Tommy Van Scoy
Encyclopedia
Tommy Van Scoy was the owner of a chain of diamond jewelry stores along in New England
and the Mid-Atlantic States
. He was also known for his odd radio commercials for his jewelry stores. He was also a championship boxer
and an amateur pilot.
Van Scoy was born March 22, 1920, in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania. His mother died when he was 8 years old. In the 1930s his father a, former steelworker, had a difficult time finding work during the Great Depression
. Young Van Scoy graduated from Coughlin High School and made money as a newspaper boy and as a shoeshiner
. Van Scoy was a Golden Gloves
boxer. In 1942 he joined the Army
, where the flip of a coin ignited a new interest.
"While I was in the army, I went to San Antonio. I with two other officers and we flipped a coin to see who would pay for the movie. I lost and the coin landed on the crystal of my watch and broke it. He took the watch to a repair shop, and when the jeweler learned he was interested in the inner workings of the timepiece, the jeweler taught Van Scoy how to fix a watch.
After returning home from the military in 1945, he rented a second floor retail space in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
and opened his first jewelry store. Several years later he decided he could make more money selling diamonds exclusively. He often said - I sell the same or better diamond for less!
In the early 1980s, Van Scoy became known in New England and the Mid-Atlantic States for his halting testimonials in radio commercials for the "Van Scoy Diamond Mine." He also sponsored a series of NASCAR Winston Cup Series known as the Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 (now known as the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500). The final race of the sponsorship was in 1985
with Bill Elliott
winning the race. His commercials sometimes included this jingle:
I'm a lucky girl,
hoo-ray, oh boy!
Look at my diamond,
it came from Van Scoy.
My boyfriend bought it,
saved lots of money too.
Van Scoy's the diamond king,
yes, he's the man for you!
When Van Scoy retired in 1993, he left seven jewelry stores to his children. Through franchising
, Van Scoy lent his name to forty additional stores in the northeastern United States including shops in Scranton, Pennsylvania
; Binghamton, New York
; Hartford, Connecticut
; and West Springfield, Massachusetts
"When I walk into a town, I don’t have to depend on luck," Van Scoy once said. "I’ve arranged it and planned it logically. I’ll go in and sell more diamonds in one day than all the other jewelers in town have in a week."
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and the Mid-Atlantic States
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
. He was also known for his odd radio commercials for his jewelry stores. He was also a championship boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and an amateur pilot.
Van Scoy was born March 22, 1920, in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania. His mother died when he was 8 years old. In the 1930s his father a, former steelworker, had a difficult time finding work during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Young Van Scoy graduated from Coughlin High School and made money as a newspaper boy and as a shoeshiner
Shoeshiner
Shoeshiner or boot polisher is a profession in which a person polishes shoes with shoe polish. They are often known as shoeshine boys because the job is traditionally that of a male child. In the leather fetish communities, they are often called bootblacks...
. Van Scoy was a Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
boxer. In 1942 he joined the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, where the flip of a coin ignited a new interest.
"While I was in the army, I went to San Antonio. I with two other officers and we flipped a coin to see who would pay for the movie. I lost and the coin landed on the crystal of my watch and broke it. He took the watch to a repair shop, and when the jeweler learned he was interested in the inner workings of the timepiece, the jeweler taught Van Scoy how to fix a watch.
After returning home from the military in 1945, he rented a second floor retail space in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
and opened his first jewelry store. Several years later he decided he could make more money selling diamonds exclusively. He often said - I sell the same or better diamond for less!
In the early 1980s, Van Scoy became known in New England and the Mid-Atlantic States for his halting testimonials in radio commercials for the "Van Scoy Diamond Mine." He also sponsored a series of NASCAR Winston Cup Series known as the Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 (now known as the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500). The final race of the sponsorship was in 1985
1985 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500
The 1985 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on June 9, 1985 at Pocono International Raceway in the American community of Long Pond, Pennsylvania.-Summary:...
with Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
winning the race. His commercials sometimes included this jingle:
I'm a lucky girl,
hoo-ray, oh boy!
Look at my diamond,
it came from Van Scoy.
My boyfriend bought it,
saved lots of money too.
Van Scoy's the diamond king,
yes, he's the man for you!
When Van Scoy retired in 1993, he left seven jewelry stores to his children. Through franchising
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
, Van Scoy lent his name to forty additional stores in the northeastern United States including shops in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
; Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
; Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
; and West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield, Massachusetts
The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,391 at the 2010 census...
"When I walk into a town, I don’t have to depend on luck," Van Scoy once said. "I’ve arranged it and planned it logically. I’ll go in and sell more diamonds in one day than all the other jewelers in town have in a week."