Stopped by an old drafting supply shop in Springfield last week

I was driving through Springfield last week and saw this little drafting supply shop I used to go to back in the 90s. Place is still open but the owner told me he barely sells actual drafting equipment anymore. Most of his business now is selling markers and paper to local art students. It made me a little sad to see the big drafting tables pushed to the back corner gathering dust. Has anyone else watched their local supply store change like that over the years?

3 comments

3 Comments

sage_moore371mo agoMost Upvoted

That's a bummer to hear about the old place. There was a similar shop near me that used to carry all kinds of blueprint supplies and mechanical pencils, now it's mostly watercolor sets and sketchbooks. The guy behind the counter said kids just use apps for their drafting now, so the big tables are just for show. Makes you wonder how much longer these places can hang on.

jana8811mo ago

Heard someone say that old art supply shops are turning into vinyl record stores basically, everyone's surprised they're still around but they have this loyal crowd that keeps them alive lol. My neighbor is an architect and she still buys specialty pens from this one place in the city, says the online ones just don't feel the same in her hand. Guess it's kind of sad but also cool that these shops become these niche little time capsules for people who still want the real thing.

susan_adams1mo agoMost Upvoted

Brought back memories of my dad's old shop that switched from typewriters to selling CDs.