Here in Columbus there is an old fashioned camera shop that was at one point a small chain. They are down to like one or two stores now. With their staff's attitude it won't belong till yet another chain restaurant knocks down that building and opens. This is also a study in opposites. First I was in the Ace Hardware across the street. Locally opwned franchise. Talk about service, a hardware specialist opened the door as I arrived and asked if I needed help. Rattled off the few items on my list. He led me right to the items, offered good, better, best options and was able to answer questions without hesitation. Politely offered possibly better suggestions to accomplish my project as well. Thanked me for my business on check out. The store was busy, well staffed, neat and clean. Then across the street to the Camera Shop. Here I was looking for 40.5mm magnification rings. I'd much rather have a macro lens but that's money better spent elsewhere. The guy behind the counter took no interest, pointed to an area of the shop where I should look and then looked bored. I looked in the area, it was a mess, filters, rings and stuff all over the place, mixed sizes and types in stacks. Ask for help in looking for the desired product. Reluctantly he moved a few around acting like he was looking. Then said to me they don't have any, I should go online to B&H and order them on the internet. As I left I said to the manager,, so much for shopping local, your employee just told me I would find it online at B&H. Manger, chuckled. Damn...I tried. Ace Hardware will see me again, Cord Camera will not.
Our local Ace hardware store is just like yours. It is owned buy a an older lady and her two sons and they very friendly and helpful. Even time I walk in they know me by name and they ring me up and enter my last name in the system for my Ace discount member card without asking. They have only been open for 5 years and they have doubled in size. The customer service they provide is the reason I never go to Home Depot or Lowes unless Ace tells me they do not have what I am looking for.
We have Roush Hardware here in Hooterville & they do a great job. Why you ask? Because they are employee owned like many of the Ace Hardware stores are. I refuse to buy from those big box stores. Cord Camera, I gave up on them 10 years ago. To tell the truth I'm surprised they are still in business. B&H is a great store, not local to me but local to the folks in NYC.
Zettlers Hardware in Powell is also a good one. Nuts and bolts in bulk instead of prepackaged, they cut glass, fix screens, mix paint and know what the hell they are talking about.
Yep, I'm with youse guys on Ace, there's one only a mile from my house, and even tho there's a Home Depot also a mile away, if I just want a few items I go to Ace. It's more expensive, but so much easier to do business there. I wonder if this is a "camera shop" thing. We have a similar store, one that used to have ten or so stores in the metro and is now down to just two. I went in to buy a mount as I was building an in-car mount to shoot track day vids and it seems like unless you're a pro photographer in to buy a new expensive camera, you're just not important enough to talk to, or beneath them some how. I needed it that day and I found one hidden in the mess and bought it, but go back? No way Jose! BTW, all my pro photog buddies buy their camera stuff online too.....
Funny thing.... My home-depot has sent me to ACE.....my local ace has racks of nuts and bolts if different grades, and tons of other items...the depot jus had the "mainstream"stuff....
My ACE has 3 rows of loose nuts, bolts, washers and they are all very well organized in pull out drawers . The Ace guy told me they have a guy that comes in twice a week and makes sure everything stocked. If you need just two bolts or screws just grab them put them in the paper bag and write down the cost on the bag.
We have a hardware store in town, the same family has had it for about seventy or eighty years. It takes up a city block. The front of the store is a small sales area, with most of the things you see in hardware stores, paint, glue, rubber boots and such, but go back into the warehouse behind the swinging doors and they have everything but lumber. The fastener area alone is bigger than my house! Pipe fittings? Any weird fitting or material you can think of, I have never stumped them! They are not the cheapest place in town, but you never have to go anywhere else to get what you need. The help is very friendly, knowledgeable and they are everywhere you turn. I'm spoiled, having a place like that so close. Dave
I like Lowe's...they went out of their way to give me $1.62 (10% off) for military discount...in which I wasn't looking to get...the cashier saw my Retired Military ID from when I pulled the cash out of my wallet.
I was unhappy when my Sears Hardware closed. There aren't any small hardware stores in Hilliard. :cryin:
We have one of those too - Strasser Hardware - and while not exactly in my 'hood, it's close enough that when I need something I can't get elsewhere - they have it! Recently one Saturday afternoon I was putting some new front wheel bearings in a classic Mini, and the end of the stub axle where the nut goes on was buggered up, so I needed a threading die.....I got out my calipers and thread gauges and determined I needed a 7/8 - 14 die, not exactly a common size. I figured I'd have to order one online or wait till Monday to go to one of the industrial sales shops, but no...... they had it! and for less than $20 too! We also are lucky enough to have the reknowned and world's only Harry J. Epsteins in KC. Look it up, it's a wonderful place that I had the priveledge of touring with the owner's grandson.....the stories told were nothing short of amazing! http://store.harryepstein.com/ If you watch the "what happens to your order" video on the site, that's Jory (Harry J's grandson) in the video.
We have a True-Value like that. An unbelievable assortment of nuts and bolts, although the store isn't that large, Milwaukee and Dewalt, although no snap-on. I will usually go there first, and pay more for whatever unless it is too unreasonable. Sears is overpriced,as is Lowe's, although Lowe's has some nice stuff. We have a Fleet Farm that I love, and a Menard's if all else fails, but True Value gets most of my business, and if they don't have it, they usually steer me toward an even smaller local shop that does. For disposable tools, or for a cheap backup, I use Harbor Freight, a guilty pleasure...
I buy from Harbor Freight all the time. I haven't broken one of their tools yet. They have the same guarantee a Snap on. Dave
I had the early brake tool from HF break, but the new one (actually there are two, one for each direction) is much, much stronger and should last a life time. I also has a floor jack go, but since I got it on sale for 30 bucks, and I think it was critically injured by loaning it to someone who's car was probably heavier than what he initially claimed, I can't complain about it. I will say the new Jack they sell, although slightly more expensive and a little heavier, looks much sturdier. The rest of the tools I bought from them have lasted. Heck, I get free screwdrivers and wrenches from them all the time, from their specials. I will say the HF tool cabinet, for 369 bucks, is an unbelievable deal--the drawers are lined with padding, with rollers with bearings on the doors that slide really easy, and it's made of heavy metal (over 300 lbs), for the price it's so much better constructed than a Craftsman thats more than twice the price--those are flimsy, the drawers are horrible; it's pretty close to the Snap On that's 3x the price.
Pop Mach has a bit on their favorite hardware stores. The one I like best is a combination hardware store and bar. The ultimate "man" location.
I bought two of those Harbor Freight 42" roller cabinets and built them into a workbench, I'm completely happy with them - and if you watch for a coupon, sometimes you can get them for $349 as I did.