The Boom and Bust of Oz Records and Tapes

Once upon a time, (or rather, once upon the very early 1980's), a marvelous store existed inside Eastwood Mall in Birmingham, AL. It probably existed in other malls across the country, as well, although I can't be certain. Maybe someone else in cyberspace will remember, too.

The store was Oz Records and Tapes. But it wasn't just a store. It was Oz. At least, to me it was. And as a kid-under-the-age-of-8 whose ultimate fantasy was to be Dorothy, it was the closest way for me to do just that. I suppose it might not be so special if it were in existence today, now that we have plenty of "entertainment-marketing" stores like Bass Pro Shops, and over-the-top special effects, and virtual reality...but at the time, it seemed there was nothing like it.

The entrance to the store was a dark, swirly tornado tunnel, which opened into a high-ceilinged, rock-and-roll, Land of Oz extravaganza. Snaking away from the tornado tunnel was a real yellow brick road that weaved its way through the store. Murals of Kansas and Oz covered the walls. The domed-roof houses of Munchkin-Land were visible up high, as I recall. But most captivating to me were the life-sized, full-costumed mannequins of the movie characters located among the racks of vinyl and cassettes. Looking for a Van Halen album? Just to the left of the smiling Tin Man. In search of Kiss? I imagine the wicked witch was probably pointing right at them. One of her favorites, I'm sure.

The Wizard of Oz movie looped non-stop on big screens. (Remember, unlike today, that was a unique concept.) Even the house of the Witch of the East, complete with striped stockings and ruby slippers sticking out at the bottom, was back in the corner, which both horrified and fascinated me. And as if all of that weren't enough, whenever a customer purchased an item, a creepy winged monkey flew in on an elaborate pulley system to deliver it.

It was all very authentic-feeling. I was enraptured by it. I always wanted to stay in there for as long as I could until my parents ushered me out. I don't think the store was there for very long. It seems as much like a dream to me as the real Oz seemed to Dorothy...kind of fuzzy, and without any real evidence that it actually existed. An internet search didn't turn up much, except a faltering message board where someone commented, "Too bad the management team for Oz Records wasn't as smart as its marketing team."

The Wizard of Oz didn't win Best Picture in 1939, the year it was nominated. Instead, it got beat by Gone With the Wind. Which is exactly what happened to the store that staked its livelihood on a movie theme. It vanished without a trace. Even with all of its bells and whistles and its fabulous marketing plan, it had no staying power. Somehow, when the rubber met the yellow brick road, the ends didn't meet their means. Oz Records and Tapes flourished...and then it faded.

It's a story with implications for us, both individually and collectively. Obviously, life is brief, and so is the business cycle. "The life of mortals is like grass," says Psalm 103:16. "They flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more." Nobody remembers where, exactly, Oz was located in that mall. And pretty soon, nobody will remember the mall, either. The whole operation closed down recently, an all-too-common fate of indoor shopping centers.

As humans, we don't have much time here to really get it. The clock is ticking. None of us are getting any younger. There's not a lot of time to mess around before "the roll is called up yonder." It may be an uncomfortable fact, but it's true. The way we manage the life we have been given is a lot more important than the face we market to the world.

So while we are still here (and I speak to fellow Americans), we need much more than shiny marketing plans to secure our longevity as a nation. Real management, whose aim is to make the country financially stable and physically secure, is vital for the well-being of the generations on our heels. No one wants to see the USA end up like Oz Records...a great idea in theory that went bust because of poor management. It does not have to be that way. It won't, if we don't let it.

Somewhere over the rainbow, things are gonna get better. I believe it.

And now...the most beautiful song of all time.