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Author Topic: Good Morning!!!!!!  (Read 4901145 times)

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Offline Steve-o

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People are stupid and consumers are sheep.

Many of us bitch about stores putting out Christmas stuff before Halloween, but they wouldn't do it if no one bought anything.

Hallmark used to have a special clearance sale of all their Christmas ornaments after Christmas.  Now they are displayed all year round.  Why?  Because folks buy em all year round.

(Wait a minute... I'm a person...   :doah:)

Offline Steve-o

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i really dont see it going downhill,,,but dats my opinion. :happy1:

It all depends on what you are looking for.  They really scaled back on hardware.  They haven't restocked their romex wire in months.  Another time I went in looking for some specialty bracket - finally found a clerk to talk to.  He worked there before and after the sale.  He said after the new management came in, they stopped carrying lots of specialty things (hardware, that is), and folks were plenty angry.  They might only sell one widget a month, but people notice when they can't get what they used to be able to find.  He told me management was starting to figure this out and began restocking some of the products they dropped.  But you know Murphy's Law - or one of his Corollaries - if I need one, it will be out of stock.  If I don't need one, they will have 6.

Offline Rebel SS

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We used to have a REAL hardware store here.....A family owned Hardware Hank. Had two of my buddis working in there.  Bins of bulk nails, screws, nuts, bolts. 1/2"roman ogee bits. Cutting dies. Sized brass rod stock.  (I made punches out of them for gun pistol pins....the soft brass won't mark steel) Threaded rod stock. They'd replace screening on doors, windows.....also glass. Reglaze. Caulk. Went in to have a new end crimped on garden hose with their crimper machine. That was gone...bulk hose sizes...rope...chain...single glaziers points...rosin or acid-core solder...now, none of the above is available anywhere. Store closed. Buddies lost their jobs. Have three anemic Ace hardware's with sh** for merchandise and sh**-for-brains kids working in there. One didn't even know what contact cement was....took me over to where outdoor tools where....it's a GLUE, ya idjit....%$#@!
It's a throw away world, without anyone intelligent enough to fix anything themselves, except maybe farmers. Pretty sad.
« Last Edit: October 10/30/19, 04:01:12 PM by Rebel SS »

Offline mike89

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yea Reb we had one of them back in Mankato..  it was a good store for sure!!!
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Online Dotch

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Back on Reb's Christmas tree segment, I wonder how some of those early purchased trees hold up? Reputedly they're treated with all kinds of deadly toxins now to help keep them from drying out so quickly. We did buy one before Thanksgiving, once, many moons ago. Put it out in the granary lean-to so it would stay cold until we could get to it. Then some tomcat found it. We got the tree in the house and once it warmed up...peee-ewwww! Growing up when we'd cut trees fresh out of our own planting or Voss's tree farm seems like the Norway & white pine would last about a month if you were vigilant about the watering them. Spruce not so much.

As far as putting Christmas merchandise out early, in the 60's & 70's we grumbled about seeing it much before Thanksgiving. Now it's out before Halloween. FF's toy sale was a couple weeks ago Saturday already & I avoided it like the plague just like I did their Christmas offerings on Monday. Not getting any $ out of this ornery old bastard for that stuff. Could've fired a cannon down the aisles that Sunday tho. Now if they had an early Christmas automotive, tool, gun and fishing tackle sale they might be onto something!  :happy1:
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline Rebel SS

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They never had ice fishing gear out early...THAT Pissed me off big-time. Was always a 3 week scramble, and when it was gone, it was gone.  :angry2:
« Last Edit: October 10/30/19, 04:12:14 PM by Rebel SS »

Offline LPS

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A few years ago I was a the FF in Brainerd.  I was buying parts to make my wood splitter.  Pumps, valves, hoses, pump to motor coupler etc.  A woman came over to the wife and I as I am trying to figure things out and asked if we needed help.  I asked what kind of pump I should get for an 8 hp motor.  She reached right up and said you need the bigger one.  Then the motor to pump coupler (they had many) she knew what I needed.  I was impressed as heck and yes partly cuz it was a woman.  Made our whole shopping trip more fun so we ended up staying longer and buying more stuff.  Lots more!  All due to her knowing what she was talking about!  I wonder if she is still there?  I feel like I am educating them now when the young kids try to help me in stores. 

