March 23, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Downtown survivor

by Sue Dremann

In an era of high-powered mergers and acquisitions, it's difficult to comprehend of a time when missing a game of pinochle could play a major role in a merchant's fortunes.

Yet Ed Hoffacker III, owner of the venerable Palo Alto Sport Shop and Toy World on Waverly Street, knows how fate can literally be in the cards. The third-generation proprietor of the business, which opened on Sept. 15, 1930, Hoffacker said his grandfather nearly lost the Birge Clark-designed building that has grown so familiar to patrons over the years. Hoffacker's great-grandfather, B.J. Hoffacker, was the original owner of the building and, by all accounts, a pretty hard-nosed businessman. "He gave the building to my grandfather," Ed Hoffacker said. "Every week, my grandfather would play pinochle in (San Francisco) with him. One week, he missed playing, and my great-grandfather took the building away from him. "He had to buy it back," Hoffacker said. The store, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, has withstood many more challenges. As times changed, so has the business. The store first sold bicycles, then sporting goods, including guns and fishing tackle. The bike business eventually split off and became Palo Alto Bicycles, which was taken over by his uncle. In the 1950s and 1960s, surfing became the rage and the store rode that wave until the 1980s, when interest ebbed. "Everything fades at one point," said Eric Hager, the store's general manager. "The only constant is change." As might be expected, working in a toy store is a lot of fun. "Selling toys keeps me young. It's like Christmas in the back room when new shipments come in," said Hoffacker, who is 62.

Growing up, Hoffacker's own favorite toys included his Flexi Flyer and electric trains. He also played a lot of baseball. The store remains an active supporter of team sports.

"My dad started Little League and the Bobby Sox here," Hoffacker said. Growing up around a toy store wasn't necessarily child's play, though. His first job was cleaning bathrooms. He worked in the freight room during his teen years, moving merchandise.

"There's not a job I haven't done here. I still patch the roof."

In the upstairs office, a cast of fun-loving support personnel and toy buyers such as Mike King work in a small office that sports a mounted moose head and two bucks. Hoffacker joked with King, who has been in the toy business since 1961. They playfully sparred with Ronnie Castro, a Green Bay Packers fan surrounded by 49er Faithful.

"She's a rebel," Hoffacker said, adding Castro is their "gal everything."

There's an easy camaraderie among the store's 20 employees, and Hoffacker views them as family. Hager met his wife at the store, as have other employees. King's wife Pat helps choose dolls for the store.

Picking experts in their field who are knowledgeable about selling as well as buying in a particular area -- be it toys, shoes, swimwear or skateboards, is an integral part to the store's success - Hoffacker said. If he can't find an expert repair person for electric trains, for example, he won't carry them. It's one indicator that a product may be on the wane.

Predicting the next successful toy or sporting good is one of Hoffacker's great joys. Palo Alto Sport Shop and Toy World jumped ahead of the curve on such items as Gotcha shorts, battery-operated scooters, roller blades, snowboards and lacrosse. The store also launched one of the first e-commerce sites, Hoffacker said.

"The ability to react quickly is one key of a small business," Hager added.

There are occasional miscalculations: "Baby joggers didn't do well here. I thought it would be a perfect match with all of the young families," Hoffacker said.

Even after all of these years, there's no set formula. It's a little bit of intuition, going to trade shows, and just plain experience. But there is one overriding constant: listening to the customer. The store has a loyal clientele, and when a customer comes in with an idea or a request, Hager and Hoffacker listen.

Much may have changed since the days of selling buckshot and tackle, but the business has remained the same in one respect: It's still a traditional store, specializing in everything from the new and novel to such evergreens as Silly Putty and Etch-A-Sketch.

E-mail Staff Writer Sue Dremann@sdremann@paweekly.com.

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