Conference 7.286::home_work

    I occasionally use Grossmans in Nashua, DW Highway. Know what your
    shopping for and the price. People there usually helpful. Of course
    I know a couple personaly so that may help. 
    
    There is another hardware store near city hall, (forgotten the name)
    Gagnons or something like that, where they are most helpful. I needed
    a piece of wood 5" wide, 7' long and 1/4 in thick. They cut and
    plained a piece to size at no extra charge.
    
    Gary
    
    I'm sure you'll get many responses to your note. 

    Grossman's in Gardner is a contractor's yard.   It has a greater
    selection of materials than most (from what I can tell by going to two
    other yards - not a fair statistical sampling, probably). What I do
    notice is that their prices (at the Gardner retail yard) are just
    tolerable.   If you want something NOW, they've probably got it, but
    the price WILL be higher than nearly any yard in Leominster or
    Fitchburg.  The prices aren't high enough to make me drive far away for
    everything, but high enough that if I'm anywhere near Maki (slightly
    out of my way) or Moore's (I drive by it on the way home), I'll stop at
    one of those places.   Maki's "every day" prices for building materials
    (e.g., sheetrock) are consistently lower than Grossman's, although
    Grossman's did beat them out during a recent sale on sheetrock.

    re.1
    
    	I think the store you're refering to is Chagnon's.  They're
    helpfull and have pretty much everything you could want in the
    way of home repair/renovation needs.  They seem to service a lot
    of contractors.  I'm just finishing a 12x26 ft. porch and did some
    shopping around for materials.  The cheapest place I found was P.F
    O'Connor off of 101A in Merrimack.  They also have just about everything
    you would want.  The thing I like about them is it's a pretty much
    help yourself place.  Pay for your order at the counter and then
    go sort through the lumber piles and pick the wood you want.  The
    sales people are available and very helpfull if you need them though.  
    Chagnon is the type of place where you pay for your lumber and then go out
    to the yard and hand the receipt to someone who goes and gets what
    you wanted.  Nashua lumber also seems to be good.  They have prices
    comparable to Chagnon.
    
    George
    
    	By the way, I only go to Grossman's when everyplaec else is
    closed or I only need something where quality isn't tht important. 

    Somerville Lumber in Pelham is certainly worth checking out.  They
    have a large selection in a clean, brightly lit store.  It's a bit
    of a drive, though.
    
    Grossman's may not be the greatest, but they're hard to argue with
    when your up to your neck in your kitchen sink plumbing on a Sunday
    and they're the only ones open...

    
    Two biggest gripes about Grossman's:
    
    1. The lumber quality generally stinks (check the number of rejects
       on the pile of KD 2x4's).
    
    2. I can never seem to get checked out in less than 30 minutes, even
       if no one is ahead of me.
    
    Last Grossman's price check: two oak exterior thresholds for $70,
    and they didn't have a large enough piece for one door (3' max). Got two
    4' pieces, much higher quality, at MAKI's for $42.

    

    
    NOT GROSSMANS IN NASHUA!!  The worst store in the world!
    I drive past it and go to the Manchester one if I need them.
    RE Reeds Ferry Lumber, others.  They DO give cheaper prices to
    contracters.  If you pick a place like Reeds Ferry and do regular
    business.    Even though your a private person, if you wear old
    clothes, add a little paint to them and a cap, you can be mistaken
    for a contracter.  20-30% off what you would have paid.
    But don't expect to ask dumb questions.
    ed
    

    re. :.8
    
    Thanks for stating the GROSSMANS in Nashua is the worst store in
    the world.  I have been there a few times and could never find
    what I was looking for.  Heck, I couldn't even find shelving wider
    than 12".  That makes it real tough to build an entertainment
    center that hold a TV! :^)  I also bought a dozen 2x4 studs for
    finishing a deck and was allowed to pick out my own.  That took
    about 30 minutes.  I must have discarded 50 pieces to find 12
    decent ones.  I'm about to move from Nashua to Merrimack and I'm
    looking forward to using some of the lumber yards in that area.
    

