I guess if you live long enough, you get to see the evolution of all kinds of things. Being a part of cannabis culture since the early '70’s, I always loved walking into headshops from that time. They were always somewhat dark, smelled intensely of incense, were packed with waaay too much stuff, with a general atmosphere of a different kind of “don’t ask, don’t tell”. All manner of ‘tobacco’ smoking products were tightly arranged on shelves. Knowing side glances between you, other customers, and those that worked there were exchanged. In many ways it was pretty damn funny. I wondered later, “Do these businesses even attempt to do inventory? How in the hell do they even accurately count all this stuff?”. Anyway, in a city not far from the small town where I live, vestiges of those old style headshops still exist (I live in a thoroughly illegal cannabis state in the US). But the day is coming when they’ll be replaced.
Of course, the evolution part is what we now call dispensaries (headshops? no) and they’ve been moving more toward the mold of nice doctor’s offices for a while now. But this current example of ‘sleek and savvy’ is taking things to another level;
My Mom and Dad divorced in ‘79 and he had this small apartment down from the Dayton Mall. My older brother and I would walk down to Dingleberries and the head shop and look at all of the stuff when we stayed with him…
Dingleberries records… man, that was a flood of memories seeing your post…
You described perfectly, the Down Under Leather shop on Syracuse University campus. From 1978 - 2015 (and likely still to this day) the shop has been mostly unchanged. Jam packed with colors, leather and all things 60’s and 70’s. Back in the day, you shot the glance to the staff, walked through a linen hanginging into the “back room.” Nowadays, all of the bongs, pipes papers etc are front and center.
Always and still could pop in there for a 7 (now 21) dollar plastic bong to use as a throw away before a concert.
I went back two years ago (Indian Lake) for my Aunts funeral… so much has changed in Ohio.
Can’t say for the good. NAFTA killed Southwest Ohio… It is why I moved to California for College and then work
Here’s something I should have included in my post. When my elderly parents moved into assisted living not long ago, I was tasked with the difficult job of preparing their house to sell. My mom had difficulty parting with things from her children’s childhoods (along with keeping too much stuff in general). At one point I uncovered this;
I purchased it from one of the headshops I used to frequent as a teenager. I found it rolled up in a the back of a closet in what once was my room. I’d say it’s about 44 years old and is in great condition. Too bad I didn’t find the blacklight I used to shine on it . I’m currently building a large poplar frame to put it in (the poster is 24"X36"). The materials for the frame cost a lot more than what I paid for the poster . On the bottom edge is this info: #735 Angel of Creation, Artist: D’Uzes, Copyright 1971 Third Eye Inc. 151 W 26th Street NYC. This is my kind of vintage…
I loved going dildo/bong shopping at the headshop in Reading, PA. Big ol’ sign on the register, “THEY ARE WATER PIPES, NOT BONGS; YOU WILL BE KICKED OUT IF YOU CALL THEM BONGS.”
From what we were all told, the headshops in PA were often being monitored by cops. Bongs, bowls, & such were considered drug paraphernalia, but water pipes & pipes were just smoking pieces.
Every headshop, from Reading to South Street had a sign like it. I wonder if it’s changed, now. Haven’t been to a PA headshop since '96.
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. I’m currently building a large poplar frame to put it in (the poster is 24"X36"). The materials for the frame cost a lot more than what I paid for the poster 
. On the bottom edge is this info: 