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Barker's Discount Department Stores Passport Cover
$28.99
Product Details & Size Guide
GhostCorp Apparel - resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.
Carry a piece of retail history on your next journey with this Barker's passport cover. The company started in Orange, Connecticut, in 1957 and later expanded well beyond its home state, reaching the Northeast, the South Central United States, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Barker's wide assortment and import-focused buying helped define its identity, while later store conversions and closures recorded a changing era in department-store ownership. A travel keepsake for collectors who remember the name and the places it reached.
Barker's Discount Department Stores began in May 1957, founded by Irving Barker and Felix Mininberg in Orange, Connecticut. Its first store offered a broad range of home goods in a supermarket-style layout, supported by creative price and entertainment promotions. A second, 40,000-square-foot store opened in Wallingford in September 1960; that year, the company reported $7 million in gross sales. Franklin Stores Corporation acquired Barker's in 1961, and the chain expanded across the Northeast and South Central United States, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It opened more than 11 stores between 1961 and 1970, then added almost 20 in New York State from 1970 to 1975. In 1976, it opened several former department-store sites in central New York. Barker's emphasized direct imports and a wide mix of national brands, private labels, and domestic goods. King's Department Stores acquired the financially troubled chain for $30 million in August 1980. Most locations took the King's name in early 1981; others closed or changed hands. Louisiana stores closed in 1982, while Puerto Rico locations became Kmart stores during 1983 and 1984.
Carry a piece of retail history on your next journey with this Barker's passport cover. The company started in Orange, Connecticut, in 1957 and later expanded well beyond its home state, reaching the Northeast, the South Central United States, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Barker's wide assortment and import-focused buying helped define its identity, while later store conversions and closures recorded a changing era in department-store ownership. A travel keepsake for collectors who remember the name and the places it reached.
Barker's Discount Department Stores began in May 1957, founded by Irving Barker and Felix Mininberg in Orange, Connecticut. Its first store offered a broad range of home goods in a supermarket-style layout, supported by creative price and entertainment promotions. A second, 40,000-square-foot store opened in Wallingford in September 1960; that year, the company reported $7 million in gross sales. Franklin Stores Corporation acquired Barker's in 1961, and the chain expanded across the Northeast and South Central United States, the Caribbean, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It opened more than 11 stores between 1961 and 1970, then added almost 20 in New York State from 1970 to 1975. In 1976, it opened several former department-store sites in central New York. Barker's emphasized direct imports and a wide mix of national brands, private labels, and domestic goods. King's Department Stores acquired the financially troubled chain for $30 million in August 1980. Most locations took the King's name in early 1981; others closed or changed hands. Louisiana stores closed in 1982, while Puerto Rico locations became Kmart stores during 1983 and 1984.
| 3.9" x 5.8" | |
| Height, in | 5.79 |
| Width (Closed), in | 3.94 |
| Width (Open), in | 8.03 |
| Depth, in | 0.39 |
Product features
- Two card slots plus pockets for boarding passes or IDs
- Cruelty-free black PU faux leather exterior
- RFID-blocking lining to protect against skimming
- One-size fits most passports (3.9″ × 5.8″)
- Vibrant front-cover print with potential edge fading on darker solids
Care instructions
- Wipe with a damp cloth, air dry or use a soft, non-abrasive cloth
EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, two year warranty in the EU and Northern Ireland
Care instructions: Wipe with a damp cloth, air dry or use a soft, non-abrasive cloth