Friends of Game

  ERROL GUGGENHEIM - Supplier  USA  

What memories come rushing back? One specifically sticks out, I was getting Polaroid stock to put on display when Alan came up to me and said why are you doing Polaroid? I told him that I worked for F&H, he said to me, SO WHAT!

A similar story is remembered by Ezra Altshuler!

  EZRA ALTSHULER - Supplier SA  

It was at the time when Game had just opened their store in Smith Street. We were the Raleigh factory agents for bicycles. In those days there was only one factory (no imports). The Raleigh factory was British owned and the key personnel were all seconded from the British head office and run very much on the lines of the head office. We were supplying Game the 3 speed Chopper bike and we were also supplying OK Bazaars. This item became a war zone fight between OK and Game. OK was determined to close the new upstart Game down and had a dedicated window in Smith Street opposite Game painted in the Game colours. Game would then retaliate. This window was used to undercut any Game advertised item from time to time. The Chopper eventually was being sold below cost by both.

The Raleigh hierarchy insisted we have a meeting at Game.

I set this up with Julian Ellman who was the buyer. Also present was the Raleigh sales director (son of the CEO), the Raleigh area manager and myself. The Sales Director spoke as though he had a hot potato in his mouth and the Sales Manager only had about 3 customers in Durban so his days were not that full and he had plenty of time to spend at the Country Club most days enjoying lunch etc there. In the middle of the meeting Alan Hellmann walks in and asks Julian who these people were. Julian says this is Ezra whom you know. Alan walks up to me and gives me hugs and tells me what a great guy I am as if we are the closest of bosom buddies (all pre-planned by him)

He then asks Julian who the other people were. Julian says people from Raleigh. Alan asks, “Do we deal directly with them?” to which Julian replies, “No, we deal through Ezra”.

Alan then said emphatically, “Then tell them to F**CK OFF!” and everyone was totally embarrassed. That was typical of how Alan went about things.

  HERBIE ROSENBERG - Supplier  AUSTRALIA  

Lots of memories of those days at Game Discount World come back vividly but three things stand out.

One is the delightful switchboard operator who’s name I have regretfully forgotten answering – ‘You always win at Game – good day’!

The second are the Polaroid camera demonstrations that we did regularly from Frank & Hirsch. To find demonstrators we used a company called Super Girls. The owner of the company would bring a selection of girls to our office for screening and suitability. Bert Doornmalen and myself had the wonderful privilege of interviewing these [always] beautiful girls. We then ‘trained’ them on how to use the cameras and stationed them in the Game Discount store where they would demonstrate the cameras by taking instant photos of potential clients and giving them the free photo. Frequently on busy days the demonstrators would be besieged by shoppers wanting free photos and we would then go and ‘rescue’ the demonstrator [read ‘beautiful girl’] and take them for a coffee break.  

I found some photos of those demonstrations and demonstrators from 1972 & 1973 and have attached them. Please note that I do not look quite like this anymore!! I would imagine neither do the girls! The girl’s name in the strapless costume and then again with a pearl necklace was Pauline Shaw and I think she lives in Jo’burg now. The other girl also worked for Frank & Hirsch and her name was Monique de Marigny.

Lastly, I remember trying to get appointments with you [the important buyer!] to get an order for more Polaroid cameras to replace those sold in the store. We sold so many cameras then.

  LEON ELLMAN - Supplier & Shareholder in Game USA  

I think it's a great project and will be interesting to those involved. I. Am glad you are doing it. I am not sure that was generally unknown at the time but not too long after Game was started there was a merger between Game and the Softex group owned by Johnathan Beare (Beare family) and myself.   The Universal Batting you ask about was owned by our group (Softex) and Herschel ran it. The company very much behind the scenes was called "the Sum Corporation"

 RICO DE MARIGNY - Supplier SA  

I remember clearly when I had just started DEMAR AGENCIES and had the CARMEN CURLERS Agency. I went to see Alan, Jack & Trevor Falkson at GRANTS which was in an old warehouse at the top of Smith Street. I remember you were already there. I was still married to Janine at the time and she use to do all CARMEN demos for me. Who would have guessed then that the idea of this type of marketing and merchandising would evolve to being GAME with all its branches and soon to form part of Walmart?

I will always be grateful for the help that I received from all you guys. At that stage cash flow was critical and we were living from hand to mouth but I could always count on a cheque from GAME.

  MIKE PARSONS - Supplier SA   

Remember in the Smith Street store wooden floors that all the staff knew when the boss(one of the Beares) nick name tap tap walked with a walking stick) was doing the rounds--they could hear him coming from the noise of his stick hitting the wooden floor--not sure if my facts are correct.

First order of paint was 100x5lt in plastic buckets==branded “Image” to the Brickhill Rd store. This was supposed to be 2 weeks stock – it sold out the first day and Plascon ended up having to make more batches of paint than we had budget for! It seemed like EVERYONE was buying 5-L buckets of paint!


