Luskin's

Luskin's was an electronics chain based in Baltimore, Maryland, that was founded in 1948 and ceased operation in October 1996.

Beginnings

Luskin's began as an ice supply company founded by Jack Luskin and his brother Joe in 1948,[1] growing into a chain of electronics stores that later reached a total of 60[2] in Maryland; Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Luskin would later be known as "the cheapest guy in town",[3] a phrase that would be used for many years in Luskin's advertisements.

In 1985, Luskin's went public, though by 1996 the stock was selling from nine to twenty-one cents.[3]

Controversies

In 1981, the Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division took Luskin's to court over deceptive advertising prices on three occasions. A settlement would be reached; though Luskin's was still in court for a separate incident at the time the closing was announced.[3]

Other controversies included a July 1992 promotion of certificates for free airfare and discounted hotel rates that the Attorney General's office claimed were deceptive. A later version that was slightly modified (removing the word free) was submitted for approval and began airing in September. When the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division protested; contending that in order to qualify, one would have to buy at least $200 worth of merchandise; followed by making hotel and other arrangements through a Florida-based firm named Vacation Ventures; on December 11, 1992, Harford County judge Cypert O. Whitfill wrote in an opinion that Luskin's planned advertisements were "neither deceptive nor unfair".[4]

Aftermath

At the time Luskin's closing was made public, Cary Luskin (the son of company founder Jack) also announced plans to launch a separate chain of electronics stores called The Big Screen Store.[3] Jack Luskin died on December 1, 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 89[5]. Daughter Jamie was a co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2004-2012 before the team was sold following a divorce from ex-husband Frank McCourt.

Slogans
  • Jack and Joe will save you dough (used until 1966; when the brothers ended their partnership)[1]
  • The Cheapest Guy in Town[3]



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References
  1. Rasmussen, Frederick N. (March 15, 2008). "Whatever happened to...Jack Luskin". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  2. Winters, Wendi (September 17, 2013). "Homecoming: A retailing family returns to Annapolis location". Capital Gazette. Archived from the original on November 20, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  3. Harrison, David (October 7, 1996). "Luskin starts new chain". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  4. Farabaugh, Mike (December 17, 1992). "Judge clears way for Luskin's ads". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  5. Lorraine Mirabella; Pamela Wood. "Jack Luskin, co-founder of Luskin's appliance and electronics chain, dies". Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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