Packets of three

[woodhutt]

I thought that title might grab your attention but this is about a marketing ploy that makes me wild. I'm refurbishing a table for my son's barbie area and the legs are secured to the top with machine screws. One of the original screws had been cross-threaded so I went to the local hardware store for a replacement. They had them OK but only in packs of three.
Now I know that there are times when three might be the right number but most often you're dealing with an even number of fixings. I would have replaced all four old screws but that would have meant buying two packs. So, a clever way to sell more product?
Anyone have similar gripes?

[BobL]

I thought that title might grab your attention but this is about a marketing ploy that makes me wild. I'm refurbishing a table for my son's barbie area and the legs are secured to the top with machine screws. One of the original screws had been cross-threaded so I went to the local hardware store for a replacement. They had them OK but only in packs of three.
Now I know that there are times when three might be the right number but most often you're dealing with an even number of fixings. I would have replaced all four old screws but that would have meant buying two packs. So, a clever way to sell more product?
Anyone have similar gripes?

I came across this recently with 18mm SS 7G screws, I needed 15 screws and the packs come with 14 screws DANG!

As a result I've accumulated many fasteners such as shown in open boxes in the photo below, although about half of the machine type screws in the open boxes come from dismantling various machines etc.

It's not only the numbers of screws and pricing, but the packaging that drives me bonkers. A few years back the mens shed got a call from a local hardware as they were getting rid of all their bulk bolts and machine screws and gave us several tons of these to us for nothing. The hardware owner said it was too expensive for him to keep supplying in bulk (he had to buy them in boxes of 100's) but what doesn't get get factored in is the added cost to the consumer, and the cost of all the packaging and the community cost of dealing with the disposed of packaging.

That's why I, where I can, like purchasing from a family run specialist fastener store where you can buy singles of most nut, bolt, washer etc. Not only that, but they have pretty much every thread diameter, length and pitch and type (UNC, UNF, Metric, Metric fine, etc) and the price per item is still less than buying then in packs from hardware stores. One problem is I do get occasionally tempted by the even lower price of buying bulk boxes of fasteners (brown and red boxes in photo) but I figure if I buy the commoner ones that will mean less trips to the store which is 10k away often through busy traffic.

Metrics.JPG

One drawback is they don't carry any wood type screws and even their self tapping metal screws are only available in boxes.

The above photo is the metrics and wood screws, here's the drawer with the imperials.
Imperials.JPG

[China]

The reason I stopped buy such things from hardware stores years ago.

[rrich]

I have an Ace Hardware down the street and around the corner. They have the best selection of nuts, bolts and screws around. They carry both Metric and Imperial in quantity. Usually when I need some hardware I'll buy a whole box. They will sell loose but by the box is so much more economical in the long run.

Usually during the holidays I'll bring a box of chocolates as a token of thanks for just being there. I want these people in business at least until I'm under ground.

[China]

We used to have hardware stores like that in Australia, unfortunately they are long gone all owned by big monopolies.

[doug3030]

Not sure about packs of threes - I was extremely annoyed by packs of six from the home of the red-shirts.

The height of lockdown so it had to be click and collect meaning an extended camp-out in the carpark hoping to be served before I had been there so long that they started charging me rent.

I had ordered 16 M10 bolts, 32 washers and a box of 200 nuts. I only needed 32 nuts but the box of 200 cost less than six blister packets of 6, so I thought I could put them on the shelf and would use them one day.

Four days after placing my online order I got the email telling me my stuff was ready for collection and to book a window of time. Ok, so I did that and turned up, based on experience from previous similar ventures to the same outlet, with a sandwich and a thermos of hot chocolate prepared for a long wait.

I sat there patiently and leisurely ate my sandwich. I had just poured my third mug of hot chocolate from the thermos when someone finally came and scanned the code from my email and disappeared for a long time and came back with my order. I could tell straight away from the size and weight of the bag that not everything I had ordered was there.

So, what was missing? A box of 200 M10 nuts. The red-shirt guy told me that they were out of stock but it was ok as they had not charged me for them. I had some difficulty in getting it through to him that without the nuts this had all been a wasted trip because I would not be able to use any of the other things in the order without the nuts. I sent him off to find a supervisor and poured myself another hot chocolate.

