Click here for an interactive panorama of the Scouting Party.
(Thanks to Jook Leung, the original photographer and Steve Cox for re-assembling the image.)
From 1980 to about 2000 my mom had a store called "The Scouting Party". (We always just called it "The Store".) This panorama picture was taken on a typical day in the The Store, circa 1997. We're sorting through many photos, which we'll get online soon. (If you have any pictures of the store/Jane, please send them to me.) My mother started The Scouting Party with an old friend, "Dubby". They got into the stuff business going to flea markets and estate sales acquiring... stuff. These weekend forays into the Brooklyn flea market scene, with children and husbands dragged along, inspired the store's name. Then they moved up to selling stuff at their own tables at those same flea markets. Eventually, there was just too much stuff to keep in our apartment. The Scouting Party's first permanent location was on 7th avenue between 9th and 10th streets. The store opened on the same day as John Lennon's assassination. I'm sure they would have postponed the opening, but the grassroots marketing campaign was already in full force. (The families were handing out fliers announcing The Scouting Party's opening date to Park Slope. My "assignment" was the 9th Street subway station...)
The Store was not an immediate success. It had the strains and stress of many first time businesses. My mom and Dubby parted ways early on, after which time Jane ran the store as sole proprietor and grew the business until, to paraphrase George Carlin, she needed a bigger place for all her stuff. The Store moved to the corner of 7th Avenue and 10th Street and took on a life that reflected my mother.
Through all its years, The Scouting Party always provided new experiences. There was a constant stream of books, records, neat things, and random stuff. It was a place to find used and new treasures, and new and used people as well. As Pat mentioned, Jane loved to connect people together. The Store allowed her to do that, in style, for years. Some friends referred to her as "the Godmother of Park Slope"; and, in fact, she did wind up being a literal godmother for some great friends in the neighborhood.
The Store changed along with the neighborhood. The stuff got nicer and shinier, but "old Brooklyn" was still there. You could always get something unexpected -- a gift for someone they didn't know they needed, a used book my mom thought you should read, or a new person in the neighborhood she thought you should meet. And, of course, she loved to keep the turntable going all the time.
Through all its years, The Scouting Party always provided new experiences. There was a constant stream of books, records, neat things, and random stuff. It was a place to find used and new treasures, and new and used people as well. As Pat mentioned, Jane loved to connect people together. The Store allowed her to do that, in style, for years. Some friends referred to her as "the Godmother of Park Slope"; and, in fact, she did wind up being a literal godmother for some great friends in the neighborhood.
The Store changed along with the neighborhood. The stuff got nicer and shinier, but "old Brooklyn" was still there. You could always get something unexpected -- a gift for someone they didn't know they needed, a used book my mom thought you should read, or a new person in the neighborhood she thought you should meet. And, of course, she loved to keep the turntable going all the time. Speaking of music, The Store was also, thanks to my Mom's generosity and encouragement, my rehearsal and recording studio. Another story for another day.
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One day Jane handed me a copy of L. Ron Hubbards book called Dianetics. I didn't want it but she insisted. When I asked why, Jane told me she wanted it out of the store and in the garbage but she couldn't throw a book away so I should do it....
ReplyDeleteI was so fond of this store as a child. I still miss it!
ReplyDeleteI was a teacher and bought so much cool stuff for my classroom and for my little students. ��
ReplyDeleteDid she burn rose incense because that's what reminds me of this place. I loved going here as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI was reminiscing about the past and I remembered this shop from my childhood. I remembered my sister getting two animal puppets from this store as a gift. A white wolf and a monkey. I googled to see if it was still open and see it's gone with time. A very lovely shop.
ReplyDeleteDidn't this store reopen by 9th Avenue? Maybe Windsor Place?
ReplyDeleteYour mom was a remarkable woman, but you already know that. She was so much fun, easy going, and a great conversationalist. I treasured our chats, as I did my time spent at The Scouting Party.
ReplyDelete