If Eli Robbins were to come to Austin today with $500 worth of used furniture, it’s just possible he would be a successful businessman.

Tuesday, August 24, 1999

If Eli Robbins were to come to Austin today with $500 worth of used furniture, it’s just possible he would be a successful businessman.

"When you stop and think, that was the Great Depression and he survived that and went on to be a successful businessman, just maybe he would be successful today," said daughter-in-law Donna Robbins.

"Who knows? This might be a good place to start a used furniture store for people who are outside the mainstream of consumers and who need that furniture," she said.

Eli Robbins died at the age of 98 on Aug. 15.

The man who founded the furniture store that bears his family name lived at Deerfield Beach, Fla., in his retirement.

Funeral services were Aug. 18 in Minneapolis.

For much of his life, he lived above the store on 1st Street Northeast across from the Mower County government center.

Born in Russia, he emigrated to the United States in 1908 and 25 years later, he came to Austin in the midst of America’s Great Depression.

The doors on Austin Furniture Company first opened in 1933 and the used furniture business grew to a new furniture business and prospered.

In 1955, his son, Leon, moved to Austin and joined his father in the store’s operation and the store prospered more.

In the early 1990s, Leon’s son, Michael, joined his father and grandfather and the store prospered still more.

Through the years, now 66 total, the business remained along 1st Street Northeast, using different names until it became Robbins Furniture and Design Gallery.

"He was very honest and hard-working. He took care of his customers," said Donna Robbins, whose husband, Leon, died two years ago. "When he lived in the apartment above the store, he would race down the stairs to run the business. After he retired and moved away, he returned and saw that we had taken over his old apartment and turned it into a part of the business. He was excited and pleased."

"When there would be some world-wide event that would happen that might of had an economic impact, he would always ask Leon how that might impact on the store’s operation. He wanted to anticipate what could happen and be prepared for it," she said.

"Dad was the same way," said Michael Robbins, president and CEO of the family business. "They were both so interested in reading about what was going on in the world and especially the industry. They both constantly sought out ways to be innovative and to learn the latest trends. They wanted to be proactive."

Michael still refers affectionately to the founder as "Grandpa."

"He worked very, very hard and treated customers great and helped perpetuate the reputation for quality and customer service that Robbins Furniture and Design Gallery enjoys today," said the grandson. "It all started with grandpa."

After retiring and moving to Florida in 1979, the company’s founder returned annually to visit Austin and his family.

What piece of advice did Eli Robbins leave with the surviving family member operating the business? "Try to always be good to people and you’ll be treated the same way. That was the legacy he left," said Michael.