Price Comparison between Ace Hardware & Lowe's

On Jul 13, 2:04 pm, GROVER <[email protected]> wrote:
> I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
> seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
> Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
> Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
> asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
> nope, 89 cents for the bag."
> I voted with my feet.
>
> Later on I visited Ace. They had the same item packaged 5 to a blister
> pack at $1.29 or about 26 cents each. No box quantities either.
>
> The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> you can.
>
> Joe G

Sometimes even the boxes aren't discounted. Case in point: I needed a
lot of irrigation hose connectors, so I grab a case of 'em at the
Borg. At checkout, I'm charged for each piece _individually_. Tom, who
much prefers Ace over Lowes anyday.

On Jul 13, 11:51 pm, "Toller" <[email protected]> wrote:
> > You know, I am surprised that this myth is not on Snopes.com.
> > I have found few items that are not cheaper at other stores than HD or
> > Lowes. I have never been impressed with the prices at the big box stores.
> > Maybe that is because I am used to the prices (and the contractors
> > discounts) at the real supply houses.
>
> I don't know about Lowes (because I never sold to them) but HD was
> significantly cheaper than other stores until about about 1992. Then they
> realized their position was sufficiently dominant that they didn't have to
> worry about little things like low prices. About 1995 they gave up on
> customer service also.

I was in one today. {shudder} It was unbelievable. Crappy
selection, clerks - excuse me, associates, yakking on their cell
phones and having long conversations with one another with people
having to interrupt them to ask questions, and the icing on the cake -
the self service checkout line. Those things are an abomination.
They keep everyone waiting so they can layoff one or two checkout
clerks. GMAFB. If the scanners worked that would be one thing, but
they don't. I had all packaged items with easily readable bar codes
and the scanner still had fits. The one clerk manning the four self
service checkout registers had a back log of people to help. I threw
in the towel halfway through my scanning and went over to stand on a
line at a manned counter with four people in front of me. The guy
behind me at the self service register, next in line, left the store
just after me. So, tell me again about those great savings...

R

"GROVER" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
> seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
> Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
> Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
> asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
> nope, 89 cents for the bag."
> I voted with my feet.
>
> Later on I visited Ace. They had the same item packaged 5 to a blister
> pack at $1.29 or about 26 cents each. No box quantities either.
>
> The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> you can.
>
> Joe G
>

Something like this?

9594T14
Zinc-Plated Steel Screw-in L-Hook .135" Wire Diameter, 1-1/4" Projection
In stock at $8.81 per Pack
This product is sold in Packs of 100

From Mcmaster Carr http://www.mcmaster.com/


--

Roger Shoaf

About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
they come up with this striped stuff.

On Jul 14, 1:25 am, "Roger Shoaf" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "GROVER" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
>
>
> > I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
> > seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
> > Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
> > Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
> > asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
> > nope, 89 cents for the bag."
> > I voted with my feet.
>
> > Later on I visited Ace. They had the same item packaged 5 to a blister
> > pack at $1.29 or about 26 cents each. No box quantities either.
>
> > The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> > basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> > you can.
>
> > Joe G
>
> Something like this?
>
> 9594T14
> Zinc-Plated Steel Screw-in L-Hook .135" Wire Diameter, 1-1/4" Projection
> In stock at $8.81 per Pack
> This product is sold in Packs of 100
>
> From Mcmaster Carrhttp://www.mcmaster.com/
>
> --
>
> Roger Shoaf
>
> About the time I had mastered getting the toothpaste back in the tube, then
> they come up with this striped stuff.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Reply to Roger,
Your suggestion, re mail order, seems to be the way to go (about 9
cents a piece, plus shipping and that all time favorite, handling.)
Joe G

"GROVER" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> you can.

The moral of the story is to avoid the big box stores altogether.

GROVER wrote:

> I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
> seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
> Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
> Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
> asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
> nope, 89 cents for the bag."
> I voted with my feet.
>
> Later on I visited Ace. They had the same item packaged 5 to a blister
> pack at $1.29 or about 26 cents each. No box quantities either.
>
> The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> you can.
>
> Joe G
>

You know, I am surprised that this myth is not on Snopes.com.
I have found few items that are not cheaper at other stores
than HD or Lowes. I have never been impressed with the prices
at the big box stores. Maybe that is because I am used to the
prices (and the contractors discounts) at the real supply
houses.

