A trip to Lost Creek Shoe Shop (1 Viewer)

mooreorless · Oct 19, 2007

Hello, I live in Huntingdon County Pa. and in this area there is very little to no places that sell optics. I was told by a few people [esp. ChadKauffy on here] about the Lost Creek Shoe Shop located 3.9 miles north off Mifflintown/McAlisterville exit off Rt. 322 , this is exit 35.This shop is located very close or is part of Oakland Mills.
I needed to buy a new pair of steel toe boots, and wanted to see this shop. I was really surprised to find a very nice shoe shop as well as binocular, spotting scope bonanza. There were a lot of top brand model optics and also some very nice used optics. Here are some pictures. The picture to the right shows what I was really shocked to see, a Kowa 32x82 Prominar Fluorite Highlander binocular as well as a Zeiss DC4 camera eyepiece on a Zeiss scope. I really didn't see which Zeiss scope it was, there was just too much to look at in this shop.

mooreorless · Oct 19, 2007

I asked to see Zeiss 8x42 and 8x32 FL binoculars, the one picture shows where the Zeiss 8x32 was made.

I was very much impressed with these.I also asked to see the Swarovski 15x56, of which I thought a lot of.:t: The Swarovski picture shows some of the back porch observing area that is very nice. These Amish Salespeople let you alone to look through and don't stand there waiting for you to get done.

I did forget about the big Kowa binocular.

I will have to make another trip down. From my place it is about 46 miles.
Steve

mooreorless · Oct 19, 2007

Here are some more pictures. I asked to see a Nikon 82 ED spotter with the zoom eyepiece. This is one scope I am very much interested in. I forgot about looking for a Nikon 50 ED as this is another scope I am interested in.These show the observation area and some of the targets to see. I hope you like these pictures ok.The one picture shows my feeble attempt to take a picture through the Nikon 82 ED and shows the far "target" . The one closest is a Vortex optics checking target and has a 1951 USAF Test Target as well as other types included in one target. Sorry I didn't see any birds this day, but it was 91 degrees out.

Steve

mooreorless · Oct 19, 2007

Here is a picture of the shoe shop side of the shop, notice how bright it is inside without any lights, skylights help a lot.

I took the last shot of the outside as I was driving away. This sums up best what I thought of this shop :king::t: BTW they do take credit cards and if anybody wants to know the price they want for the big Kowa PM me.

Steve

Tero · Oct 19, 2007

Well now, sounds like Mennenites, selling high tech, not Amish.

ceasar · Oct 19, 2007

Steve,
I'm drooling! I have to make a trip down there to get some shoes too!:king:

Thanks for posting these pictures.
Bob

mooreorless · Oct 20, 2007

Bob, All this was a pleasure.

Yes you better get new shoes, they sell ones for your family as well.;-)
I just noticed in the shoe dept. pictures that there is a ceiling fan and what looks like lights. These could be run off battery power or they have a generator.
Forgot to say I didn't see any CA in the two Zeiss 8x42 and 8x32 FL models as well as the Nikon 82ED. I didn't have any trouble with the diopter setting on the two Zeiss binoculars either.
Steve

chadkauffy · Dec 11, 2007

Lost Creek Shoe Shop

hello steve, finally made it in here to look at your pics. wonderful.

This family is 100% Amish. They do have ceiling fans run by air pressure which is supplied by gas. They do not have lights in the store except lanterns that are lit by gas. Their new skylights do bring in alot of light and by looking at them do look like they are electric.

I used to think that the Amish shyed away from high tech as well, but having optics is no different than having eyeglasses.

There is nothing in their religion that prohibits spotting scopes, gun scopes, binocs, etc.

mooreorless · Dec 11, 2007

chadkauffy said:
hello steve, finally made it in here to look at your pics. wonderful.

This family is 100% Amish. They do have ceiling fans run by air pressure which is supplied by gas. They do not have lights in the store except lanterns that are lit by gas. Their new skylights do bring in alot of light and by looking at them do look like they are electric.

I used to think that the Amish shyed away from high tech as well, but having optics is no different than having eyeglasses.

There is nothing in their religion that prohibits spotting scopes, gun scopes, binocs, etc.

Hi Chad, We were down to Millersville the other week our daughter has a baby boy, so we were stopping at exit 35 going and coming, I thought of you so close to our stop.

