These closed and abandoned pet shops eerily echo with the long lost sights, sounds and smells (oh, those smells!) of what were effectively urban retail zoos.

Why Not Both?

It’s a pet shop, it’s a seafood store, it’s… both? It would appear so! Sure, Donna’s Aquatic Pet Shop and Lee’s Seafood Co., Inc may sport different signs but, as Flickr member Fuzzy Gerdes‘ horrified friend Erica reportedly and repeatedly shouted, “It’s the same phone number!” Our lead image of the fenced-over Chicago store(s) dates from April of 2008 while the second photo from Flickr member crowbert depicts a slightly more active scene from a couple of years previous.

Old Age of Aquaria

The hell is an “aquaria”? Also, shouldn’t that golden creature on the sign be a fish and not a bird? Looks like a “screaming chicken” from a Trans-Am’s hood ended up as roadkill and was painted over by a lane-line paint truck. So much for this broke-ass Bird of Paradise… Paradise Pets, to be exact. Flickr member Jon Southcoasting captured the closed not-quite-fish-or-fowl shop from Shoreham-by-Sea, UK, in April of 2014.

Reptile Needsssss

Much like a snake shedding its skin, Godiva Reptiles in Coventry, UK seems to be sloughing off its signage to reveal – no, not its final form – a previous incarnation as a video rental store. Unlike the apocryphal serpent, however, the sign’s piecemeal decomposition was a harbinger of things to come. According to photographer and Flickr member Hazel Nicholson, “As of May 2017 the shop has closed down and the former owner has been found guilty of trading without a licence.” Guess the most important “reptile need” is a license to trade in reptiles. Who knew?

Our Fur Feathers

According to photographer and Flickr member shrinkin’violet, “the number 9 in the telephone number on the signage is different from the rest. This was probably added after 1995 when Bristol received the new area code.” In related news, this rather bland “petfoods” (is that even a word?) shop in beautiful downtown Bristol, UK, managed to stay in business for well over 20 years. Still plenty of fur-lorn feathered customers (or freeloaders) hanging around outside the shop, though.

Zoohaus, Raus!

Sorry, Fur & Feathers, but the pet store longevity prize goes to the former Zoohaus-Altrock, a pet shop in Wiesbaden, Germany. From 1919 to 2011 – an incredible span of 92 years – Zoohaus-Altrock pet shop supplied the local Hessians with “erlebniswelt heimtiere” (“adventure world pets”) typified by the intrepid tuxedo kitty doing an adventurous spider-cat imitation just to the right of the sign. Flickr member Arjan Richter snapped the shop’s charming two-piece (three, including the cat) signage in March of 2011.

IAMS Abandoned

Ah, the pride of Pittsgrove Township… seriously, that is one sharp shop! From the outwardly-angled brickwork buttresses framing the store entrance to the snazzy Mid-century Modern eggcrate-grill window framing, this shop has got it all. Well, except for a tenant, of course. Flickr member Thomas captured this former Jersey store (near what appears to be a Jersey shore) in June of 2008.

Non-Starter

STOP me before I sell pets again… or buy POTS back from previous customers, whatever. Kudos to Flickr member Victor Reynolds for posting an explanation: it seems the store’s original name was “PET STOP” but once the store stopped selling pets, they removed the “PET” from the sign. You’ll find this abandoned pet shop in Pohatcong, New Jersey, where the photographer stopped to snap the sign in the summer of 2015.

Mattress stores are so omnipresent these days it’s become a real struggle for sleep shops to stand out from their stuffed, sprung & padded competition.

Mattress stores (along with dollar stores) are the rats and roaches of the retail apocalypse, spreading across the nation(s) under so many names it’s hard to keep track of them all. On the flip side, mattress store owners are doing their utmost to rise above the tide. Take Houston-based Mattress Firm, for instance. Flickr member revjdevans snapped a series of evocative photos that feature a red tube man advertising a store in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Ironically, since 2010 the City of Houston has banned tube men, stating their use “contributes to urban visual clutter and blight and adversely affects the aesthetic environment and the safety and quality of life for the community and the citizens of the city.” Sucks to be you, safe and aesthetic Houston.

Myers, Myers, Myers!

Is their life on Myers? More to the point, are there mattresses at Myers… and if so, WHICH Myers? No less than six Myers-centric sign legends look out from the otherwise subdued-looking store in Crouch End, London, UK. Flickr member gingerbeardman found himself “Myer’d” in mattress store heaven (or hell) in February of 2009.

