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20.0 SAME BOLTS, SAME STORE, DIFFERENT PRICE - DO-IT-YOURSELF - DIY TIPS

I was at a hardware store looking for some bolts. The salesmen looked in a drawer and found some for 25 cents each. "But this is a very common size," he told me. "We can probably get it for less in the open bins." He walked three feet to the other side of the isle and found some for 10 cents apiece. I asked him why the difference in price. He explained that the drawers were a "system" (in the technical language of hardware stores) and contained just about every size and fitting imaginable. The fittings were provided by one company and stocked in small numbers. The less expensive fittings were in the "open bins" which were more common sizes, bought in bulk and then placed in bins where they could be bought individually.

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