Was very sad to hear the news about one of my favorite businesses on Jefferson Street that will close it's doors forever in the middle of April. The Fun Shop. When I first delved into the history of businesses on Jefferson Street over the years,  I thought it might have evolved from Harry's Costume and Religous Shop. But that was not the case. Harry's occupied 320 Jefferson starting around 1955, and if the city directories are correct, 318 and 320 Jefferson for the bulk of the late fifties. Harry's Costume hopped across the street to 311 Jefferson by the early sixties. They had finally closed shop by 1973.

  The Fun Shop was first listed in city directories starting in 1967 at 411 Jefferson, across the street from where it is now. It moved across the to 310 Jefferson by 1983 and has been there ever since.

  When I was a kid, about ten or so, is when I discovered this "special store" with the "special" types of things that ten year old boys really go for. One of those is fake vomit. Boy did it look real when you got it wet! And the reaction from the girls at Lafayette Elementary was priceless (besides I felt it was my duty to try to distract them from the fact that Paul McCartney might be dead.) Ah yes, good old fake vomit.

  Let's see what else? The ever popular hand buzzer was a real hoot.  No one usually saw that one coming.

And there was that  "snappy gum," that looked like Wrigley's Gum, but gave the victim a slight mouse-trap effect, when they pulled out what was assumed to be a stick of gum.

  And of course there was the "itching powder." What happened with that cannot be discussed here.

  So how about you? I'll bet everybody reading this has been in the Fun Shop at one time or another. What were some of your favorite items, and how were they, umm, deployed. 

 Will you be making one more stop at The Fun Shop for old times sake. I sure will.