For months you passed by a red building on Center Avenue and 17th bearing the words “LIQUIDATION” and wondered when Aztec Imports might be going out of business. You never stopped, you just relived the drama of another failed small business again and again on your commute, on your way into town, on your way to Word of Mouth, on your way elsewhere.
And then, one day a few weeks ago, you passed by and saw that the sign was painted over. Secretly you cheered inside, you bubbled all up that the market for imports from Spanish-speaking countries was so large as to warrant an entire shop of them at a strange location next to the Cricket, across from Johnny’s, and caddy-corner from H&R Block. Privately your heart soared as you wondered what exactly — other than Che Guevera merchandise — sat in the showcases of Aztec Imports.
But inwardly you were a little bit sad that Salem has lost its equivalent of the Israeli electronics store, the kind that has a “ONE DAY GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE” every day of the year.
Here’s what actually happened:
Aztec Imports has been having a sale since Christmas and had chosen to announce that sale with the word “Liquidation.” A little bird told me that the city recently asked the store owners to paint over the sign, which they did, leaving a kind of blotchy red on red wall that also features — if you’re looking for it — a little red-on-red heart above where the liquidation sign uses to be.
As for Aztec Imports. The place has some really awesome finger puppets from Peru that I would have bought if I had had some money on me, as well as a much-anticipated shipment of dresses from Thailand in two weeks. If you go in, be sure to engage the owner, who is awesome, the best kind of proprietor. You know, the kind who is so nice he makes you feel bad when you don’t buy anything.
I am all about sleuthing the Salem mysteries in plain sight. Know of any others?
Please check into the mysterious closing/liquidation sale that has been going on for at least 18 months at Loose Ends. I’ve stopped in twice, and marvel that their shelves seem to never empty.
My apologies to long time Oregon residents for bringing this one up again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Francke
Whoa! I was thinking the more innocuous mysteries in plain sight, but yes, that would be a mighty mystery for me to take on…
I’m sorry I missed witnessing your visit to this place; I’ve lived around the corner on 18th St. for ten years and have never actually seen anyone walk in or out of that store. My husband and I have had fun driving by and making up a story for its existence (a front for money laundering, etc.). I can’t really explain why I’ve never had the slightest urge to go in there, except that everything I could see in the windows falls into the “knick-knack” category (doesn’t serve any useful purpose and has to be dusted all the time). Anyway, now our fun is all over because you’ve squashed the mystery; thanks a pile.
That “liquidation” sign is nothing surprising; there is some little deli/market downtown that had a “Grand Opening” banner hanging out front for at least two years (I lost count).
I make up the same stories about the Vietnamese restaurant on Silverton Road. I’ve seen a car there exactly once and I think they were parked there to avoid the crowded parking at the State Fair.
well this store is ‘neat’ but everything inside is over priced and overly dusty due to no one entering lol but i have purchased a few of the finger puppets for my daughter that now sit at the bottom of her toy box. ohh and they changed the name and sign geez