Shopsmith Forums

I've been 'bummed' for a couple days after reading this in the paper on Saturday. This store has been a fixture in downtown St. Paul, MN for 80 years. Third generation owner (who mostly lives on the left coast) probably got an offer he couldn't refuse.

This was the go to store for just about any hardware & tools. I've shopped there for over 26 years. If they didn't have it you didn't need it.

This location is a prime spot downtown, near the Xcel Center where the Minnesota Wild play hockey. Rumor has it that a national developer bought the site. The buyer won't be revealed until Feb.1 with future plans unveiled then. No doubt some f#$%@^ hotel with $300 a night rooms.

The store also had a HUGE tool mail order business.

25 great guys will be laid off. They were always be willing to help an amateur.

I'll miss meeting factory reps from all the power tools companies that showed up for their annual sale. And oh my that inventory. You could go in and ask for a butt hinge and they have them from 1/2" to 8" in 4 finishes in stock.

Now I'll have to shop at a bloody big box store.

Sorry for the rant.

That is sad news.

I have mail ordered from them and once had the opportunity while on a business trip to stop at the store. It was too much to behold. I did come away with a Milwaukee drill/driver with 2 batteries at a really good price.

I always wanted to stop in again but never got to, and now it seems that is never going to happen.

Thanks for the report.

Ed

At one time they ran ads in the woodworking mags and I used to order from them. But then it seemed that their prices didn't stay competitive and I stopped ordering. I suspect that is what happened to their business.

You don't always have to be the lowest priced store but you can't always be the highest. Too many forget this.

That's a shame. If it was sold to another owner who keeps it open, awesome. If it's simply closing outright, go in looking for a deal. There was a hardware store on Grapevine Highway that closed around 15 years ago and my dad got an amazing deal on a 60 gallon air compressor...$60 loaded into his truck including rope!

I thought they got out of the mail order bizz a long time ago. Always remembered the full page ad in WOOD magazine.