Sometimes when I think of the old neighborhood, I remember waking up to the loud voice of an elderly man with a heavy accent walking slowly down the driveway in back of the house. He would yell "I'm buying men's clothing, I'm buying men's clothing" over and over. It's been so long ago, I can't remember how often he did this, but it seems like it might have been once or twice a month. Some of the kids on the block would yell out the window at him to shut up, but that didn't keep him away. This must have occured during the late 1950s, early 1960s.
I always wondered what he did with the clothing he purchased. Does anyone else remember him? Does anyone remember selling him anything? Any ideas what he did with the clothes?
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I still remember many of the teachers at Spruance such as Mrs. Coopersmith, Mrs. Tuckey, Mr. Sachs, Mr. Devline, Mrs. Franks, etc.
Mrs. Tuckey sounds familiar.
I do remember her! She had a rude nickname, that was where I first learned the F-word (in first grade!)
I still mimmick that guy! I remember him like it was yesterday, but I don't recall ever seeing any of my neighbors giving him clothes!
I had Mrs. Tuckey - she was my 1st teacher at Spruance, since I moved there in 2nd grade. Remember Mrs. Prune? Mrs. Goodman (my favorite)! Mr. Catalano? All were great teachers ... those were the days!
@Anonymous 8/16/09 8:43pm: Wow, someone else actually remembers that guy! Thanks for commenting! Funny how I can still recall his voice when I think about it... probably haven't heard it about 45 years.
what about mr diamond?he was my 5th or 6th grade teacher.....funny sense of humor....tall thin...
Sometimes when I think of the old neighborhood, I remember waking up to the loud voice of an elderly man with a heavy accent walking slowly down the driveway in back of the house. He would yell "I'm buying men's clothing, I'm buying men's clothing" over and over.
Maybe he was one of the Lit Brothers, on his way to the office?
I had Mrs. Tuckey in 4th grade (she made me hate math forever!), Miss Forsher for 5th, Mrs. Kramer for 1st... and I sure do remember that guy in the driveway -- oh, I can hear that voice in my head!! I'm buyINGGGG mens clothing... how funny!
wow I can still hear his voice, I would love to know what he did with the clothes although I never saw anyone give him clothers..
I lived on Kerper Street Between Summerdale and Algon. I used to wake up to him "I'm Buying Mens'S Clothing"
I asked him how much he would pay me for an old pair of red and white jeans that I bought from "Wards Folly" I was scared that I was going to get murdered.
He said he'd give me a nickel!!
Loved those days as a kid!!
Wow! I just discovered this post. Thanks, Ex-Philly Guy, for bringing back a minor but important memory. I lived on the 5700 block of N. Marvine Street, across from Fernrock Yards. During the fifties we were visited occasionally by this rag man or one of his competitors. Specifically, he traveled slowly up the driveway we shared with our 12th Street neighbors, and to me his cry sounded like, "Ahm buy men's clothing," the way a Russian immigrant might say it.
HowaGood
omgosh, I remember that man walking down the driveway, awesome memories. Does anyone remember the amusement ride that come down driveways and it would go around in circles. Also, loved Jerry's Essen House in the Roosevelt Mall, they had the best onion rings, oh, wait, Barson's had really good ones too.
I had Mrs. Coopersmith for 1st grade at Solis-Cohen, around 1958
Anonymous, we must have been classmates! But I think Mrs. Coopersmith was only there the 2nd half of the year. I can't remember who we had in the 1st half - can you? I had Karchin for 2nd grade, then Braime, Quirk, Goelz & Kahan.
7900 TEMPLE RD MT AIRY REMEMBERS THIS GUY
I remember so many of these things. I also do an imitation of "I'm buying men's clothing." I did it last just two or three days ago. I've never been to this blog before and to see this tonight, well, memories of home. I used to live on Sylvester Street between Unruh and Knorr. I'd love to hear from anyone from the old neighborhood. And yes, I remember breezeways and Barson's and Lee and Mels, and friends from the new Northeast High School. I will now try to prove that I am not a robot.
Wish this site was more active! Brought back a lot of memories for me! We lived on Stirling Street, and bushrood library was on the corner. My children and I made good use of that place! I do remember the ragman..can still hear his voice in my head
Grew up on 2000 Bleigh Ave. Moved in 1950. Large Street was a dirt road. Used to run down Large St to get ice cream at the Polar Cub at Cottman and Large. Don't believe Bustleton Ave was there. It was just fields from Large to the Boulevard. I remember them building Lits, used to look through the wood fences they built around the site. I also remember H & H at Large, Kresge's , Gays card and gift shop, DeFurlows (?sp) 5&10, yo yo tournaments at the 5&10. Rudnick's tailors, he drove to your house to pick up, and returned clean clothes the next week. My first job was at Peoples Drug Store, Mr. Robinson was the manager, he was great. Wasn't Neisenholts Fox's Drug Store? I went to a dentist Dr Mattioli who would give you a script for a small ice cream cone when you left. Fox's had ice cream and they would fill the script. Went to Resurrection, when there was only one bldg. the nuns lived on the top floor, the church was on the first floor, and classes were held in the gym, I remember having to clear the gym because there was a mass in the gym on Sundays. There was one school bus, with a garage where the "new" school is now. Lots of good memories. Thanks for bringing them back .
