Farewell, Crazy Gideon’s–Final Sale Tomorrow, Saturday, January 30

Los Angeles Downtown News has the scoop:

Gideon Kotzer, owner of the discount retailer Crazy Gideon’s and known for his frequent going-out-of-business sales and smashing televisions in his commercials to show how crazy he is, might just mean it this time.

After 35 years in business, the Arts District store will close for good Saturday, Jan. 30, after a daylong auction to sell off his inventory, Kotzer said.

“I’ve been bleeding money for months in this economy and it’s time to retire,” he said.

The auction will be open to the public and dealers, he said. The sale, offering TVs, DVD players, video recorders and various electronic gadgets, will take place from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and the doors will close for good immediately afterwards, Kotzer said.

I don’t remember every buying anything from Crazy Gideon’s. (Did anyone?) But this doesn’t mean I won’t miss him. There was a certain comfort in just knowing he was out there, holding it down crazy-style down on Traction Ave, long before that area was hip. His crazy TV ads, such as the one above, still inspire with their utter carefree lunacy. Best of luck, Gideon Kotzer. May your future endeavors be just as crazy.