    For a really pleasant lumber yard go to Curriers in Amherst.  Very
    friendly.  I don't know how their prices are, however, as I've only
    been there for small hardware and some scraps.  I once needed a
    small piece of pine of the same thickness as an outside door.  
    You'd have to buy the whole door at Grossmans.  A guy at Currier's
    went out to the scrap heap with me and scrounged through it until
    he came up with piece of the desired thickness.  No charge.

    re: .3
    
    "generous discount to DEC employees"?
    
    How does it work?  Is it all stores?  How much is it?
    
    -joet
    
    P.S.  Only been to the Westboro one, but I've fallen in love with
    Somerville Lumber.  Just about anything you can think of, lots
    of people around, clean, etc.  I especially like the fact that they
    have the new stuff you read about in the magazines.  It takes Spag's
    a while to get some of the newer gizmoes.

    If you think Grossman's is gross, you should see the Grossman's
    Bargain outlet in downtown Framingham.  They try to sell all the
    stuff that was rejected by the regular Grossman's... so you can
    imagine the quality of materials.
    
    Keep away from this place unless you're desperate.
    
    -al

    I have never had good luck with Grossman's;  their name is an
    incredibly accurate assessment of their store and merchandise.
    
    I wholeheartedly recommend Moore's in Ayer center (take Route 111
    from Nashua and your there in 20 minutes.)  They have branches in
    Leominster (Route 12) and Chelmsford center but I prefer the main
    store.  If you are a hardward store freak like me, you can spend
    hours checking out the place.  They have been around for 5 generations
    so they tend to stock many unusual things that come in handy in
    older home restorations.  They also have a complete mill so if you
    can not buy the lumber you need from stock, you can have it milled.
    The help is extremely courteous and knowledgeable and even though
    they get busy on Saturday, there isn't a long wait.  (Their other
    stores are in Webster, Holden and Littleton.  The main store also
    has a cash and carry outlet where you can save a little bit more.)
    
    My vote goes for Moore's in the southern NH or central Mass area.

    I've had terrible service at about 5 different Grossman stores and
    had the same impressions as .0 listed.  It took me a while, but
    I've finally learned not to go to Grossmans.  I won't buy anything
    at Grossmans again (unless I get incredibly desperate).
    
    - Molly -
    

	Maybe I'm living a charmed life, but I have had nothing but good 
things happen from the Manchester Grossman's. I found them to be 
$250-$300 cheaper than several local lumberyards when obtaining roofing 
material. Also went there to get red cedar shingles...I talked to the 
store general manager and he sold me 24 each of 1/4 square 18" R&R shingles 
for $20/box, down from $30...I hadn't seen a cheaper price ANYWHERE.
It'll be a cold day in h___ before I'll pay more money for something 
just so I don't have to stand in line! ALso, *DON'T* ever go there on a 
Saturday or Sunday...they are ALWAYS crowded with weekend builders.

As Paul Weiss said, you gotta watch what you buy and hand pick it 
yourself. As far as Reed's Ferry Lumber, they have gold-plated prices 
and you may get a better deal by doing up to Diamond Lumber in Bedford 
NH (who I've dealt with also. P.F. O'Connor would be the LAST place I go 
for lumber...I was the only one in the store and it took 5 minutes 
before one of the yo-yos asked me if I needed help.

Take a look around at specialty shops too, such as Rivco on Amherst St. 
in Nashua if you're in need of doors/windows/counters...they've got a 
good selection and even BEAT grossman's price for a replacement picture 
casement window. They also have a 'cash-and-carry' place behind the 
showroom with overruns, wrong sizes, etc, etc. You could save ome money 
there too...

    
    
       Folks, I think the bottom line here is, "You get what you pay
    for" and no comment on grossman's.
    
                                                   A happy weekend builder!

    I just finished my upstairs, and in the process, checked out numerous
    hardware and materials places.  P.F. O'connor has the cheapest prices
    I found. Grossmans is the most expensive, but open at odd hours
    for a pound of nails, tube of calk etc.  Aubuchon hardware had the
    best selection and lowest prices around (Milford and Jaffrey).
    
