First Computer Store

[Fred Cisin]

>> A momentus event happened 40 years ago around this time, July 1975,
>> the world's first computer store opened in West Los Angeles, called
>> Arrow Head Computer Store, tag-lined, 'The Computer Store'. It was
>> opened by Dick Heiser. How time has flown by!

On Fri, 24 Jul 2015, Richard Loken wrote:
> What did they sell in 1975?
> I remember reading articles in "73 Magazine" circa 1976 about the
> interesting things that could be done with an 8008, some 2102s, and 500
> linear feet of wirewrap but I was doing broadcast elctronics maintenance for
> a living and far more inclined to race bicycles than dabble in electronics
> in my spare time.  Five years later I working in computing instead of
> broadcasting and everthing started to change.

Stan Veit, claiming to have run the SECOND computer store (in New York 
city), backs up the statement that Heiser started the first one.

In 1976, Veit sold IIMSAIs, and Sphere.  This was largely due to him being 
unwilling to become a franchise of "The Computer Store" out of Boston, who 
had an exclusive on Altairs for the the northeast.  He doesn't say when 
"The Computer Store" opened their first actual retail store, but he was 
well established when they opened one in New York.