Remember When: Still Refurbishing

By Harvey G. Stack, Senior Numismatic Consultant

About seven months ago a phone call came into the office and the caller asked for me. The operator located me and we had a very warm conversation. He first, asked how I was and did I remember his father. Once he gave me a hint, I replied, "He is the friend and client who was forming the Keystone Collection — I first worked with him in the 1960s." This was immediately confirmed and we talked about old times together.

During the past six weeks or so, the retail store of Stack's Bowers at 123 West 57th Street, has been in various stages of refurbishing. Since 1953 when the Stack family moved into its present location, at least a half a dozen times or more the shop on 57th Street went through a refurbishing and freshening up. Again, we are in the mode of "doing it over".

My last report to you told of the demolishing and rebuilding of the rear portion of the premises, and how Stack's Bowers kept the shop open, to serve those who visited, using the front 50% of the premises for the public, while the rear portion was being worked on.

A recent visit showed great progress. All the ceilings were re-done and lowered a bit, lighting and air-conditioning re-done, walls cleaned and painted, and new carpet put in place.  The furniture hasn't arrived yet but the area in the rear is clean and ready for continued business.

Waiting to be put in place are steel storage cabinets, some large safes and desks.  The rear portion boasts private office space (as it was for many years) and nearby a large walk in vault, with a giant steel door, to store material for auction, sales and preparation for future work.

In the rear portion of the shop is the "Gold Vending Machine" which will be installed in the fore part of the shop, and will be placed in its proper location as soon as the front street entrance is open again.

Presently, the side door to the shop, through the lobby of the Hotel Salisbury, is available
for visitors to come and be served on temporary counters in the rear of the shop. All services— appraisals, buying and selling—continue without interruption.

Now, a visit to the front where visitors usually are served.  The windows are boarded, being prepared for new street viewing displays. The entrance is re-designed. Inside, the front part of the shop is being fully redone. As in the rear, new ceilings are being installed, along with air conditioning and display lighting. The walls are being redone, some of the wood cabinets are being re-finished and used again, carpet has been ordered, the famous sit down display counters that so many remember are being refinished, new chairs are on order, and the space for the "Gold Vending Machine" is being made ready

As in the rear, the electric protection systems are rewired, the phones and internet are being readied, and overall progress is evident!

Over the entranceway, a new awning will be installed to readily help locate the shop as it has for decades. The "coin shop on West 57th Street" diagonally opposite of Carnegie Hall has attained "landmark status" for having been at the same address for over 60 years. The refurbishment of this landmark shop is scheduled for completion this summer. Further announcements of our progress will be posted on the Internet. We hope you come to visit with us and let us help you with all phases of numismatics!!