Home Depot Cull Cart

tomsalwasser · Post by **tomsalwasser** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:28 pm

Greetings woodworkers,

I like to take advantage of the Home Depot "cull cart" where they put damaged lumber and sheet goods in a cart with color coded pricing 50 cents to a few bucks. I used to find lots of great deals on pieces I could salvage and make into something useful. It seems the last 6 months or more there has been nothing but total junk even a cheapskate like me wouldn't bother with. One weekend I hit all 10 Home Depot stores in the Twin Cities and it was the same everywhere. Is it the same at your store? Did they make a decision at headquarters to do something else with the half way decent scrap?

Best,
Tom

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:34 pm

tomsalwasser wrote:Greetings woodworkers,

I like to take advantage of the Home Depot "cull cart" where they put damaged lumber and sheet goods in a cart with color coded pricing 50 cents to a few bucks. I used to find lots of great deals on pieces I could salvage and make into something useful. It seems the last 6 months or more there has been nothing but total junk even a cheapskate like me wouldn't bother with. One weekend I hit all 10 Home Depot stores in the Twin Cities and it was the same everywhere. Is it the same at your store? Did they make a decision at headquarters to do something else with the half way decent scrap?

Best,
Tom

Yes! AIUI they are pitching it so as to not 'interfere' with 'normal' sales. BTW have you noticed that junk is priced higher than on the 'normal' shelf!

frank81 · Post by **frank81** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 5:33 pm

If it was useable and cheap, I would venture a guess a local business contracted to buy all of it at a set price and what you see now is what was below their minimum standards. I have arrangements like that at work. Tracking, inventorying, and selling clearance/seconds takes a lot of time and effort.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 5:56 pm

frank81 wrote:If it was useable and cheap, I would venture a guess a local business contracted to buy all of it at a set price and what you see now is what was below their minimum standards. I have arrangements like that at work. Tracking, inventorying, and selling clearance/seconds takes a lot of time and effort.

Only if one is taking all those unnecessary steps. Paint a spot on it, put it in the cull bin. Check out charges for the 'color'. "Extra" income since the cull was already paid for by the original purchaser.

All the HD stores????

frank81 · Post by **frank81** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:09 pm

JPG40504 wrote:Only if one is taking all those unnecessary steps. Paint a spot on it, put it in the cull bin. Check out charges for the 'color'. "Extra" income since the cull was already paid for by the original purchaser.

All the HD stores????

Home Depot is a publically traded company. Rules are good, but some just get ridiculous. If you're curious I could explain all the rules and paperwork involved with selling damaged inventory in a cull bin. Makes for a quick bedtime story.

And maybe not *all* the HD stores but if a business were doing that they would get the region at least.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:15 pm

frank81 wrote:Home Depot is a publically traded company. Rules are good, but some just get ridiculous. If you're curious I could explain all the rules and paperwork involved with selling damaged inventory in a cull bin. Makes for a quick bedtime story.

And maybe not *all* the HD stores but if a business were doing that they would get the region at least.

I think all that over protection philosophy is not only a negative, but a contribution to much that is wrong today with our ability to compete with other nations. Sorry for the tangent.

Been this way a few months at both local stores, and I assume Tom is not in 'my' region. I think(not really 'know') that it is a company wide new 'policy'.

frank81 · Post by **frank81** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:24 pm

[quote="JPG40504"]I think all that over protection philosophy is not only a negative, but a contribution to much that is wrong today with our ability to compete with other nations. Sorry for the tangent.]

I agree. And it affects a lot more than just second quality inventory at the lumber yard. That's an entirely different squirrel that I'm not chasing.

ss50th · Post by **ss50th** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 6:47 pm

Anybody ask any store personnel about it?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:09 pm

ss50th wrote:Anybody ask any store personnel about it?

Yep! Orders from above!!!! They think it is stupid.

letterk · Post by **letterk** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:32 pm

tomsalwasser wrote:Greetings woodworkers,

I like to take advantage of the Home Depot "cull cart" where they put damaged lumber and sheet goods in a cart with color coded pricing 50 cents to a few bucks. I used to find lots of great deals on pieces I could salvage and make into something useful. It seems the last 6 months or more there has been nothing but total junk even a cheapskate like me wouldn't bother with. One weekend I hit all 10 Home Depot stores in the Twin Cities and it was the same everywhere. Is it the same at your store? Did they make a decision at headquarters to do something else with the half way decent scrap?

Best,
Tom

My HD in Apple Valley doesn't have much in at pile.

Tom I should probably quiz you for some other lumber yards that are worthwhile in the Twin Cities. I hit Siwek's a bit, but lately they don't seem to have much for deals. I guess it could be the off-season since they seems to deal in a lot of rejected orders/leftover materials. I miss the supply of 5/8" BB 5'x5' for $25.

I should probably join the WW Guild and get the wholesale at Youngblood, but it kind of bothers me to have to pay $30 for a membership where I probably won't be able to attend any meetings.