Dear readers: After 13 years, I'm closing The Obscure Store

It was very tough to write that headline, but it's time for me to hit the REFRESH button and try something new.

Some of you may know that I announced on Wednesday that I'm "semi-retiring" from Poynter and launching JimRomenesko.com. Buried in the Huffington Post story about my decision is news that I'm closing the Obscure Store after next week. I'll post "best of" OS&RR stories -- some of the "hits" -- in the remaining days and let you recall your favorite ones, tell us when you discovered Obscure Store, and share any other anecdotes.

HOW THIS SITE STARTED
For nearly a decade -- starting in 1989 -- I published a print "fanzine" called Obscure Publications. Its mission was to review fanzines and profile their editors. In early 1998, I decided to start selling fanzines online through a new site called The Obscure Store. My challenge was to get "customers" to my website. I decided to do that by linking to stories that I found interesting. I had general interest articles on the top of the page and "Media Gossip" items on the bottom half. In May of 1999 I decided to create a separate site -- MediaGossip.com -- for those media stories. It was a life-changing decision: the Poynter Institute heard about Media Gossip (via this story), hired me, and let me work on my own out of coffee shops in the Chicago area -- while paying me a salary that I never thought I'd make as a journalist.

THE OBSCURE STORE EVOLUTION
Over time, Obscure Store shifted from a general-interest news site to a weird-news site. As a former police reporter (and the author of Death Log), I was always attracted to those kinds of stories. Over the years, many similar sites launched -- Fark! -- and many of my readers drifted away. Those other blogs allowed comments, while I resisted them for a long time. Readers will probably remember that I allowed comments for a while, then pulled them after the discussions got out of hand. I eventually (2005?) reinstated them, realizing that I couldn't (and shouldn't) control every word and thought on my site.

I know I have some readers who've been with me from the start, and I'd love to hear their memories of the site's evolution. (I want to hear from Obscure Store "newbies" too!) What's always amazed me is how civil the comments section has (generally) been. While there've been dustups and disagreements, it's been rare when I've had to ban someone or delete an offensive comment. (Maybe I'm just missing them!) A great community has formed and one of my biggest regrets is breaking that up. But.... that doesn't have to happen. There's the Obscure Store page on Facebook where stories can be posted and comments can continue. It's up to you (and I'd be happy to put up stories, too).

So, that's that -- the end of a long and memorable run. Thanks, readers, for being with me for the ride!

> This Q&A about Obscure Store from 1999 remains one of my favorites

Jump to the eighth page of comments.

Comments

[Dick Tater]

A final post for my fellow readers. Should you ever have a dog or cat that needs killing, some other critter conundrum or help in deciding if someone is a Jew or not, just walk down to the nearest curb or corner and yell as loudly as you can, "I need Dick." I will hear you and I will come.

[Mark from Maine]

Thanks so much, Mr. R. Been reading since the early 00's, when I also discovered Romenesko/Poynter and Starbucks Gossip. They occupy the first three positions of one of my My Yahoo! home pages. These will be missed, but I'm looking forward to finding out where you go next. all the best to you.

[Krash]

Sorry I didn't post for Posterity right away, I jumped over to the Facebook page. Thanks for the diversion, JR;
It's been fun. I wish I had found it before 2008.

[chris (no longer n cali)]

sucks....gonna miss your site Jim.....this page has been my evening reading for 10 years...def gonna follow your new project and wish you every success in your future endeavours....

[ReginaFilangee]

I, for one, will ALWAYS need Dick!!!

(Sorry, but I just can't bring myself to say my final goodbye just yet.)

[dirtleg]

I haven't yet seen Daily Rotten suggested as an alternate news site. While requiring a registration for commenting, it is pretty loose as far as information required. The comments are sometimes a bit more caustic than those at OS&RR, but also quite humorous at times. Just trying to fill the gap.

