shopping elsewhere feels like cheating
i love the guys at pintchik. they are helpful (i've heard stories of unhelpfulness, but it seems to all be about one grumpy dude), friendly, and incredibly well-stocked. although they don't have lumber, they have just about everything else you could need in a hardware store - if you don't see it on the shelves, it could be in the large downstairs section that you need an employee to enter. just ask and they'll bring you down. it feels like some weird reverse VIP area with plumbing elbows and pvc. i have also had a good experience with them ordering pegboard for me, and also once or twice they've let an employee leave to help me carry large items to my house (a few blocks away). helpful, helpful.
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