Some states have better hardware stores than others. The socio-economic status of the area might come into play, because some of the nicest hardware stores are also the ones that get away with high prices being in close proximity to the kind of people who can afford them. My town has a good mix of people so we have discount hardware stores and a locally-owned hardware store with the best selection at the highest prices. However, they have phenomenal sales on big ticket items at varying times throughout the year. I like to look at their sales paper on the internet at least once a week. It’s not like I’m shopping at hardware stores constantly, but I like to know if grills or other outdoor items are being offered at cheap prices. For instance, I have wanted a ductless mini split for my home office for the past year and a half, but I patiently waited for a good sale. My neighbor scored a quality ductless mini split for 50% off during a crazy close-out sale during the winter season. They were trying to make room for heating equipment and space heaters. I finally found a great ductless mini split at my favorite hardware store for 40% off recently and pulled the trigger within hours of finding out that it was available at that price. Ductless mini splits are thousands of dollars at minimum, so finding an entire system at 40% off was a major steal. It’s not everyday that you can get such a huge savings on an expensive appliance like a ductless mini split air conditioner. It also covered the cost of installation for the whole cooling system.