Akron’s West Point Market was open today but only for a final auction of its contents. WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia reports.
The chocolate-brick-colored building on West Market Street drew hundreds of people wanting a last look at, or piece of, the 79-year-old specialty grocer.
Longtime shopper Susan Yingling from Akron bought some wine racks at the sale, and was also looking at some of the store’s cabinetry.
“It was kind of melancholy walking through, as you see the people who worked there their faces behind the empty cases – the empty cases that held things that we loved.”
Other items for sale included signage from the Beside the Point Café, a basket full of employee bowties bearing a script ‘W,’ books even two real British phone booths. Kevin Dockery checked them out before the sale for an out-of-state friend. But they quickly lost interest.
“Each booth weighs 2,000 pounds. They’re cast iron; a car would bounce off this thing. And an awful lot of people like the idea of purchasing them [until] then they found out how heavy they were. I’m a big guy [and] I bounced right off it just trying to move it a little bit.”
Each of the two phone booths sold for $5,700. The property was sold to Whole Foods last year, although Rick Vernon, grandson of founder Harold Vernon, says he’s looking for a new location closer to the Montrose shopping district.
