Has the expressway billboard for the RGV Spy Store caught your eye?  Ric Tamez hopes so. “It lets people know we’re here,” said the owner of RGV SpyTek, which carries security cameras, GPS trackers, recording devices, data recovery tools for hard drives and much, much more. “We’re the only spy shop in the Valley, but it’s a competitive world,” he said. “I’ve got to stay ahead of anyone thinking about getting into the business.”

Tamez, a former McAllen Police Department burglary investigator, opened the spy shop in 2008 and worked as a licensed private investigator to support the store until his business got on its feet. “The transition occurred faster than I thought.  By the third year, I was able to drop investigation work and focus on the spy shop,” he said.

The North 23rd Street store is filled with gadgetry ranging from night vision binoculars, stun guns, and personal alarms to an astounding inventory of surveillance cameras disguised as globes, mantel clocks, Coke cans, smoke detectors, flash drives and clothes hooks.  Private investigators regularly stop by to see if there is anything new they can use in their work, Tamez said. He, in turn, refers customers seeking a private investigator to them.

“Our store is unique. We can afford to have a 15-20 minute conversation with our customers. We want to know what they looking for, what they are going to use it for.  Some customers wonder why we want to know. We want to make sure we sell them the right product.  Security cameras are a big thing, but they are not all alike, and they are not all going to work the same way,” said Tamez. “We pride ourselves on providing information and service,” even after the sale. “I think the customers who have purchased from us appreciate it.”

Individuals rather than businesses constitute the majority of SpyTek customers. Tamez and technician J.D. Guzman exercise discretion when selling certain items. “We talk to people. I try to keep them honest. We have to be very careful who we sell lock-pick sets to. We never want to sell to someone who will injure or rip off someone else.” On a case-by-case basis, he will request an identification card from a potential customer.

“It’s a very interesting business to stay the least,” said Tamez, after nearly seven years running the spy shop.  He’s excited about new products coming out because analog quality has improved so much.  One new item is a personal tracker, small as a matchbox, which has an SOS button and a battery that lasts up to three days. It’s a gadget for people who travel or are concerned about kidnapping. The store also stocks a DVD titled “Expect the Unexpected” about avoiding kidnapping.

For more of this story by Eileen Mattei, visit the “Current & Past Issues” tab or pick up a copy of Valley Business Report’s August 2014 print edition.