Today I was in a part of town I never have before.

I saw a store JUST for badminton.

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[–] 52 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Rubber stamp store. Just shelf after shelf of rubber stamps and rubber stamp accessories.

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  • [–] 22 points 2 months ago

    I came across a very narrow, 5 story store in Japan, a bit off the beaten path in Akihabara, selling exclusively N scale model trains. They had a floor or two dedicated just to the models, another one for scenery, and at least one just for repair parts for your trains. It was really cool to get to see a store that was pretty clearly a passion project for the owner(s) apparently doing well, and filling quite the niche in the hobby (I imagine)

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  • [–] 22 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    I think my favorite is Nothing Bundt Cakes that sells Bundt cakes. It's a chain, and yes I only like it because of the pun.

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  • [–] 18 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    An entire store full of african-american romance novels. In a VERY white area. It did not stay open long 😞

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    The existence of that store feels more like a statement than a business decision

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    What statement do you suppose they were trying to make?

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    https://youtu.be/ilsef7LrrYw?is=HrIRX-yHF2gJ8dxa

    In all seriousness, I didn't take the time to really think it through before, but: the store chose a narrow market and went out of business rather quickly, so it didn't have a good business plan; but it would make an interesting statement to see that store close so fast compared to bookstores which sell romance novels with characters likely to match their clients' race, which might reveal a sort of widespread casual racism. Or just that readers prefer characters they think they will relate to more strongly. It's an interesting conversation point whichever way you look at it, is my point.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    My town has a mushroom shop.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Those stores that only sell Rubber Duckies come to mind.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    There are several, for some unknown reason, in Amsterdam.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    It's because of the river, duhh

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    We live at the same river, but I have yet to find a rubber duck store anywhere closer than Amsterdam - which is hundreds of kilometers from here.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    In Turkey we have shops that only sell pickles!

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  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago

    It's very recently closed its doors, sadly, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more specific shop than long-time Edinburgh landmark, Borland's:

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  • [–] 13 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I used to live across the street from a ballbearing shop.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    spirit halloween seems just the place for a certain one night event.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 months ago

    Cycling clothing. No bikes, no helmets, just more lycra than a gimp convention.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 months ago

    I had to go to a store that only sells custom made stirrups as my kid needed some for their horse. I was absolutely overwhelmed about how many differences there are about them. Kid was happy.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    There used to be a store in my town called “Just Socks” that sold, just socks

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    There's a bunch of oddball stores in the Pike Place Market in Seattle but the Left Hand store was the most specific place. All left hand tools and stuff. Lots of different scissors.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I visited Pike Place in 2005 with my best friend and his wife, I had a horrible head cold and could not enjoy anything about the place. Sounds like I need to get back so I can visit the Left Hand store.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago

    there are a lot of things to smell, like its a lot sometimes. especially if you arent feeling very well. they have expanded the market. No more car traffic on the street outside it and they expanded and built up the area closer to the waterfront, because the viaduct is gone. Many of the old school stuff is still there though. Make sure to give yourself a full day to explore, its a massive and confusing place

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Batteries + Bulbs.

    They sold nothing but batteries and lightbulbs.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I went there once because I needed a specific type of light bulb. But it wasn't in their inventory. So I don't even think of that place anymore when I need bulbs. Anyway they're rather small stores. How could they possibly stock all the millions of varieties of those two specific things? Spoiler: they don't.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I never went in for bulbs, but they certainly had a wide range of batteries. They were more reliable than Walmart or other places when I would need a random button style battery, like a CMOS or watch battery.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    I've been in a Christmas store that all year long only sold Christmas stuff.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago

    True story. My niece went into a Christmas shop in our home town looking for a nativity set.

    Assistant: "A what?"

    "A nativity set - you know, Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus..."

    Assistant: "What's Jesus got to do with Christmas?"

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago* (1 child)
  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I have been in a shop only for set equipment for cooking book pictures

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I have not, myself, been there, but San Francisco has the Pirate Supply Store.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/826_Valencia

    826 Valencia is a non-profit organization in the Mission District of San Francisco, California, United States, dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

    826 Valencia runs San Francisco's "only independent pirate supply store". The store is the front entrance of the tutoring center and has the look and feel of an authentic pirate shop.[5] It sells pirate clothing, eyepatches, compasses, spyglasses, pirate dice, skull flags, and secret treasures. It features handmade signs, scattered around the store, offering tongue-in-cheek wisdom, such as "Uses for Lard" (#5: "Lard Fights") and "Guidelines for New Shipmates" (#4: "No forgetting to swab"). Unsuspecting visitors are sometimes treated to surprise "moppings."

    Shoppers can also find back issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, books published by McSweeney's, and literary compilations written by 826 Valencia students. The books of student writing published by 826 Valencia include forewords, illustrations and interviews from public figures such as Former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and actor Robin Williams.

