[shook1]

We have a lumber yard in our area that, in it's heyday, was the go to place for anything you needed from lumber to construction materials, to electrical, to gardening, etc, etc. Picture a gigantic version of Lowes or Home Depot. Back in the day, they had different departments completely isolated by employee counter tops. Sort of like the jewelry department in Walmart. That's right, each department had a dedicated employee behind a counter to advise and get the part you needed. Box stores like Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, etc have taken most of the business from this store. Today, most people don't even know it exists, with exception to regular contractors. The store is a bit run down and dirty, with leaks in the roof. With exception to contractor materials, most of the inventory has been sitting for decades, with the same price tag. The store is so big, most people go for the item they need, and leave. I have an older electrical box in my house. This store is the only place anywhere that still has my breakers. Today I went to pick a spare breaker. The sales clerk told me to feel free to go behind the electrical counter and get what I needed. They don't have enough employees to man every counter.

After I found what I needed, I decided to take a tour of the store. To my surprise there was an automotive department. No one goes to a lumber yard for auto supplies, so it was covered in dust. On top of that, nearly no one goes behind the counter. I opened the gate and went behind the counter. Most of the items were tune up or travel related. They had the old metal gas cans, new in the box, camper mirrors for trucks, bicycle accessories, oil, filters. jumper cables, lawn mower parts, etc. Get this, most of the items have been sitting since the seventies or earlier, with the same price tags. I bought: three 1968 Pontiac air filters new in plastic for $1.89 each, two jumper cables for$3.95 each, a heavy duty jumper cable for $5.49, one "can" of oil for $.99, and two oil "cans" for $1.29 each. I couldn't carry anymore, so I went to check out. There was no register at the main counter, just a man with a calculator. He was surprised at the old inventory and prices I found.

Luke

[Txbobcat]

I might have bought the whole aisle if I were there.

[andyg]

That's really cool that a place that is used every day has hidden treasures like that. I would love to find a place like that.

[rexs73gto]

Well tell us where this place is I'd like to take a trip just to look at some of the stuff & get a couple of good deals on some oldies but goodies to. Also & by the way get all that oil you can in the cans, even if it's old it's better oil then what they sell today. That oil you can rebuild an engine & not have to worry about makeing sure you have all the additives in th engine so you can brek it in correct. It already has all the high levels of zink & phorspois in it . You can do your break in in about 15 min's with that oil & feel asured that the cam won't go flat on you because it hs everything in it to break it in & drive it right away with no worries.

[shook1]

Unless you're local to Burlington County, NJ, it really isn't worth the trip. It's not a huge selection of automotive related items. It wouldn't make much sense to spend $50 in gas to save a couple bucks on an air filter, or buy a vintage child's bicycle seat. There was a lot of oddball, outdated items in that department. However there were newer items that contractors use that had constant shelf turn over, like WD40. There were newer containers of oil, but I dug out the old oil cans. You have to look close past the clean new inventory, for the items with dust all over them. After I got such good deals on the items I bought, they might have turned over their inventory. If you are interested in checking the place out, it is called Diamond M Lumber Co, 1883 RT38 just west of Rt206 in Southampton, NJ. Between Diamond M Lumber and Rt 206 there is an old automotive parts/ pet supply store/ bus storage building as well. If anyone decides to visit the Lumber yard, they might want to check out the old auto parts store too.

The Lumber Yard driveway is dirt with pot holes. The building I was in was huge and dirty, with leaks in the ceiling. The inventory is immense with building materials, different types of wood, fences, wheel barrels, cones, cabinets, entire kitchens, light switches, paint, doors, shovels, hoes, and so on. The newer stuff that sells constantly will be at the modern prices. The older inventory with dust all over it has the older prices. They have salesmen on hand to help you find what you need, but the different sections are no longer individually manned. They may not use a cash register, but they are knowledgeable about what is available in the store.

Luke

[shook1]

It was nice to read the labels on the car items, and instead of seeing "made in China" or even "made in the USA", it read what state it was made in.

[poncho4554spd]

I go there often for supplies, and still always enjoy walking the place and finding stuff on the shelves that has been there for many years. Like going back in time. I see you are from Jobstown. I know that area well, my grandfather worked at and then became in charge of Helis stock Farm for years from the mid 1940's till hi death in 1987.