With the rise of the big chains, HD, Lowe's etc. the small hardware stores are going away. Even the smaller chains like ACE seem to be slowly disappearing. But occasionally you find that small, independent store that has everything. No matter what you're doing, they'll have something to help you out.
My dad once found a wool covered canteen, big one, missing the screw on cap. Just the chain hanging off it. My dad went to the old hardware store in town, been there forever, and asked if they had something that would do, like maybe a cork of the right size. The old man said wait a second, got a ladder and retrieved a small dust covered box for the top shelf, way in the back. He opened it up and it was filled with little paper envelopes. Each one held a replacement cap and chain for a canteen. Perfect size. Dad asked how much and the guy looked at the envelope. Written in pencil was the price: 12 cents. probably written 40 years prior. "Looks like 12 cents. Just give me a dime and we'll call it square."
That was a great hardware store, and it had almost all the features a great hardware store should have.
1. Age. The place had been there forever. This allowed them to understand the local populaces specific needs. Also that meant that, like with the canteen caps, they had accumulated all kinds of stuff over the years.
2. Wood floors. A hardware store should have wood floors. preferably ones so old there's a path worn in them.
3. The floor should be multiple levels. Not stories but levels. I don't know why this is but it just seems to hold true.
4. Multiple entrances. Again I don't know why, but it just works out that way.
BONUS POINTS:
Family owned. Remote location. Presence of farms/ranches nearby. Popcorn machine. Shop critter. Cat, dog or even a foul mouthed parrot that makes the kids giggle.
You see these signs, odds are you're gonna leave with whatever you need to solve your problem.
If you find one with a potbellied stove with 5 or 6 chairs around it, start looking for a place nearby.

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The best I can with what I got

We had one like that when I was a kid.
You need it, we have it.

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Eccentric old coot

Around WNY we have Hectors Hardware which are franchise stores but have been around longer than me. Whenever I need a small engine part or obsolete plumbing part they have it. Same for getting a piece of glass or screen cut for a window. I was right between 2 locations and one has closed. They sold the building to become a medical office. Because we need more suburban medical offices.

Hands down, the best hardware store I’ve ever found is Skycraft Surplus Parts in Orlando, FL. I haven’t been there in years, but I used to love going into that place all the way back to when I was a kid growing up in Orlando. It was like an Ace hardware, McMaster-Carr, and an old time Radio Shack rolled into one. Back in the day, most of what they sold was salvaged from NASA surplus they would buy at auction.

This is the iconic sign on Fairbanks Ave. with a rocket taking off from the Cape in the background.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

Try the legendary McGukin Hardware in Boulder, CO. It's huge, it has everything, and it has lots of knowledgeable employees to help you. It combines the best of a big box store with the service and atmosphere of a rural small-town store. When my daughter was moving to her new condo in Boulder a number of years ago, I had a long list of stuff she needed. I didn't need to go anywhere else. They had everything I wanted and more. Check it out if you're in the area.

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What, me worry?

Hardware stores with a gun department are ok too.

Montsinger Hardware in Mulberry Florida.Family owned and operated. Everything including a gun department. old hound hunting dog that laid in the front door. Customers had to step over him. Began LEO career in Mulberry 1962-1964.

My first job was in Boulder in the late 70's. I was probably in there 3-4 times a week for parts we needed. I remember they had PVC pipe and fittings up to 4". It was the best hardware store I've ever seen. I'm glad they're still there.

If you take hwy 89 south of Prescott AZ stop in Yarnell Hardware. Small run down building, packed to the celing with everything a man could need. much cheaper than anyone else, cash only. on the other end of town is the Ranch House diner.
Tom B

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frontsightnsqueaz

Hardware Sales in Bellingham WA is an old-fashioned, family-owned (60+ years) hardware store that isa handyman/tinkerer's dream. I've posted pics here before - a search might find them. As little pre-packaged product as possible. Fasteners of just about every size and type in metal bins from floor to ceiling, including a good selection of LH thread, and taps & dies to match. (I recently wanted to make up a custom turnbuckle and got 1/4-20 LH nuts and a matching tap & die.) An entire aisle of Wright (US-made) ratchet wrenches and sockets from 1/4" - 1" drive. Pipe (Stillson) wrenches up to 4' long. Good selection of power tools. Extensive stock of plumbing and drainage fittings. Also gunsmithing screws. Upstairs they have sheet neoprene rubber 1/16, 1/8 & 1/4" off the roll. and plastic and bronze mesh. Also a good selection of Carhartt work clothes and Georgia boots.

Across the lane is the Cable Shop, which stocks safety supplies and hoses and various kinds of rope as well as wire rope; they can crimp up to 1 1'4". The entire outside wall of the Cable Shop building - about 100' - has Werner ladders on it. Also a full-line Stihl dealer. And they have a comprehensive Rentals Division including small-medium excavators...

I was chatting with one of the cashiers a few months ago and she said, "Before I worked here, I came in for some picture hooks. 45 minutes later I had spent $230... "

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"I drank WHAT?" (Socrates)

I’m definitely going to check it out. I drive through Mulberry quite often.

