The first time I entered Cottin's, I did so with reluctance. I was concerned that as per usual,…read moresome older gent would look over my head to speak to my boyfriend about what he might be looking for today, making me feel invisible and like such a *girl.* Kind of like what happened to me when I used to go into certain chain electronics stores that have since gone out of business (yay!) in NYC. Not only did this not happen, I actually enjoyed my time in there the several times I've gone in. I kid you not! Now, I fully admit that I usually would only go into Cottin's because the K would be super enthusiastic about shopping in there and I can't say I share the same enthusiasm, but oh, OK, they have a lot of awesome garden stuff and hello, are those pink flamingoes?!?! There's a lot to love about Cottin's. They rent cotton candy (COTTIN Candy?!) and icee machines. They sell all kinds of tape. They sell a lot of different colored and sized novelty light bulbs. They sell old school Radio Flyer wagons. It feels like it could be 1950 in there, but with a 2010 sensibility. The staff, all young and friendly, rule the school. As Lydia A mentions below, they are part of what makes Cottin's such an enjoyable place to be. A "place to be"?! Yes! It's an experience! Even getting keys made is kinda fun (OK, well, that's an exaggeration. It is quick and painless, however!) OTOH, you'd have to drag me kicking and screaming into one of my most hated stores ever...HOME DEPOT. Blargh! Here's to the true mom & pop sensibility of Cottin's (check out their cute retro bumper stickers while you're there and slap one on your toolbox) with their fair prices, excellent customer service and the way they make you feel like anything is possible so I'm going to start building that garden shed I've always wanted...I JEST.

Fantastic customer service. A business to support. They have some hard to find hardware. And they…read moredo loads for the local community.

This is my local hardware store and a real "go to" if you have any hardware needs or questions…read more Very friendly staff and knowledgeable. I folowed their recommendations on some products for some of my projects and their recommendations were "spot on".

I spoke to a Young man about a Propane tank heater that inventory said store #179 had 2 of in thier…read moresystem. I was not able to find it. employee said that ACE Hardware inventory tracking Is horrible and advised do not rely on that information. Without offering To assist refferred me to another store. I traveled to olathe store #197 And they did not have the item and referred me back to store #179. I called and young lady at the front counter was able to pull up the item on her computer and listed as 2 in stock. She offered to verify and a short amount of time was able to verify it was in the store. I drove back to gardner and the young lady remembered Me calling walked me right to the item and was very helpful. She was very apologetic for the miscommunication and never once blamed anyone only apologized and made me feel as a store they will do better. She took ownership as part of a team and not as another Co-Worker. Very good recovery!

Teach your employees to be courteous and not abrasive. I didn't realize the store was closed when I…read morepulled up. I barely got out of my vehicle her tone towards me was like I was an idiot for even being there. Looking at other reviews it appears this has been ongoing. Must be a management problem. So at this point maybe the owner need to be involved.

Really disappointed in what's happened to this store that used to be my friendly go-to hardware…read morechoice. My last 2 visits have left me shaking my head, swearing I'll never let anyone treat me like that again. The Ass.Mgr. Miley demonstrated a ruthless, inhuman, rude and bossy denial of my polite request for a return. It wasn't so much that she said "no," it was how she berated me, attempted to belittle me, and turned her back on my person-to-person appeal, embarrassing me in front of other employees and customers. Some power trip while the Mgr. is gone for the week, I guess. This store has become a nuisance of Corporate control and greed. The years of shopping here have become a stark reminder of what happens when the human aspect of retail is replaced by the mighty pursuit of the almighty dollar. I'm better off shopping on-line and won't be going into this store anymore. And, I won't be responding to the 15 bogus email promotions I've received from them in the past 2 weeks. I'll UNSUBSCRIBE and shake free from this yucky experience.

Excellent staff, very friendly, helpful people. I got some really good deals on Milwaukee tools…read moretoday.

Amazing staff!! Ian was so incredibly friendly. He helped my grandma find the flooring she needed…read moreand was so patient with her the whole time!!

Went here looking for an ms200 limbing saw and 4 chains for my other saws, along with needing…read morerubber grommets. Couldn't find anyone to open the case for the chains. The one person I asked told me they were busy and to grab another person if I see anyone walking around. I didn't see anyone walking around and ultimately left and went elsewhere out of frustration 25 minutes later. Used to not be this way here.

Great place. Great people. Great food/ goodies. Even great food for the pups! God bless Ace…read moreHardware and the employees! So nice!!

This family owned hardware store has a very helpful staff! We shop here first over any other…read morehardware store. If they dont have what you need, they order it for you. Knowledgeable staff, great selection !

