Showcase in Wheaton

mchambers

mchambers

Former CCA member
I received the following message last night:

Hello Everyone!

My name is Jennifer Lucks & I am, like many of you, a long time customer of Showcase Aquarium in Wheaton, MD. I am not sure if you are aware of the situation that they are in right now but due to the unfair conditions set forth but their landlord in the new lease agreement as well as the fact that they will certainly be loosing their parking lot in the next few years to construction they are facing an uncertain future. As it stands, it is incredibly likely they will be closing the store & loosing their jobs by the end of June...just two short months away! The good news is that they have found a new location, just on the other side of Georgia Avenue that is larger & a much better fit for them. The bad news is that the high costs associated with the move make it almost impossible for them to consider. I am not sure how well you know Joe, Kathy, Ricardo, Ken & Zak but I am sure that at some point, & probably on more than occasion, one or more of them have helped you out with your many questions & concerns about your fish tanks. So here it is! Our one & only chance to help our friends & local fish store crew save their business & their jobs! I am contacting you today in the hope that you, your family, friends & neighbors would be willing to donate some of your time & skills in order to help with this massive move so that we can help cut costs & make this a viable option for them. If you are an electrician, plumber or a carpenter we could really, really use your help. If you get discounts at your job for something that you believe would be useful please let us know. If you are good with a paint brush or a broom we need you. If you can lift & move somewhat heavy objects you are essential to this project. My goal is to go to them very soon, hopefully within a week, with a long list of people that are willing to donate as much free time as possible over the next two months to make this a possibility for them. We can do this! We can change their futures! Please think about it & please add your name to the list (hopefully a long list) below. I appreciate your time & consideration! Feel free to e-mail or call me with any questions.

Name: E-mail: Contact Number: What can you help with?
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Jennifer Lucks Jal5373@aol.com (301) 649-1502 Painting, cleaning, moving (I have a large box truck that we use), I can provide drinks & snacks, tank setups, demolition,
etc.. I am available most evenings after work & Mondays are my day off.
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Dianne Lucks LCCKY1000@aol.com (301) 649-1888 I can clean, paint & help with the move. My time is limited but I will donate all that I can over the next two months.
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Becca

Becca

Members
Rebecca Goldring RGOLDR1@yahoo.com 443-717-2691 - time is limited, but I can clean, paint, and carry stuff. I am also good (rusty, but good) at netting and packing up fish for transport. Saturday afternoons and Sundays are best for me.
 
Forester

Forester

Members
I have no sympathy for Joe because when i used to go there or call him just since im a kid he practically ignored my offers or questions. But the others have been helpful to me so im willing to help. I can help with catching bagging fish, setting up tanks, carrying stuff etc. I might have some time in the next few weeks but in like 1.5 months ill be able to help a lot, school lets out the 16th june.

Lucas Hirsch
301-957-5978
Lucasfish@verizon.net

Lucas
 
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mchambers

mchambers

Former CCA member
Just got an email from Showcase saying the store is closing June 30 and they are selling the remaining inventory and fixtures.
 
Wblaze

Wblaze

Members
This is the email I got from Jim (Tropical Fish World) today:

Greetings!

Hello, I have some sad news to report, but yet another local fish store in our area is closing their doors forever. It's especially sad for me. It's what started it all for me, I worked at Showcase for 13 years before opening Tropical Fish World. They are having many closeout specials and selling off the fixtures in the store. It is located in the Wheaton Triangle area. Following is the message I received from Joe, the owner of Showcase.

Jim

To all our valued customers and friends:

Our landlord has decided not to negotiate a new lease with us. After 45 years at the same location, we will close our doors for the last time on June 30, 2013.

Showcase Aquarium -- also called "Tropical Fish" because of our signature big blue awning -- has always been a family owned and operated business. We've done business with families -- you, your parents and grandparents, your children and even your grandchildren -- for 45 years We've watched your families grow and change, as you have watched ours, and have had the pleasure of helping you enjoy the tropical fish hobby over these many years. Thanks to all of you for making our success possible. We will miss you!

Again, we will be closing on June 30. The first three weeks of June we will be selling our remaining inventory and store fixtures. Please stop by for some great bargains, or just to say good-bye.

As usual, if you have any questions please call us on 301 942-6464.

Again, thanks to all our loyal customers.

Joe, Kathy, Ricardo, Zac, Ken


Thank you. I hope you are still enjoying the hobby as much as I am and appreciate all the help your local fish store provides.


Sincerely,

Jim
 
Wblaze

Wblaze

Members
We better all take "good care" of Steve and his turtle and dogs and cat and birds at Tropical Lagoon to protect our local options.
 
Forester

Forester

Members
Wblaze said:
We better all take "good care" of Steve and his turtle and dogs and cat and birds at Tropical Lagoon to protect our local options.
Click to expand...

I will be hopefully working there next year.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
Jim Anderson

Jim Anderson

CCA Members
Sad, have been going there on and off since 1983. A few employees that used to work there opened up there own stores many years ago and have also closed down most recently Jim from Tropical Fish World!!
 
Becca

Becca

Members
Just got in touch with my F-I-L, who has known Joe for many, many years, to let him know the store is closing. Apparently Joe recently asked if he'd be interested in buying the store. That sure would've been a trip.
 
