Allentown store sold 'everything under the sun'

January 17, 2013

Sixty years ago in center city Allentown, there was a pawnshop. There was just one, and everyone knew where it was. It could be found at Fourth and Hamilton streets under the name of Philips Department Store, with the slogan "Everything under the sun."

Henry Philips died recently at the age of 94. He and his dad, Isaac "Ikey" Philips, owned and ran the business. Maybe his dad had a little more visibility at the store than Henry, but when I worked there as a teenager, we all knew who the boss was when Henry was around!

Yes, you could buy anything under the sun at Philips from that enormous inventory of pawned items, including hunting equipment, cameras, watches, jewelry, radios and toys (primarily electric trains.) Bartering was a way of life. In my teens, I bought a Lionel train set from the store; my first debt was paid weekly through payroll deduction.

God bless you, Henry. And my best wishes to your family. The city of Allentown was blessed to have your family business in downtown so many decades ago.

Wally Ely


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