Larry Caldwell wrote:
I went to Lowe's today to pick up an assortment of materials; a 1 micron
water filter, a toilet handle, a tube of butyl calk, a gallon of Snow
Roof, a 3" self-closing RV trailer dump fitting, and a 3x2 curb mount
Velux skylight.

I ended up getting the toilet handle. None of the other items were in
stock. What kind of building supply store doesn't stock butyl calk?
Last month I went there looking for a quad 20 breaker, and they didn't
stock those either. The irritating thing is that, when Lowes built
their store, a local building supply went out of business, but I could
buy all the stuff at the local building supply in one stop.

Big Box stores don't come into an area to save you/us money.
After they take the business/ put the local competition out, of business
they raise prices and cut inventory to the fast movers or items that
offer the larger margins of profit. This is one reason that American
made is being made ancient history.
Small harware building supply stores often tried rigorously to carry
American made. people bought it even if it was a little more. The
quality was there, generally. Big Box carries only what it's buyers buy
in China etc in volume. Of course lumber and other things are
exceptions. There is no concern with what we want. We are forced to buy
what they offer because they are the only game in town.