I still shop Amazon. It's just they don't really have the advantage
they used to have, or so it seems to me. Since I'm a hobbiest, I have
to shop price. Most of my internet purchases are for items that are
not readily available from local sources.
Buying locally is a real chore in my area. The big box has killed
almost everyone. The ones that survive do so by not going head-to-head
with the Box. Plumbing supplies, hardwood lumber, wire, masonry
materials, all can be had from locals. Ask about a tool and they'll
tell you that they just don't really do enough to keep much of an
inventory. They'll cheerfully special order for full retail if that's
your thing but they don't try to nor can they compete on price. In
order to survive they tailor their business to support one or several
of the trades and leave the small tool and hobbiest markets to Box.
The nearest Woodcraft is over two hours away. This is just one of the
things one deals with in Small Town America.
J.
"JES" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Almost every tool I am looking at now (miter saws/routers) have
> this avalability status:
> "In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served."
>
> Shouldn't be that hard to keep items in stock. Are they stopping
> selling tools or what...?
>
> JES
I've ordered several items from them in recent months and each time, they
give me an expected ship/delivery date and then it comes in several days
earlier than expected. That's actually a good thing but it leads me to
believe they are covering their asses with " out of stock" and "delayed
shipping" notices.
Of course, Murphy's Law says that the first time I order something that I
really need fast, it WILL be out of stock for months.
Vic
On 24 Mar 2006 08:38:48 -0800, "Jeepnstein" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>Yep, I like coastaltool. Lee Valley is my main fix these days.
Those two dealers complement each other very well, I can't think of
more than 5-10 items that they both sell. The only duplication is
silly stuff like Glu-Bot glue bottles and maybe a few Kreg items...
Come to think of it, , NOBODY sells what Lee Valley sells like Lee
Valley sells it.
Coastal doesn't try at all to deal in fine woodworking hand tools. The
only hand tools they have are better to high-end rough construction
and contractor items, and a few crappy Stanley woodworking tools.
It's nice being able to walk in and buy things like Kreg screws in
large quantities at a discount, or Jorgensen pipe clamps at 1/2 of
BORG prices.
Coastal and Tools-Plus both sell far more than is shown on their
sites, and both are excellent about letting you finger and feel-up the
stuff you're interested in. Oddly enough, both are physically
located directly across the street from Home Depot stores!
I always find if I can get a competitive price from a local vendor I
come out the best. When Sh** happens my woodcraft store has stood
behind the product.
Mike M
On 23 Mar 2006 13:38:42 -0800, "Jeepnstein" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I've bought a few tools lately and have found small dealers through
>eBay are beating Amazon by a considerable amount and shipping quickly.
>I always check there first since it's the best way for the little guy
>to compete in a big pond. Amazon hasn't been getting my money for more
>than a year now.
>
>J.
"JES" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Almost every tool I am looking at now (miter saws/routers) have
> this avalability status:
> "In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served."
>
> Shouldn't be that hard to keep items in stock. Are they stopping
> selling tools or what...?
>
> JES
I noticed the same thing over the last few days. I have horrible problems
ordering out of stock items from Amazon in the past so I purchased from
Woodcraft.
Brian Henderson <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:33:10 GMT, B A R R Y <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>><http://www.tools-plus.com>
>
> I just went over there to poke around and I was looking at plunge
> routers. Now why in the world, if 60% of the routers they have on the
> page are no longer available, do they still have them on the page?
>
> Just curious, it makes no sense to me.
It's worse than that. Of the routers not marked as no longer available,
only four of them are available if you 'add to cart'.
Jeepnstein wrote:
>
> Buying locally is a real chore in my area.
Two of my very successful local guys ship lots of stuff:
<http://www.coastaltool.com>
<http://www.tools-plus.com>
Don't expect silly sales gimmicks from either.
What I can't get there is at Woodcraft, Highland Hardware, Lee Valley,
or McFeeley's.
Barry
On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:33:10 GMT, B A R R Y <[email protected]> wrote:
><http://www.tools-plus.com>
I just went over there to poke around and I was looking at plunge
routers. Now why in the world, if 60% of the routers they have on the
page are no longer available, do they still have them on the page?
Just curious, it makes no sense to me.
On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 02:12:46 GMT, Unquestionably Confused
<[email protected]> wrote:
>How about to draw in the hits from folks who DAGS looking for, say, the
>Binford XL56Y 12½ hp plunge route in the Tim the Toolman edition? They
>haven't had it for six years but you're there at their site and just
>below the "Out of Stock" or "No Longer Available" is a list of links to
>other, current models?
>
>It ain't about the hits, it's ALL about the hits.<g>
Excellent theory!
Jeepnstein wrote:
> I've bought a few tools lately and have found small dealers through
> eBay are beating Amazon by a considerable amount and shipping quickly.