    True, the folks at P.F. O'connor do have a 'OK, next' attitude.
    They deal in VOLUME and folks that generally know what they want.
    The last time I went in, I drove my truck into the building, loaded
    16 sheets of wallboard, and THEN went in and paid for it. I found
    it was good to check out the supply, load it up, and then go pay
    for it.
    
    We added an attic stair from P.F. O'connor. It cost $54.00. The
    IDENTICAL model was over $90 at Gross'ly overpriced'mans.
    
    Insulation at grossmans was 25% more than PF O'.  Sheetrock was
    $1.50 more per sheet.
    
    Cheers, 
    
    Gil
    

I think the thing that best sums up Grossmans (or at least the one that I went 
to one time) is the fact that ALL their lumber was stored outside uncovered!
Do YOU want to buy wet wood?

As far as Moores, I do most of my small shopping there for the convenience, but
if I have any amount of money to spend I try to go elsewhere!  I have no 
problems with their quality because it's very good, but there prices are soooooo
high.  I try to by my major hardware type stuff (nails, screws, plumbing, etc)
at Spags and any high volume lumber at Coldwells in Berlin.  BUT the important
thing is if you want good stuff and don't mind paying more, I too vote for 
Moores.

-mark

    
    	I'll agree Grossmans is not my first choice for a project, but
    it is another source and their sale prices aren't that bad.  I've
    picked up some stuff at their bargain center in Braintree and have
    been quite happy with it.  I picked up a Stanley Steel basement
    door for $95 and cheap vinyl flooring for $2.99 yd.  The wood at
    the bargain center is horrible, but cheap.  It's good for cement
    forms and the like.
    
    						=Ralph=

  I need about a dozen sheets of sheetrock to finish my basement.
  How does Plywood Ranch compare to Grossout's? I'm thinking sheetrock
  is pretty generic stuff (right ?) Plywood Ranch never impressed
  me as a quality outfit, but it's Acton location is convenient.
  What should I be prepared to pay for a sheet of 5/8 U.S.Gypsum
  sheetrock?
  

    Sheetrock is pretty generic stuff.  Actually, Sheetrock is a
    trademark of US Gypsum Corp., so it's not really.  There isn't
    much difference in quality between brands.  Just make sure they
    took care of it before you bought it.
    Did you ever try to use sheetrock that has gotten wet?  I
    bought some from Maki once that had wet corners.  I didn't notice
    it until I tried to cut it.  It falls apart.  It can't be screwed
    to a wall either. 
    I found VERY low prices for sheetrock once at Channel lumber.
    But it was a sale price.      
    

    I usually shop around for the best price...and the last time that
    was East Coast Lumber in Hampstead NH.  I live in Windham and usually
    go look at:
    
    Somerville Lumber in Pelham
    Grossmans Salem & Nashua..prefer Salem
    Chagnons
    PF Connors ( or is that O'Connors )
    Channel
    East Coast Lumber
    
    Depending on who has the sale and what I want it is a toss up to
    where I go.  But found that the most consistent prices has been
    East Coast.  For a fairly small deck they even delivered everything
    free for my next door neighbor...who decided a few pieces of the
    decking weren't choice, gave them a call and the next day they stopped
    by with a few others.
    
    Grossmans....sometimes good price, but you have to know what you
    want, know your price and be able to have the time to pick thru
    the lot and wait in line.
    
    -Jay
    

    Regarding sheetrock, wallboard, drywall, etc..
    
    Watch out for sheets that have been 'dropped' on one corner. This
    sometimes happens to an entire palette or stack, where every sheet
    has a dinged corner. You may think, 'oh, I can cover that when I
    start taping', but you'll find that it's best to just dig out the
    crumbled stuff and fill it in with wallboard compound. And this
    takes time!   It's best to not buy the stuff in the first place.
    Ask for and buy good, clean sheets. 
    
