True Value Hardware, Have you been to one lately?

Here they have an Ace Hardware, a Lowe's, Harbor Freight, and a Home Depot. Next town has a Home Depot. No True Value anymore.

Random capacitors, odd sized plumbing valves, that one weird screw, True Valuec ACE, etc is a life saver! Tons of little parts that the big box stores don’t have, and a lot quicker if I just need one or two things and don’t want to run all the way to HD/Lowes.

I have aubuchon hardware and tractor supply.HD lowes and true value are all at least 40 minutes away.

I haven’t been to a True Value since I was a kid, my dad use to go get feed there and they had the peanuts at the front door. I swear my dad went just to get peanuts. We got my first scooter there and my pet ducks I had in 3rd grade. Great memories.

Atlas 46 makes the best, most durable, most functional gear: tool vests of all sorts, tool belts, pouches…all sorts of accessories. Made in St. Louis by hand.

Only go to True Value is because it's attached to a grocery store. Stays open till 10-11pm, open Sundays, and is only two blocks from the house. It saves a 50 mile round trip to a blue or orange store. Usually only go in an emergency or after hours - Sunday. Everything at True Value is overpriced. Tractor Supply has much cheaper bulk priced hardware.

Problem with True Values is there is no consistency between stores. Some stores are pretty decent and others you wonder why they even bother calling themselves a hardware store.

So sad. How can a business float millions of dollars of inventory with apparently only a single bear for a customer? Their days are numbered, I'm afraid.

I have an ace hardware down the road. They have stuff you need in a pinch. I don’t think the prices are that good. I live 40 mins from town so I go there if I don’t want to drive.

Service, knowledge, convenience are not free. But they are endangered.

I have found alot of dewalt storage there for about half the price everywhere else.

We have a family owned and operated True Value located only minutes from our home here in South Carolina. There is another hardware store in our town and yet another maybe ten miles north of us, both of those are family owned and operated but are NOT associated with any major brand name chain. Within a forty-five-minute drive is a Lowes and a Tractor Supply. For all of that availability I find myself spending my money at the True Value store and saving money (think gas) and time since it is so close to us. I have yet to need something, other than maybe lumber and I have not needed any to date, that I could not find at the True Value store. The folks at our store are friendly, knowledgeable, and know what is where in their store.

I would probably go to Ace a lot more if I had one closer. It is about twice as far as Lowes and Home Depot. I generally only go if I need something specific or I need to ask a question.

Also makes me miss Radio Shack. No to get a random resistor, I have to order it. I think with the rise in maker stuff, radio shack could make a comeback.

Almost every small town in SW Montana has either an Ace or a TV. Sure beats driving an hour to a box store in Bozeman. Plus I hate Bozeman.

Never heard of True Value Tools. We don’t have those in Cali.

The closest true value store is about 20 miles away. The big box stores are further. I have a local hardware store, family owned, they are the Do-It-Best brand. They have been making leaps and bounds of improvements. They cost a little more, but with gas at nearly $6/gal, makes sense to stay local.

I haven't been in a True Value in years, but I do regularly frequent the comparable local Ace Hardware, especially when I don't feel like playing "Where's Waldo" for an hour or more looking for staff to help at a local big box, only to discover their staff is generally about as knowledgeable about their offerings or options as the folks over at the Taco Bell drive-thru. The old guys at the Ace with their polo shirts embroidered with solid names like "Stan" or "Bob" or "Jake" know EVERYTHING, and if they don't carry it have binders of options, like Mitt Romney had gals, for special ordering, and they know how to use them. For anything Plumbing or Home-related I won't even bother with the big box joints. Your only hope of getting parts for that ancient unbranded contractor-grade doodad of yore once used in every home built in your zip code during the Johnson Administration or whenever is your local hardware joint. The folks who stock the shelves of the "nationals" from afar have never even seen such a thing: "A radiator key? You mean like for a car?"

As for bargains to be found, I should mention that five out of of six of my latest hand tool purchases, all Craftsman kits, were picked up at the local Ace--thanks to your splendid tips, I might add! $99 a couple of years back for a superb 224-piece SAE & Metric Mechanics Tool Kit with practically no "fluff" included just to beef up the item count, and with a more than generous gapless array of semi-decent combination wrenches (Craftsman Item No. CMMT12038, which sadly appears to have been now discontinued) is now perhaps my favorite go-to kit in my garage. In fact, I liked it SO much that I later snagged four of those teeny little SAE or Metric 1/4" and 3/8" 11 or 12 piece ratchet kits for $9 each--just because they were a hard bargain to pass up. Low end Harbor Freight Pittsburgh line prices for Craftsman--even latter-day "Craftsman" saod to be made somewhere in the Far East? It works well enough for the likes of me.

One last Ace plus: If you own a boat or anything else with wooden "brightwork" exposed to the elements that needs refinishing from time to time, do try a quart of their house brand old school "Ace Gloss Clear Amber Solvent-Based Spar Varnish" instead of some polyurewackythane goop. Great hard-wearing stuff that smells like a Herman Melville novel!

They've got a much better selection of hardware than bigbox stores. Albeit more expensive, my odds of finding the right oddball fastner is worth it. Most smaller, "independent" hardware stores are typically TV franchises

Yes always choose local first

Used to be one down the street, but they went under about three years ago. Haven’t been to one since.

