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Convenient is the key, hardware stores find
By AMY WIMMER, Times Staff Writer ST. PETE BEACH -- When Kent Barbour arrives for his winter visit each year, he makes his landlords happy. So far this year, the can-fix-it guy has repaired a dishwasher and a screen in his rented beach condominium. Next, he plans to replace door locks. "Every time I rent from somebody," he said, "they give me a list." For his supplies, he stops by St. Pete Beach Hardware, a hodgepodge, little-bit-of-everything convenience store for do-it-yourselfers. It is located on the St. Pete Beach end of the Corey Causeway, a first stop for locals who would rather not traverse the bridge and brave the home center superstore crowds. "We try to have more customer service, more personalized service," said Elaine Tryska, who has owned St. Pete Beach Hardware since 1973. "You can walk a mile from one end to the other in those stores and still not find what you're looking for. It's a long trek. It's better to have help." On the barrier islands, where property is too expensive and too scarce to support a home improvement megastore like Home Depot or Lowe's, residents rely on three hardware stores that dot the beaches. The stores are known for their personal service, their ability to stock a wide variety in a tiny amount of space, and their longevity. St. Pete Beach Hardware has been on the island for 55 years. Treasure Island True Value Hardware, 30 years. Redington Beach Hardware & Marine (don't let the name fool you -- it's actually in North Redington) has been around for 20 years. "The people who are living on the islands, you could argue that the tolls do make a bit of difference. People sometimes do not want to pay the cost of a toll to find a few screws or a spare part for some item of plumbing," said Roy Hughes, who bought Treasure Island True Value two years ago. "It's convenience more than anything else." Convenience and service. Gerry Keefe, who recently purchased Redington Beach Hardware, has updated the inventory with more marine repair stock. He wanted to give beach residents a place to pick up boat items on the weekends. "That's kind of my little niche," Keefe said. He also occasionally helps customers with repairs. One local resident brought him an exterior light that needed a new socket and brackets. Keefe found replacement parts for it, fixed the light, and charged her $2.63 -- the price of the parts. "She was in shock," Keefe said. "She couldn't believe I would actually do that." Hughes, Tryska and Keefe, whose store is the smallest of the three at 1,600 square feet, say what their stores lack in space, they make up for in variety. "I carry hundreds of different items," said Hughes, whose Treasure Island store measures 4,000 square feet. "I don't carry hundreds of each item." At St. Pete Beach Hardware, with 8,000 square feet, Tryska sells pots and pans and toaster ovens alongside hacksaw blades and dowel rods. She has a whole section for clothesline paraphernalia. Tryska said her stock has evolved over the years. "Everybody out there can sell a toaster for $9.99. I can't really compete, but I keep one or two of an item in case of emergencies," she said. "People don't want to drive, and I have it so they can grab it. It's not the big selection of appliances I used to have." The hardware store owners say they are mindful of the popular home improvement superstores, where items are piled high in warehouses that have 100,000 or more square feet. Their customers are also willing to pay more -- it's the price of buying within the community. "We do a lot for our square footage," Hughes said. "But remember what we are: We're a convenience store. We're not a cut-rate business." Do-it-yourselfers find place to shopRedington Beach Hardware, 75 170th Ave. in North Redington Beach. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. St. Pete Beach Hardware, 329 75th Ave. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Sundays. Treasure Island True Value Hardware, 10625 First St. E. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays.
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