Offline Bobberineyes

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FF is one of my many weekend stops, sure after they re did things it's like a treasure hunt,  keeps one coming back. That's awesome lps, not to often you find a female let alone someone in a dept that knows what one needs. It's my one stop shop , besides the beer store anyway.. seems to me all the ice fishing gadgets are out year around,  in this store anyway.. maybe no sales tho..

Offline Rebel SS

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I was lucky enough that the FF sporting goods mgr was a long-time friend and would call me when the ice augers and ice gear were going to be put out. Usually about Thanksgiving was the stores guidelines.
I was out there last week for some moldings and stuff, and it seemed pretty much the same to me. Auto parts and engine parts all the same. Best place to go for spark plugs, as I have a pile of common ones on hand to do the neighbors blowers/mowers equipment. I need 4 different plugs for my stuff alone... :rolleyes: Only thing I couldn't find were the grilling seasonings. Maybe that's seasonal.... But, I walked out without the blade I wanted for the rider....thought about it halfway home.  :doah:

Offline glenn57

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if FF doesn't have it...……….you don't need it!!!!!!!!!!! :nerd: :nerd:
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!

Online Dotch

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We used to have a REAL hardware store here.....A family owned Hardware Hank. Had two of my buddis working in there.  Bins of bulk nails, screws, nuts, bolts. 1/2"roman ogee bits. Cutting dies. Sized brass rod stock.  (I made punches out of them for gun pistol pins....the soft brass won't mark steel) Threaded rod stock. They'd replace screening on doors, windows.....also glass. Reglaze. Caulk. Went in to have a new end crimped on garden hose with their crimper machine. That was gone...bulk hose sizes...rope...chain...single glaziers points...rosin or acid-core solder...now, none of the above is available anywhere. Store closed. Buddies lost their jobs. Have three anemic Ace hardware's with sh** for merchandise and sh**-for-brains kids working in there. One didn't even know what contact cement was....took me over to where outdoor tools where....it's a GLUE, ya idjit....%$#@!
It's a throw away world, without anyone intelligent enough to fix anything themselves, except maybe farmers. Pretty sad.

Miss those hardware stores too. Still have one in town here that carries a lot of the older plumbing & heating stuff because that's what's still in a lot Bugtussle's old houses and original farm houses. Bruzek's was even better but that closed several decades ago. There's another guy in town yet who sells paint as well as fixes windows & screens. He'll replace pitchfork handles too if you can find the right new handle. There is a difference in the new replacement handles vs. the older ones, 20 -30 years old; the pitch of the angle on the handle where the tang is inserted is flatter than on the older pitchforks. You have to heat the tang up and bend it before inserting it into the handle otherwise it's awkward to use. He won't do that so by the time you fart around bending it and consider the cost of the new handle, it's cheaper to buy a whole new fork. Planned obsolescence. As you say, a throwaway society even with pitchforks.  :rolleyes: I did buy a new pitchfork a few years ago at FF after breaking my old favorite. It's a bitchin' pitchfork!  :rotflmao: 
« Last Edit: October 10/30/19, 05:30:13 PM by Dotch »
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline delcecchi

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i really dont see it going downhill,,,but dats my opinion. :happy1:

It all depends on what you are looking for.  They really scaled back on hardware.  They haven't restocked their romex wire in months.  Another time I went in looking for some specialty bracket - finally found a clerk to talk to.  He worked there before and after the sale.  He said after the new management came in, they stopped carrying lots of specialty things (hardware, that is), and folks were plenty angry.  They might only sell one widget a month, but people notice when they can't get what they used to be able to find.  He told me management was starting to figure this out and began restocking some of the products they dropped.  But you know Murphy's Law - or one of his Corollaries - if I need one, it will be out of stock.  If I don't need one, they will have 6.

Thank the lord for Amazon Prime....

Offline Rebel SS

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i really dont see it going downhill,,,but dats my opinion. :happy1:

It all depends on what you are looking for.  They really scaled back on hardware.  They haven't restocked their romex wire in months.  Another time I went in looking for some specialty bracket - finally found a clerk to talk to.  He worked there before and after the sale.  He said after the new management came in, they stopped carrying lots of specialty things (hardware, that is), and folks were plenty angry.  They might only sell one widget a month, but people notice when they can't get what they used to be able to find.  He told me management was starting to figure this out and began restocking some of the products they dropped.  But you know Murphy's Law - or one of his Corollaries - if I need one, it will be out of stock.  If I don't need one, they will have 6.

