Day One review

I would imagine that few of us have never been inside a hardware store. At the same time, most of us likely believe that we know quite well what can be found in a typical one. Yet how many of us don't think deeply about what might in one?

Most any of us would guess rightly enough that hardwares have nuts and bolts, tools, electrical outlets and components, plumbing supplies, lawn care products, and even the drain snakes such as yours truly sells. But even I, before working the Do It Best Marketplace here in Indianapolis, never though much about what all a hardware might offer.

Many of us complain about Christmas displays in September. As something of a crank on the subject myself, I know the laments which are out there. So how would you feel about Christmas in February? There is a large area of Christmas trees, ornaments, yard decor and whatnot here for the store owners to consider. For this, I'm not upset by any measure. I get the point: any company which offers something a hardware may sell is here. And I've seen Christmas tidings in many hardware stores over the years. Still, Christmas in February, even in cold, wintry Indiana, feels kind of weird.

There are seasonal items beyond Christmas of course but those aren't as prominent. Toys and games are more visible than I would have expected. Yet I think what really surprised me is the amount of snack foods represented at the show. They are many and varied. Popcorn, pop, chips, breads, candies; a lot more than I'll bore you to name in this missive. Yet one which I do like is Iowa Smokehouse beef jerky and its other meat snacks. They are in an adjacent booth to mine, and have been pretty good about passing samples around even to us other vendors. They have good stuff, and as always, my blog, I can promote what I want. I simply would have never thought about a hardware offering jerky, that's all.

Funny thing is, I suppose that we've all seen such variety in our local hardwares. But how often do we think about it? Until you're swimming in them, what do you actually notice?

I'll notice Iowa Smokehouse whenever I'm in a Do It Best, I tell you what. And Electric Eel. Tell your local Do It Best that you want Electric Eel in their rental department.

My blog, my rules. And Electric Eel is the best.