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 a local gem of a store. There are a number of reasons why I love Cottin's and the physical…read morestore is only one of them. Cottin's may be associated with Ace Hardware but they are as local as you can get. There was a tornado in the area recently. The tornado happened around 7:00 pm and there was devastation in many neighborhoods. Cottin's announced they would re-open the store and stay open as long as needed so everyone could get what they needed that night. Totally unbelievable that a store would do that and it created a huge impact on me. Cottin's also serves as a drop off center for used cell phones to be donated to the local domestic violence shelter. The cell phones are given to victims of domestic violence so they will be able to communicate in an emergency. What a wonderful thing for Cottin's to do in collecting the phones. Before this drop off point, I had to drive to the outskirts of town during business hours to make my donation. I love a store giving back. The store has plenty of local flavor. The parking lot even serves as the farmers market during the week. The quaintness of the store is noticed everywhere inside, too. The displays were creative and they are customer service oriented. Prices are competitive, too. The only downside to this lovely store is the door is accessed on the side of the building and you have to park in a back parking lot. There is ample parking room but you have to snake through a neighborhood to get to the parking access. There is no store front access, everything is accessed through the rear. Just a minor intrusion and not a game changer by any means. Local flavor, great service, good prices and great philanthropy... awesome store!

There are several Farmer's Market locations in Lawrence and have been for many years, but Cottin's…read morehas always been my favorite. Cottin's is a fourth the size of the big Saturday morning market, but it excels for several reasons. First, the downtown market (if you talk to the vendors) is rife with minor infighting, rules enforcement and headaches for some of the vendors. That with the big crowds and you get a lot of grumpy people selling their products. None of that here. The family that runs the hardware store is always present and has a great attitude--and it shows in the vendors and the people that show up every Thursday at 4:00 p.m. with a closing time of 6:30 p.m. And what's this? The Free State Brewery has a booth so it's part happy hour, part social gathering, part simply a good time. Oh, and the music is scheduled months in advance and rotates so you don't have to suffer some of the awful stuff that frequents the downtown market ad nauseam every week. I even prefer most of the vendors here and it's a delightful mix of interesting small businesses, few of which frequent the downtown market. Always something cooking as well so a good place to grab an early dinner, have a beer, chat with some friends and just enjoy the afternoon. This is really what a Farmer's Market should be in my opinion and why I'll keep coming back as long as it's here.

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.

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.

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!!

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!

Great people, friendly and helpful. Wide variety of items and able to order even more. Great…read moreprices!

From the owner: Plumbing, Electrical, Gardening, Bolts, Paint, Softener Salt, Auto Batteries, Auto Parts, Filters &…read moreOil, Spark Plugs, Hydraulic Hose & A lot of Misc Supplies