    Wet wallboard turns to mush. Keep 'er dry..
    
    Regarding lumber that's left out in the rain,..if they deal in
    sufficient volume (P.F. O') then it shouldn't be a problem. Also,
    they only keep the larger stuff outside. Plywood, trim, etc is inside
    where it's nice and dry...
    
    If you're putting up a room or two, buy a wallboard shooter (has
    a Philips tip, and drills the screws to a pre-set depth. Makes the
    work go MUCH faster...) And it's also nice to have around if you're
    building anything with screws. I bought one at Belletetes in Jaffrey
    for $79.00. (A Makita...)
    
    Gil
    

    Went to Somerville Lumber in Westboro for a sheet of 1/2" AC plywood.
    I was poking through the sheets when one of there salesmen came
    along and said I could not do that and that I was supposed to take
    the top sheet.  The top sheet was a piece of JUNK. I left and bought
    it elsewhere.  Went back there when I was looking for shingles for
    my house and found them totally unfriendly.  Went back there a few
    weeks ago on a Sunday looking for some #2 pine.  The junk they were
    selling for #2 pine was fit for firewood.  I went to Grossmans and
    got what I wanted.  As far as I'm concerned Somerville Lumber =
    Loser Lumber.  Oh, another story about Loser Lumber - A friend of
    mine ordered his shingles there and when they delivered them they
    more or less chucked them in a heap and busted some of them.  He
    had to go back and have a POW-WOW with the manager. (He was not
    home when they were delivered).

    
    
      Regarding Sommerville lumber: I try not to purchase things from
    a dealer who uses WANG computers, also I've had a couple of bad
    experiences with home delivery myself.
    
                                            Keep trying

Speaking of home deliveries, I had ordered about $500 worth of framing
materials a while back from Coldwells.  To make a long story short I never
bothered to check the inventory.  I started construction about 3 weeks later
only to find out 4 20' 2X10s were missing (around $75 worth I think).  I called
them up and said that I thought they might have made a mistake but couldn't
swear to it that someone didn't take them inthe long time the materials sat
in my driveway.

No problem, they sent out replacements the next day!

-mark

    RE: GROSSMAN'S, I wouldn't bother with them. The only close one
    to me is Shrewsbury and i have never seen less stock in a "supposed"
    home DIY center than that store. Couldn't find anything and didn't
    like what I did find.
    
    Sommerville Lumber was good when it opened and is still good for
    the endless variety a generic bits and pieces of stuff that you
    need evenings and Sundays when no one else is open. I agree with
    the last few comments about the clerks in the lumber dept, all a
    bunch of guys who whouldn't recognise a 2x6 if you smacked 'em with
    it, which has been a tempting thought on occasion. Clerk Jim Wolfe
    at the store is knowledgeable and very friendly. If you can find
    him, he does know what he is doing,even if he does have to use a
    WANG compter terminal to do it!
    
    For local stuff, I have had great luck with Village Lumber in Westboro
    and also Northboro Lumber. Once they know you, I have gotten discounts
    on my purchases, and been able to phone in orders and have them
    dropped off and charged to me. You can't do that with a large home
    center. Northboro Lumber let me pull an entire pile of 2x10 redwood
    stock apart one time when I explained that I needed two pieces for
    a sign I was carving. The lumber man was fussier than I was about
    grain, straightness, and warp and twist. He wouldn't let me out
    until I had the best two pieces in stock. A local contractor friend
    swears by the lumber yard in Hudson (downtown) as well. Never dealt
    there myself but if Lee says they are good, then I believe it.
    
    Moral to the story: you get what you pay for and expect at a "home
    center" but will generally get better quality, often at a similar
    price, at your local dealers. Plus you will get better service 
    (read that, you will GET some service) from your local dealer.
    
    S/ Sold on my local lumber yards.....

    Another vote for Coldwell's in Berlin.  And other REAL lumberyards
    like them.  
    
