This is part of Norm Frampton’s lovely Thursday Doors link-up. Go look at his wonderful pictures, click on the linky-doo, and visit some of the other participants.
Alstott’s Hardware was one of those stores you read about — almost a general store — where you could get a stunningly wide variety of items. If you needed a little doohicky that looks like this, the first place you should go is Alstott’s. Show one of the guys your doohicky and he’d find you a replacement. Or if you need a mailbox, Alstott’s had a wide choice of sizes. Plumbing supplies, canning supplies, garden supplies, knives, poisons, compressed air, popcorn poppers (from electric air-poppers back to cast-iron), funnels, tongs …. You get the picture.
Well, Mr. Alstott decided to sell the store and retire. Then he died, so nobody could talk him out of it.
There was a going-out-of-business sale, and OF COURSE I went. I had to bear witness to the passing of an era.
You probably can’t read that sign on the upper half of the building. It said ACE Hardware, but Mr. Alstott had a falling out with the ACE people and withdrew from their network. Rather than get a new sign, he just painted over the ACE and left the Hardware part.
I adore hardware stores, especially ones like this one, jam-packed with stuff you never knew existed.
So bought a few things. Some things, I would have gotten in times past, but no longer need: an electric carving knife (we don’t do vast slabs o’ meat), a popcorn popper (just the two of us can get by on the occasional snack bag of microwave stuff), an ice crusher (no Derby parties, since Eight Belles died on the track in 2008), an electric roasting pan/slowcooker.
Here’s what I did get.
Lamp oil, compressed air, a collapsible funnel, burner pans, a bar of poison ivy/oak soap, and a double boiler. That card that says “1/2 off“? It says “up to 1/2 off.” I read it. Many didn’t. There were tears before bedtime. heh
Farewell, Alstott’s. I’ll miss you like stink.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character gets less of a deal than they think they’re going to get.
MA
dan antion
December 17, 2015 at 7:05amI love hardware stores. It’s sad when they close or get made over into an ACE Store of the Future. I prefer the small independent guys and I do my best to shop at the one remaining local store that’s close to me.
Marian Allen
December 17, 2015 at 8:15amI’m really going to miss Alstott’s. We have an auto store that’s almost as much fun, but nothing to compare with Alstott’s. 🙁
Jane
December 17, 2015 at 8:19amThere’s still a great store nearby. You can just go through the alley to get there. You don’t even have to go up onto Frankfort Ave.
Sorry for your loss. Mr. Astott sounds peppery as all get out.
Marian Allen
December 17, 2015 at 8:54amPeppery is right. Just don’t, as you value your skin, attempt to RETURN anything! You should have made sure it was what you wanted before you bought it. heh
norm 2.0
December 17, 2015 at 9:38amThis was a great way to pay tribute to all of the small independent business owners out there. It’s always sad when a locally-owned and operated business disappears whatever the reason. RIP Mr. Alstott.
Marian Allen
December 17, 2015 at 10:11amWe’ve lost some wonderful stores and restaurants from Corydon in the 30 years we’ve lived here. The owners retire or landlords price the rent out of the independent price-range. We still have some good’uns, though. I wish I could have shared Jock’s Lunch (known to the locals as Jocko’s). Best home cookin’ outside your mama’s house. And the Ideal Restaurant. And The Fair Store. I have a treat for Christmas Eve’s post, though. Stay tuned!
Jessica Nunemaker
December 17, 2015 at 4:55pm🙁 I don’t think I was ever in that shop! Humbug. That makes me sad.
Marian Allen
December 18, 2015 at 8:51amJessica, it was off the main streets, back by the creek. If you haven’t been to Lisa’s Sports Bar and Grill, which is next to Alstott’s, go there. You can sit in the back, away from the smoke of the bar proper. The fish is delicious! They also have frog legs and great meat loaf.
joey
December 17, 2015 at 12:44pmI enjoy anything unique, and this shop definitely qualifies. Glad you were there to see the end of the era.
Marian Allen
December 17, 2015 at 3:41pmI’m glad I got to experience Alstott’s. Just wish it could have continued, but I completely understand the heirs not wanting to be in the business. It’s rough.
Judy
December 17, 2015 at 4:37pmI think I would have liked Mr. Alstott based on his repurposing of his sign. 🙂 The big DIY box stores have sure put all the local hardware stores out of business and that is a downright shame.
Marian Allen
December 18, 2015 at 8:49amIt sure is a shame, Judy! The problem was, in “paying tribute” to Alstott’s, people interviewed for the paper invariably said things like, “If I couldn’t find it anywhere else, I knew I could find it at Alstott’s.” Maybe if they had bought at Alstott’s FIRST….
janet
December 17, 2015 at 8:40pmSo sad. The passing of an era.
janet
Marian Allen
December 18, 2015 at 8:52amIt sure is, janet. I’ll really miss it. We bought seeds and bedding plants there in the spring, sleds in the winter, all manner of things all year ’round. 🙁