The Blog

You might not have heard the old saying, “It might be time to save the oil and change the car,” but it might have been appropriate yesterday. It’s supposed to mean that whatever you are working on has about reached the end of it’s useful life. That is about the case for my small push

When it comes to tips, there are several kinds. There are the bookies’ tips, beef tips and noodles, and of course the tip of the iceberg. Here at the hardware store though, when folks come in and ask me if I have any tips I always answer the same way, “ Buy low and sell

Spring is officially here now, although a couple days ago when I got home, Mary Anne said, “how much snow are we supposed to get tonight?” I replied it’s not actually snowing, the super forecast weather on the computer says it’s raining. As we watched the snow flakes drift down it occurred to me that

Well, another week of this mess has come and gone. We’re still open here at the hardware store and rumor has it that things are going to start to transition back to normal starting at the end of the month. I saw someone online quote Winston Churchill from just after the Battle of Britain (look

Well, we’ve survived another stay at home week here in Burton. Of course I’ve still got to come in to keep our essential hardware store open. Mary Anne does most of her work on a computer, so she is able to work from home pretty effectively, but I haven’t figured out how to sell hardware

Well, it’s been a week or so since Ohio got it’s stay at home order from the Governor, but we’re still here. Hardware stores, of course, fit under the essential businesses clause in the business shut-down order. Folks may be sheltering at home, but they’ve still got to maintain that home. As I guessed earlier,

First of all, to save you a few unnecessary phone calls, Hill Hardware is still open. Many places are closed starting today under the Governor’s order to help control the Corona virus. Hardware stores are considered essential businesses, though. Even with folks staying home, home repairs and maintenance still go on, and sheltering at home

Today I got a real treat. I was trying to get more steam engines in to sell, and I came across a Mamod Steam Wagon model. It came in the mail yesterday and I got to unpack it this afternoon. The Mamod Steam Wagon is one of my favorite live steam models ever (of course

Yesterday was my day off, so of course I was at the store working. I’ve been trying to get some better lighting up in the paint department and as it was a pretty big project, so I could not do it during the day in between customers. Yesterday I had Paul working at the store,

In keeping with my last blog regarding Ohio’s fickle weather, I’m going to continue in that vein with this week’s posting. As you all know, the month of March is Maple syrup time here in northeast Ohio. Wait! You say it’s only half past February? Yup, maple season has not only started, but at some