When you say ceiling fans run by air pressure which is supplied by gas , do you mean they have a gasoline engine driven air compressor that supplies the air to run the fans?
Thanks for adding to this and for the compliment.
Regards,Steve

Sailcat · Dec 16, 2007

Great pictures, Steve! Thanks for sharing them with us. Little shops like the Lost Creek Shoe Shop are rare treasures, indeed!

mooreorless · Dec 20, 2007

Thanks Walter my friend.

Steve

mooreorless · Feb 3, 2008

Walter, Here is one binocular you might be interested in at this shop.The Kowa Highlander 32x82mm Prominar Fluorite Binocular. I "need" to go back to this shop just too look through this.:t: I just noticed I did post a picture of this Kowa at the top.
Steve

Jason Bugay Reyes · Feb 6, 2008

very nice steve ! wished has this type of shop here at my place too ...

mooreorless · Feb 8, 2008

horukuru said:
very nice steve ! wished has this type of shop here at my place too ...

Thanks Horukuru, You could come visit, bring your Nikon scope and we will visit this shop. Better bring your long johns to keep warm.B

Better yet I come visit you.

I would think warmer at your place.
Regards,Steve

Jason Bugay Reyes · Feb 8, 2008

mooreorless said:
Thanks Horukuru, You could come visit, bring your Nikon scope and we will visit this shop. Better bring your long johns to keep warm.B Better yet I come visit you. I would think warmer at your place.
Regards,Steve

would love to visit north america for the world birding series hehehe and if u come to my place, and it gets really warm, we'll go up to mt kinabalu where it is cool and pleasant, at the same time looking for endemic birds such as whitehead's trogon, broadbill and spiderhunter

so have u decided which scope ?

mooreorless · Feb 8, 2008

"so have u decided which scope ?"

Hello Horukuru, A Nikon 82ED of course, but I am not quite ready to buy yet. I want to try the 50ED as well as the 65ED.
I don't know if I would want to walk your "plank" to look at the Herons

Regards,Steve

Jason Bugay Reyes · Feb 9, 2008

mooreorless said:
Hello Horukuru, A Nikon 82ED of course, but I am not quite ready to buy yet. I want to try the 50ED as well as the 65ED.
I don't know if I would want to walk your "plank" to look at the Herons
Regards,Steve

hahaha dont worry that was not in the planned when i does birding with groups :king:

NDhunter · Feb 13, 2010

mooreorless said:
Hello, I live in Huntingdon County Pa. and in this area there is very little to no places that sell optics. I was told by a few people [esp. ChadKauffy on here] about the Lost Creek Shoe Shop located 3.9 miles north off Mifflintown/McAlisterville exit off Rt. 322 , this is exit 35.This shop is located very close or is part of Oakland Mills.
I needed to buy a new pair of steel toe boots, and wanted to see this shop. I was really surprised to find a very nice shoe shop as well as binocular, spotting scope bonanza. There were a lot of top brand model optics and also some very nice used optics. Here are some pictures. The picture to the right shows what I was really shocked to see, a Kowa 32x82 Prominar Fluorite Highlander binocular as well as a Zeiss DC4 camera eyepiece on a Zeiss scope. I really didn't see which Zeiss scope it was, there was just too much to look at in this shop.

Steve:
I just wanted to reply to this old post that was recently referenced in the
Alpha comparative thread.
Thanks for posting the pics of the Lost Creek Shoe Shop, wow, what a fine
display of a store with such a large selection. With the nice viewing area
this place really offers the opticoholic a large temptation.
I have found the large sporting goods stores that I have experience with do
not carry near the selection. I see these pictures were taken in 2007, and I suppose the slow economy has affected them, along with the rest.

Jerry

Martin Fagg · Feb 13, 2010

Wow, not seen this thread before. Almost tempted to come to the USA to buy my shoes.

Mmmmmmmmmm, Alladin's cave of optical delight! Drooooooooollllll

JohnnyH · Feb 13, 2010

[Mmmmmmmmmm, Alladin's cave of optical delight! Drooooooooollllll[/QUOTE]

Martin, you need to visit Kay Optical in Morden, South London. A very surreal experience but chock full of optics & Tony Kay really knows his stuff. Got my Leica BN's there yesterday & been trying them out today well chuffed!

John.

A trip to Lost Creek Shoe Shop (1 Viewer)

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