This piece, written for The New York Times Magazine, was possibly the first article published about big box retailers. I spent a few days with the irrepressible Sol Price, whose eponymous creation—Price Club—eventually became Costco. When I wandered into the first Price Club store on the outskirts of San Diego, I was living in a small apartment in NYC. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to buy giant jars of pickles or a dozen rolls of toilet paper at one time. Now, having raised a family, I know—and I know that Sol Price forever changed the way we shop.