Hey Mopo...May 24th is the 42 nd year birthday Of Hollywood Dream
factory®
I would love to mail you a free postcard featuring a picture of the
original shop and was featured in a book ..in 1988 called "ticket to
Paradise" and now in the library of Congress In Washington ,DC Although
the book was about remaining old movie theaters the author included our
storefront building as it had a deco modern style front with a glass
called vitrolite and was a few last remaining structures in Toledo to
have it.
Before that OCT 1981 opening of the retail brick and mortar shop which
had a 3 bed home and a more attached on the back I operated 1st out of
my booking agency Office in downtown Toledo 506 Madison #401 in 1977
doing mail order
the historic Gardner building. Then we moved into a what was called by
the Real Estate seller the oldest known home in west Toledo at 3502
WATSON ave..A home we lived in from 78-81. and had a garage sale and
discovered local people loved movie stuff also,,so wheni saw he
commercial building on Sylvania ave..gears turned
while at that home one night I said hey we are doing wholesale why don't
we also do a store, mail order, manufacture and mix them all
together..and so by OCT 81 we were doing all that however it all started
in my office as a mail order co,as the internet was not invented so I
sold in Film collectors world.(later became Movie collectors
world..Classic Images , and theBig reel along with many other film
memorabilia and comic related papers and even records like Goldmine,
CBG(Comic buyers guide) and the Toy shop//Premire, starlog, fangoria,
and many others like Rolling stone,Hollywood studio, American
cinematographer...and many others.
The other day i thought how did i start in the biz???i was 1-1
withcollectors and stores and we built friendships..at one time i had a
index card on all customers want lists and would personally call them or
send a letter when i got a item in they may like...well after we had 10K
worth of customers i could not do it..so we would mail catalogs..but
thats costly so eventually it became the net and ebay...whats funny is
now almost allretail stores are goinginternet only and stores are
closing all over...
however with financial times of many recessions, and infringers i had to
pursue and my health issues and domestic issues of divorce it can wreck
many lives and companie
..so in 2000 after a divorce I lost that building to my ex...the judge
asked me to think it over i said no My sons future is what matters the
most so i signed it over to her...it was all paid off...
the best thing was she decide to give it To Tommy and actually bought
the adjacent building for herself and she lives there...so Tommy and her
are doing fine and he does his own venture.
after floundering around at a apt and storage lockers and being so lost
i didnt evenknow where my inventory was..i slowly ,,its taken me
another18 years to heal a foot and im still not totally sound
health...and ive aged 18 years...!!!howeve ive made enough sales and
paid my bills..and so i consider ive been very lucky and bless..and its
been God family and friends why i am still going..we all suffer and have
issues its not getting bitter when you get kicked down and trying
again..i looked on ebay my clapboards have ben bootlegged by china
bigtime..I thought how can i even try when it cost me more to mail one
then they are selling them for shipped from china???as they copied my
art perfect however the materials are not the same ...does anyone
care??i dont know..I think they do...I think people miss reality and
kindness, and honesty in business and fair deals.and customer
service...we will see......
In 2007 I bought another home..and do my Mail order same as i did in
1977
Ive looked at some warehouse and other retail shops..so thats not out of
the question but at 61 most are winding down..however it excites me to
think i could offer others jobs and allow others to build dreams and
ventures and i could help them and i love to create new ventures..the
main thing is my health..However if the man upstairs wants it to be his
will...I see anything is possible
I have had so many people put on my path that have helped me and many
are on Mopo..so i thought who knows maybe we could work on some projects
before i leave this pop stand
Of all experiences for me seeing others happy is the biggest pay off and
thrill inlife...andtheones that have helped me seem to feel the same and
thats why it helps us really when we help others..as we see its
possible..
so send me Your mailing address if you would like a old school postcard
actually snail mailed to you and ill send you one free and you can shock
your mail man witha a real old time picture postcard and you can tell
friends and family the story of the semi Blind movie dealer who has ben
around 42 years and wont give up trying to do whats he's done..and sell
motion picture related items world over to people like you..
I will have many other items in my promotion like t-shirts and ball
cap's and mugs and other logoed things...Ill show you soon my official
anni is May 24 ...the day before Star wars was released in 1977...
its funny as between nov 1976 when Mel Blanc told me well you may not
get a record deal Tom however you will find a niche in show biz...so
when i landed Warner bros doing a clock, Bugs bunny clapboard clock and
a Warner bros Clapboard i thought wow Mel was right..however he passed
away before i could give him anything...
we did in 1990 go back to Beverly hills and gave his son Noel who met my
son Tommy an clock and clapboard....so...it was a really cool time..the
thing ive learned most its the people that make life the best not the
stuff.thats just the accessories to life..but the friends and family and
god to me are what makes it all worthwhile...
drop me a email with the address....
best, Tom and happy Mothers day to all the moms of MOPO!!
get your free postcard mailed to You Today !
----
Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
___________________________________________________________________
How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List
Send a message addressed to: [email protected]
In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L
The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
