Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

At one time Tandy Leather was under the same coporate umbrella as the now defunct Radio Shack, but that's all water under the bridge now. Apparently the current regime dates from 1999, and I don't see any news about them being in trouble, but nonetheless this store has closed, and apparently the next nearest is 100 miles away.

I was not really aware of Ready To Play but apparently it was a gaming center for table-top and card games like Magic The Gathering. Their Facebook page has posts into early January 2022, so I'll use that as the closing date.

(Hat tip to commenter Nobody)

Like many of the old buildings with a faux stone exterior, this location on Knox Abbott Drive was once a Popeye's restaurant. However since at least 2009, and probably well before, it was the location for Vacuum Center.

Recently they moved shop to 1306 Charleston Highway, a building which was also a restaurant: Chappy's Fish & Chips:

(Hat tip to commenter Thomas)

I was in Parkland Plaza last weekend and noticed that the insurance agency by the nail spa was gone. Google is not helping me on dates here, but I'm going to say 2020 since I don't think it could have been vacant longer than that without my noticing it. (Though, admittedly, I have proved to be startlingly unobservant at times). It looks like though I have done a number of closings for suites on the State Street side of the plaza, I have never done this one in particular.

This is one of the Bi-Lo locations slated to become a Food Lion, and the closing was announced so long ago that I have kind of lost track of who pointed it out to give a hat tip. Perhaps commenter ED, certainly it has been mentioned many times by many people. In fact, I took some pictures a good while ago, and then nothing ever happened, leading me to think I had read something wrong. Of course, as is usual, I have misplaced those pictures, so above are some from 10 January, just a few hours after the final closing.

(Thanks to all!)

I wasn't aware of this sportsman's gun & thrift store in the old Gamecock Theater, but judging by the pictures on Yelp, it was an interesting place. Looking at the most recent google reviews, it appears they closed down towards the end of July.

I was in this place, once, when it was Resale Revue, and it was obvious that the big room had been a theater, what with the sloping floor and all. I expect that limits the kind of business that can move in without major work.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

I've always admired this interesting building on upper Knox Abbott. I'm not sure if it was originally built as a Red Wing store, or something else started here, but it certainly catches the eye as you drive by.

Recently the owners have disaffiliated from Red Wing, saying:

Formerly Red Wing Shoes, we have changed our name to CB Forrest Workwear, and will have a larger variety of safety shoes!

and

We have been serving the Cayce area for over 30 years. (Formerly Red wing shoes) We have changed our name to CB Forrest Workwear, but will be managed by the same staff. Same service and custom fit as always, but now with more brands to choose from.

This pebbly building on Knox Abbott was a Sprint cellphone store until apparently late last year (judging by online review dates). If you look closely in the window you can see a sign that says, I think, that they have moved, and to check Garners Ferry or another location that I can't make out. Anyway, since they give two locations, I think it's more of a consolidation than this operation actually having moved.

I have it in the back of my mind that the building reminds me of a chain style I have seen, but I can't quite place it.

Wristwatch Doc used to be in Forest Acres where Marco's Pizza is now, but moved to Knox Abbott in April of 2014.

When the old Oscar de la Renta watch my father gave me in the 1980s started losing time, I took it here and they fixed it pretty quickly. (Well, I think they just replaced the guts, but that's fine with me, I'm a George Washington's Hatchet kind of guy.)

Unfortunately, I dropped it again a few months ago, and it's losing time again. Not sure where I'll take it this time.

Several folks in Have Your Say talking about watch batteries. If I'm in town, I take mine to Roof's on Forest Drive, and have never had a problem.

The wierdest time I ever had replacing a battery was when my watch stopped while I was spending a week working in DC. There's a big mall on the, um, blue, I think, line, Pentagon City or Crystal City, something like that. I metro-ed down to that and found a jeweler who told me: No problem! We'll send it off and have it back to you in two weeks. I asked if anyone had, in fact, ever taken them up on that, and apparently the answer was no.

Looking further there, I found something like the Watch & Sunglasses Hut, which did not inspire confidence, but I was there and didn't have any better options. The guy took the back off easily, and replaced the battery fine. Then he was having a dickens of a time getting the back on again, and I started to worry that he was going to bend it, or break the crystal with all the pounding he was doing. Finally he turns around to his counter and says, I guess I'm going to have to use this thingamajig that puts the puts the backs back on. He puts the watch in it, works a screw and presto: the back is on. I'm like, well, I dunno, but if I had a device for putting the backs of watches on, that might have been my first option..

(Hat tip to commenter badger)

Well, the situation for Jewelry Warehouse and its associated sports memoribilia stores seems rather confusing. Here is a State story on the situation, and here is one from Columbia Business Report.

I think the upshot is that while there are statements from the business that they will be back, those have probably been overtaken by events (and by the Department of Revenue). The sums owed seem quite large, and I suspect they were optimistically thinking they could turn the situation around, and overextended their resources without being able in the end to make that happen.

(Hat tip to commenter Jimmy)

UPDATE 17 May 2021 -- To be an East Bay Deli:

Also adding map icon.