Great place to get supplies in a hurry. Friendly and knowledgeable! Clean and well organized…read more The only rub is you know often you are going to pay a little more for things but that's expected. Still love my neighborhood hardware store... keep up the good work!

Seemed like a decent space... I came in this morning with my boss for some hardware for a job we…read morewere doing in town. had to use the bathroom and an employee was using it while about 4 others were waiting, which is fine... until I noticed 4-5 other employees "Looking around" the same area I was. all 4-5 asked me, no one else, not my boss, not the other guys waiting for the bathroom, Me, a Lightly tan skined Italian thinking Im stealing. When we got ready to go I looked around and each employee was at the end of different Rows staring at me, not My boss, me. Very sketchy place. Very expensive as well. No thank youuuuuu lol

Going into the store this evening, i was looking for some bolts. The owner greeted my helper,…read moreyelling at him over a .22 incident with a 13 year employee at the store. I had no idea what was going on. The owner proceeded to follow me out to my vehicle yelling about whatever happened. I will never do business with this unprofessional person, again. I do wonder how and why we have a 13 year old running a store, but after what I witnessed, good luck sir. I found my bolts at the Family Center!

This is a great Restore but personally I think the staff make it. Always upbeat, helpful and they…read moreadd that personal touch that you don't get at other places. They have such a wide variety of items don't skip it thinking it's only hardware type items.

Very disappointed. Another store that prices donated items as though they had to pay for them, like…read moresome boutique. It is sad. Furniture way overpriced. Like wall paper, $6 a roll! Some thi is priced more than you can buy them new. No fun, and not much help for people who are trying to find something to fit an older rental or just be creative. Costs too much. Are they trying to raise money or make a profit? Same thing happened at Social Service League Thriftstore. Sad.

I just want to send a belated thank-you to everyone at Waldo Hardware for always being there to…read moreanswer my questions, guide me in my purchases, and assist me in any homeowner's dilemmas. On this recent visit, I especially want to recognize Mike L. I was working on a church project and, not being creative, was stuck regarding how to fix ribbons to a pole. He showed me several displays of hardware around the store that might serve my needs. After looking in three different areas, we found exactly the right item! And then I needed an enzymatic drain cleaner, and he walked me through the specifics of the various brands for sale, going through the details until we found just the right one for my needs. MANY thanks to Mike L. for his knowledge of hardware and home upkeep items, for his persistence in searching various areas until we found exactly the right item, and for his friendly, patient and welcoming attitude as we searched together. Thank you for such a pleasant shopping experience! Your great customer service is the reason I return to Waldo Hardware FIRST!

Updating my review as this has lowkey become a great, go-to hardware store. Despite living a…read morehandful of miles north, we discovered it when looking to get somewhere via ebike and the Trolley Trail, and it's been kind of great ever since. I've brought my pup in here as she continues to need some socialization and it always goes well. One time the clerks had their dog too and they became fast friends. This store really packs quite a bit into it. Of course it won't be as sizable as a Home Depot, but man oh man is the experience world's better. I found every single thing on my list which was great. It's closest size comparison to me would be the Ace in Westport, but hey guess what, you don't have to fear for your life in KC's worst intersection if you come here! It's easy to park in the lot out front, off of the always-busy 75th Street. My kids love it because they have a gumball machine, whoopie cushions, and other classics from back in the day when the world was making real attempts to be fun. I think I might even go out of my way again to come back to this spot more regularly.. nice place.

I love Harbor Freight. Disclosure, though, in that I do not do much handiwork. I need some basic…read morestuff for minor home repairs. My home tool list is very small. Every time I have ventured into Harbor Freight, though, it has been a positive experience. The store in Lawrence is just like any other HF in any other city. The items are nicely arranged and aisles are easily marked. There is no trouble finding what you need. If you need to ask for assistance, there seems to be someone always available to help. The last time I was in the store, the team member that helped me was very nice and had a great sense of humor which I thoroughly enjoyed. Anytime an employee can make you laugh, it's a good time. With his guidance I was able to find just what I needed. This store is easy to access and there is plenty of parking. The check out process was quick and efficient. The cashier even told me about savings opportunities and coupons. He was helpful and able to assist me with saving a few bucks. I appreciate his suggestions very much. Everything here is reasonably priced and I have had good luck with product durability. Again, I do not use tools frequently but what I have bought and used have been durable.

I placed a phone order for a fender and bracket that broke on my HF trailer. I thought the phone…read moreorder went great and I was told it would arrive in 7/10 days, however, it never arrived... I called after 20 days and was told they were on "backorder" now!? The problem is they could not tell me for sure if they would EVER come in, and the lady on the phone was full of bad grammar and a nasty confrontational attitude. she suggested i try to find the part on ebay. I would give them an F for customer service. Next time it will be a Northern Tool Trailer for sure!