Mace Electronics' Mace Spectacular at the Erie County Fieldhouse

Mace Electronics' Mace Spectacular at the Erie County Fieldhouse

I used wait all year for the big event- the Mace Spectacular- at the Erie County Fieldhouse on Route 8 in Erie, Pennsylvania. The place was jam-packed with stereo equipment and it was LOUD! Row upon row of equipment, some of which was featured in Stereo Review magazine. I saved every penny until I could afford the massive 20 watt Technics system. It had two speakers that were so big that you could sit on them. And a turntable, for crying out loud. A far cry from the MP3 players and bookshelf speakers of today. 

OK, so I'm kidding about the 20 watt system being massive, but it was loud enough to annoy my neighbors. I could pick up Canadian rock stations such as Q-104 and hear all kinds of songs that were not played here.

It was fun to walk up and down every isle and see what new systems were available. I remember one company rep selling blue cassette tapes that would not melt in a microwave. A microwave? What was that?

Mace Levin owned Mace Electronics. He had stores at 2631 West 8th Street, the Millcreek Mall, the Eastway Plaza in Harborcreek, the Meadville Mall in Crawford County, PA, the Chautauqua Mall in NY, one on Route 20 in Ashtabula, OH and stores in State College and Altoona, PA. (Mace had a previous location at 24th and French that was destroyed by fire.)

Al Jenkins and Pete Zesinger were salesmen at the W. 8th Street store.

Read about the Mace Spectacular 5 at the Erie County Fieldhouse.

Now all the music fits on one MP3 player.

Enjoy more fun facts and photos of historic Erie, PA at: Old Time Erie