, ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁The ▁stores ▁typically ▁sold ▁sho es , ▁cl othing , ▁house war es , ▁fab rics , ▁pen ny ▁c andy , ▁to ys , ▁cos met ics , ▁and ▁often ▁included ▁a ▁l unch ▁counter ▁or ▁sn ack ▁bar . ▁They ▁also ▁exclus ively ▁sold ▁Ori ole ▁Records , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁' d ime ▁store ▁labels ' ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁ ▁Found ing ▁ ▁John ▁Graham ▁McC r ore y ▁( 1 8 6 0 - 1 9 2 3 ) ▁opened ▁his ▁first ▁store ▁in ▁Scott dale , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 . ▁By ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁the ▁chain ▁had ▁five ▁stores ▁in ▁Pennsylvania . ▁McC r ory ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁thr if ty ▁nature , ▁so ▁much ▁so ▁that ▁he ▁leg ally ▁dropped ▁the ▁e ▁from ▁his ▁last ▁name ▁so ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁extra ▁letters ▁on ▁his ▁store ▁signs . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁firm ' s ▁policies ▁was ▁to ▁ac quire ▁locations ▁whenever ▁property ▁could ▁be ▁found ▁at ▁a ▁reasonable ▁purchase ▁price . ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁approximately ▁ <0xE2> <0x85> <0x94> ▁of ▁its ▁stores ▁were ▁le ased , ▁with ▁the ▁remainder ▁owned ▁by ▁a ▁subs idi ary , ▁the ▁McC r ory ▁Real ty ▁Corporation . ▁The ▁ret ail er ' s ▁gross ▁sales ▁approached ▁$ 3 0   mill ion ▁by ▁the ▁mid -