Thank the lord for Amazon Prime....


That's the main problem right there.

Offline glenn57

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amazon can kiss my  :moon: :moon:. I want to look at and hold what I buy!!!!!!!! :happy1:
2015 deer slayer!!!!!!!!!!

Offline Rebel SS

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Offline delcecchi

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We used to have a REAL hardware store here.....A family owned Hardware Hank. Had two of my buddis working in there.  Bins of bulk nails, screws, nuts, bolts. 1/2"roman ogee bits. Cutting dies. Sized brass rod stock.  (I made punches out of them for gun pistol pins....the soft brass won't mark steel) Threaded rod stock. They'd replace screening on doors, windows.....also glass. Reglaze. Caulk. Went in to have a new end crimped on garden hose with their crimper machine. That was gone...bulk hose sizes...rope...chain...single glaziers points...rosin or acid-core solder...now, none of the above is available anywhere. Store closed. Buddies lost their jobs. Have three anemic Ace hardware's with sh** for merchandise and sh**-for-brains kids working in there. One didn't even know what contact cement was....took me over to where outdoor tools where....it's a GLUE, ya idjit....%$#@!
It's a throw away world, without anyone intelligent enough to fix anything themselves, except maybe farmers. Pretty sad.

Yeah I went there, at miracle mile.    Everything ordinary cost 2x. 

Offline roony

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It's the cheap skates that make it hard for small businesses that give service to their customers to survive.

Offline mike89

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it's just the way the world is going...  to get my leaf blower gutter cleaner set up I had to just order the set up from home depot...  I don't think I have ever been in that store...  free shipping to the house to boot..  no more ladders and crawling on the roof for me!!!  and I sold my other leaf blower today too!!!
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline Rebel SS

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We used to have a REAL hardware store here.....A family owned Hardware Hank. Had two of my buddis working in there.  Bins of bulk nails, screws, nuts, bolts. 1/2"roman ogee bits. Cutting dies. Sized brass rod stock.  (I made punches out of them for gun pistol pins....the soft brass won't mark steel) Threaded rod stock. They'd replace screening on doors, windows.....also glass. Reglaze. Caulk. Went in to have a new end crimped on garden hose with their crimper machine. That was gone...bulk hose sizes...rope...chain...single glaziers points...rosin or acid-core solder...now, none of the above is available anywhere. Store closed. Buddies lost their jobs. Have three anemic Ace hardware's with sh** for merchandise and sh**-for-brains kids working in there. One didn't even know what contact cement was....took me over to where outdoor tools where....it's a GLUE, ya idjit....%$#@!
It's a throw away world, without anyone intelligent enough to fix anything themselves, except maybe farmers. Pretty sad.

Yeah I went there, at miracle mile.    Everything ordinary cost 2x.

Compared to what? Balderdash. Ever go into an Ace hardware? 3x what anything should cost. They must be owned by Sly-Vee,  home of deceptive ads and rip-offs.
« Last Edit: October 10/30/19, 06:47:23 PM by Rebel SS »

Offline Rebel SS

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it's just the way the world is going...  to get my leaf blower gutter cleaner set up I had to just order the set up from home depot...  I don't think I have ever been in that store...  free shipping to the house to boot..  no more ladders and crawling on the roof for me!!!  and I sold my other leaf blower today too!!!


Maybe ya shoulda sold yer gutters!    :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Offline delcecchi

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It's the cheap skates that make it hard for small businesses that give service to their customers to survive.

You don't approve of the free market capitalist system?    As a consumer I am free to purchase goods from whoever offers the selection and price I prefer. 

Farm and Home was one of my favorites along and I'm pretty sure they were a local outfit, but they didn't try to take advantage of their customers.

Offline mike89

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would be nice but not good for here Reb..........
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline Rebel SS

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It's the cheap skates that make it hard for small businesses that give service to their customers to survive.

You don't approve of the free market capitalist system?    As a consumer I am free to purchase goods from whoever offers the selection and price I prefer. 

Farm and Home was one of my favorites along and I'm pretty sure they were a local outfit, but they didn't try to take advantage of their customers.