The Gift of Good Nights

Most mattresses we’ve seen better resemble plains than mountains, though perhaps the former is a tad too “plain” to use for advertising purposes. Speaking of which, Mountain Mattress in central Appalachia has labeled itself as a “gift emporium”. Remind us to reference them next time a friend or family member gets hitched – they’ll never, ever forget your thoughtfulness. Kudos to Flickr member da_mere for reading the sign’s double-take-worthy subtext back in the summer of ’06.

Civil Snore

Southern sleepers will rise again… every morning, soon as the alarm goes off. And by “southern”, we mean southern Portland, Oregon, according to Scott Beale / Laughing Squid who posted the above photo at Flickr. Beale captured the incongruous (did any Civil War battles take place in Oregon?) mattress store in early 2010, though likely not without a fight.

Dublin Down

Ethnic humor ain’t what it used to be – not that we’re complaining – and these days only Canadians, Scots and the Irish are still fair game for stereotypical profiling. Problem? Not for “Mick” (if that’s really your name) of Mattress Mick’s Superstore in Coolock, Dublin. In related news, it would appear that mattresses are being made in Ireland, presumably stuffed with shamrocks and Lucky Charms marshmallows… NTTAWWT. Flickr member William Murphy photo-documented Mattress Mick’s garish storefront in early 2016.

Next Page - Click Below to Read More:
Box Springs Eternal 10 Sheet Kickin Mattress Stores

Brand power can go a long way in business but as these 10 unfortunately-named shops and stores so sorrowfully illustrate, it can also go the wrong way.

To paraphrase RUSH, if a store chooses not to decide on a name, it still has made a choice… not a good choice, mind you, but a choice all the same. We can only assume the owners of the No Name II Variety Store in Philly’s Kensington district figured they’d let Pepsi do their sales-talking for them. We’d also like to know if the original “No Name Variety Store” owners are miffed their nifty name was nicked. Flickr members benjamin scott and non-euclidean photography (Molly Des Jardin) captured the semi-anonymous sign in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Resident Dump

Does reverse psychology really work? You’d have to ask the owner of DUMP, an army-navy surplus clothing store in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Flickr member Barry Lancaster (Derpy McDerpface) snapped the military-themed (an “ammo dump” reference, perhaps?)  store signage in late 2006. One would imagine the RAF would shine the ol’ frosted monocle on this “interesting” use of their tricolor roundel.

Don’t Happy, Be Worry

This candy shop in Barcelona indelicately toes the line between Cute and Offensive. The latter would resonate more with those who have lost someone to the ongoing Opioid Crisis and/or unsuccessful dieters who “self-medicate” emotional stress with colorful sweets. Flickr member Lauren Jankowski couldn’t resist capturing this “wonderfully bizarre” store sign while tripping, er, on a trip overseas back in the summer of 2011.

Kinky Boots

Kudos to Flickr member Eric Allix Rogers (reallyboring) for being in the right place at the right time: shortly before this exotic (if not erotic) footwear shop shouted out its safe word and slammed the doors for good back in 2008. Located in Chicago’s West Side, the store may have confused customers who were looking for shoes, not kicks.

Say Yes to Distress

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride… but sometimes a Bridezilla? Give the owners of this west-end Toronto bridal studio their due for coming up with an attention-grabbing store name. That said, we can see how this sign could trigger bridesmaids who actually ARE jealous on their rival’s Big Day. Good thing that sort of stuff never happens in real life, right? RIGHT?? Flickr member Can Pac Swire snapped the snippy shop in August of 2013.

Next Page - Click Below to Read More:
Signs Friction 10 Unfortunately Named Businesses

The Trump name may be famous but it isn’t always connected to the business dynasty founded by Fred Trump, as these 7 Trump-named businesses illustrate.

If you thought the Trump dynasty was fueled by real estate, well… yeah, that’s actually correct. “Trump Oil”, on the other hand, isn’t (or wasn’t) even American. According to petroliana collector Harvey Thiessen, the Trump Oil Company operated a small oil refinery in Morris, Manitoba, about 40 miles (60 km) south of Winnipeg. Drivers in the pre- and post-war era could fill ‘er up at Trump Oil pumps and score a souvenir calendar with a built-in thermometer.

Trump Hair Magic

Hey, is that Kenny Blankenship from MXC standing outside Trump Hair Magic in Kyoto, Japan? Right you aren’t, Ken! Someone needs to bring Jimmy Fallon to this place so he can muss up the wigs in the store’s front window. Flickr member sprklg snapped the shop’s weathered storefront in June of 2016.