I use HD and Lowes, but not because of their prices. Only
because of their convenience. I can pick up a couple of
unrelated items there when I would have to go to a couple of
different suppliers otherwise.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

"GROVER" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
> seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
> Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
> Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
> asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
> nope, 89 cents for the bag."
> I voted with my feet.
>
> Later on I visited Ace. They had the same item packaged 5 to a blister
> pack at $1.29 or about 26 cents each. No box quantities either.
>
> The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> you can.
>
> Joe G
>

It's that way on a lot of items. I buy dowel rods whole sale for about
$0.15 and at the local hardware they are $0.75 and at Lowes about $0.79 last
time I bothered to look. Granted I buy them by the hundreds, but from the
same supplier that Lowes uses. One nail that I use costs me $0.025 and at
Lowes $0.10. The finish I use costs $40 a gal at Lowes and $29 at the local
lumber yard. On handtools however Lowes is the best price within a hundred
miles. The Local hardware doesn't give any discounts on quanity, if they
did I would probably buy from them even at a slightly higher price. You can
get a lot better deals from mail order and whole sale houses if you bother
to look for them then at the local borg.

> You know, I am surprised that this myth is not on Snopes.com.
> I have found few items that are not cheaper at other stores than HD or
> Lowes. I have never been impressed with the prices at the big box stores.
> Maybe that is because I am used to the prices (and the contractors
> discounts) at the real supply houses.
>
I don't know about Lowes (because I never sold to them) but HD was
significantly cheaper than other stores until about about 1992. Then they
realized their position was sufficiently dominant that they didn't have to
worry about little things like low prices. About 1995 they gave up on
customer service also.

Could be worse. Not too many tears ago, I lived in a small town in Texas
that only had a Mom/Pop hardware store. The owner would buy
nuts/bolts/screws in bulk, then repackage them in individual plastic bags.
IN 3/5/ quantities ! You were almost always forced to buy two bags for any
project. Years later, when the big box stores moved closer, he went out of
business.

Bill
"GROVER" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
> seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
> Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
> Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
> asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
> nope, 89 cents for the bag."
> I voted with my feet.
>
> Later on I visited Ace. They had the same item packaged 5 to a blister
> pack at $1.29 or about 26 cents each. No box quantities either.
>
> The Borgs get you on the small items which you just load into your
> basket. I suppose the moral of the story is buy in box quantities if
> you can.
>
> Joe G
>

tom wrote:
> On Jul 13, 2:04 pm, GROVER <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I needed a dozen or so right angle screw hooks ( the ones I wanted
>> seem to be made from 8 gage wire). So off to the hardware aisle at
>> Lowe's. There they are, packaged two to a see through poly envelope.
>> Price two for 89 cents. Or about 45 cents each. Seems a bit pricey. I
>> asked the clerk do you carry these in a box quantities. He says, "
>> nope, 89 cents for the bag."
Snip>> J
>
> Sometimes even the boxes aren't discounted. Case in point: I needed a
> lot of irrigation hose connectors, so I grab a case of 'em at the
> Borg. At checkout, I'm charged for each piece _individually_. Tom, who
> much prefers Ace over Lowes anyday.
>
I had the exact same experience at Bunnings. I was chasing cup hooks,
Eye screws and square hooks, and was sick of buying them in blister
packs of 10 and occasionally 25 pieces.
I contacted the importer and it was suggested that Bunnings would place
a special order with them for bulk boxes.
So of the Bunnings I go and place an order for 500 of each.
About a week later I'm notified that the goods are in."You beaut, no
more bloody blister packs".
I dutifully attended the store to collect my 3 boxes of goodies and,
yep, you guessed it. 3 outers with blister packs of 25 pieces. And the
price-the same as if I had picked them of the shelf myself.
Well I guess you live and learn.

regards
John