"HK" wrote in message
...
sherwindu wrote:
Just for comparison, I remember many years ago there was a store in
Chicago called
Land's End that carried almost every conceivable kind of boat hardware.
Unfortunately, the bean counters got control of the company and now they
are a
catalog and outlet store with dappy nautical looking clothing. There was
a similar
store called Chicago Navigation Equitpment that simply vanished that had
an excellent
supply of boat hardware and supplies. It's all catalogs and internet
shopping now,
but I miss those stores where you could actually handle something before
you bought
it.


Land's End is now owned by Sears.

Hell, I remember when Abercrombie and Fitch was a real outfitter to
sportsmen, instead of a purveyor of clothes to young yups.


We lost a few stores somewhat like that with the downturn in the fisheries.
Mostly set up for commercial fishermen, but carried enough items to keep a
recreational boater/fisherman busy for hours. Some of the biggest fishing
hooks you'd ever want to see.