    The Pirate Supply Store was originally created through necessity. After being turned down for regular use of church basements and school facilities, the founders discovered an empty store on Valencia Street. City ordinances required businesses in that area of the city to be either retail or catering, so the Pirate Supply Store was opened in 2002 as the "legitimate" business front for the writing center. It also helps fund the tutoring program.[6]

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago

    I have seen lots of niche stores, but what usually gets me is that they're in very premium locations. How is that empty Custom Umbrella Emporium still open while the packed coffee shop next door can't afford their lease?

    Tap for spoilerMoney laundering, probably

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    I went into a store that specialized in selling canes when I visited London.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago

    It sounds really British to pay a visit to the local canist when you find yourself needing a new cane, who is a super detailed professional who knows and supplies canes of all kinds to all walks of life

    I'm sure that would have made a great Monty Python scetch

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago

    There's a chain of shops in my country that, at least for a while, pretty much only made and sold bean bags. Freaking fantastic ones, too.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago

    There was a store in Vegas that was magnets. Fridge, city, anything magnets.
    And sardine stores in Portugal, airports and elsewhere.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    There's a "craft"-art shop in the same cave I work in that exclusively sells racism.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Synthesizer store. RIP to Seattle's Patchwerks. Such a damn shame they went out of business.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    There’s a delicious little shop in my city that sells all types of synths, cassette players, custom pedals and circuit bent goodies.

    We have a fairly robust noise and experimental scene here that loves them so they get lots of patronage but I’m going to cry if they ever go out of business.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago

    In County Cork in Ireland I once saw a shop that was a "Gentleman's hairdresser and railway bookshop."

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Disc Golf Mart in Columbus, Ohio.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago

    There’s a small town I drive through frequently that, for many years, had a Christmas shop. It was always open, usually empty. It closed down last year.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago

    My favorite was Wizard's welding and hair salon, sadly closed now.

    The Catholic gift shop near me that's open like 8 hours a week. Maybe it's money laundering.

    Envios a Cuba, some shops here just send items to Cuba for you. Only to Cuba, only from here

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago

    Mixed tape store. This was like 12 years ago, long after streaming was a thing. A buddy of mine went in and asked if they sold CDs and the guy legit said, "No. Just mixed tapes." Pretty sure it was a front for something.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 months ago (10 children)

    I’ve been in a knitting store before. Just yarn and needles and patterns. I can’t imagine how they stay in business.

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  • [–] 18 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    There are lots of those. Many people knit.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    yep, I have two in the family, it just didn't seem like there could be enough knitter-foot-traffic to keep the place open selling $4 spools of yarn

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    That's because the skeins are $40.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (2 children)

    It's been a long time since I've bought a skein of yarn, but surely one can get one for less than that.

    hits Amazon

    It looks like on Amazon, they start at about $4 individually. If you get a pack, it goes under $1/skein.

    Those brick-and-mortar stores much have a pretty substantial markup, unless we're talking premium yarn of some sort.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Yes, it's not acrylic baby-melting trash. You're comparing McDonald's to omakase. Try visiting your local yarn store before making any more assumptions.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Saw a store that was just rubber ducks. They had celebrity ducks and colored ducks and all sorts of similar things.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago

    Probably Pop Mart. A three-story shop filled with nothing but these odd little collectible toys of cartoon characters. It was absolutely mobbed.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (3 children)

    Magic stores.

    San Francisco has two of them: Misdirections, a store that's been there for decades, and Houdini's/Vanishing Inc. in touristy Pier 39 who have a second location near Disneyland.

    Also, the San Francisco Archery Shop seems very specialized in this age of big box sporting goods stores, but again they've been around for decades it feels like.

    The Bee Healthy Honey Shop in Oakland, selling honey, beeswax, and related products and also beekeeping equipment. It's run by a Yemeni family of beekeepers.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    As a former archer there are a number of archery shops! I went to one place to buy something and found it very strange that it was just in a row of about 8 shops as part of a small housing estate's little "high street" - alongside a takeaway, tattoo parlour, beauty salon, funeral director - the kind of thing you need a lot more of than archery shops!

    It's moved now, I assume something more normal has taken its old spot...

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Stores that sell clothes branded with one college's logo / name.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago

    japan. anywhere in japan

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago*

    I've been in not one, but three different round the year Christmas stuff stores.

    There is a chain of stores in Europe only selling Gouda cheese (Henri Willig).

    In Hamburg I've been in a shop specialized on umbrellas.

    In Rotterdam I've found a shop selling only socks.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    The Glow In the Dark Cat Shop

    You'll never guess what it sells

    https://shop-york.co.uk/places/cats/

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    Kite store in Chicago (it's really not that windy there, really)

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    A glove shop in Lisbon.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    there's a store in seattle called The Purple Store that only sells purple stuff!!!

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  • [–] 2 points 1 month ago

    I just bumped into another oddly specific store: Darts Central in SF

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Tennis rackets and Kites

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    https://youtu.be/BfnfOdQVHAQ

    90’s throwback. Of note - Stacks of Slax and the Bolt Bloke.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 months ago

    Do the running stores that are popping up everywhere count

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