FORT SMITH, Ark. — Tip Top Western Wear is hanging up its hat after opening on Garrison Avenue in 1947.
“We’ve been on this avenue a long, long, long time,” Sam Wald said.
Joe Wald started Tip Top as a shoe repair store. When he met his wife LaRue they started dry cleaning services and in the 1970s they started selling the western wear you see today.
“It’s very sad but we can’t dwell on that. It’s been very receptive," he said. "I’ve got some great customers, this isn’t got nothing to do with the customer base, there are other variables involved."
Sam Wald and his siblings including Dan who passed away in 2019 have carried on the family business with their kids also helping customers find the perfect pair of boots or cowboy hats. He says they’ve been blessed with great customers and they are thankful for all the memories.
“It’s been great. I worked with my dad and then my brother came along. I raised three boys here and they all got college-educated and learned the work ethic here,” he said.
Like many brick-and-mortar stores that have also shut their doors, Wald says companies are pushing direct to consumers.
“They are trying to do away with the salesmen, they are cutting out their commission. One on one with a salesman is almost non-existent,” he said.
Robert Huston has been a life-long customer and says Tip Top closing is a huge loss for Garrison Avenue.
“They knew how to shape a hat correctly, so it brought out the best features that you had," he said. "That is just something that you don’t find anymore in any store especially the large chain stores. So, the attention to details, the personalized service that they gave was unmatched and it will be missed."
Tip Top Western Wear plans to close at the end of March but with the number of people who have been shopping their sale, they aren’t sure there will be anything left at the end of the month. Everything in the store is currently 30% off.