Component Stereo - Skokie IL

For seven years, I worked at my dad's stereo store... Component Stereo in Skokie, IL.  It's where I learned about running a business and the art of sales.

Originally, we started out at a small single space store on Gross Point Road and Church Street in Skokie but after two years, we moved to the store depicted above on Oakton Street and Kolmar Ave. in Skokie... right across the street from Record City.  We thought being close by a record store made sense.

The larger store had three sound rooms which my dad, brother and I built.  The front of the store had all the accessories and tape and cartridges in display counters.  Later, another company joined in our store and opened Component Service which took in equipment for repair.  The technician rented space from us and ran that part of the business separate from us.

Over the years, the equipment changed starting with companies like Marantz, Technics, Koss and others to more high-end audio equipment.  I'll try to list as many as I can remember below.

I can credit my dad for having the foresight to create a business where I had an interest and also to do so to keep me out of trouble.  Now I don't know if I'd actually get in trouble if I didn't work at the store, but that's what my mom told me.  "Your dad opened the store to keep you out of trouble."  Not quite sure what she meant by that.  :)

At the time we operated from 1978 to 1985, our competitors included: MusiCraft, Pacific Stereo, United Audio, Audio Consultants, Victor's Stereo, Paul Heath Audio, and Quintessence Audio.

I wish I had more photos of the store, but these images converted from 35mm film negatives were all I could find.

Here's a list of equipment companies I can remember we sold:

Superscope
Marantz
Technics
Rotel
Nikko Audio
Hitachi
Toshiba
Denon
Luxman
Audio Technica
Shure
Ortofon
Grado
Sumiko
SME
Premier
Grace
Alphason
Platter Matter
Dudley Glass Sound Mat
Monster Cable
Ariston
Dual
Optonica
Sota
JA Mitchell
Hafler
VSP Labs
Amber
Wharfedale
3D Acoustics
Kirksaeter (Loudspeakers)
Rich Acoustics
BML / Tracer
Koss (Loudspeakers and Stereophones)
Sony Headphones
DCM
Visonik
Allison Acoustics
Cerwin-Vega!
Paisley
Jamo
JVC Video
Ampex
TDK
Maxell
RKO
Bone Fone
Discwasher
Audio Control
AudioSource
Terk Antennas
Texas Instruments
Bone Fone
Switchcraft
Gusdorf Cabinets
Dane Furn Cabinets
Chicago Speaker Stand
Sonex