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Great thread. I worked in a mom&pop hardware store after school and summers from age 16 to 18, and then as an appliance repairman through my last year of college. I have so many memories and stories I could write a book.
This place had oiled wood floors that we went in and re-oiled about every two months. The floor creaked as you walked across it. There was a bell on the front door and a big storage area upstairs. We sold GE appliances and TVs, had snathes on the sales floor (and sold a few) and had horse collars in the storage area upstairs. I never sold a horse collar.
Just one story:
We had some regular customers who were real characters. One of them, a guy named Woody, bought a 13" tv for his wife and had us store it upstairs until the day before Christmas. Our glass storage and cutting area was upstairs too. The store was packed the day before Christmas with people who weren't regulars. Woody came in to get his TV and I went upstairs and found an empty TV box and filled it with broken glass. Halfway down the stairs I dropped it and it crashed and rolled to the bottom of the steps. I picked it up and nonchalantly handed it to him. He said, "It is OK?" and I said, "Oh yes, they all make a lot of noise." The strangers in the store were appalled. You could hear them murmuring in disbelief. Woody took the box and stood outside and I had to wait on this shocked woman. As soon as I finished with her I went outside and Woody and I laughed ourselves sick.
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