  STAN KIVELL (Stan was our Alarm supplier) SA  

Back in the early sixties and wet behind the ears I started a burglar Alarm company, one of only three alarm companies in Natal.
In those days one had to manufacture the components and electrical devices required to supply clients with alarm systems. Items like “pull switches” door contacts, electrical relay alarm boxes etc.

Calling on a new business being established in the old SOE hall in Smith Street I came across a guy sitting on a wooden crate surrounded by a few household appliances such as a fridge, stove and what looked like a washing machine with no furniture or office in sight and if I am correct these appliances were supplied by the likes of Defy.

This guy was Alan Hellmann who was in the process of starting a “wholesale” company which was called “GRANTS” and his insurance company required the installation of an alarm system covering the business.

The SOE hall was a very old building at that time with wooden floors and high roof with window lighting and not the easiest building to cover with all the self-made detectors.
I do not recall the cost of this installation but Alan said he could not afford to pay cash and I agreed to do the job for a payment of R16-00 per month. This was done without a written agreement as I felt sorry for the guy.

Grants could not pay me for the first month, nor the second month and I was getting a bit worried and a month or two later, out of the blue I get a telephone call from Alan to come quickly and pick up a cheque for the full outstanding monthly payments.
Alan and I became good friends and did business for many years thereafter in his future enterprises.

Jack Schaffer was a different kettle of fish, hard as nails. He was running an outfit around the corner off Church Street and I do not recall the name of his wholesale business but much like Alan, white goods and a wide range of products which Alan did not carry. Jack tells me my quote for an alarm was much too high even before I’d given him the price.

Jack joined Alan eventually establishing themselves near the Trust Bank in Smith and here I was called upon to install the required alarm system. Most of the negotiating was done between Alan and me as I tried to avoid Jack as much as possible but as time went by Jack and I got on well, but he was still hard.

I will never forget the day that their alarm system gave a “false alarm” or two. Jack phoned me to meet him at the new premises immediately to sort out the problem. His first statement to me was “remove this crap from my premises NOW”. (He used many choice words)

Of course I responded by getting onto my car radio instructing my staff to come immediately and remove the alarm system. About 20 minutes later my staff pitched up to remove the alarm when Jack came downstairs to tell us sheepishly and apologetically that his staff were working overtime upstairs and setting the alarm off.
After that episode Jack and I became good friends.

  HAROLD CILEVITZ- Supplier  CANADA  

Bernard one story about Game that comes to mind immediately is with Jackie and myself at Game -  me (Harold)  took an order from Jackie the first time we were launching 2 litre Ideal Orange Squash in a plastic container ....Game on the Beachfront (Ordnance Road) gave Harold an order for 96 units of Ideal Orange Squash.

Jackie wanted to be notified when they were being delivered -  Harold arrived at Game with the 96 bottles and they met Jack at the Store  receiving end -  Harold and Jack went into the store with one of the delivery guys and showed him where to place the product....Jack and Harold went out for a cup of tea whilst they offloaded the goods.  When they returned 15 minutes later to find no goods on the floor ....but the delivery guys were standing there....at which time they gave the staff hell “where were the goods??.....to be told by the staff  THEY WERE SOLD OUT!!

  ROCKY MURAVITZ – Supplier  ISRAEL

The first story concerns the late Alan, once a big supplier was landed with thousands and thousands of place mat sets, which he couldn’t give away for the love of money, I told him to give me a sample, and I gave it to Alan, who put it out at 9cents, within two days this huge quantity was gone, sold by Game. Alan, framed one and put it in the Game offices, with a big notice underneath "I don’t know why we bought it, but shit it was cheap!!"

The next story shows late Jack's human side, which so touched me.

When I left Durban and came to Israel, Game took over my entire toy stock, permit etc. When I was in Israel for just a month, my mom passed away and I had to come back to Durban and liquidate the toy company. The procedure needed Game to hand me back the toy import permit. I came to see Jack, really full of trepidation and told him the story, and as I finished, he picked up the phone and I heard him say, "Erna, bring me Rocky's toy permit".

One story - I had an African messenger, who used to ride around Durban on his bicycle, delivering mail. He used to keep the mail on his bicycle in an old cardboard box of BOE sardines. Jules used to call regularly and say "Rockles, please put some samples of lets say plastic telephones in Isia's Boe brand briefcase and send them to me".

Isia used to march into Game, not stand in any queues straight into Jules's office and walk out with orders, much to the amazement of all the reps sitting there waiting.

  BERT DOORNMALEN – Supplier  HONG KONG  

I have been thinking hard about what transpired in those weeks of the opening of the 1st week of Game and subsequent years I was looking after the account , but it was in 1970 or 1971 and almost 40 years ago. Life evolves and with the passing of time memories fade.

