Hi Rob, I guess one has to consider the thievability of all of the stuff they sell. Considering the small size of many of those tools coupled with the cost of some of them, there's no doubt that a sizable amount of it would disappear if not shelved away or windowed off. The rest of LV's customers would end up paying the cost of that loss. Still, the LV store I go to has much of the bigger stuff out on display although all of it's fastened down in some way. I can usually play with it a little to heighten my wishlist addiction while I figure out which old lady I'm going to rob next to get the money to pay for it. :)
It's not as much the theiving, as the risk of injury. We have a lot of kids let loose in the store - and not all parents are vigilant.We'd rather lose a sale than have a hurt child...or a hurt big kid - and a lawsuit...
Not mention how many people test edge tools on other tools, or displays.
Johnny: "Daddy, I really want that new action toy". Dad: "No Johnny, not right now". Johnny: "But Daddy, I've been a really good boy and all my friends have one".
Dad stops to think for a minute and then goes to Mom.
Dad: "Hi Dear, Johnny has been really good lately just like he promised, so I thought I'd go buy him that new action toy. While I was at it, I thought I'd stop at Lee Valley Tools and get that Leigh dovetail jig they have. I could use it to build you a really great bathroom vanity, you know you always wanted one. Mom: "Forget it Frank. It costs too much." Dad: "But Honey, none of the other dads on the street have one that I can borrow and if I get one, we'd even save money over paying some contractor to build a vanity for us as well and I could build you other stuff too." Mom thinks for a minute, realizes that Frank will be obligated to her big time if she says ok and also realizes that she could go along and buy herself some gardening equipment at the same time.
So, off the family goes to Lee Valley Tools. Johnny owes mom because she was the one that said yes. Dad owes mom because she was the one that said yes. Mom gets some new garden tools.
Does anybody wonder how it came to be that women really control the world?
While the Northeast might not be a bad idea, there is no doubt that Souther California would be a far better location for a LV store. I was speaking to the order-taking lady last winter and while she was filling my order we chatted about the weather. Canada - cold, wet snowy. SoCal
- (that day at least) mid-eighties, slight breeze. Even the LV employee stated a preference for SoCal. Give your poor, hard-working employees a break, Robin. This IS the place for a new location!!!!
Understand Robin, when the big quake happens, everything east of the San Andreas fault will fall into the Atlantic. jolt, jo4hn (on the left side and way above)
The only problem with putting a store in SO. Cal is who could afford to live there? I wouldn't live in a home that costs 200K there. Any thing worth living in there would costs at least 800K or more. Any thing less than that would not buy a home big enough for a wood shop. I think Lee Valley would be better off locating in Central Illinois where one could buy a new home with a 3 car garage for 250K on a decent size lot too.
In the Ottawa store, all you have to do is ask. Sometimes I have a list, sometimes I don't. I've even said "I'm not going to buy this now, but can I have a look at it anyway" and the answer has always been "Sure, no problem."
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