I sure hope that wasn't you that kept whining at my parts counter about the stuff that never worked for ya....
in fact, it was a short guy we booted outta there..... :scratch:
« Last Edit: October 10/30/19, 07:23:17 PM by Rebel SS »

Offline Bobberineyes

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it's just the way the world is going...  to get my leaf blower gutter cleaner set up I had to just order the set up from home depot...  I don't think I have ever been in that store...  free shipping to the house to boot..  no more ladders and crawling on the roof for me!!!  and I sold my other leaf blower today too!!!


Maybe ya shoulda sold yer gutters!    :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
Dont wanna do that if your up taking the hair dryer to the snow..lol.  I'm all about convenience,  if it costs a smidge more I'll keep the small hardware stores in business without waiting in a long line. In and out..

Online Dotch

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amazon can kiss my  :moon: :moon:. I want to look at and hold what I buy!!!!!!!! :happy1:

Yep, when I take precious time off to work on the farm & something breaks on my older line of farm equipment with the weather moving in, I can't sit around with my thumb up my @$$ for a day or three waiting for parts to come on Amazon. I need the SOB to work NOW! I can grovel and ask the neighbors if I can borrow their equipment which I hate doing because if something breaks on theirs, then I'm paying for repairs on two machines. So off to the parts store or implement dealer. I've been hosed too buying stuff on Amazon for work. Never received it. Eff 'em.   
Time itself is bought and sold, the spreading fear of growing old contains a thousand foolish games that we play. (Neil Young)

Offline Rebel SS

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Amazon is just armchair shopping for the lazy millennials that wouldn't know how to jerry-rig or tool a part for something to get thru until they can get a part locally.
« Last Edit: October 10/30/19, 07:56:13 PM by Rebel SS »

Online Jerkbiat

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Morning boys. 20 to start the day here, heading for a high of 35 today. Well, don't throw me into that lazy millennials category. Up here we don't have a lot of options for shopping. Online shopping is our savoir. Many times I go to get something and they won't have it in stock. Then ya get, I can order it and have it here in a couple of days. Well I can do that too and it will be cheaper. Closest fleet farm is 4 hours away, menards is 1-1/2 hours away, wally world is 2-1/2 hours away. Just the way it is up here. We do alot of driving in this neck of the woods. Just another day in paradise. Have a good one boys.
Hey look your bobber is up!

Offline mike89

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mornin all, another good day yesterday..  got a few things to do today but first off I will be geting my hair cut, been too long since I have gotten that done!!  :rotflmao: :rotflmao:  oh well..  might pick up a couple t-bones while I'm in town too...  have a good day all!!! 

last night I was watching a show called The Best Thing I ever ate and one fellow on there who was talking up some food he liked and it did look good too!!  But I liked his name; A. Reinhard!! 
« Last Edit: October 10/31/19, 07:20:28 AM by mike89 »
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline mike89

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Happy Halloween too to all!!!    :rotflmao: :happy1:
a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work!!

Offline Rebel SS

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Morning boys. 20 to start the day here, heading for a high of 35 today. Well, don't throw me into that lazy millennials category. Up here we don't have a lot of options for shopping. Online shopping is our savoir. Many times I go to get something and they won't have it in stock. Then ya get, I can order it and have it here in a couple of days. Well I can do that too and it will be cheaper. Closest fleet farm is 4 hours away, menards is 1-1/2 hours away, wally world is 2-1/2 hours away. Just the way it is up here. We do alot of driving in this neck of the woods. Just another day in paradise. Have a good one boys.

I won't JB! I'll retract some of that....I know what you are saying. I just get tired of hearing "order from Amazon!" when I can't find something. It's a continual line of Fed-ex and UPS trucks on this street daily delivering that stuff to people on this block. I'm like Glenn, wanna see it and feel it, and not have it arrive broken in a box. Your situation is different when ya don't have options.....but down here in glamour land, with stores everywhere, no one wants to support the little guy. They're going by the wayside, and it makes me sick to see them shoved out because of these insane MAYO/DMC taxes.. ..many are my friends. There's no more "buy local" here.

https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/a-big-slice-of-his-pie-tax-increases-draw-ire/article_ff6bb222-ee8b-11e9-9e86-5b3c9e8baffd.html

You just order whatever you want, up there in the land of peace and quiet!   :happy1: :rotflmao:



Happy Halloween too to all!!!    :rotflmao: :happy1:

Ya, and what Mikey said! Wonder if Glenn is eating his BOOberries right now... :scratch:
« Last Edit: October 10/31/19, 07:56:53 AM by Rebel SS »