Shopping: On-line vs. Local

[sleddriver]

Thought I'd throw this topic out to all as I'm sure many have dealt with it.

I've spent the last 1-1/2 hrs trying to find a local supplier/dealer for a FCP Surebonder HE-750 glue gun. They're a slam-dunk on-line: Amazon for $20.

What's more difficult is finding out if they're available locally. I've looked at about 8 places, through phone calls & web-site-visits. Michaels, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, HD, Lowes, TrueValue, Ace HW, Grainger, ABC supply, White hat, Jo Ann, Hobby Lobby, Tractor Supply...OK make that 14 places, not 8. Still no joy.

Is there some search function that could help me narrow this down & save time? When I looked on Surebonders site, they list several places in "Where to buy", but that includes their small, cheap glue guns & glue sticks as well.

I encountered this same problem a few years back when I was trying to find a professional foam gun locally. Called many places to no avail. Turns out I should have looked up roofing suppliers as all three in Austin had the things!!

Perhaps there is some sort of shop bot out there that I don't know of, or some way to write a script to do this automatically or smarter than I am going about it.

Any ideas??

BTW, if you need a GREAT glue gun at a very reasonable price, the Surebonder HE-750 is the cat's meow. My cheap 40W Arrow is now Tango Uniform but never held a candle to this one I've borrowed from a neighbor.

 

[tomcat27]

Checkinventory.home.Comcast.net

Try this. Have not used it but looks cool

 

[mrsilv04]

I've found that (especially during Christmas shopping this year) that I do my research online and find what I want, and then go to the stores... and can't find any of it.

So, I'm giving up and I am simply buying it online when I find it online. I'm tired of getting burned. Gas is $3.50 a gallon, stores are busy, sales tax rates are pushing 10%, time is at a premium... so, as a result, the stores are going to lose out on some of my business.

 

[oldhp]

Call the glue gun maker and ask them where their product is sold. They will know, I've done it before.

 

[zzyzzx]

Just because a store carries a manufacturer's line of products, doesn't mean that carry everything. that and stock in local stores is almost always poor. People who run retail are not the best and brightest.

 

[RF Overlord]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
People who run retail are not the best and brightest.
That explains the deplorable state of my local Wally's oil section...

 

[Warstud]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver
this one I've borrowed from a neighbor.


Where did your neighbor get theres?

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
this one I've borrowed from a neighbor.


Where did your neighbor get theres?

They don't remember...that would have been really easy!

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: oldhp
Call the glue gun maker and ask them where their product is sold. They will know, I've done it before.

I've done this before with mixed results. Thy ofen don't know which stores sell which models, which is frustrating.

 

[KD0AXS]

I guess I'm not a glue gun expert, but what's so special about this particular model of glue gun? Why not just buy a different one locally? Surely there are plenty of glue guns available at most of those local retailers you mentioned. If you absolutely must have that exact one, order it from Amazon.

 

[Shannow]

One of the ladies that I have lunch with at work was very frustrated with the diminishing fare around town...the other day she told us

"I'm going to start a shop...not a small shop, a really really big shop...It'll be at least twice the size of the hardware campus, and I'll have engaged staff who can help you find stuff...and I'm going to call it "All the things you can't get in _______" "

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: sleddriver

What's more difficult is finding out if they're available locally. I've looked at about 8 places, through phone calls & web-site-visits. Michaels, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, HD, Lowes, TrueValue, Ace HW, Grainger, ABC supply, White hat, Jo Ann, Hobby Lobby, Tractor Supply...OK make that 14 places, not 8. Still no joy.

Wow. I would've given up after the second store and just ordered it on Amazon. Why are you so determined to avoid Amazon? Just curious because I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon. There are only about 3 local stores I go to regularly, and about 3 more I visit occasionally. All the rest of my shopping is on Amazon or some other online retailer.

 

[AandPDan]

Are you near Ft. Worth?

Glue gun

Only $17

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
I guess I'm not a glue gun expert, but what's so special about this particular model of glue gun? Why not just buy a different one locally? Surely there are plenty of glue guns available at most of those local retailers you mentioned. If you absolutely must have that exact one, order it from Amazon.

As mentioned, I have an old Arrow glue gun that I've used for 10 years or more. It worked better than the old Black & Decker it replaced, but overall I wasn't really satisfied with 'hot glue' performance. For example sticking down C9 Christmas light strings to 1x2 painted pine...in 40°F weather.