    Steve

    As long as we are recommending real lumber yards, my choice is Mullen
    in Sudbury.  When I was building my garage I was there every other
    week or so for building materials.  The salesroom manager got to
    recognize me and starting giving me the contracters' discount. 
    They have a large stock and lumber is of good quality.  I was surprised
    to find some materials there cheaper than Sommerville.  I have not
    had any problems at Sommerville but hate to wait so long for service.
    I won't deal with Grossman's, Plywood ranch, or State Lumber.  They
    must all by their lumber from the same junk wholesaler.
    
    However, I have not seen lumber yard in Ma. quite like the one at
    used to deal with when I lived in Pittsburgh.  They had (in addition
    to everyday stuff) some of the most exotic wood I ever saw.  Strange
    stuff from the Amazon forests and the South Pacific as well as an
    extensive selection of marine lumber.  It was interesting to talk
    to the old timers there about the special uses of Amazon tree wood.
    
    Marty
    

    re: .29
    
    What Pittsburgh lumberyard was that?
    
    -joet (ex-McKeesport resident)

                I understand that Diehl's Lumber in Wellesley has in
        stock and/or can get the exotic stuff. The few times I have
        dealt with them (they're in an inconvienient spot for me) I have
        been suitbaly impressed. 
                
                /s/     Bob
                
p.s. I'll also "endorse" Mullen in Sudbury.

    Just one more dig at Grossmans Lumber- I asked the salesman at one
    store what the grade stamp'PAD' meant, he replied Partially Air
    Dried, that means it was green when they loaded it on the truck
    and dried a bit enroute to the store. Dont let the stuff lay o nthe
    ground, its likely to take root!
    
    The only store close to Grossmans for bottom of the heap is State
    Lumber in Framingham and Marlboro.
    
    I like Diehls in Wellesley. VERY GOOD quality and quite fair prices.
             
    

    RE: .24 /Sommerville Lumber
    
    There are two options for dealing with a salesman who tells you
    the only piece of plywood you can take is the top one:
    
    1. You can go elsewhere, as the author of .24 did, or
    2. You can ignore him and pick the best one for you needs.
    
    If they want to arrest me, then they can stop me from looking at
    their merchandize. If they want to sell me garbage, I won't pay
    for it.
    
    I remember shopping for a 48" (52"?) 5 paddle reversible variable
    speed fan at Sommerville Lumber once. They had some for $59.00.
    I picked the unit up, brought it to the register and paid for it
    cash. Then as I went to leave, they wanted $40 more dollars since
    they realized they had 'mismarked' it. They told me I had two choices:
                                                                  
    A. Give them $40 more.                                        
    B. Give them back the fan and they would give me back my $59 plus tax.
                                                          
    Armed with my receipt, I informed them they had two choices:
                           
    A. Get out of the way, or,
    B. Arrest me.          
    
    Very quiet. And they didn't stop me. After all, they took the money,
    wrote up the receipt and gave me my change.
                           
    My son (14) was mortified and wanted to disappear from the face
    of the earth.          
                           
    He sulked all the way home, sitting next to the fan in the back
    of my King Cab pickup. 
    
    Maybe the salesman who wouldn't let you pick through the plywood
    had just sold me my fan!
    

    I just went to see the Gross man yesterday in Gardner to pick up
    one lousy 2x3. I was sent out into the yard where I came upon
    two huge stacks of the dimension in question,and no fooling,it
    took me almost 5 minutes to find one decently straight,unwarp-
    ed piece. Judging from the quality of what was there,I would
    say their definition of PAD is "Particularly Air Dampen'd.
    
    	Steve
    
    

re .32  Funny....I was told by a salesman in a Plywood Raunch store in VT
that PAD stands for "Pressure Air Dried".  I'm not really sure what that
means...

-gary

    Re: .30
    
    That was West Elizabeth Lumber off 51 if I remember.
    
    Marty
    
    P.S.  Re: .33 Pressure Air Dried.  I wonder if that means they blow
    air over the lumber with a fan.
    

>    P.S.  Re: .33 Pressure Air Dried.  I wonder if that means they blow
>    air over the lumber with a fan.

