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Inter-department transmittal envelope from early days at Annie's Attic – 42 viewsI don't have any pictures (I think) from 1980 at Annie's, but I do have this transmittal envelope, with Ann's name (Ann worked in the kit-making production area, and later managed the entire order processing area), Jim Philp's name, and others. A nice little piece of memorabilia.
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David at terminal - early days, Jerry Gentry Associates (dba Annie's Attic) – 62 viewsI believe this picture was taken sometime in early 1981 (March?). As far as I know, this is the earliest picture I have of me working at Annie's Attic. It was taken in the downstairs computer room of the "red house" at 106 Groves St. I think I am 24 in this photo, and I was still working in the computer room (we had no offices at that point, until the business office moved from upstairs to the 4-plexes built across the street later in 1981). For you techies that remember, that's a IBM 5251-11 terminal I am sitting at. Those puppies went for over $3,000 each in the early 80's. It is attached to the IBM System/38 model 5 we were running (in the same room - other terminal in background is sitting on top of the system unit). Very early days of S/38 and CPF (operating system - Control Program Facility), evidenced by the early version of the SEU (Source Entry Utility - editor) that had underlines on each line (dropped in a later version). The S/38 was way ahead of its time: object-based, 48-bit addressing, with built-in relational database management system.
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First business card - Jerry Gentry Associates (Annie's Attic) – 30 viewsAnnie's Attic was a dba of Jerry Gentry Associates. This is my first business card, which I got around 1982, I think.
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John Trotter in Annie's Attic OPC (Order Processing Center) break room – 47 viewsI think this picture was taken in 1985 or 1986. I beleive the occassion was John's birthday. John and I have worked together for 25 years at Annie's, the Needlecraft Shop, and now Strategic Fulfillment Group -- all in Big Sandy. The others in the picture are Tammy Balliet (left) and Delesia Hudson.
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Annie's OPC "reorginization" memo – 40 viewsDated September 25, 1987. Memo outlined the "reorganization" of Annie's order processing center (OPC) (read: layoffs because the consultants Annie hired outsourced the subscription order processing to Neodata in Boulder, Colorado). The document, signed by then-controller Jim Heffel (signed as "Jimmy Heffel") outlined severance packages offered for voluntary resignation versus layoff. Heffel worked for Bob Tracy, the consultant Annie hired to run the company. (Thanks to Dave Ferguson for the document)
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IBM 3203 printer at Annie's Attic OPC (Order Processing Center) – 39 viewsThis picture was taken around 1987-1988. This was one of two high-speed line printers used at Annie's Attic in the mid-late 80's. To the left is an IBM 5250 terminal (price was about $3,3000 in 1980 -- for a terminal!), and to the right, barely visible, is a IBM 3411 tape drive. It had a distinctive clear cover that worked kind of like a roll-top desk.
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IBM System/38 model 40 (left) and model 8 (right) at Annie's Attic OPC (Order Processing Center) – 48 viewsThis picture was taken around 1987-1988. Annie's ran the business on 3 IBM System/38's. The primary system (left) had 8 MB of main storage (RAM) and about 5-6 GB of disk, and housed the subscription and product (catalog) fulfillment databases & applications. The other two System/38's were used for promotions/postal presorts, and administration/accounting/finanace.
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IBM System/38 model 40 at Annie's OPC (Order Processing Center) – 49 viewsThis picture was taken around 1987-1988. This was our primary production System/38. The IBM System/38 was way ahead of its time. Introduced in 1979, it was the first system that had an integrated relational-like database, 48-bit addressing and what IBM termed "single-level storage".
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Annie's Attic computer services staff 1987-1988 – 56 viewsTaken around 1987-1988 in the computer room at Annie's OPC (Order Processing Center). Left to right: John Trotter, David Wilson, Anita Pierce, Dave Ferguson, David Smith, and Vicki Jarrett. John was the department head. Dave, David and I were programmers. Anita and Vicki worked in operations.
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David Smith at his terminal at Annie's Attic – 36 viewsAbout 1987-1988. David worked at Annie's as a programmer/analyst from I believe 1981 until 1987 or 1988. I wish I had more pictures of our co-workers at Annie's from the 80's. (For you tech afficianados, that's a IBM 5291 terminal)
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Annie's Attic computer services staff 1987-1988 – 51 viewsTaken around 1987-1988. Left to right: John Trotter, David Wilson (a mere 30 years old), Dave Ferguson (get a load of that beard), Anita Pierce, David Smith, and Vicki Jarrett. Not long after this photo was taken, Annie's went through not one, but two "plunderings" (if that is a word) by consultants.
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Tracy's / Neodata matchbook – 35 viewsFrom sometime in 1988. This matchbook is a piece of memorabilia from Bob Tracy's dismantling of Annie's Attic's information services by out sourcing Annie's in-house subscription fulfillment to Neodata in Boulder, Colorado. There was a little "party" celebrating the new business relationship with Neodata at Tracy's restaurant in Tyler, Texas. The pitch was Annie's would save money by out sourcing. Bob Tracy was a consultant to Annie's Attic. He had no direct marketing or publishing experience. He was sure the long-time Annie's employees were a bunch of hicks that knew nothing about business. He really "saved" money for Annie's -- as there wasn't much left when the company was sold in bankruptcy in 1994.
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