Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 172 posts

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#41

Post by rorykoehler »

emteycz wrote: post #22
dsfyu404ed wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Your comment feels more like vitriol than fact statement, regardless of being correct. It's just about the shortest, blandest way to make that statement. That it's borderline "vitriol" or considered offensive to say X did Y when that is fact (or as close to fact as you can get with a subjective matter like this, nobody is going to say that communism was good for Eastern Europe) says something about culture here in 2…

> That it's borderline "vitriol" or considered offensive says something about culture here in 2019. I'm literally writing this comment from mobile while standing in a crowd near anti-communist protest in Prague. I can't really wrap my mind around this culture change.

Why is there an anti-communist protest in Prague?

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#42

Post by legulere »

weinzierl wrote: post #10

Several hyper-specialist shops I know in Munich: - balloon shops seem to do really well because we have several here and every major city seems to have one - foam shop for when you need to fix your upholstery - venetian blind store which only sells the vertical kind - Ketten Wild was a chain shop that only sold chains but chains in all forms and sizes - la porcelaine blanche's slogan is "only china, only white" and t…

Even the 75000 inhabitant city I live in has a balloon shop, but also one for brushes. Also in the neighboring city there used to be a shop just for rubber.

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#43

Post by weinzierl »

dreen wrote: post #28
weinzierl wrote: post #10

Several hyper-specialist shops I know in Munich: - balloon shops seem to do really well because we have several here and every major city seems to have one - foam shop for when you need to fix your upholstery - venetian blind store which only sells the vertical kind - Ketten Wild was a chain shop that only sold chains but chains in all forms and sizes - la porcelaine blanche's slogan is "only china, only white" and t…

Please give more information on the elk shop. I need it... for research (and cant find it on google)

It was located in Frauenstraße near Isartor [1]. If I remember correctly its name was just "Elchladen". Unfortunately I can't find it either, so it probably closed.

[1] https://www.google.com/maps/@48.1343175,11.5814045,19.15z

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#44

Post by [deleted] »

weinzierl wrote: post #10

Several hyper-specialist shops I know in Munich: - balloon shops seem to do really well because we have several here and every major city seems to have one - foam shop for when you need to fix your upholstery - venetian blind store which only sells the vertical kind - Ketten Wild was a chain shop that only sold chains but chains in all forms and sizes - la porcelaine blanche's slogan is "only china, only white" and t…

[deleted]

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#46

Post by megablast »

arethuza wrote: post #6

For many many years there was a shop on Victoria street in Edinburgh that appeared to sell nothing but brooms and large balls of string - it was even mentioned in Complicity by Iain Banks. Here are some pics of it: http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_MY_P_S/0_my_photographs_shops_... Edit: Sad to say that I passed that shop for many years going to uni in the Grassmarket (both as a student and working there) and never went…

There was also a Christmas store on the royal mile. Not sure if it still exists.

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#47

Post by robk »

rezeroed wrote: post #39
yourapostasy wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With enough cleaning solvents and disinfectants, any object can be made safe again. There are people who dive into literal sewage retention ponds full of human waste in full SCUBA gear every day to work (clearing obstructions). After reading about that, squeamishness was never an issue for me. As long as it isn't some kind of chemical/biological/radiological warfare agent type substance, or a compound that makes chem…

If you start putting used toilet brushes in the post, I will no longer accept any mail. Are you not confusing biodegradable with repair? Wooden brushes with bamboo bristles or something instead of poo post?

In many countries medical feces samples as sent back to a lab. I'm sure end users are careless and messy when they send them too!

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#48

Post by chris_overseas »

I've been past a specialist umbrella shop [0] in London hundreds of times and it has always intrigued me, though I have never been inside. I'm not quite sure it's in the same vein as the other speciality shops people are listing here though, since it has been there for almost 200 years and clearly targets the more discerning customer with high quality and bespoke items.

[0] https://www.james-smith.co.uk/

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#49

Post by ekianjo »

Nothing too surprising really. The largest the density of people living in the same place, the more very niche businesses find enough folks to generate a livelihood out of it. The only reason why such shops tend to disappear is when rents become too high - but then nowadays they have the opportunity to go online instead. Tokyo has lots of hyper-specialist shops in different areas of the city, too.

Re: The hyper-specialist shops of Berlin

#50

Post by dreen »

weinzierl wrote: post #43
dreen wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please give more information on the elk shop. I need it... for research (and cant find it on google)

It was located in Frauenstraße near Isartor [1]. If I remember correctly its name was just "Elchladen". Unfortunately I can't find it either, so it probably closed. [1] https://www.google.com/maps/@48.1343175,11.5814045,19.15z

Thats a shame.

And btw, did you know moose/elk were first described on paper by Julius Ceasar during his "trip" to Germania? He thought they have no joints in their legs and sleep propped up against trees.

Just a little moose fact for you. I wish this store was still open.

Edit since I want to share this; other moose-related businesses I've been to in Europe:

- Moose Coffee chain in north England (excellent)

- Moose Garden in Sweden where you can live with the moose.

Post reply on HN