No, it probably means that the salesman knows nothing about wood and he just 
mis-heard someone else say "Partially air dried"

Paul    

Re: .33

Tell your son that you were right.  A store legally *must* sell you an
item for the price it was marked (or less if on sale), unless there is
evidence of tampering of the price tag by customers or the tag describes
merchandise that is different from what it is attached to. 

It is not like a misprint in an ad.  The tag is attached by an employee.
The price on an item is an offer to sell and your acceptance of that
offer forms a legal contract (even before you actually pay). 

If a store tries to up the price on you because it was allegedly
mismarked, have them check with their lawyers.  You'll get the item for
the price marked. 

Alex 

What about the stores that have signs hanging about that say the reserve the
right to change the price on mismarked items?  I've seen these in LOTS of places
and I suspect after getting burned a couple of times most stores would do the
same.

After all, isn't that one of the big money savers with supermarkets going to
the scanners?


-mark

    A VOTE FOR WEBBER LUMBER
    
    I HAVE PLAYED SOME REAL GAMES AT GROSSMANS IN NASHUA, MY DECK WAS
    A TON OF FUN. EVER TRY TO DIG THROUGH 2 PALLETS OF JUNK, TRYING
    TO FIND 2X4S THAT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THEY WERE CUT FROM THE BARK!
    
    HAVE YOU EVER PRICED THEIR DRYWALL SCREWS? 1.49 FOR A PACK OF TEN,
    WHAT A DEAL!!!! ( I MUST SAY THOUGH, THEY HAVE STARTED TO SELL SOME
    BY THE POUND LATELY)
    
    OR WHEN I WENT IN LOOKING FOR A COUPLE OF PRESURE TREATED 4 X 4S,
    THEY SAID THEY WERE OUT, WHEN I ASKED WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE SOME
    MORE, THEY TOLD ME NEXT SPRING (3 MONTHS!!!)
    
    WHAT A BUNCH OF HOSE-HEADS.
    
    I DO ALL MY DEALINGS WITH WEBBER LUMBER NOW. I GO DIRECTLY TO FITCHBURG
    FOR THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER IS RIGHT THERE. THEY WILL HELP YOU GO
    THROUGH AS MANY BOARDS AS YOU WANT UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY, AND THEN
    THEY WILL HELP YOU LOAD IT. NEED BRICKS, DRIVE IN AND GET WHAT YOU
    WANT. NO GAMES. IT COSTS ABOUT 2 PERCENT MORE ON AVERAGE , BUT IT
    IS WORTH THE MONEY.
    
    AS FOR MOORES IN AYER, THEY ARE A SMALL TIME GROSSMANS IN MY BOOK.
    THEIR TOOLS ARE OVERPRICED, AND I HAVE BEEN HOSED ON LUMBER THERE
    BEFORE.
    
    JOHN
    

As the originator of .0, I thank all of you for your comments --
you basically confirmed my suspicions and gave good infor on 
where to go next.  

Thanks all.

Also, re .33, .38 and maybe others ---

a GOOD story about mis-marked prices.  A couple years ago, I was
in the market for a new lawn mower.  Bradlee's had one on sale 
that I liked for $199.99 (reg. 259.99).  I went there and they
were marked $119.99 -- they sold it to me for that price, no
questions asked, but they did immediately go and change the sign.
Such a deal.  BTW -- the Bradlee's in question was in Columbia, MD.

    this is really late, but i'm desparetly trying to play catchup here
    and hopefully this reply might help someone out.  I built a deck
    for a person in Weare NH. and picked up the lumber at  place called
    Country Three Corners, they were very friendly, helpful and were
    more than happy to talk price.... their located on Rt 77.
    
    Fra

    "When Home Depot moves in, others move out..."
    
    Well no pity for Grossman's on Daniel Webster in Nashua.  I heard
    they have sold their store (actually the land) for several million
    at a tidy profit. The store is supposed to be leveled and a new
    restaurant built in its place.
    
