02/16/2015
THE DAILY IOWAN
Iowa City, Iowa 52240 - Saturday October 3rd, 1970
RIVER CITY FREE TRADE ZONE IS ALIVE!!
The River City Free Trade Zone is open for business, for profit (a few) and for fun. The freak version of a shopping center opened formally Friday afternoon with an exorcism ceremony performed by four local clergymen. The Rev. Ronald Osborne of the Episcopal Church incensed the building while members of the rock group Shop's Oleo provided music. "Lord, free this place from the evil spirits of capitalism," chanted the Rev. Osborne. "Off the world, pig." responded the people.
TEA WITH SMILEY
Business owners in the trade zone interrupted the chores of setting up shop to sip tea with City Manager Frank Smiley and attend the exorcism ceremony.
Curious customers streamed through the trade zone all afternoon, gawking at the unusual shopping center as they would at sideshows at a carnival.
The shops themselves contribute to the carnival feeling. Some shops are metal-frame geodesic covered with psychedelically colored plastic.
FOUR ENTREPRENEURS
The Mexican Imports Shop was still making its walls, using a cement mixer to make paper mache-simulated adobe. The plastering job was frequently interrupted by cans of beer or conversation.
This non-shopping center is the product of four men - Jim Trammers, Cliff Middleton, Will Page and Jimmy Lyon. They rented the building at 121 E. College St. and then rented the space to friends who wanted to go into business.
The Trade Zone offers a little of everything - books, records, antiques, leather goods, clothes, jewelry and rugs.
The epitome of non-capitalism is the Free Store. No one owns it or manages it. You bring what you want and you take what you want. Merchandise includes a wide assortment of clothing, a bicycle and eight crutches.
No one expects to make an excessive amount of money. "We should make enough to keep alive, which is all we're after," according to Jim Richards, a co-owner of the Euphorium Leather Store.
Business is informal. There is no high-pressure salesmanship or department store atmosphere.
Chuck Vinton, manager of the Ego Records Store, says, "We open at noon, sometimes before. Our hours aren't rigid. Most of the stores just close up when they get tired."
A BIG FAMILY
"This is the sort of a Western form of communism. We're all friends. We're just kind of a big family," he says.
One real family is Don, Tony and Joe Nassif, brothers who operate The Rug Merchants.
"We went into business here because this is going to be the happening place. We're here to make money, but it's fun too." according to Don Nassif.
Tony Nassif added, "You wouldn't believe the cross-section of people we've had in here. There's been everything from students to white collar, blue collar and old people."
A worker at one of the shops rejoiced at that fact. "I hope this will be a thing for the whole community where all kinds of people will feel free to come. Not just freaks buying freaks' stuff. A lot of us are hoping this will break down some of the hostility between different groups of people."
As one middle-aged customer remarked, "If they don't make money, they'll learn a lot of other things and have a lot of fun doing it."
http://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/1970/di1970-10-03.pdf