I thought I wasn't using the right type of glue stick, so I bought several different types, with limited success. When I inquired as to what my neighor used to stick down C9 lights to BRICK WALLS, she showed me the Surebonder.

In electrical matters, it's Power that matters. My Arrow is rated at 40W. The Surebonder is rated at 80W. Not only does it heat up faster, it heats the glue up high enough that it works properly. Perhaps the Arrow GG is going Tango Uniform, and thus not heating up like it should. It's hard to measure. However, remember that as soon as the hot glue touches anything, it immediately begins cooling...particularly when I'm gluing things that are outdoors and it's around 40°F.

Locally, a replacement Arrow GG is around $18. I also found a Dewalt that looks nice, for about $15, but it only has a 50W heater...that's only 25% more than the Arrow. Again, the HE-750 is 80W, that's 100% more than the Arrow and it's $20. That's quite a deal!

I am willing to pay a bit more for a quality tool, but finding it locally is the problem, thus my post. It could be it's not available locally. OK..I'll accept that and order on-line. But the problem remains how to best use a search tool like the internet to narrow the search for what IS available locally.

If the trend is local retailers won't carry a tool such as this that's a little bit better, then I'll quit wasting my time, give up on them, and order it on-line. However, the pro foam-gun issue got me thinking: Why didn't this show up on any of my searches? The product was certainly in their catalogs. I thought this would have all been indexed by spiders. Evidently not. I just never thought of calling a 'roofing supplier'. Instead I called nearly EVERY insulation contractor, which didn't have a clue or didn't use them.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: sleddriver

What's more difficult is finding out if they're available locally. I've looked at about 8 places, through phone calls & web-site-visits. Michaels, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, HD, Lowes, TrueValue, Ace HW, Grainger, ABC supply, White hat, Jo Ann, Hobby Lobby, Tractor Supply...OK make that 14 places, not 8. Still no joy.

Wow. I would've given up after the second store and just ordered it on Amazon. Why are you so determined to avoid Amazon? Just curious because I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon. There are only about 3 local stores I go to regularly, and about 3 more I visit occasionally. All the rest of my shopping is on Amazon or some other online retailer.

I AM persistent and DO cast a wide net and no, I have nothing against Amazon. I've ordered from them before. Was just hoping to find it locally or something equivalent, that's all.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: AandPDan
Are you near Ft. Worth?

Glue gun

Only $17

I did come across Priddy, called them, they were closed. Didn't realize they were in Frt. Worth though. I've often ordered things from Dallas/Frt Worth or Houston as Austin isn't near as large nor diverse.

Much thanks!

 

[Number21]

I just signed up for Amazon Prime and I'm loving it. No local store can have the selection that Amazon has. We don't even have a Walmart so I can never find anything I want. No minimum order so I don't have to go looking for something that cost a dollar to qualify for free shipping. My Prime packages are arriving before most websites would even process my order. They even delivered one on Sunday. Sunday!

 

[michaelluscher]

Originally Posted By: RF Overlord
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
People who run retail are not the best and brightest.
That explains the deplorable state of my local Wally's oil section...


Damm straight

 

[Pop_Rivit]

It depends. My time has a great deal of value, and while I have no problem purchasing some items locally, other items it simply makes more sense to purchase them online. I would never spend much time and effort calling or driving around looking for a $20 glue gun-it's available at my fingertips, and will be here in a couple of days. The time and effort in finding a specific brand and model locally makes the cost much more than $20.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
It depends. My time has a great deal of value, and while I have no problem purchasing some items locally, other items it simply makes more sense to purchase them online. I would never spend much time and effort calling or driving around looking for a $20 glue gun-it's available at my fingertips, and will be here in a couple of days. The time and effort in finding a specific brand and model locally makes the cost much more than $20.

I do let my fingers do the walking...and typing rather than steering as driving around just wastes TOO much time, fighting traffic, gas over $3/ga., etc. That's just nuts and way too slow.

You really don't have it "at your fingertips" though, until you wrap your fingertips around it. Thus my search for local. One can pay for 2 day shipping but it's also not economical nor is this a critical tool.

The place in Frt. Worth I'll call Mon a.m. UPS regular ground will have it here the next day if it's in stock and I'll be good to go.

Back to my point of using the internet search tools to find products locally...if they're available. Perhaps this searching would be a great application for a custom script.