On 12 Mar 2007 03:04:10 -0700, "GROVER"
wrote:

Many years ago when I lived in northern New Jersey, and before the
advent of the big box home improvement centers there were
independently owned hardware stores ( which have been discussed
previously on this NG ). They generally had creaky wooden floors,
gray haired clerks who knew the location and names of a lot of arcane
hardware, and a lot of bins which housed bulk items, not much blister
packaging.They had a scale and weighed out nails by the pound.

One of these had a sign hung behind the counter informing all that
this was the store of "two wonders". First you wonder if we have it,
then we wonder if we can find it.

Another shop of that era sold antiques. Its sign proclaimed it was
the shop of the three "don'ts". Don't bring in your children, don't
bring in your dog and don't tell us your grandmother threw this thing
out.
I don't know if many years into the future people will have any fond
memories of the current crop of home centers.

Joe G


Still got one in Tupelo, MS. Tupelo Hardware. Four stories of
downtown building crammed full of whatever you want. Recently a sales
clerk took me up to the top floor to look for a bearing. first time I
had ever been upstairs. What a marvelous experience.

In an earlier time, when there was nothing else, they acted as
somewhat of a general store, would order whatever you needed, but
specialized in hardware. It is the store where Elvis Presley bought
his first guitar.

Frank