David Fleischer has some sage advice for young entrepreneurs eyeing Aspen for a future in clothing retail. "Have an honest backing," he said. "And you've got to be onsite as a manager to try to do it well, particularly in an exceedingly store like this. "

On Friday, Fleischer's Pitkin County Dry Goods celebrates its 50th anniversary of selling fashionable men and women's clothing in Aspen, its most up-to-date location in 1992.

Other than the Bill Bullock's, a seller of such Western wear as Levi's blue jeans and cowboy hats, Aspen didn't have much of a clothing-store scene, Dan relayed to his brother. Dan's insight was supported his time as an advert assets agent in Aspen, recalled David, who arrived at Aspen by way of urban center in August 1970.

"The store was almost bankrupt and, long story short, I took it over almost six months later," David said. "I fell crazy with the business. I didn't know that's what I wanted to do; I had taken a leave of absence from grad school and fell smitten with it, and said, 'Give me five years and I'll make it work if we can keep it open.' And that's what I did."It took me a protracted time because I didn't know anything about the business."

He had an affinity, however, for clothing and therefore the town of Aspen, eventually building Pitkin County Dry Goods into a tiny low yet reputable multi-brand shop.

"I always loved clothes," he said. "And even after I was living within the Bay Area, 

I'd call and provides them (at Pitkin County Dry Goods) advice on different lines to shop for, but even then I had no idea about being in business."

When the shop first opened, bell-bottom jeans were all the fashion, T-shirts would become fashionable within the '70s, and references to Amazon were about the rainforest and river, not the web retailer behemoth.He added that "we're certainly survivors. Each successive challenge and near disaster, from no-snow years to any or all the recessions we went through, I suppose I learned a way to survive them and acquire them through them. I hate to be glib, but during the last recession, I didn't get too stressed about it. I knew what to try to to and did it, so it visited automatic."

Fleischer would meet his future wife, Aspen native Gina Berko, at the shop in 1971. With a full-time staff of about 25 employees, Pitkin County Dry Goods assures them steady employment by staying open year-round. They also receive insurance.

Nathan Harris, who has been the men's buyer and merchandiser for the shop for 6 years, said it's not nearly getting a warm body on the payroll. Workers who believe the store's concept are more likely to succeed, stick around and become a part of the store's community-like vibe.

Fleischer is now 74. He and his wife have two grown children who aren't a part of the store's plans, which is another story for one more time.The original version of this story misidentified the wife of store owner David Fleischer, who after all is married to Gina Berko.