There is an amazing gem in Salem, on Commercial, sandwiched in between two parts of the Union Gospel Mission operation -- a real, honest-to-God hardware store, staffed by guys who actually do stuff and know stuff. What a treasure. I've spoken to people who have lived in Salem much longer and who don't know what's behind that modest storefront.
They are so old school that they have no web presence that I can find. But they're open Mondays through Saturdays, and instead of pallet loads of stuff you don't need, you can go find exactly what you do need, along with some advice on how to use it. You can buy a single deck screw. A single hinge. A ball of real manila twine. Good tools at fair prices.
As you would expect, Saffron doesn't compete on price -- if you look around, you can often find a better price. But, unless you want Salem to be left with nothing but Home Lowepots (where you often find yourself dealing with staff who are even less experienced and knowledgeable than you are), we need to support local businesses who would never think of pretending that a high-schooler who has never built anything more complicated than a Lego house can help you in hardware.
They're at 325 Commercial St. NE, and the phone is 503-581-7501. Next time you have a hardware need, call and see if they can help before venturing out to one of the Home Lowepots.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
4 comments:
What a great little store. I love wandering around in that place. If we bloggers keep advertising for them, perhaps they'll stay around. :) (my post on them : http://lookwhatshappeninginsalem.blogspot.com/2009/02/saffron-supply-company.html)
The first time I ever shopped there I was a little reluctant to do so as I figured I could get a better deal elsewhere. Surprising to me, their prices were comparable to other places and I ended up purchasing a mess of irrigation supplies. And along with the decent prices you will get customer service that is above and beyond anything you'll get from any "Home Lowepots". They have a life-long customer in me.
When you're there, ask to see the upstairs of the building. It's a fascinating look into Salem history!
Yes, when I found the business end of a hayfork in my new (to me) home, I went to Saffron for a new handle; they not only sold me the handle but also the wedge and put it together for me, right there. The last time I asked for help like that at one of the Home Lowepots I got a blank look . . .
Going up the stairs to the floor where they had the handles was definitely like one of those trips back in time. Way cool.
Post a Comment