Ace Hardware has GREAT $5 Black Friday sales every year. I pick up more name brand, Stanley tools. My husband likes my utility knife better than his. So we got him one. ☺ My hammer suddenly disappeared. ☺My Stanley Knife $5

Nicole, I like Ace too, although, not at the moment as no one in that store wears a mask. Neither employees or customers.

I know what a non battery powered stud finder looks like, magnet swings in a plasic bubble to indicate a nail/screw head. I prefer the battery one since they detect the density of the wall and don't need to find a nail or screen to work. Most of them use 9V rectangular batteries.

Really good story.

At my house I have a strong magnet that my husband got some place. It's a cylinder about 1" in diameter and 1 1/2 " long. It will stick to the wall when you get it over top of a screw in the drywall. I use that when I am in the newer section of my house. For the original rooms with plaster and lathe I have to use a battery powered stud finder that reads the density of the wall.

Raye, the one I had didn't have a plastic bubble, it just literally stuck to the wall when it found a nail in the stud. My new one takes a 9 volt, thankfully I have one in my junk drawer, where I also found my old small putty knife while digging through it. The new stud finder in messed up but works, the one side of the battery won't snap down in onto the battery thing. It does work after cramming into the compartment though. I guess there is still a connection made even though it doesn't fit completely on the battery. It's a Craftsman too, which I expected to be better made.

Now I just realized my smoke alarm is missing. It was up on a glass shelf in the hallway outside my door but it isn't anymore. I don't know where it is. My house is in disarray right now, working on painting, fixing things, cleaning out closets.

Kath....ACE has curbside pickup. Request in the notes, must be masked employee who brings bag to the car. Then wear gloves when opening the sealed packaging, I would!

Our stores are ALL masked, 6' distancing, counting customers who enter....taking it very seriously. Otherwise....I'd be out in the car getting curbside pickup. Stanley hand tools are one of my favorite brands. ♥♥♥ I like Estwing 16oz hammers.

I floated one night into tools when I was a kid, working to pay for my college. Customer asked me for a "cats paw". I said we were out, sorry. He said to me, "Describe a cat's paw". ☺ I did. Then he angrily asked why we were out. I said the computer did the ordering, so if someone shop lifts one, we still show we have it, until we do inventory. ☺ Dumb system....

When dealing with someone at a store, my default expectation is that I'm dealing with a dunderhead. I'm always polite and friendly, I try to explain well to help them help me, and I'm understanding. No way to tell what I'm thinking inside. But that's my thinking inside.

Last year, I went to Home Depot (nearest garden department) to get a couple of fake bird decoy statues to gently discourage little birds and others from congregating on a deck railing. I went in, found a person in the Garden department, explained my problem and asked if they had any owl statues for that purpose. (That was what I had seen online)

"No", the answer was.

"Are you out?" I asked.

"No, I know what you're talking about but we never carry any owl things like that".

At that point I could have left, but I thought to ask:

"If you had something like that, where would they be?"

"Oh, maybe at aisle 14 or 15, but we don't have what you're asking about."

I went to aisle 14-15 and saw for myself that they had no owl decoys. What they had were hawks and eagles. Just what I wanted and I bought one of each. Duh!

I once asked an employee where the threaded pipe was. He said, "We don't carry that. You'd have to have that specially made out in the yard." Then I looked down...at his feet.....there was a whole bucket of 2' lengths he was standing in front of, blocking my view. ☺☺☺

Just a suggestion but it is time that they should be on display. Most stores will have a plastic case that contains most of the hand tools that a person needs for doing things in a house. You do have to decide sometimes if you want a small saw or not. I suggest the saw. Most will not have that mallet but often they are cheaper than putting a tool kit together for yourself unless you are picky about how each tool feels in your hand. I also suggest that you find one that the hammer has a metal handle normally with a plastic grip. The oldest one I have is over 30 years old and other than the small plastic containers of nails, screws, and picture hanging things it is still functional.

Look up "Stanley 47-400 Magnetic Stud Finder" on Amazon, that's the kind that I had.

