When
I was a kid I used to ride my bicycle to Tower Plaza Mall. I didn’t
have much money to spend, but there was a video arcade a few doors down from
the Schubach Jewelry Store. When I had exhausted my allowance, I’d
look into the windows of the store, fascinated by the watches and jewelry.
A few
years later I became a client. Well, sort of. On my 16th
birthday my mother gave me a 14kt gold serpentine necklace (they were actually somewhat
popular then!). Being a teenage boy, I wasn’t always very careful
with it. It was easy to kink, and I would take it to Mr. Schubach for
repair, not wanting my parents to know how careless I had been. I still
didn’t have much money, and Mr. Schubach would always charge me a
ridiculously low repair fee.
As
the years progressed I’d take watches and other items to Mr. Schubach
whenever I managed to mangle another gift from my parents (which always came
with a speech about responsibility). As I began to earn money, first
delivering Penny Savers, then working at Cloth World as a stock boy, and eventually
my big move to Mary Coyle’s as a busy boy and waiter, I started
purchasing inexpensive gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, Christmas,
etc., from Schubach’s.
What
I remember most about that small storefront at Tower Plaza
is how well Mr. Schubach treated me, with the respect one might a high-dollar
customer. I was an awkward, insecure teenager, and wouldn’t even
enter the store unless Mr. Schubach was working, knowing that I’d be
treated like an adult, in spite of the fact that I had such limited spending
power.
I
recall my mother losing a favorite earring – a lapis lazuli drop in a 14kt
filigree setting. She was devastated, as it had been an especially
meaningful gift from my father. I took the remaining earring to Mr.
Schubach, who scoured his catalogues in search of a replacement. He found
a similar pair, which I purchased, and which my mother still wears today.
When
the Schubachs decided to leave Tower
Plaza I felt as thought I
was losing a friend. I’m thrilled to know that Joe has continued
the family tradition, and look forward to becoming a client once again.
Warmest
regards,
J. David Smith