Shop Stories

One of the things I love about my job are the stories I am told. I learn something new everyday. Sometimes it is about Wakarusa or its people, and other times stories come from complete strangers that just share a moment of their lives with me.

One day a man came into the story, with his wife, and I was showing them an item they had inquired about, when he spotted this calculator.

He went on to explain to me that he used to service them. He explained all of his tricks of the trade and how there would be rooms full of people at the power companies setting with one each pounding out the monthly bills for the customers. It was so neat to give the item a life, take it into contest and have a glimpse of all the work it would have done back when it was in its prime.

I had another learning experience when an older gentleman came in and asked if we had any pocket watches. We had just a few and I proceeded to show them to him. He then began to explain each one to me. He told me that their faces are made of porcelain and that railroad conductors were only allowed to use a certain kind to make sure their time was accurate. The watches are just so intricate and neat. The next day, he returned with a few of his favorite prime examples of pocket watches and gave me a guided tour of their workings. I just enjoyed the fact that he took the time to come back and share with me his knowledge and prized watches. I would be proud to own a piece like that one day.