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

There is one about 25 miles from me in rural Gulf, NC. It "official" name is J.R. Moore's store. It is known as the "Gulf Mall." Their motto is if we don't have it you don't need it. Probably the largest Carhartt selection in the state. One day we were talking to the owner about his motto. We asked him if he had items and he would tell us where they were in the store. He had horse collars, boots, caskets, steel cable, winches, tools, everything but guns. When asked about guns he said he was an FFL, but got tired of the thugs breaking in and stealing them, so he only did special orders.

He said that when J.R. Moore owned the store (50 or more years ago) that they had members of the community come in on Friday nights and "make music." He said that Charlie Daniels played and sang for the first time in public at the store. Daniels was raised in Gulf.

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Bill

When I lived in Kissimmee, Makinson Hardware was the place to go. Just about anything "ranch related" including guns, ammo, tools, tack, barbed wire. In business for 140 years, closed 2021 and now it's a watering hole for doing "business." Home Depot is 10X bigger, 1/10th as useful. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

I found a great one Thursday in Richmond, N.J. on US 40 about 25 miles west of Atlantic City! Packed to the gills. I found the grade 8 bolt we needed to get the wood splitter back inaction. I noticed he had a wine making department! I ask about Brewing Supplies? He said they were in a thick Italian wine making region but could have absolutely anything I needed in 4 days or less!

In Westerville, Ohio; we have a long-time hardware called Roush's. It was one of the great ones until the owner family sold it to the employee retirement fund. The shelves have far fewer selection and quantity, and all the employees walk around with name tags that say "Owner"!

My youngest son and I were discussing having "Part Indexes" on hand. He has 7 huge indexes, each is a different type of screw. The sections contain EVERY size and length of that type of screw. To fill them up at the beginning cost a little over $600! My needs are retirement based, I have one index of several types and lengths, it cost around $40 to fill it at the beginning. Depending on which I need I buy screws by the pound or by the 100. But when you need a part/screw, you need it now!

Ivan

T. C Lindsey & Co. general store in Jonesville, Tx. It is like a museum.

In operation since 1847.

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6/23/2022

There's one in Swansa SC.

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S&W Accumulator

Spratlin's HDWE in Lincolnton Ga. Has a wood floor and stuff stacked to the ceiling....Plus lumber and power poles out back........Just tell the old Coot behind the counter what you need and he will shuffle into the abyss and get it.........I use it because it's only about 10 mi. from my lake place.

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S&W Accumulator

I have not been back in many years. Mr. and Mrs. Montsinger had one son (Jimmy) who was a wild hog hunter and used a .22 S..A. Ruger. I talked Him into using a Colt M1917 .45.

I remember 40+ years ago a local place had everything. From pipe fittings to.45acp ammo. And anything else you needed.

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No baby we aint

When I first started started working in Pittsburgh, there were several family owned hardware stores, maybe 3 or 4, that had everything. The rise in property values and maybe the lack of interest from younger family members, I believe, perhaps caused them to close their doors for good.
Yes, I used to love hitting the hardware stores with my dad on a Saturday morning. Everything mentioned above is true about them where I grew up over in Beaver County; the squeaky wood floors, the guns/ammo section, the model train section, glass cutting and screen repair, and every chattacussy one could think of or need. The ones that also were Army/Navy Surplus stores were like walking into a donut shop to a fat lady…anything a young boy could gaze upon was in them!
Good times back then.

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Waiting For The Sun.

The country general store just a mile or two from our farm has a really good but small hardware section. It's designed for the 'cabin people' that infest our area. The hardware variety is wide but not deep, aiming to have a couple of everything you might need to repair/replace common household failures and burn-outs. They also have an official if walk-in closet-sized post office. A couple of villages over has a big, family-owned, old-fashioned hardware store which still lets you mix a bag of various fasteners/screws/bolts/nails and pay by the pound.

We have one of those in our community, pot bellied stove and all.

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- Change it back -

In my area we have a hardware store that was started in 1885.

You need it they have it. The biggest supply of handles to fit just about any shovel, sledge, axe you can think of. People behind the counter that knew their extensive stock and plenty of good advice on doing projects.

Years back they added a plumbing and electrical repair shop. Now have a few service trucks. Plenty of work up here as they turn on/turn off many of the flatlanders camps for the seasons.

Well original store is still there but now a couple more buildings, they added a tool rental outfit, and a couple other ventures. Funny thing the prices have went up since the new owners took over.

They still have good people at the hardware store. To this day it amazes me on how well they know their stock. As a kid I worked for a local hardware store in Albany and the amount of product was small compared to this store.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Kaffe-Frederick in Natchitoches, Louisiana. If ya know ya konw.

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Forum consigliere

Our local hardware store has one of anything and three of nothing. The only exception is fasteners.

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Front sight and squeeze

One with a bar.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Pile Hardware in Charleston WV.

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Heavily armed old man.

has black cherry soda and birch beer in a cooler close by the check out

Sometimes.....Looking Back.......Makes you smile more so than looking forward.

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S&W Accumulator

As a boy, I remember us kids going to our local hardware store to buy our marbles. They had a big bin with marbles in it of varying sizes and styles (cat-eyes, swirls, solids, purees, etc.).

A few years ago I walked into a small town's family owned hardware store and they had a marble bin. I bought some marbles! Shame kids don't play marbles anymore.