My Reminiscence of La Casa del Nylon by Diego Lee Rot

La Casa del Nylon

As a prolific Ebay seller, I frequented La Casa del Nylon, at the corner of E. 13th Street and Adams, essentially looking for vintage items in new condition I could turn for profit.

The store carried clothing, household items and toys.  The clothing was technically "new," never worn, with tags, but, obviously several years old, almost vintage.  It was eerie, like watching the show Twilight Zone, to be inside a store with new 80's jeans, shirts and belts.

My primary interest, though, was in toys. Over a period of several years, I bought hundreds of toys from the store, reselling them on Ebay.

For example, there was typically a display of Ms. Pacman toys, still in the original package.  The store sold them 3/$1, but they would fetch around $5 each on Ebay.  I bought them by the case.  

Abraham Galonsky

Many times, the store owner, Mr. Galonsky, dressed in khaki pants and a longsleeved work shirt, would have to go upstairs to round out my case, while bringing down another case for display.  On one occasion, Galonsky was busy on the phone and told me to go upstairs myself and grab a case of the toys.

Of course, we all knew the building was on the market, with a "For Sale" sign in one window for many years, but it was sort of a surprise when we learned that Tony Martinez and the City Commission had bought it.

In 2012, just after the city bought the building, I met a man, his wife and their dog, living under the awning of the building with all their worldly goods stuffed into an H.E.B. shopping cart.

Diego Lee Rot

I ran into the same man a couple weeks ago,  five years later, still living at the entrance of La Casa del Nylon.  His wife and dog have both died, although he has a new puppy and is looking for another woman with whom to share his life.

I wished him luck and went cruising down the road.