[lynn]

oh wow! this bites! but i am glad for you jim, we all need a retirement to look forward too.

i will miss all the stories of fetishes, crazy drunk women, crazy men, food fights...all of it.

the only place i ever became a goddess...with my own goat. (damn, i miss the goat, sniff sniff).
ya know, i almost got suspended from work being here. my bosslady was "watching" my computer and could follow me where ever i went on the 'puter....she dissaproved of the site--no taste
if she is still watching (and btw, she is no longer my boss): (|) MOONPIE :)

i will try to get to FB if i can remember my password,

passing out sweet tea, beers, peach cobbler and butter biscuits, shrimp and grits (no sugar, LGL!)to all my reading room buds: SIL, LGL, RMM, merc, reno, twerp, rock marine, pranq, troscne, thomas, r'gina, kesle, nellagain...oh heck, all of you.
a big hug for jim!!!

[Jim Romenesko]

Thanks, Lynn! (Now go look for that FB password!)

[Rock Marine]

The picnic table will get dusty and the family dog won't run scared anyore. Good-bye OS&RR.

[Big Kahuna]

Well, thanks for the mammaries. Oh wait, that was another site I frequent.

I tried to send in a few stories over the years and ding that tip jar. Hope this closure means lots of naps and fishing!

Cheers,

Tom in Palo Alto

[Jim Romenesko]

Just a reminder to everybody that you can join the OS&RR crew on Facebook and post/read links there.

[Kody]

Wow, I had gotten out of the habit of checking this site every day due mostly to work constraints but I will miss it greatly. The stories were always interesting but paled in comparison to the comments that were posted. Will miss you Jim but the best of luck in your future endeavors. - Daniel

[Phranqlin]

Now that's the way to go out in style, Dick.

Farewell, OS&RR!

[Strider]

Good Luck! Thanks for the memories!!!!!!!!!

[Sigh]

I will be missing the ObscureStore, but hopefully the new site will be even more interesting -- even with 100% fewer stories about picnic tables.

I have looked forward to reading the comments, but have been out of the discussion loop since I started travelling to Italy for work over the last few years.

In recent years, I too have enjoyed the relative lack of right-wing-radio spewers -- we have (had, sigh) plenty of right wing opinions, but they were not from tape recorders. For that matter, in the Bush years, I was grateful that the lefties kept their rants out of here too.

I didn't always agree with you guys/galse, but I sure enjoyed hearing your opinions. More that a few times, you guys swayed my position, even. But mostly, you made me spew coffee up my nose.

Warmest Regards,
'Sigh'

PS. Might I recommend www.weirduniverse.net

[Me (the original)]

As "Mr. Bill" (Saturday Night Live) would say (in a high pitched falsetto voice)"Oh Noooooooooo"

[dirtleg]

Hey, someone check the back door to see if it is locked. And whoever is last out, turn off the lights before you leave and make sure the coffee pot is turned off.

Don't forget your umbrella, it looks like rain.

bye-bye now.....

[Chris S.]

So many good sites just disappear -- Glad to hear how you've decided yours is going! Thanks for a great website for years and years.

[David]

But this is my first ever visit - it seems cruel that I'm just finding something as it winds up. Ho hum.

[twerp]

:( I'm going to miss you, Jim R. If I ever get back on Facebook, I PROMISE I'll look you up.

I clicked the site out of habit this morning and was glad to see that the browser at least brought me here. I'm not looking forward to the time where I click it and it no longer directs me here.

You're a talented man.

[Tom Weidermeijer]

Goodbye Twerp.

I think we see a lot of things alike. Would have liked to have met you.

Tom

[Mark Gisleson]

I hate when the old gods leave us. You were among the very first to go online, and were always one of the very best.

[Axel Kassel]

Thank you for all the quirkology, Sir. Best wishes to you.

[Jack]

Going to miss this site!

[AngrySockMonkey]

Good memories, lots of laughs. It was a most wonderful waste of time. Trolling has never been so much fun.
Thanks Jim

and thanks to everyone else who participated. At times, I never laughed so hard at a computer.