All I can tell you is that both Jack and Alan had tremendous foresight and created the beginnings of a giant and changed the retail landscape in South Africa forever. Their vision, drive and determination to succeed were an example for me as a youngster at that time to push on and not take no for an answer, they were very persuasive when they wanted something from us and came up with retail angles I had never thought about till I met them, in a way I learned more from them about South African retailing in those days then from anybody else.

Yes, Herbie Rosenberg (and our friend Errol) and I were there on that opening day (and on the following days) and we had a very big promotion with the "Polaroid Little Swinger"(we were working for Frank & Hirsch in those days) which was used by Game in their first week and in the 1st day as one of the opening specials, basically what we did, was take free pictures and as you mentioned , in those days there were no cell phones or digital cameras and instant photography was in its hey-day .
What I remember most of that day was Alan and Jack standing in the Smith Street store and greeting everybody who came in the first 2 hours and the treats we had received from the other photo and hi-fi stores that if we showed our face in that store and helped them in the opening days, we would be persona non grata to them for the rest of our lives, one of the most outspoken and vocal critics I remember now as I write this , was a gentleman by the name of Dave Moffatt from a photo/hi-fi shop called “Etkinds” or something like that, I don’t  know what happened to Etkinds, but if the giant of retails (Walmart) buys Massmart, this truly is a credit to the foresight of both Jack and Alan 40 years ago, I don’t know where they are today, but I think they can be proud of their legacy, for there are not many companies and/or individuals in this world today who can claim that their baby grew so big, that one day it would be bought by the world's biggest retailer.

I am sorry I cannot remember more or particular events, but they did leave a lasting impression with me.

NB Bert lives in Hong Kong and sadly wasn’t aware of the fate of both Alan and Jack but I’ve since spoken to Bert on Skype and filled him in.

  HERSCHEL GELBART – Supplier  USA  

Bernard,

How well I remember you and those days - sorry we never had a chance to sit down and record all the stories from back then. Both boys would be proud to see how well their kids have done today so here is my history with them.

I joined the Softex /Game group at the beginning of 1972 and met Jack and Alan back then. They interviewed me while working for Afcol before coming to Durban  and I was hired to assist  in the bedding division and  to create a new business called Universal Batting which made pillows  and  foam cushions for selling in SA as well as wadding and coir pads for the bedding customers and export markets - I was  a share holder  in this division and a small shareholder in Softex  - we sold these  pillows and  beach cushions via Game and Julian Ellman was the buyer back then.

Alan Hellmann and Jack Schaffer were in those days a most formidable team and were close partners from Grants days and were most respected people in the S. African marketing community.

We went on a few courses together which Dion Friedland had brought to SA and was amazed at how bright they both were as well as their staff they had hired as buyers and merchandisers for Game Discount which was leading the industry most of the time in S.A. and certainly in Durban at that time - they were  ahead of the pack.

I spent a lot of time with them both locally and overseas when we were setting up bedding plants in the USA and Alan was thinking about Bed-Bath stores - which never happened for him and he ended up back in the bedding and upholstery business

Alan personally was a great chap and we played tennis together at the Beare’s home on Sunday mornings. I used to  meet up with Jack later at the Jewish club after he had played his squash with Merrick Rubin etc  where we spent many an hour in the Circle Country Club bar having the best curry snackwiches you could find in Durban. We were all good mates and used to hang out together with the family braais on Sundays mainly or Saturday night as we all worked on Saturdays back then.

When I arrived in Durban from Johannesburg, Jack arranged a flat for me on the beachfront at Grosvenor Court and he took care of me like family as did Alan who too made me most welcome at all times.

When I lost my brother who too had joined us in the business, Alan and Jack flew to Cape Town to be with me at his funeral after I had only been with them a short while. Sadly Alan and I only had a few years together in Durban before he left for the USA and thus Jack and I became far closer than the others.

I used to report to Jack on the results and financials of Softex and Premier Springs which was doing quite well in those days and we would meet at his offices in Smith street after hours normally which was the only time you could see him as he was so busy each day. Both Alan and Jack were highly respected business people in the community which was a huge part of their lives.

Not a lot of people knew what they  both contributed to the Jewish and Non-Jewish community  be it in the form of charity for the  schools  and or  involvement in the Chevra which was the highest honour one could do in Durban Jewish affairs.

Carol and Wendy were all part of the team that made up the Hellmanns and the Schaffers and they too all played their parts when it came to social and Community involvement.

Later on in 1977 we started a Shul in my home in Glenmore, which is today 34 years old, and Jack became a regular member Friday nights of the Glenmore Minyan. Throughout the years we remained good mates and he was the best man at my wedding in Durban.

Alan and Jack were a big part of my life as we were part of theirs and still are today with the families they left behind. Both their deaths saddened us all and we the Gelbarts were a lot poorer for their passing.