Yes, Stuart, the mother company that bought the store from Gary Neptune 3 years ago must indeed be in trouble. Boulder was treated to the mother of all gear/clothing sales last May, when all the other stores (8 of them?) sent their unsold overstock to the Boulder store for liquidation. Our store apparently had enough room to do it, and of course Boulder has a lot more outdoor types than say, Topeka or Oklahoma City might.
The “museum” hasn’t gone away, but rather it has been put back like it was when Gary had the store–filling up every wall and corner. Those excellent photos, old gear, and artifacts actually belong to Gary, and he was generous to let the new store be the keepers of the treasure trove of mountaineering history. If the store closes, Gary will reclaim the stuff.
The thing about that store is that it has been iconic for Boulder since Gary started it in 1973. Catering to serious mountaineers and expedition people, the store carries no junk, just high quality everything to get one up Everest, Aconcagua, or Mt. Vinson. I talked with Dan Vardimis about what the mother company wanted to do with Neptune’s when they first bought it, and he said he had pretty much talked them into letting them operate like Gary had done. The company’s other stores sort of cater to more casual outdoor folks, selling lots of foo-foo clothing and picnic supplies, etc. If this company goes under, I hope they can sell it to someone else that can carry on the Neptune tradition.