AngrySockMonkey

[A-Man]

I think I've been reading this site for 10+ years, and I'll miss it. Good luck on your future endeavors, and I'll keep an eye out for your name.

[Jim Romenesko]

Thanks again for all the kind words. (Mark G., I recall hearing from you in my St. Paul days.) It felt very odd on Monday not having to look for, and post, OS&RR stories. I spent some time, though, working on the new JimRomenesko.com, which will "soft launch" this fall. (I'm officially semi retired from Poynter on Jan. 1.)

[twerp]

Tom, I would like to have met you as well. You seem like a really neat person to be around. It's actually funny because "Tom" is a name I have picked out if the baby I'm carrying is a boy. So I promise, if my baby is a boy, I'm naming him Tom.

Take care!

Katie

[Sigh]

Jim, I will make sure to update your wikipedia to include your new site when it is up and running.

[Trevor H. Stenson]

The obscure store will be sorry missed :) > I look forward to your new site!

Trevor

Edmonton, Canada

[T Grum]

I cut myself off from the Internet for a week or so for vacation and this happens! I'm another one who is sorry to see the site go, but at least it didn't crash and burn like Random House's Deepak Chopra forum did. That was my first forum experience when I first went online last century and RH pulled the plug because posters couldn't play nice.

The Obscure Store and Reading Room is one of my favorite sites. I would often just read the comments to the articles, they were the best part. I was reading Fark for a while, but I liked this place better. Maybe the number of my morning surfing hits at work will go down now.

Best wishes to everyone here, even the ones who irritated me. Jim, I'll think of you every time I read a weird news article or drink a Starbucks.

Tom Green

(Not the "comedian." Im funnier and came to this world before that fool did.)

P.S. @Twerp, I see your post above about the name, "Tom." Having the last name that I do, I thought that if I ever had a kid, I'd name it Soylent. I also like Wolfgang, who would be called "Gang" for short.

[kevy]

Oh twerp, your name is Katie. You used to really grate on me but I've acquired a taste for what you have to say. You're always the first with an opinion on any subject. Somehow you don't seem like a Katie to me. You seem like a twerp. My real name is Karen. hehe.Good luck to you and Tom. Take care.

[Dave Child]

Brilliant ... first time I find this site and it's the obituary.

[twerp]

Karen puts a whole new spin on understanding you, kevy. LoL. There for awhile, I thought you were a super sensitive guy. Sorry if I grated on your nerves at first. I like to play devil's advocate sometimes and that can really annoy people. It's not that I'm trolling when I do it, I just like to have an understanding of both sides of an issue and the best way I can do that is the argue the side of the "bad guys"--even if I don't necessarily agree with it. I think there was a time or two where I was "victim blaming" and that ticked you off--I was playing devil's advocate then...sorry about that. What can I say, I'm a twerp and that's what twerps do.

[Steveinsd]

Haven't been around as long as most but I still wanted to thank you Jim my employer has lost a lot of hours due to your site. It will be missed.

[kevy]

Will I have the last word?

[ReginaFilangee]

I'm late in coming to wish anyone who is still reading a happy 9-10-11 day, and sure do miss this. Was looking forward to maybe reminiscing with everyone about 9-11 on today's 10yr anniversary.

But back to yesterday's special date of 9-10-11: I'll pretend that someone posted a smart-azz remark about how for the rest of the world, it was really 11-9-10. To which I reply: just wait a couple of months until 11-11-11. Then they'll have no choice but to do it "our" way. ;-)

[ReginaFilangee]

And to quote Lee Greenwood,

"...thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

And I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm FREE,
And I won't forget the ones who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land...."

[twerp]

Nope! Regina beat you to it! And now I beat Regina.

LAST!!

[rickets]

i'm gonna miss you OS&RR(JIM).
been reading almost every day since before 2000.
i think i'm gonna cry too.
love the site and will sorely miss it.
now i only have the daily rotten to fall back on.
sniff....BAW