    -al

    No rumor, the manager of the Home Depot in Nashua is our neighbour, and
    over dinner the other night, he mentioned that Grossmans will be
    shutting down in January.
    
    q
    

    Home Depot to open in Salem, N.H. Rt. 28, behind Coumo's, at Fishland.   
    
    Looks like Grossmans will be moving out here too.
    
    This is what was told to me last week and it was evident by the 
    area that is now being demolishend at the site,  Fishland-gone,
    Motel-gone, some other business-gone.
    
    Not sure when its supposed to be open, but I'm sure glad that 
    a place like Home Depot will NOW be in this area.
    
    FYI, David 

    As I'm sure some of you already know, Gossman's is closing and all the
    stock from all their stores has been shipped to the Nashua location for
    liquidation.  I went there on Sat. to pick up some insulation to add to
    my attic.
    
    They advertised some R19 15" unfaced stuff for 9.79 per roll.  After an
    additional 20% discount final cost was $7.84 per roll.
    
    When I went to the yard to pick it up (8 rolls) they found there was
    only 5 rolls left.  Each roll covers 48.9??? square feet.  The yard man
    made up the difference by giving me 3 rolls of the R19 25" unfaced
    insulation to bring me to 8 rolls.  No extra charge and I got approx 80
    extra square feet.
    
    Not bad.  The discount is now up to 30% on everything and higher for
    certain other items.
    
    Also got a gallon of exterior latex paint for the garage, normally $14,
    for about $7.
    
    Lots of stuff left.
    
    Marv
    

>    As I'm sure some of you already know, Gossman's is closing and all the
>    stock from all their stores has been shipped to the Nashua location for
>    liquidation.

Not true.  They're currently closing something like 14 out of 111 stores.
I don't think they're bringing anything into Nashua from other stores.

    re .47 
    
    I should have said that they are closing *some* of their stores.  My
    mistake.  However, not to dispute what you say but the manager of the
    Nashua store specifically told me that they were getting everything
    from the stores that are closing.
    
    In any case, I saw lots of good deals on a huge selection.
    
    Marv
    

    
    I take to oneof the workers at the Shrewsbury store and
    he said that lots of the material went to wholesalers.
    there is a 10% sticker price here but HQ still kills them
    one most items.....
    
    JD

BTW, there seems to be a typo in .46.  The discount at Grossman's is still
20% (not 30%) as of today.

It's up to 25% as of Sunday's paper.

Garry

>                          -< almost cheaper than HD >-

	...it's better in many cases. All garden tools and patio furniture
	are 50% off -- I picked up some *great* deals on things like
	sprinklers, because they were 50% off *after* the season-end sale
	price (i.e., $22.99 prinkler on sale for $17.49, 50% off that = $8
	and change).

	Also, regular-prioced things like doors are good deals: I priced a
	6-panel pine door that HD has for $89 in their flier for $95 at
	Grossmans -- take off 25% and...

	Other things, like paint brushes for example, aren't such good
	deals. But if you know what the competition is charging you can get
	some real finds.

	The selection was still very good as of yesterday afternoon. ANd the
	Manchester store still has a pretty full stock as well.

	Roy

I had my eye on a garage door at the Nashua store, but it was gone when I
went on Friday.  I called several of the stores to see if they had what I
wanted.  Most wouldn't give me any information over the phone.  A couple
told me they didn't have any garage doors.  When I called the one in Quincy,
I was told that they'd just sold one and there might be more, but they
couldn't give me further information.  I took the chance and went there
on Sunday (about a 30 minute drive from where I live), and lo and behold
they had a better one than the one in Nashua for pretty much the same
price -- they were giving 50% off on garage doors, so I got a $300 one
for $150 instead of a $200 one for $140.  BTW, the Quincy store was mobbed.
I had to wait in line for half an hour.

    
    
    ....FYI....THE ONE IN SHREWSBURY IS GETTING PICKED CLEAN.
    THE TOOLS ARE JUST ABOUT ALL GONE!