Since 1973, The Magazine has been the go-to place for lovers of retro magazines and movie stills. The venerable business, which has thrived for more than 40 years in three locations, continues to stay afloat even in an increasingly digital world.
"People of our generation prefer the real thing, the hard copy," said 70-year-old co-owner Robert Mainardi. He runs the business with 78-year-old Trent Dunphy, his partner in business and in life.
Mainardi, left, and Dunphy, right. (Photo: David-Elijah Nahmod)
Perusing the shelves of The Magazine might be a mouth-watering experience for lovers of vintage culture—thousands and thousands of magazines are on display. You'll find everything from 1950s "muscle magazines," the adult entertainment for gay men of that period, Hollywood gossip rags from Tinseltown's "Golden Age" and fashion magazines that offer the elegant designs worn by generations past. These are but a small sampling of the many treasures to be found.
While Mainardi can't recall the exact address, The Magazine's initial location was a block from their current Larkin Street storefront, next to The Gangway—the city's oldest and soon-to-be sold gay bar. They then spent ten years at 731 Larkin, between O'Farrell and Ellis, before landing at 920 Larkin St. where Little Saigon meets Lower Nob Hill.
"The customer base was much bigger back then," Mainardi recalls. "Twenty years ago was the peak." He attributes the drop-off in business to the changing tastes of younger generations.
"The young don't collect," Mainardi said. "A lot of young people come in, look around, ooh and ahh, take a few pictures, but they don't buy anything."
He also pointed to the Internet as a cause of his business' drop-off, with so much of the material he sells readily available in digital format. Ironically, it's also the web that's helped keep The Magazine afloat. Mainardi and Dunphy now work with a gentleman who sells their stock online.
"Maybe another generation will want to collect," Mainardi said. "But we won't live to see it."
And yet, there was a small but steady stream of customers entering The Magazine during our recent visit. Though most were older, a younger couple did make a few purchases.
Below the shop, Mainardi and Dunphy have a storage room packed with countless magazines archived by decade, category and titles. The entire stock has been inventoried by hand, Mainardi said proudly.
"You can collect a lot in 43 years," he noted.
Titles include publications from generations past such as Look and Life Magazines, and the venerable fashion bible Vogue. There are also rarities you may have never have heard of, such as Theater Arts Monthly. The Magazine offers issues of this long-defunct publication dating back to 1930. An entire box of goodies is dedicated to Lon Chaney (1883-1930), the silent film superstar known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces."
And, of course, there are those "naughty" skin mags. Dozens of titles from the early days of adult cinema, both gay and straight. Playboy, the granddaddy of nudie mags, has been and remains one of their most popular sellers, Mainardi said.
One mainstay of The Magazine is its memorial window. As you enter the store, a display window on the right side of the front door is decorated with photographs of recently deceased celebrities—Prince, Oscar-winner Patty Duke and Julius LaRosa, a popular 1950s crooner are among the famous faces currently on display.
"We've always done this," said Mainardi of the memorial tributes. "People like it."
Though Mainardi and Dunphy make their home near Dolores Park, they remain quite fond of the Tenderloin neighborhood where they've earned their living.
"This neighborhood has worked for us," Mainardi said, adding that its central location makes it easy for customers to drop in.
He says that the area hasn't changed much since the 1970s, but it is beginning to shift. "There used to be more drug dealers and prostitutes," he said. "Now a lot of fancy restaurants and art galleries are here. The new hospital opening up on Van Ness Avenue will change the area."
It's been a long run for Mainardi and Dunphy, but they'd like to stick with it for a while longer. Both men are far more energetic than their ages might indicate. "I'd like to do this for a few more years," said Mainardi. "After that, our online seller will continue to market our stock online."
The Magazine is open 12-7pm Monday-Saturday at 920 Larkin St. For more information or to order online, visit The Magazine's website.
