I got my first retail job as a teenager in 1973, working for Dyno Surf Shop in Huntington Beach. I was selling surfboards, leashes, wax, setting up boards for customers, writing up ding repairs, and running the front of the store.  It was the 60s surf era and Corky Carrol,  David Neuevea, George Draper, and Robert August were across the street, Jack's Surf shop was next door.  I remember one day a guy dropped off the first neoprene sandals and said, “try these out.” They became the Beach Comber Bill's, forerunner of today's Rainbows, Cobain, and Reef sandals.

   In the late 70s I worked at Newport Ski Company while attending Cal State in Long Beach and San Diego, earning my BA in Industrial Arts, Technical Illustrations and Photography. At Newport Ski  Co. I met the sales reps from all the action sport and apparel companies. After graduation I worked for advertising agencies, got into pro windsurfing, raced Speed, Slalom, and Distance and traveled the world for 5 years as #US-36.

See us at shows and fairs around So Cal.

   Sales rep’ing was fun and kept me on the road and sailing all over California, Oregon, and Hawaii. But time flies, and selling clothing became my main focus.  My first company, NTA SportsMarketing Group, was a sales representative agency. We had as many as 16 lines, with 7 agents covering California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Siapan, and Guam.

 

 

 The 80s and 90s were fun, but my early years in retail told me that we really owed our success to the American shopper. Ultimately, service to the consumer is everything. So seven years ago I launched Coast Clothing Company to bring a new kind of value and service to market. Our home base is still in Newport Beach.

 Nick and family at the L.A. County Fair.

  We keep our overhead low which holds down our prices to you. Our Newport store is in an historic industrial district (the birthplace of famous surf brands like Quicksliver), not some fancy mall. We’re open only during the most productive selling hours.  Our staff is lean and multi-talented, and we have permanent space at SoCal’s leading fairs and shows:

 

  Along with Old Guys Rule, we feature men’s and boy’s aloha shirts and shorts, women's sportswear, aloha dresses and tops, capris, shorts, and accessories. And you'll find great selection in outdoor and mountain wear from brands like Moose Creek, and True Grit.    Water is in our blood, the ocean’s in our heart, the beach is always on our mind.
  If that’s your lifestyle, too, then you’ve come to the right place.

What’s with Old Guys Rule ?

  Back when I was on the road, I met fellow rep Don Craig.  We became friends around 2001 and exchanged goods from our lines. His main line then was Dragon Fly, but he told me about his idea for Old Guys Rule and showed me the first t-shirt with the original longboard logo on the back.  I liked it immediately, laughed out loud, and wore a navy blue OGR t-shirt on my calls. With good comments from people everywhere I went, we realized it was appealing to men and women of all ages. When Don saw my operation at the O.C. Marketplace we agreed to start offering Old Guys Rule there. That was 6 years ago and now many people simply have us pegged as “the Old Guys Rule guys.”

- Nick Anderson