Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood in the mid-1970s was filled with resale shops. They often displayed merchandise on the sidewalks to attract attention. This shop set a new standard for architecture. The storefront was made out of unpainted particle board or plywood. Not a scrap was wasted as you can see from the way the pieces were patched together. In addition, the windows appeared to be sheets of plexiglass nailed to the plywood. They evidently didn’t have enough wood to finish the wall; you can see exposed studs behind the girl on the bike. The words “RESALE•SHoP” were hand painted. The doors are crumbling. And the washing machine is an early 1950’s vintage. The person washing the clothes had to feed each item through a pair of rollers that squeezed water out. This was pre-spin-dry technology. Even the lady’s dog is cringing when it walked by this shop. In keeping with the bare-bones decor, note that the “sale” sign was a “for sale” sign with the “for” ripped off.