I had both teachers. Must have been near the same time.
I've never posted on a blog...will have to get advice from sons and/or grandchildren... BUT, I grew up on Magee Avenue (925 Magee, to be exact) when corn grew and cows grazed across the street on Fisher's Farm and there were only fields and a cemetery between our house and Carnell Elementary School. Graduated from Carnell, then Wilson Junior High, then attended Olney H.S. for a semester until I moved to NY in 1951. (There were mid-year (Jan.) entries and graduations then. Just came upon this full-of-memories blog a few minutes ago...will read it later. Thank you, whoever assembled it. Just skimming it, brought back lots of images... although mine are earlier in time than most of those posted. Wow, how useful would have been be the bus from Castor Ave. to Oxford Ave. I rode my bike, walked, or one of my parents drove me to friends, school, movies, or shopping at Penn Fruit. That was our first supermarket - and a delight! Want to read what all of you have written first, but am not sure that I'll be successful in "posting". Am now living in Colorado (TRIED to indicate residence in "The West" on your chart, but not sure if it "took". Lived on Long Island,NY for most of my life, after Philly, then Arizona for a little while, and recently moved to Colorado. (The only thing I'm positive about re: manipulating/
writing on this blog is checking that I am NOT a robot!) Anyhow, THANK YOU, whoever has compiled these memories!
Doris N. Epstein Flax
dorisnflax@gmail.com
Doris, it's just a shame that this blog isn't more active. There are several others on Facebook that get multiple posts each day. Thanks for commenting.
I told my son about this site, and he was happy to hear about it...my children went to Carnell, Fels Jr. High and NOrtheast High..I do hope more people will post...it's great to wander thru the past +-
I know this is an old blog but here goes: in 1963 or so, I lived on The block of Castor Avenue that had the Nates deli on the corner of Castor and (Levick)? And on the same block was a Pep Boys auto store.
We lived in apartments that were above the retail stores and were accessible through the back alley. Our apartment was above a bakery called "Arthurs". The Pep Boys had a sandwich-board guy who walked up and down the sidewalk wearing a sign hawking whatever was on sale in the store. As an 8-year-old, I thought that was the coolest job ever, an aspired to be that guy. He was very nice and I would walk up and down with him talking with him for hours. In retrospect, he was probably homeless.
I have a vague memory of Nates sometimes giving away miniature soft-serve ice-cream cones.
Our working mom would give my brother and me a buck to go to Ronnies Burgers on Castor. We'd get 4 burgers for 60 cents, an order of fries to split for 12 cents, and 2 very small Cokes. With tax, the dollar covered it. The place didnt have a door. You stood at a window in the cold until your order was ready.
We moved to Mayfair in about 1965 when I was 10.
I was back there in 2003 after being gone from Philadelphia for 31 years. Everything had shrunk. The miles I remember walking to the Banner Theatre became blocks.
If anyone has a correction to these 50-year-old memories drop me a line at Seaamigo@aol.com.
My guess would be that he would either donate the clothes to people in need or try and get them in a good price to sell to make a living. Either way I believe it's an honest way of either making money without scamming anyone or make a good in the world.
Lived on Sylvester St as well. Knorr and Longshore.
A few good memories but couldn’t wait to move... it’s awful now.
When we were adults, my brother and I would joke that we once saw him load his stuff into the trunk of a brand new Buick Riviera (which they didn't even make in the fifties) implying that he was much wealthier than he would let on.
I remember too being woken up by the man who was buying the clothing when he walked down my driveway between 1300 Kerper and Unruh. It was almost like a chant and actually used to kind of scare me. Strangely really made an impression on me. I seem to remember he was in a crummy little truck or wagon? I think he probably sold the clothes to someone else. In retrospect I feel kind of bad for him. It seems like such an old world way to try to scrape a living together.
Hi. The expression "I'm buying men's clothing" came to mind, so I googled it and landed here.
We lived on Horrocks St, way way back in the old days. Before we moved to Mount Airy and then the Far Northeast.
Haven't lived in Philly since '76, after graduating from Washington High. Man, great memories there.
Thanks for all your comments. This is goose bump stuff! All the names are coming back, as though they've been hibernating through the decades...
I lived on Kindred Street from 1950-1955. Vendors would ply their merchandise by driving along the alley behind the homes. Vendors selling "Fresh Fish" used a horse-drawn cart and cried out loudly pertaining to their merchandise. Other vendors sold fruit and vegetables. Does anyone else remember these vendors?
I moved from Philly in 1968 and now live in New Mexico...
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