# Charlie's Trading Post



## riprap (Mar 11, 2010)

Has anyone ever been in that place? It is in Atlanta. You take Boulevard south from I-20 past the Zoo until it dead ends and take a left and it is on the left across from the Federal Prison.

 I went in there for the second time ever today and it is a trip. There is fishing stuff everywhere near the front door and clothes, boots, carhartt stuff  and other junk scattered all around. Most fishing tackle is from the 70's and 80's. I bought a couple of things just to be nice. When I got home I washed my hands and the water turned black from the dust and mildew. There is stuff stacked on top of stuff. It is an experience everyone should have just once.


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## pbradley (Mar 11, 2010)

riprap said:


> Has anyone ever been in that place? It is in Atlanta. You take Boulevard south from I-20 past the Zoo until it dead ends and take a left and it is on the left across from the Federal Prison.
> 
> I went in there for the second time ever today and it is a trip. There is fishing stuff everywhere near the front door and clothes, boots, carhartt stuff  and other junk scattered all around. Most fishing tackle is from the 70's and 80's. I bought a couple of things just to be nice. When I got home I washed my hands and the water turned black from the dust and mildew. There is stuff stacked on top of stuff. It is an experience everyone should have just once.



been shopping there for 35 years or more.


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## jleach (Mar 11, 2010)

When I was a kid that used to be a really good place to buy Levis.  Sounds like he still has some of the same stuff he had when I was a kid.  Is Charlie still alive or are his kids and grandkids running the store?  If he is still alive he has got to be close to 100 yrs old.  

John


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## illinoishunter77 (Mar 12, 2010)

jleach said:


> When I was a kid that used to be a really good place to buy Levis.  Sounds like he still has some of the same stuff he had when I was a kid.  Is Charlie still alive or are his kids and grandkids running the store?  If he is still alive he has got to be close to 100 yrs old.
> 
> John


He is 88 years old and thinks he's still 28. Next time you're in there get him to talk about all the women from his car racing days. He's been shot at, clubbed with a ball bat, dove out windows in his undaroos, the whole nine.

If you want to see all the new and good stuff you have to go in the back but if he don't know you the chances of that are slim. Let me know and I'll tell him you're coming.


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## fatdaddy1 (Mar 12, 2010)

grew up in that neighborhood...charlie bagwell was a good race car driver. If you wanted levis or boot it was the place. I remember when he was in the old house on down Mcdonough blvd ..ah the memories that this thread brings back.


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## coachrollo (Mar 12, 2010)

Dang we are showing our age I can remember going school shopping there. We went every summer and got our levis made that place had everything.


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## Mechanicaldawg (Mar 12, 2010)

WOW! 

I had no idea the place was still open!

In the days before BassPro and ChinaMart, that was THE place!

Charlie was a character back then. I bet he's a real dirt road sport now!


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## Twenty five ought six (Mar 12, 2010)

Went there about 45+ years ago.  Remember seeing my first plastic worm there -- they were in a big glass candy jar, and the trick was to get  the kids to stick their hands down in there amongst the slimy things.

I still have a first baseman's mitt that my dad bought for me there.  

He also had the one of the biggest collections of Levi jeans in the world -- every size and model Levi made.  



> grew up in that neighborhood...charlie bagwell was a good race car driver. If you wanted levis or boot it was the place. I remember when he was in the old house on down Mcdonough blvd ..ah the memories that this thread brings back.



Yep. remember that old house.  That was part of the adventure -- room after room of "stuff"  without an apparent order.

Hard to believe now but he was one of the major suppliers for team sports, especially baseball.  
He used to sponsor a semi-pro fast pitch softball team.  Had no idea Charlie was actually still alive.  I'm going to  make a nostalgia visit.


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## serving1Lord (Mar 12, 2010)

Yeah, I grew up in that neighborhood too. Use to buy Levi's for $5.00 a pair. Ah the good old days.


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## bass4fun (Mar 12, 2010)

Haven't been in there since the 70's.  My folks used to buy our school jeans there too.  He must have sold a ton of blue jeans back in the day.


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## starvin (Mar 13, 2010)

I work down the road from the store, we shop there alot. He has really good deals on Carhartt stuff. and the fishing stuff is crazy in there. Yep its dusty, but the ole mans a trip. 

dont see many boot deals, but he's got a few.


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## MudDucker (Mar 13, 2010)

Good lord, Charlie is still alive and in business.  Ought to be a sport's shrine!


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## Spinnerbaits (Mar 13, 2010)

You might just get your  killed over there now. That area is the pits! Nothing but crime all over in that area now. People are robbed, shot and killed over there almost daily.


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## injun joe (Mar 13, 2010)

Believe me, it wasn't any better 45 years ago. If you couldn't afford Reeder and McGahee, you got  your Little League gear at Charlie's. It's a great place.


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## Twenty five ought six (Mar 13, 2010)

injun joe said:


> Believe me, it wasn't any better 45 years ago. If you couldn't afford Reeder and McGahee, you got  your Little League gear at Charlie's. It's a great place.





 Yeppers on that, for sure.  

I was trying to remember the name of the place the northside kids got their equipment.  Thanks.


Wood bats rule.  Nothing like being a 10 year old Joe Dimaggio and picking through a bin of bats for the one that felt "just right ."


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## LureheadEd (Mar 13, 2010)

I was in Charlie's a couple of weeks ago...A woman came in while we were talking about his racing and the Doc telling him to quit ... She ended up buying 2 pairs of jeans, as she went out he was chuckleing about having had them for 20 years...
  Many years ago he had some good lures out...Whopper Stopper Hellbenders and Heddons... Now it's just not as good, very few fish catching lures, but lots of lead ...


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## breampole (Mar 13, 2010)

I lived in Atlanta from 1960-1976 and Charlies was a favorite place.  I saw on another thread where it was still open and I have to go back.  Planning on it in April.  I still have a shakespear wonder rod I bought their for my red ambassodor that I also still have.  Equipment has greatly improved since then and been taylored to specific types of lures, but for the time those were good rods.  My first fly rod that I got was a 7" shakespear wonder rod with a Pfluger Medalist reel. I gave those to a Pastor from NC. Got it at Roach's Sporting Goods in Buckhead which Charlies has outlived.


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## specialk (Mar 13, 2010)

i've bought lots of carhart stuff there and a fishing pole or 2.......it is a rough part of town, but which part of town ain't rough any more

a few years ago i was looking at stuff that was scattered around behind the counter.  i noticed an old yellow/green remington shotgun shell box.  i asked him what kind of shells they were.  he reached and handed me the box--28 gauge( i got one)....it had a 7.99 sticker on it.....i told him i'd take it....he opened the box and 3 shells were missing....he knocked a buck off......


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## riprap (Mar 14, 2010)

Unless you are going for Carhartt or work clothes, you really can't go looking for anything specific. I feel pretty safe going down there. Just think, there is a guard in a tower at the Federal Pen. just about a hundred yards away.


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