The Oldt Waring Company, started by W.C. Oldt, began in 1948 at 2506 MacDill Avenue in Palma Ceia, now home to Cru Cellars Wine Bar. They sold major appliances like refrigerators, ranges, and water heaters.  As television ownership exploded in the 1950s, Oldt opened a “TV Salon” at 2606 MacDill, where the nation’s top brands could be seen “in air-conditioned comfort.” In 1954, they established this location, 4510 Florida Ave., and merged the south Tampa location here in 1958. In 1965, they opened another location at 5435 N 56th St in Temple Terrace, which eventually became their principal address. The company grew to 12 locations.

Oldt-Waring’s high-pressure sales tactics got them in trouble in Pinellas County in 1986. Due to the unsatisfactory rating from Clearwater’s Better Business Bureau, the St. Petersburg Times stopped running advertisements for the firm. Following a sales force reorganization, advertisements resumed. That same year, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with the last recorded corporate activity in 1985. The building was torn down, and the lot has been vacant for decades. In 2016, it sold for $150,000, according to realtor.com.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved