Model Forum / General / Models / October 2007

Coincidentally I went into a m/c tool supply type shop today. It is
BIG, old shop. I've been in before and it is an incredible place. Ther
are drawers upon drawers of brand new and used drills, millers, taps
dies, reamers, bits of machine tools, verniers, hand tools etc etc etc
I saw an old twist drill on a shelf that was about 6" diameter by abou
2' long. There are literally thousands upon thousands of boxed too
insets in dozens of drawers. There is absolutely no order to the place
and anyone could walk around putting things in their pockets and the gu
would never know.

The guy sits behind a counter near the door, and whatever you ask for
he seems to insist on suggesting something from his immediate vicinit
(invariably of crappy Chinese origin) even though you can find SKF
Presto or Dormer alternatives by just looking in random drawers.

I went in today to ask for a set of Dormer slot drills. He produced
manky box of 6 unbranded tools and said £70 please! I asked if I coul
by 6 individual Dormer branded drills from around the shop and he sai
'yes, but it will be far more expensive that way'. Cromwell tools u
the road do a set of 7 decent quality slot drills for £26. Brand new
The same with twist drills - I was looking for Dormer, 6-10mm in 0.
increments. He said that was a very odd range, and tried to sell me
craptastic set of 1-10mm in 0.5 increments. I left empty handed (fo
the third visit in a row).

A few facts:

1) I have never bought anything from him.

2) I have never seen anyone else in his shop.

3) His prices are as stupid as Myford prices.

4) Trust me - he cannot POSSIBLY know what he has in stock, and ha
confirmed this on three occasions by denying he has stuff which I hav
found for myself in random drawers.

5) When I do find it, he prices himself out of any possible deal.

6) I would estimate that at least 75% of his stock (the gigantic use
drill for example) is totally useless to anyone and will NEVER sell.

7) It is obvious that he buys job lots of stuff from businesse
probably like his own that have gone out of business. The stuff wil
have cost peanuts as a job lot.

8) I am wondering if me wearing a 'Boeing' work shirt and Jacke
influences his pricing structure.

It's a popular misconception that supporting local businesses is bette
for everyone because you get good advice and the convenience of having
local supplier. Well, I am certainly not paying massively over the odd
for the 'convenience' of having an overpriced, disorganised shambles o
a shop tell me that I have to pay for quality, especally when I can ge
decent stuff at a fraction of the cost locally from Cromwells up th
road (still local don't forget) or via the internet.

There are other used tool shops up here and invariably it is a simila
story wherever I have been. I sometimes get the feeling that if the
think they can make some cash, they try to screw you to make up for th
hopeless turnover they must have. Sorry guys, but I ain't having it! Ge
in to the 21st century, price things realistically and see how it goes
then start complaining if nobody buys anything!

Cheers,

Garth

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DR_

He sold the contents of the shop over 4 weeks. I used to pop in mos
fridays on the way from work in Slough to home in Banbury.

He sold the shop off over about 5 - 6 weeks.

As some have said a sad loss, he ran the shop as a hobby as some hav
noted.

some interesing facts  he told me over the years.

He set up Mountfield the lawnmower and garden machinery people afte
the war.

He designed some lawnmowers for racing that his daughters raced.

He was a Director of Arsenell in the days of Charlie George.

He did quite a few long distance car rallies to Moscow etc

He had a host of good yarns if you had time to listen.

Along with John Stevenson he noticed the improvement in the engineerin
tools from China, He took great delight in showing how a Chinese ma
base of the same size had more holding power than an eclipse one.

Steve Larne

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Steve Larne