This is mine: https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-StudBuddy-Magnetic-Stud-Finder/971624127?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222222146293873&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74766859174000&wl4=pla-4578366451960386:aud-807615483&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=&%20wl10=Walmart&wl12=971624127_0amp;wl14=magnetic%20stud%20finder&veh=sem&msclkid=06ece4e974e41eaa9a07bb23b4fc3b26

I have the battery-operated stud finder and it is easier (plus I got it for free when a friend was moving), but the magnetic one doesn’t need batteries!

I need a new vegetable steamer, you know, the one that kind of folds in on itself and fits every pan. Went to Target. Huge display of housewares, OXO, etc. No steamer. The fellow working the department didn’t know what it was (I’m going to be sexist and ageist and say that a 22-yr-old guy should probably not be the first choice to work in housewares). He walkie-talkied a colleague, who said “oh, steamer bags? They should be by the microwaves.” I had to explain again. That guy came over. Still no idea. Finally it devolved into the one guy taking over while the other took a bathroom break. Sigh. And they suggested I go to WalMart.

In my experience there is no genetic predisposition to knowing what a stud finder is.

I would get one of the better ones that sense water pipes and electrical wires as well as studs. It is a good investment. I like good tools so would never get one of the packs from a hardware store but understand those who would be able to do what they needed to do with one. I could probably stock a store.

bpath, you made me suddenly think "where IS my vegetable steamer?" It's metal and folds like you describe. Hmmmm. I haven't seen it for awhile and I did some purging long time back.

Kathsgrdn, this may not be your case, but I like to keep some tools in kitchen for when needed. At one time every time I went for a screwdriver, hammer, measuring tape, pliers, etc they would be MIA. Guilty party was hubby or son. I invested in some pink tools. The tools that aren't pink have pink nail polish on them. They can use my tools, but they also know that if the lady of the house finds her tools in the garage instead of the kitchen there will be h_ll to pay.

Just be thankful that you didn't need to ask for help to find some caulk and an extra long screw. 😂

(yes, it happened to me once)

We have a local Ace store. They are most helpful. I can’t seem to find help or items at Lowe’s or Depot. I have always been greeted at front door of Ace taking me to whatever item I need. Do pay a bit more, but their services are valuable to me.

We are lucky in having an exemplary hardward store in Bellingham to the north of us. If you cant find it elsewhere they will have it or get it for you. Ask someone for something outside of their area of expertise? They will take you to the person who is going to know. Hardware Sales. A whole store full of people who arent dunderheads. It is quite the experience and not all that extra expensive. They carry the best. It spoils you.

A couple of years ago, I went to an ACE store and asked for a hand-drill. I got a blank stare from the first person, but she did have the presence of mind to call their roving 'expert'. He informed that they did not stock those anymore, but did have a plastic bodied one that had no handle to grip it. You held the case as best you could and tried to keep your fingers out the way of the crank. They had plenty of battery powered ones, but I did not want those. I did buy the hand drill to have one for my second tool box.

I came home and pulled out an antique drill, cleaned it up, and lubed it. I'm using that one. It has a cast frame and wood knob on the crank. The patent date on the Jacobs chuck is 1895. It works well.

This is the one that I like:

StudPop

We used to have an Ace hardware story that had been in the same family for 3 generations. You could get anything there. Then it was sold. The new owner has boutiqued it--now this is the only hardware store for miles--and in farm country. What they didn't have in the past year or so: clothespins--no; Roundup for woody plants--no idea what I was talking about; freezer tape--no idea what I was talking about (they took me to the paint section); 1/4 inch hardware cloth--no idea what I was talking about, told me they didn't carry cloth. I could go on, but you get the idea. Now I drive for miles just to get basic hardware store stuff.

You would think Tractor Supply would sell oil filters for lawn tractors .................NOPE. But they do sell clothes and jewelry. lol

The Tractor Supply stores here sell all kinds of oil filters for lawn tractors and mowers. They also sell belts. We've bought several belts there for our zero-turn.

It's so frustrating to walk into, or call a business, and talk to someone who has no idea about what they sell, or how to do their job. I just hate when I ask a question and they get that blank look on their face. How do these people even keep their jobs ?