We used to have a lot of local hardware stores around. They were the kind that sold a little bit of everything and the closest one always provided summer jobs to local high school students. A triple calamity of Hechingers, then Home Depot and Lowes put most of the local stores out of business. Walmart online and Amazon put the final nail in the coffin. They are all gone now. (as are the farm supply stores.) We still have a few auto parts suppliers, but they are disappearing, too.
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