The supervisor eventually arrived and had difficulty comprehending why I was not pleased that they called me in to collect the items they had instead of waiting for the final item, without which the rest were just paperweights.

Supervisor went away to see what she could do, came back 15 minutes later with a red-shirter with six blister packs of 6 M10 nuts and said that this was all the M10 nuts they had in stock. I needed 32, he had 36, Iv'e invested heaps of time in this already so I really had no choice but to take them at the normal ticketed price so I could go home and finish the project.

So effectively I paid about the same for 36 nuts as I was going to for 200 nuts. I paid for 164 nuts I never got.

Two weeks later the 5 km limit was expanded to 15 km and I could get to my normal bolt shop at Laverton North again. Now it's just a quick phonecall to someone competent before I leave home, a 10 minute drive to the store, quick phone call from their car park, they come out and put my parcel on a table, I pick it up and drive home. And everything is reasonably priced and not in blister packs.

[BobL]

We used to have hardware stores like that in Australia, unfortunately they are long gone all owned by big monopolies.

We have one in WA, I'm sure there are some on other states.

[rrich]

Weird but we had moved to small towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Before each move and house purchase I asked locals about hardware stores. In reality priceless information.

In Delaware, Ohio the Sears catalog store seemed to be almost the center of the town. A normal catalog store was just that, a series of books and clerks to take orders. This one also included a reasonable stock of materials that may be needed in a small farming community. In a conversation with the manager I mentioned that I needed a box of 250 feet or Romex electrical wire. He says that he had to be in Columbus and would bring some back for me. About 3 days later he calls saying that he has the Romex for me. I rush down to the store and try to give him my Sears credit card when he says that he can't do that. Then it dawns on me that he bought it and is bringing it back for me, at about ¼ the price at the local lumber yard. I rushed up the street to the bank (5 doors or so) to get the cash.

I wanted a belt sander for Christmas. I told the manager of the catalog store. He said that he would have one of the girls call my wife trying to sell her on the sander. After Christmas, my wife saw me looking a the Sears mailer. She says that she had gotten a call from the local people at the Sears store about a belt sander. I laughed and she says, "You put them up to it, didn't you?"

Living in a small town is priceless especially with a big city just 25 miles down the road.

[GraemeCook]

I always go to a specialist fastenings store - there are a couple in Hobart, a city about half the size of Wellington. The closest is the profoundly named Nuts and Bolts Tasmania. The advantages are:

• Quality is always better than at the BigChains,
• Range is far superior,
• I can buy one nut, or a thousand,
• Staff actually know their product lines in depth,
• Staff usually know what I want, even when I don't,
• Prices almost always beat BigChain, and
• They don't stock "Z-screws" with detachable heads!

[rrich]

I had forgotten about this one. I built cabinets for the garage and needed drawer / door pulls. I start shopping. Oh lord how I hate to shop.

I discover "Wire" style draw pulls. I don't care what they look like as it is for the garage. I need 30 or 40 to satisfy the need for the garage. Everything uses an Imperial 8x32 screw. I go to an online site and prepare to order. Discovered that I could order 100 drawer pulls at about ten dollars less than 40 and free shipping.

The smoke detectors in the house were 10 years old. I start looking. At Lowes I can order 5 individual smoke detectors but if I order a box of 6 it is cheaper and free shipping.

It seems that the world has completely lost all sense of value.

[doug3030]

The smoke detectors in the house were 10 years old. I start looking. At Lowes I can order 5 individual smoke detectors but if I order a box of 6 it is cheaper and free shipping.

It seems that the world has completely lost all sense of value.

It's called marketing

watermelons.jpg

[yvan]

I always go to a specialist fastenings store - there are a couple in Hobart, a city about half the size of Wellington. The closest is the profoundly named Nuts and Bolts Tasmania. The advantages are:

• Quality is always better than at the BigChains,
• Range is far superior,
• I can buy one nut, or a thousand,
• Staff actually know their product lines in depth,
• Staff usually know what I want, even when I don't,
• Prices almost always beat BigChain, and
• They don't stock "Z-screws" with detachable heads!

Double thumbs up!!!