Andrew

Andrew

Members
Jim Anderson said:
Sad, have been going there on and off since 1983. A few employees that used to work there opened up there own stores many years ago and have also closed down most recently Jim from Tropical Fish World!!
Click to expand...

Fish stores used to spawn too... Big Fish Little Fish, Totally Fish, Tropical Fish World and Tropical Lagoon all opened by former Showcase employees. I never liked Showcase though. Joe was pretty nasty to me the few times I went in.
 
Becca

Becca

Members
Andrew said:
Fish stores used to spawn too... Big Fish Little Fish, Totally Fish, Tropical Fish World and Tropical Lagoon all opened by former Showcase employees. I never liked Showcase though. Joe was pretty nasty to me the few times I went in.
Click to expand...

Same was true for Aquarium Center - Former employees opened Exotic Aquatics in Towson (think this is now gone), I think were instrumental in getting House of Tropics going, and bought it when it went under, turning into Aquarium Depot (also now deceased). WorldWide in Philly/Upper Darby was a similar story.

It's depressing to see all the Mom and Pop stores going under and it makes it much harder to keep our hobby going. PetSmart and other giant pet stores aren't run by hobbyists. They don't know much about the fish they sell and don't ever have that one manager who has a thing for oddball labyrinth fish, a penchant for vibrant aquascapes, harrowing tales of adventure and discovery from the Amazon, or experience treating (and curing) myriad fish illnesses. You're not going to find someone at PetSmart who can show you how to plumb a tank, get your Eheim back up and running, explain to you the particulars of keeping a chocolate gourami (let alone tell you what it is), or give you the skinny on where to find a rare fish.

These stores used to bring new people into the hobby and introduce them to "specialty" species. They taught people about good husbandry and care and had employees that would occasionally refuse to sell fish to people. It's a real loss to our community whether we like store owners or not. I mean, let's face it, many of us are "animal people" because we're not people-people :p.

I just hope enough of these little places survive long enough to inspire a new generation of fishkeepers and shopowners.
 
dogofwar

dogofwar

CCA Members
LFS are unfortunately nearly an extinct species. Some exist in particular niches that allow them to survive but (especially stores that really cater to hobbyists...with a few exceptions) aren't a sustainable business model.

That said, the real question is:

How can aquarium clubs (and specifically CCA) contribute to fill the gap that LFS leave, especially for new aquarists?

Matt

Becca said:
Same was true for Aquarium Center - Former employees opened Exotic Aquatics in Towson (think this is now gone), I think were instrumental in getting House of Tropics going, and bought it when it went under, turning into Aquarium Depot (also now deceased). WorldWide in Philly/Upper Darby was a similar story.

It's depressing to see all the Mom and Pop stores going under and it makes it much harder to keep our hobby going. PetSmart and other giant pet stores aren't run by hobbyists. They don't know much about the fish they sell and don't ever have that one manager who has a thing for oddball labyrinth fish, a penchant for vibrant aquascapes, harrowing tales of adventure and discovery from the Amazon, or experience treating (and curing) myriad fish illnesses. You're not going to find someone at PetSmart who can show you how to plumb a tank, get your Eheim back up and running, explain to you the particulars of keeping a chocolate gourami (let alone tell you what it is), or give you the skinny on where to find a rare fish.

These stores used to bring new people into the hobby and introduce them to "specialty" species. They taught people about good husbandry and care and had employees that would occasionally refuse to sell fish to people. It's a real loss to our community whether we like store owners or not. I mean, let's face it, many of us are "animal people" because we're not people-people :p.

I just hope enough of these little places survive long enough to inspire a new generation of fishkeepers and shopowners.
Click to expand...
 
Becca

Becca

Members
dogofwar said:
LFS are unfortunately nearly an extinct species. Some exist in particular niches that allow them to survive but (especially stores that really cater to hobbyists...with a few exceptions) aren't a sustainable business model.

That said, the real question is:

How can aquarium clubs (and specifically CCA) contribute to fill the gap that LFS leave, especially for new aquarists?

Matt
Click to expand...

Matt - I think this is a great question and deserves a thread of its own. I wonder if we might dedicate a meeting to it and maybe bring in some former shop owners as speakers...
 
Sonny Disposition

Sonny Disposition

Active Member
One idea I like is the fish store meetup.

Last year, I think, I scheduled one in a hurry and posted to CCA, PVAS, and, I think Facebook. I met Luis F. at Tropical Lagoon in Silver Spring. Marge and Kevin showed up as well. We looked around, talked for awhile. Some of us bought some fish, and, afterwards we went next store and had lunch at Inkas (which, in these recession weary times, is sadly no longer with us.)

Jesse called two or three of them somewheres out in VA, which, unfortunately, I was unable to make.

The idea is to specifically help local business-- not just the LFS, but also local small mom and pop restaurants. No chains allowed. Only local businesses.

Maybe more members should call more meetups.

Becca said:
Matt - I think this is a great question and deserves a thread of its own. I wonder if we might dedicate a meeting to it and maybe bring in some former shop owners as speakers...
Click to expand...
 
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