> I always check there first since it's the best way for the little guy
> to compete in a big pond. Amazon hasn't been getting my money for more
> than a year now.
>
I have gotten some good deals lately at amazon (Hitachi M12V for $129),
and I was planning to buy a miter saw now, but if it's not in stock...
I have to go elsewhere.
Too bad since I have a Prime mempbership that gives me free 2-day shipping.
JES
On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 20:28:35 GMT, Brian Henderson
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I just went over there to poke around and I was looking at plunge
>routers. Now why in the world, if 60% of the routers they have on the
>page are no longer available, do they still have them on the page?
>
>Just curious, it makes no sense to me.
I don't know, I'm a walk-in for them.
My only guess is that they pull the site from a database, and the part
numbers are still in the store POS system. My guess is that they
still might have the display model, or they might plan on carrying the
tool again in the future, so the part number still exists. That
doesn't make it better, but they're a small shop. <G>
For instance, my buddy's bicycle shop still has part numbers for 2004
Trek bikes in the store's cash register computer, even though they
don't have any. Some web sites simply run a query when they paint the
page.
Barry
John Eppley wrote:
> I'm in the market for a oscillating spindle sander. Amazon shows the unit I
> desire for $299.99. When you click "BUY", the price becomes $349.95, AFTER a
> factory rebate. What gives ????.
>
> I tried the search 5 times. Same result. Back to Woodcraft.
>
They do have a nice guarantee though:
(If they keep what they promise)
"Lowest Prices Guaranteed: If you find a better price elsewhere on any
Tools & Hardware product offered by Amazon.com, we will match that price
and beat it by 10% of the difference."
JES
On Sun, 26 Mar 2006 09:38:11 GMT, Brian Henderson
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I was just kind of curious. I've never been very big on stores that
>tell me all the things I can't buy from them. :)
Me either, I know exactly what you mean. I'm jaded, as I've been a
walk-in to TP since before the public Internet. As with Coastal, I
see faces behind the site, so it's kind of hard for me to get mad at
them. I'm a big proponent of the smaller biznet-man and try to
patronize them as much as possible. <G>
The fact that TP sold me a brand new DJ-20 for $1099 a few years ago,
or that every big 'urn purchase (and sometimes they weren't the
cheapest) I made was always waiting on the forklift to be put on my
trailer, may further color my perception.
On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:32:01 GMT, Ba r r y
<[email protected]> wrote:
>My only guess is that they pull the site from a database, and the part
>numbers are still in the store POS system. My guess is that they
>still might have the display model, or they might plan on carrying the
>tool again in the future, so the part number still exists. That
>doesn't make it better, but they're a small shop. <G>
I was just kind of curious. I've never been very big on stores that
tell me all the things I can't buy from them. :)
<<Coastal and Tools-Plus both sell far more than is shown on their
sites, and both are excellent about letting you finger and feel-up the
stuff you're interested in. Oddly enough, both are physically
located directly across the street from Home Depot stores!>>
Were you ever at Coastal when they were over on Sisson Avenue? It was a
long. narrow store probably about 1/4 the size they are now.
Lee
--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"
_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com
On Sat, 25 Mar 2006 02:19:01 -0500, "Lee Gordon"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Were you ever at Coastal when they were over on Sisson Avenue? It was a
>long. narrow store probably about 1/4 the size they are now.
>
Only once. I bought a Dremel kit in 1986-7. I was a sound guy living
in a tiny apartment back then, so I didn't have much use for tools.
I was at Coastal yesterday, and it looks like they're now carrying the
full line of Freud saw blades. They have a very nice display set up
(rare for them! <G>) and every blade in stock. I also think they now
carry EVERY DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Makita, Hitachi, PC, and Fein
tool available. I've always thought of them as very well stocked, but
it's filled in even more.
I'd love to see them grab Whiteside and sell it at a discount!
It also appeared that they're preparing more space in back for retail
use, with an entrance just to the right of the Makita section. Maybe
a big 'urn room?
Ba r r y wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 20:28:35 GMT, Brian Henderson
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I just went over there to poke around and I was looking at plunge
>> routers. Now why in the world, if 60% of the routers they have on the
>> page are no longer available, do they still have them on the page?
>>
>> Just curious, it makes no sense to me.
>
> I don't know, I'm a walk-in for them.
>
> My only guess is that they pull the site from a database, and the part
> numbers are still in the store POS system. My guess is that they
How about to draw in the hits from folks who DAGS looking for, say, the
Binford XL56Y 12½ hp plunge route in the Tim the Toolman edition? They
haven't had it for six years but you're there at their site and just
below the "Out of Stock" or "No Longer Available" is a list of links to
other, current models?
It ain't about the hits, it's ALL about the hits.<g>