if I want HARDWARE, I hit the C.A.L. Ranch store first. Never seen such a vast selection hardware. But they're not perfect either, about 1 in 4 trips the bin with what I need in it is empty
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if I want HARDWARE, I hit the C.A.L. Ranch store first. Never seen such a vast selection hardware. But they're not perfect either, about 1 in 4 trips the bin with what I need in it is empty
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ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
FOUR - CO2 lasers
THREE- make that FOUR now- fiber lasers
ONE - vinyl cutter
CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle
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Our local Ace Hardware closed a few years ago.
There is a True Value Hardware in Rainier, OR across the river. They will get my business when convenient. They have a selection of brad point bits.
There is a Wilco on this side of the Columbia river with a good hardware selection but it is a longer drive. It is actually on the other side of a different river. We live in a place where a couple rivers flow into the Columbia River.
There is also a wide spot of the road with a small fairly well stocked hardware store on the road going west from here. Stopped on the way home from the coast once and bought a couple of things there.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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Yes jerry's is from my home Town very good people and store. It was originally just two guys in a small building on that original lot. I believe he sold it and it's a esop now.Originally Posted by Jim Barkelew
Member
It's funny how many people complain about losing small business but then ultimately let their wallets rule the decision. I can totally relate to needing inexpensive, but people expect, great knowledge & service, huge selection and cheap prices... It's a real hard combo to fulfill. Amazon has hit a couple of those points real well, but their employees likely can't recommend that special bolt your after or fitting for your dishwasher...
If you want local stores, buy local. Spend the extra $3 on that bag of soil, 6$ on a shovel, etc. I hate spending my hard earned cash on the same item at a higher price. But I also hate going to a store and being ignored for 45 minutes in the plumbing section or having to wait in line for 20 minutes because there is only two checkers. So I spend the extra money and let my wallet do the talking.
My local Ace is excellent, they almost always seem overstaffed, but they have almost everything you can imagine (except lumber). Wall paper steamer? Got it! Odd spring? Got it! Frying pan? They also have someone asking if you need help every couple of minutes.
To me the service and selection are worth the extra money. Even when I don't need their extra help I shop there,. because I know from working at a small business, it's expensive to keep stock that doesn't turn or have extra employee's on staff to ensure my customers have a good experience.
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Another cost is some of the local vendors tend to treat employees well and retain them for years. The employees will know more about what is in the store.To me the service and selection are worth the extra money. Even when I don't need their extra help I shop there,. because I know from working at a small business, it's expensive to keep stock that doesn't turn or have extra employee's on staff to ensure my customers have a good experience.
Some of the bigger stores do not want to pay to keep employees long term so they have a higher turnover.
One of the consumer electronics chains made a few mistakes. One of their big blunders was they felt their long term commissioned employees were costing them too much so they canned their long term employees to save money. It was a big mistake. Many of the customers were repeat customers and had good relationships with "their sales person." They not only lost experience sales people they lost a lot of customers.
My preference often is to go to the smaller store where the people are happy to see me instead of seeing me as an intrusion on their time.In one day, the company fired 3,900 of
its highest-paid salespeople, with plans to replace them with
2,100 hourly associates. The move crushed employee morale
and productivity. “Anyone who was working in the store
thought, gee, if I’m too successful they’re going to fire
me, because I’ll be making too much money,” Wulf says.
“So there was no incentive anymore to take good care of the
customer.”
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
I’ve never been there in person, but they are a class act IMO. They are my preferred vendor for Wright mechanics tools (and another heck yeah for Wright themselves.)
Last edited by Doug Dawson; 03-25-2021 at 12:53 PM.
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We had a local store that had almost everything. It was one of those stores where the floor was unfinished hardwood that creaked as you walked on it. The plumbing stuff was in hand made wooden boxes and if you couldn't find something you just asked the owner and he would take you to the basement where any picker would pass out at all the stuff. But they closed because (from the rumors) he got a little too friendly with the 16 year old girl running the cash register. Not far away was a regional hardware chain that wasn't doing anywhere near the same business. One day they had a semi trailer parked in front of the store and emptied it out.
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We had one of those when I grew up, unfinished wood floor and all. He even sold shotgun shells.
Long gone.....
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
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The smaller the store, the more likely that the worker bees know exactly where the item you want would be if they carried it.
Last edited by Lee DeRaud; 03-25-2021 at 11:23 AM.
Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
"Design"? Possibly. "Intelligent"? Sure doesn't look like it from this angle.
We used to be hunter gatherers. Now we're shopper borrowers.
The three most important words in the English language: "Front Towards Enemy".
The world makes a lot more sense when you remember that Butthead was the smart one.
You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too much ammo.
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I have an old hardware store near me that has been in business for longer then I can remember I think it says open since 1933 they still have one of those ladders that have the wheels on a track and floor. The floor is well worn and the bins are old oak. They carry stuff you could never find in a box store.
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Here in Falls Church, VA, we have Browns Hardware. It's associated with True Value but it definitely has that local vibe. The owner, Hugh Brown, passed away a few years ago and he left a majority of the store to a trust to benefit the employees in hopes that it would continue. I notice that a few employees come and go but there's a core that have worked there as long as I've lived here. I don't always find what I need at Browns but you can bet that I try there first.
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Sometimes it just hard to find folks that know the inventory. I remember the Radio Shack in Topeka KS where I grew up was run by ham radio enthusiasts who had built their own radio equipment. They knew their stuff and were happy to explain things. Towards the end, I was in a Radio Shack in Overland Park, KS and a guy there tried to explain to me how many ohms were in a milliwatt.
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It is hard to find someone who wants to put in the time and effort to do what is needed to run a hardware emporium like we knew 50 years ago.
One of my favorite hardware stores to stop in has been for sale for years. They have many products no longer available on display including an early Stanley #45.
https://www.dunsmuirhardware.org/
The store is said to be profitable. There just aren't a lot of people who want to live in the rural mountain area of Northern California.
Looks like they had a bout with the covid there > https://www.mtshastanews.com/story/n...id/4450358001/
Something for an ambitious youngster.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
I haven't been there but I was in a pinch last year for a fitting when working down there and was steered to Strasser True Value Hardware on Southwest Blvd. I was impressed with it. Lot's of inventory. I was in a rush so I didn't have time to browse.
Locally we have a lumber yard that sells a good amount of hardware as well. They are friendly and helpful. I use them especially if I want it delivered. About 12 miles away is a farm/hardware store that is pretty amazing. They don't have a much in the way of woodworking only items but they have a huge selection of general hardware. It's not fancy and you may have to blow the dust off things but they are always friendly, helpful, and enjoyable to do business with. If I want to visit a big box store I have a 40 minute drive to go to the orange, blue, or green stores.
Last edited by Ronald Blue; 03-27-2021 at 9:48 PM.
Moderator
One of our local True Value stores (independently owned, but "brand" supported) has a pretty good hardware selection including metric fasteners. I go there when it's convenient. They are not a good source for paint, hard-core electrical/plumbing, etc., but do have common items. Another local independent lumber yard is definitely the go-to for actual construction lumber, etc. The quality is excellent. They have a much larger selection of hardware than the TV/ACE store(s) and also handle Benjamin Moore finish products. And they load or help load lumber, etc.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
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