drink alcohol). She came to the place with her friend and didn’t
believe me that I was a songwriter … but because her dad was abusive to her, she decided to leave her house.
In 1971, I found myself with a new songwriting partner (Gene Allan) but without any real income. We were working for Jerry Ross, and his, Legacy Music! Jerry just didn’t have the capital to pay us when we first joined his firm.
So I found the “Route One Flea Market”, located in nearby Edison, New Jersey, an indoor former “Two Guys From Harrison” chain store. It had to be at least 100,000 square feet in size.
It was heated and during the coldest winter months, heat was extremely appreciated. I already had gained a reputation as the “Buyout Guy” when someone wanted to leave the Market and wanted to sell out what stock he or she had left. I had already bought out two different jewelry people and negotiated a deal of twenty five cents each for “fashion Jewelry” which contained Puka Shell Beads, Mood Rings, Indian-made Turquoise pieces and Stirling Silver necklaces, rings and neck chains.
Stirling was very inexpensive at that time and, this was, I felt a lucrative deal. I named my business the “Bi-Centennial Jewelry Company” for the coming 200th anniversary of the BiCentennial Celebration of 1776.
I dressed up my table to show Red (Gold Color Pieces) White (Puka beads and Mood Rings. Indian-made pieces and Blue with Stirling jewelry. The prices ranged from $1.00 to as much as $3.50 for the most upscale-looking jewelry on the table. This I considered as “Marketing Strategy” and the look, I found, was more important in this business than reality!
REAL PRECIOUS STONES in those days, were just un affordable for those who came to the Flea Market to shop!
I was approached by a wholesaler who was referred to me by another dealer at the market! He had kids’ black and white and brown and white “Buster Brown” brand shoes. I inquired as to the variety of sizes that he had in this lot of 200 pair. He said “at least ten to twelve each, of 20 different sizes.” I told him I would get back to him during the week.
I visited a local shoe store that Monday and learned the actual number of the most popular sizes for boys from 4 to 7 years of age was six or seven of the most popular ones. Those boys at that young age, might actually sit still while their parents bought them a pair of shoes.
I negotiated the 200 shoe lot down to a bit more than half the asking price, based upon these being brand new, in boxes, appropriately marked with the size and color marked on each box. We came to an agreement, but before paying for the entire lot, I contacted my father, who was a professional salesman who sold luggage to big name stars during the week, I thought that his would be the perfect situation for this position only on Fridays and Saturdays. He accepted the job and scheduled to start that first Saturday morning.
My mother took me aside and said, “your father is so excited, he can’t wait until Saturday to sell those boys shoes! He really enjoyed putting on shoes for these little young men, thinking about one day having a grandson to play with and enjoy his piano playing, together.
My dad was in his late sixties, at that time, and his weekends were “pure heaven” as my mother put it. I am truly happy this happened with my Pop. It was one of the happiest times of his later life.