Who Remembers Rinks Bargain City? (Cleveland, Cincinnati: appointed, buying, bankruptcy)

[kjbrill]

How many of you remember the Rinks Bargain City days? Unless I am totally off base they originated out of Hamilton. I know they had some spinoffs throughout Ohio, but don't know how far they actually spread or what the ownership/franchise name use was.

I just remember Willie Thall as the Bargain City Kid and those shlock late night movies on WCPO they sponsored. Can't believe people actually stayed up to watch that drivel.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

How many of you remember the Rinks Bargain City days? Unless I am totally off base they originated out of Hamilton. I know they had some spinoffs throughout Ohio, but don't know how far they actually spread or what the ownership/franchise name use was.

I just remember Willie Thall as the Bargain City Kid and those shlock late night movies on WCPO they sponsored. Can't believe people actually stayed up to watch that drivel.

Rinks purchased a lot of the old Cook United (Ontario's in Cincinnati) stores out of bankruptcy.

They were heading out of business by 1980 or so.

[ram2]

I remember both a Rink's store and an Ontario store on Beechmont Ave. in Anderson in the early 1980s.

[rrtechno]

We had Rink's Bargain City clear up here in the NW corner of the state.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by rrtechno

We had Rink's Bargain City clear up here in the NW corner of the state.

Yes, Rinks had a presence in Toledo as well as Cincinnati. The pharmacy/drug stores inside Rinks were run by Gray Drug, and my father managed the store on Reading Road for a couple of years in the mid-late 70s.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by ram2

I remember both a Rink's store and an Ontario store on Beechmont Ave. in Anderson in the early 1980s.

I believe that it was an Ontario and then a Rink's.

[kjbrill]

I remember the Ontario store on Ridge Ave near I-71. Bought 3 Flexible Flyer sleds there one Christmas when my kids were young. Last time I saw Flexible Flyer in a store. Still have those 3 sleds. I don't remember exactly what caused the demise of Ontaio. I was disappointed since I thought they handled good quality products.

I am aware Rinks took over a number of the Ontario stores. Does anyone know who financed the deal? I find it hard to believe Rinks suddenly had the muscle to expand out of their series of lean-tos which made up the original store. It felt like a series of side-by-side pawn shops. Was there a buyout or something which then took advantage of other declines such as Ontario to grow?

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I am aware Rinks took over a number of the Ontario stores. Does anyone know who financed the deal? I find it hard to believe Rinks suddenly had the muscle to expand out of their series of lean-tos which made up the original store. It felt like a series of side-by-side pawn shops. Was there a buyout or something which then took advantage of other declines such as Ontario to grow?

You will have a hard time with that one as that was way before the internet.

However, here is what I could find in a few minutes:


Cook United, Inc. - Lehman Brothers Collection

Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:COOK UNITED, INC.


YouTube - Uncle Bill's - Ontario - Cooks - Cook United Commercial 1981

Brady's Bunch of Lorain County Nostalgia: Remember Ontario Dept. Store?

COMPANY NEWS - COMPANY NEWS - Drug Fair Accepts Acquisition Offer - NYTimes.com

Yahoo! Groups

Treasure hunt: inside the mind of ... - Google Books


YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

[kjbrill]

jlawrence01 - thanks. The whole succession of acquisition seems to be a little foggy. The role of Cook United and Gray Drugs seems the best defined, both ambitious expansions which went sour. I wasn't aware Bargain City was Toledo and Rinks Bargain City was created when they were acquired and merged.

[t45209]

We used to be regulars at the one on Reading in Evendale. Oddly, my grandmother who was very particular about buying food in certain places (she would never allow us to eat at the lunch counter at Kresge's or Kmart) would actually buy something Rink's called Wing Dings. That had them at the hot, prepared foods deli. Basically, these were sort of the forerunners to Buffalo Wings, except they were simply miniature fried chicken "legs." They served them in a thick, insulated paper bag lined with foil.