Ngl that old hardware store on Maple Street closing down for good hit me harder than I expected

Went there last Tuesday to grab some wood filler and ended up talking to the owner for 20 minutes about how they used to cut keys by hand, and now I can't find half the specialty bolts I need without ordering online has anyone else noticed local shops disappearing like this

3 comments

3 Comments

the_thomas13d ago

Roll your eyes all you want, but I'm not sure this is worth getting worked up over. I walked in there once for a lightbulb and the place smelled like a wet basement mixed with old paint. They had one guy working the register who couldn't find the price on half the stuff.

laura_wright9d ago

Yeah the "couldn't find the price on half the stuff" part is exactly why places like that are dying out. But honestly that chaos was part of the charm you know, you'd just stand there and bullshit with the guy while he dug through some dusty binder or called the back. Those old school spots had knowledge that no computer system could ever match, but I guess most people would rather just tap a screen and get on with their day.

milesj7013d ago

Funny you mention the smell and the register situation, but that's kind of the point - those places were never about being slick or fast. It's like how my grandpa's old barbershop finally closed a few years back. You'd walk in and wait 40 minutes while some guy told stories about his fishing trips, and you just sat there because that was part of the deal. Now everything's about getting in and out in five minutes with no conversation. That hardware store was probably the only spot left where you could ask someone "hey, what kind of screw is this weird thing I brought in" and they'd actually know without scanning a barcode.