Old family owned hardware stores...

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franksdad

franksdad

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Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
881
Location
Greenville, South Carolina
My dad was a carpenter. Growing up I would often accompany him to all the little family owned hardware stores and lumber yards around Greenville and nearby towns. I was fascinated by all of them. My wife's father was a finish carpenter who did the most beautiful cabinet and trim work I've ever seen. My wife told me she would accompany her father to various hardware stores and lumber yards. Lord I miss those stores! I can still remember the smells, buckets of nails and screws, and the worn wooden floors.

David Wilcox is a singer who lives in Asheville, NC. Many of you may have heard of him. He has a song on his East Asheville Hardware CD called, of course, East Asheville Hardware. I have been prohibited from posting it on this site from You Tube but go to You Tube if you haven't heard it and enjoy! This goes out to the memory of Plaza Hardware, Foster's Hardware and Paint Store, Poole's Plumbing and Hardware Store, The Cantrell Company, Blue Grass Hardware, Stewart's Hardware and Lumber Store, and my wife's favorite childhood hardware store, Sullivans, and to all the old hardware stores.
 
Ace Hardware

Sad but true, just like all the family owned department stores and varity stores. Most of the hardware stores here are Ace or True Value. I go to them first also because I can tell them what I want or need and they will take me right to it. And, of course, if I don't know exactly what I need they can figure it out and help me! There used to be a privately owned home builder supply store in Clemson, SC called Ole' Norms. They had the most beautiful lumber of anyone. No more. Hope you have a great weekend! Jim
 
I used to find the most fascinating housewares in old hardware stores in the 60s and 70s. Stuff did not move that fast and was shoved to the back of shelves, and then under shelves and lost to the men who did the stocking. I was finding Pyrex Flameware into the 70s in these places along with other treaures from the previous 3 decades that only I cared about.
 
Pyrex

Hey Tom,
My mom bought a complete open stock set of Revere Ware copper clad stainless steel cookware, many assorted Pyrex bowls and bakeware, and a complete open stock set of Corning Wear blue cornflower at The Cantrell Company 40+ years ago. My dad had an account at The Cantrell Company and my mom and I would go to The Cantrell Company with my dad when he would pay on the bill. Each time we went my mom would buy another piece of Revere Wear, Pyrex, or Corning Wear until she had her sets. My dad "caught on" and would pick her up a piece for a present from time to time. Both my parents are gone but I'm still using the Revere Wear, Corning Wear, and Pyrex Mama bought way back then. One of my three bikes came from The Cantrell Company along with many Tonka steel trucks, earth movers, and other Tonka toys came from The Cantrell Company. Over the years I've talked to many who also bought cookwear at hardware stores. Those are good memories! I remember Mr. Cantrell would give my dad a receipt written on just a pad in pencil. When dad passed away we found a couple of those receipts in his underwear drawer. God only knows what me and my mom did with them. Jim
 
Sorry about all the death talk...

Today is my dad's 100th birthday. He passed away in 1983. He was a mean old SOB but he was my dad and I loved him. I guess he's on my mind today. Going to Sears and the hardware stores were good memories I have of my dad. Not trying to sound morbid. :o)
 
We still have a "local" hardware store here I have been frequenting for the past year and a half or so.

What I like about it is that the guys who work there know how all the stuff works.
They can tell you how to install it and any problems to expect. Try THAT at Lowes or Home Depot. Sure you may pay a buck or so more, but it's worth it. You only have to make one trip to the store to get what you need vs three trips to the big box store.
 
 
There's a long-time local hardware here, named for the owning family. They still carry individual charge accounts! The store that was Ace-affiliated (a farmer's coop) is still open as well but is no longer Ace. We have a TSC, McCoy's, and Sutherlands, but no Lowe's or Home Depot.
 
There Are A Few Holding On Here In NYC

But between high rents/costs and competition from Home Depot and Lowes, they are dying fast.

Worst thing for the little guy is when a customer comes in and spends ages asking tons of questions, then goes off to purchase the item at a big box hardware store. However the joke is usually on them as about six out of ten times HD doesn't have what they went to look for, now they have to go back to the hardware store they tried to stiff.

The Internet isn't helping small stores either, though some do have an online presence, it can sometimes be more trouble than it's worth.
 
Maybe its time for a "Family Hardware" store in my area-Home Depot is closing!They are holding there cloesout sale.Hurry!Get your bargains now!There are still TWO LOWES in my area-one on each side of town.
 
Re "Worst thing for the little guy is when a customer comes in and spends ages asking tons of questions, then goes off to purchase the item at a big box hardware store. "

Many times in running a small store one real income is basically nothing. ie one's real purpose is so folks gain knowledge about stuff; then they buy it elsewhere and save money; or skirt sales taxes via an internet purchase. Ie with many items on is really running a charity.

When On drops items and services that are lossy; one hears folks complain. They have no free source of knowledge. Even if one sells items about at cost; the bigger box store gets a better price. Thus even if one sells at cost and one will close in one year; on is really an evil SOB for charging too much.

Running a small store often involves working 50 to 70 hours a week and making less than minimum wage and "just trying to survive" . When one is being the "free Shell Answer Man" for custo0mer #3 for 45 minutes; customer #4 gets ticked off and retorts one should hire more folks. ie thye do not want to wait for their free consulting. Many of us running small businesses work long hours and lost money over the last 2 years in this recession. Thus we TRY TO halt lossy charity work of Answering tons of questions. One can be closed on a Saturday and be patching the front asphalt with 1000 Lbs worth of patch by hand with a tamper and all covered with tar and some customer will want you to stop and answer their questions'; so they can buy the thing elsewhere
 
I'm Wilcox fan also, and have seen him in concert some years ago in SF. I first heard him singing "High on a Hurricane", about a girl who dies on a Honda Hurricane motorcycle, and sought out his CD's. Another one of his songs that is especially good is along the lines of "Night Watchman for the Planet" (about a soldier whose job it is to tend the button for an underground nuclear missile silo). His singing has been praised as a worthy successor to James Taylor, and his lyrics are much more interesting than Taylor's ever were.

But... he stopped giving regular concerts and went into faith based bible music a few years ago, at which point I lost interest in his performances. Has he started doing secular gigs again?

As far as hardware, the best hardware stores in this area are ACE related. It seems like ACE is a very loose affiliation - the hardware stores all have a lot of individuality and often stock odd items that someone restoring old things can't find anywhere else. There are a few that I hold dear - and Pastime Hardware in El Cerrito is one of the best, even if it's a 25 mile drive for me now. There's also Pete's Ace Hardware in Castro Valley. I recently was able to get fireplace gratings there that nobody else carries because it's "out of season". Excuse me? Around here it's still winter!

Orchard Supply Hardware, which became OSH, used to be another good one. But after Sears took it over it started to go downhill... they eliminated a lot of special, one of a kind items. And then when Kmart took over Sears, it got even worse. I still shop there, but it's often an exercise in frustration when I can't find simple items like nuts and bolts that they used to carry but no longer do. They've outsourced that stuff to a vendor who often stocks almost what is needed at any particular time.
 

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