Trumps Inn

“Trumps Inn is a ‘no tell motel’ on U.S. Route 301 in Orangeburg, South Carolina,” according to Flickr member Gerry Dincher, who photographed the inn’s bland and generic sign in early 2018. “I should have taken a picture of it (the inn), too,” added Dincher, “but the place gave me the creeps.” Better the creeps than the cooties, or so they say.

Good thing fellow Flickr member Brian Copeland (blcope) captured the above wide-angle view and by the way… where is everyone? Alternative facts state the place is doing a yuuuge amount of business, especially compared to Obamas Inn.

Trump Optik

Sees her by the… hmm, never mind. Trump Optik is located in Bali, Indonesia, and judging from the professional-looking sign it may be part of a larger chain of optometrist stores. Flickr member Ya, saya inBaliTimur saved the snazzy shop sign for photographic posterity in March of 2018.

Doner Trump

As if the charitable Trump Foundation didn’t have enough legal problems… hold on, this is “Doner Trump”, not “Donor Trump”. Also known as Shawarma or Gyros, Doner kebab is a Middle-Eastern fast-food meat cooked on a spinning vertical rotisserie. If the shop-owners want to appeal to The Donald himself, however, they’ll need to rename it McDoner. The sign boldly features a likely (ya think?) unauthorized image of Donald Trump, as snapped by Flickr member LoveBelfast Belfast in June of 2017.

So who’s Donald Trump gonna sue first, Doner Trump from Belfast or Döner Trump from Germany, land of Trump’s ancestors? The above shop in Bielefeld uses a Statue of Liberty graphic on its sign, rather than the Belfast store’s Trump photo. Either way, it seems Europeans equate America with Trump and Liberty… though never the twain shall meat.

Trump Café

“Many people think he is a joke, but he is an inspiration for me,” explains Saiful Islam, owner of the Trump Café in Dhaka, Bangladesh. “I did not start the business with any specific thought in mind,” adds Islam, “just the fact that I am a big fan of US President Donald Trump.” Customers who share Islam’s admiration of the 45th president can order a signature Trump Cocktail and pose for photos with a life-size cardboard cutout of Trump. Flickr member Leonardo Assad Aoun (leonardoassad) posted the above image of the storefront sign in July of 2017.

Rugs For Trump

While not a Trump-named business per se, the Shambala Furniture Warehouse in Hong Kong gladly enlisted Donald Trump to promote the “hair-raising discounts” at its going-out-of-business sale. Unlike the previously featured café owner, however, this shop seems to be trolling Trump on an epic scale: a portion of the proceeds from rug sales will be donated to Syrian refugees via UN agencies Trump has recently ceased funding.

Last but not least, the sign’s “Rugs for Trump” header features an unflattering photo of Trump with his “rug” blown askew by the wind. Sad.

These dozen closed and abandoned pawn shops refute the myth of a robust economy where tax cuts and less regulation trickle down to those in the greatest need.

Pawn shops are the canaries in an economy’s coal mine. Often acting as money-lenders of last resort, these fiercely independent businesses can only succeed when buyers and sellers have something of value to trade. Many have survived, even thrived, for decades. Take the former United Jewelers and Pawnbrokers, located on Seneca St in Buffalo and reduced to an ignominious “EWEL”… not to mention a paint job apparently conducted using beet juice. Flickr members Mike S (Mike Saternus) and Jer Johns (5YearJourney) snapped the ruddy relic in October of 2015 and January of 2014, respectively.

Hock-It Science

“Hock It To Me” is a great name for a pawn shop though if it was in New York we’d go with “You Hockin’ To Me?” Neat name or not, this abandoned pawnbroker in Uptown Butte, Montana has left the BUY – SELL – TRADE biz for good. Flickr member Henningsen3 stopped by in May of 2006 to capture the shop and its old-style sign for posterity.

Degenerated

“When even the pawn shops are closing down, you know the city centre has problems,” states Flickr member Crookes (DJN…). The above closed Cash Generator store in Sheffield, UK, was a branch of the Edinburgh-based chain whose services include “money transfer, currency exchange, vape products.” Seems that even the popularity of the latter couldn’t save this particular shop.

Selling England By The Pawned

A choice street corner location on the High Street of Rotherham, West Yorkshire didn’t help the above branch of H&T Pawnbrokers. At least they’re making some effort to retain their customer base. Flickr member leon S-D (littleweed1950) captured the weathered but clean closed shop languishing in retail limbo back in January of 2013.

Next Page - Click Below to Read More:
Once A Pawn A Time 12 More Abandoned Pawn Shops