Pat Slusher is a man who hasn’t met many deals that he doesn’t like. Well, within reason of course. And it must be something he understands, something that he can make money on selling. The ultimate entrepreneur, Slusher has been making deals for 52 years in Centralia at Pat Slusher’s Coin Shop.
To call his store on North Tower Avenue a coin shop is, however, sort of like calling a glass only half full. He also has the largest collection of Hawaiian shirts to sell on the entire West Coast.
Bright, loud Hawaiian shirts in Centralia? Slusher nods and smiles in the affirmative.
“People come from far and wide,” Slusher laughs, constantly pulling on his electronic cigarette, never going anywhere without his large cup of coffee. Then he corrects himself. He says he thinks there is a store in Los Angeles that might have more shirts. Maybe. He’s not one to brag on himself.
Business is good enough that his store sells 25 to 40 shirts in a typical month. So how do gold and silver coins mix with Hawaiian shirts in these days of slick retail marketing plans that try to remove any risk for a merchant by limiting what’s in the store?
He shrugs his shoulders. As a member of the U.S. Navy for 22 years, he once visited Hawaii and bought some shirts. “I sold all of them in a couple of days when I got back,” he says. “So I have been selling Hawaiian shirts ever since.”
Besides, it gives him the opportunity to travel to Hawaii for business. A tough job, but someone has to do it.
A native of Ground Mound, Slusher opened his first shop on Gold Street. Then he moved to a place on Main Street, followed by Yard Birds Mall, and a place by the theater. Finally, about 15 years ago, he settled on the current location.
A visit to Slusher’s store is like a trip down memory lane. Slusher also carries enough military uniforms, both recent and vintage, to outfit a small army. One customer inquired about a bayonet from a bygone era. He was told it was priced at $1,000. The customer said he’d think about it.
“I have a deep respect for the military,” Slusher explains, “particularly the combat personnel.”
Another customer ordered up some silver coins in a bag that was priced at $1,400. It didn’t matter what the coins were. They were bought purely for the silver.
This is where the serious business takes over. With the price of gold and silver approaching historic highs again, a number of people invest in the precious metals as a way to protect their assets. He won’t say how much his precious metal coin collection is worth, but at current prices one could easily say there is both a gold mine and a silver mine located right in the heart of downtown Centralia.
This leads to the next question: isn’t he concerned about security?
“I keep a lot of guns,” he says, taking another hit on the electronic butt.
Another part of the store carries high school annuals from schools all around the country. His collection has grown to several hundred of them. He buys many of the things he sells through estate sales. You’d be surprised how many nuggets can be found that way, he adds.
“We get a lot of tourists during the summer,” Slusher explains. “We get requests from all over and every now and then we make someone happy.”
Slusher and his wife, Phoebe, have been married for 55 years and they have three children, all of them living in the area. Except for his time in the Navy, he has spent his life here and he says life has been pretty good. Especially the business trips to Hawaii.
Pat Slusher’s Coin Shop
107 N. Tower Avenue
Centralia, WA 98531
360-330-8052
