Greg O wrote:
"lektric dan" wrote in message
...
Just scored a set of 4 "Two Cherries" chisels at the local Ace
Hardware. I didn't know anything about them but thought the price -
about $40 - was cheap enough for the risk. Googled them when I got
home and found out this was a pretty good deal.

The reason they were so cheap is that the two Ace stores in town are
selling everything off and packing up. One is already closed - all
inventory moved to the second store. Second store will be gone by
the end of the month. There's a Harbor Freight across the street,
and a Wal Mart down the block. The store across town had a Lowes, a
Home Depot, and a Wal Mart to compete with.

I would not be so quick to blame the big box stores of killing off
the Ace Hardware stores!
We have a hardware store here that was barely hanging on. The owner
figured it was time to either lock the doors, or fight head on with
the big boys, so he moved into a building right next door to Menards.
There is also a Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart ,and Target within a mile
of his store. He claims it was the best thing he ever did. When
customers get sick of buying low quality import crap with no service
from the big box stores they stop in and see him and buy quality with
service.

Yep. The owner of a sci-fi bookstore told me he'd love to be able to move
next to Barnes & Noble. "I got the books, new AND used, videos, games,
costumes, game pieces, posters, t-shirts, everything. You step up to the
counter and say 'I'm looking for a book about robots with a green cover' and
I say 'how many?' Over at the gox store it's 'hey man, if it's on the shelf
we got it' "