My True Value is full of Milwaukee stuff - hand tools, power tools, the works. It's only a mile from my house, so I go there all the time for small stuff. Plus, you can buy a single bolt or nut, you don't have to buy a bag of 10 or a whole box.

I do Ace and TV before big Orange and big Blue. I'll even pay more to support my local businesses. Recently, it seems like both have stepped up their game with name brands, and I always get personal service.

The 2 true valu in my city, switched to Ace last year.

The TV in my town closed maybe 10 years ago, but I noticed last year one on the way too my daughter’s work in Rancho Cordova , it’s visible from the freeway but tucked out of the way. I’ve been there maybe 4 times and have only seen other customers in there twice. I think it’s combined with a plumbing supply. It is huge inside, I don’t know how a place this big with no customers, can stay in business. I went about a week ago and the parking lot was so empty I wasn’t sure if they were still open, until I waked up too the door. I miss OSH.

I go for quick shopping to avoid walking the big box...plus the free popcorn 🍿 at my store

Where I get my keys cut.

I visit my local True Value almost daily.
The fastener aisle is comprehensive,
lumber also is much better than distant big box. And no silly carts to drive the wood around, I pull up and they even help load!

I absolutely love True Value! Unfortunately the one by me went out of business. If any of you are in the area or Otumwha Iowa stop by O'Hara's True Value! Say hi to Mike the owner. Tell him Randy from Darien sent you. Give him my best regards! He's a great guy!

We have (had) a TV near here that was kind of stuck in the 70's. They had a strong Garden Center but otherwise the hardware store was kinda dingy with limited offerings. They did have a strong following partly because of people who don't like the big chains, and partly because they had a couple guys who knew everything and were a great help. Last year they were bought out by ACE who completely re-vitalized them so they look like the TV in this video or better. And the helpful guys are still there. I run a small handyman business and use this place whenever I can.

Is Master Mechanic owned by Stanley Tools Black & Decker?

😀 I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm in any hardware store!

We moved into an apartment. There is a True Value Hardware next door. We picked up a few things. Then a wire on my mobility scooter pulled out. I was able to get it to the True Value Hardware rear door before it stopped. The guys replaced to old wire and connectors for under $10. I tried to give them more, they said no. While waiting and drinking a coffee my wife found lots of space saving items for our new apartment. There are a number of apartment complex’s near this True Value so they stock for residents.
The owner also told us about a good Chinese restaurant in the same complex and showed us the menu.

So my mobility scooter electrical was repaired. My wife found items for kitchen and cabinets. Also had a great Chinese takeout dinner too.

Always shopped True Value in Kingman, Az. They had EVERYTHING!!!!

All the local true values near me went out of business.

We don't have a True Value, but our local ACE in Rockwall TX is small store that is very, very dense in useful hardware, tools, and building supplies. Their prices aren't very competitive and it seems to me that a lot of their stuff just sits there for years (old packaging, yellowed plastics, etc). Those are the down sides to ACE. The upside is that the friendly and knowledgable staff have been there forever and know the store inside and out (it hasn't been reset in the 20+ years we have lived in the area) and ACE stocks a lot of supplies and accessories that aren't carried in the big box stores because of low volume of sales. I frequently find myself in ACE because the big guys are out of something that I need or don't have the exact variant of a given product. I would be remiss if I didn't mention their hardware aisle. I have a friend who works as a med tech at a large hospital and he says that ACE has the best hardware assortment short of going to McMaster Carr. I've never found a need for a fastener that can't be met at my local ACE while the big box stores often only have part of what I need. I can't speak for True Value in these times, but if I had to choose between Lowe's and ACE I would keep ACE.

To me they are becoming more relevant. The more disorganized and under-staffed the big box stores become, the more I like hopping over to Tru-Value or Ace. Especially for fasteners. The fasteners aisle (and plumbing fittings for that matter) at my local big-box stores look like someone came in overnight and mixed all the bins together.

My local True Value is now Ace Hardware.

My community has a True Value distribution center, but I'll be hornswaggled if I know where they sell this stuff.

pls celphone nr true value

true value usually has cheaper items and more knowledgeable people. they have a smaller selection though

All that inventory (the reason to go) has got to cost a fortune. I buy there when I can. For a true old school hardware store nothing beats one across the border in Juarez.

I worked at a true value for several years n loved it. Their power tools are excellent for the do it urselfers n have a very good track record. I own a makita drill n impact driver n a dewalt compound slide, all my other tools are the master mechanic brand from true value with only the Cordero recip saw ever giving me any problems. When I took it back they handed me a new one. I got 10 years out of my first one n still have the replacement 17 years later with no problems

Great video🎉🎉🎉

Do you have gorilla glue in stock?

All the time. A block from my house, I don’t even need a reason, I get ideas looking at the items. When I need them, they’re there, I’ve bought a lot there.

Yes

Shade outdoor

True Values are all independently owned and vary greatly in size and market selection. You can't go into one and be dumb enough to think they are all the same. That is called a chain store.

Imo they have the best layout in terms of smaller hardware stores

Overpriced outdated power tool lineups. and hand tools are basically all chinese made now, at ridiculously high prices. that's the problem