Mace Electronics West 8th Street Store

Mace Electronics had a retail 'super store' at 2631 West 8th Street in Erie, PA. The store had its grand opening on September 19, 1968. This postcard was mailed June 16, 1977 to let a customer know that their cassette recorder had been repaired and they could pick it up at their earliest convenience. I'm not sure when this photo was taken, but you'll probably recognize some of the old cars parked out front. The Colony Plaza sign is visible in the reflection in the window above the red car.

Here is an article about the Grand Opening Sale: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/mace-electronics-grand-opening-w-8th-st.html
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

Mace Electronics Grand Opening W 8th St Erie, PA 1968

Mace Electronics at 2631 West 8th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania had its grand opening on Thursday, September 19, 1968. Customers who spent at least $10 in the store received a free ladies raincoat.

You could save $50 off the price of an Ampex 861 portable reel to reel player, which was on sale for $249.95. Or you could pick up an 8-track player for $49.95.  An AM-FM transistor radio sold for $1.99, and a portable Citizen Band CB was $8.88.

"We are loaded with real values in every department. Visit us this week for good buys and Free Gifts. Many are limited quantities...so hurry," read the ad in the Erie Daily Times.

Mace Electronics had a warehouse at 28 East 24th St.  The business was owned by Mace Levin.

The Mace Spectacular IV was held at the Erie County Fieldhouse on Sept. 2, 1982. Click here for more info: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/06/mace-electronics-spectacular-5-erie.html

An a link to a "Mace Buck" and another Mace Spectacular: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/06/mace-electronics-mace-spectacular-at.html

Mace Electronics Spectacular 5 Erie County Fieldhouse 1982

Front of four page flyer from Sept. 1982.

Mace Electronics Spectacular 5 at the Erie County Fieldhouse in 1982

The fifth annual Mace Spectacular was held at the Erie County Fieldhouse in Erie, PA Sept. 2 thru 5, 1982. More than 25 vendors set up booths at the fieldhouse, and you could buy stereo equipment, computers, car stereos, microwaves, games and televisions. 

Vendors included Technics, Audio Technica, JVC, Teac, Panasonic, ADC, Maxwell, Loran, Bush, GE, Fisher VTR, Quasar, RCA, Fisher Audio, Sanyo, Sound Dynamics, Mura, Jet Sound, Jensen and Panasonic Auto. Tappan, Toshiba and Litton sold microwaves. Apple Computers showed its latest models. Mace Electronics had a couple of booths set up for custom auto.

You could also buy a GE eight hour video recorder for $488 which had electronic tuning and a remote control, pretty novel for the time. 

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