Such a sad story behind such an interesting image - a veritable Aladdins Cave of tooling and other workshop goodies.
Unfortunately this is the same sad tale that has seen so many similar such hardware stores close their doors here in my part of the world (New Zealand and Australia). Gone too are the experienced tradesmen come hardware store vendors that were actually able to give buyers the correct selection and usage advice. The dumb arsed moves down here away from trades education being available for our young people is even more lamentable.
I've loved hardware stores my whole life and at times have made a living through my tools.
But I have to say I have many tools in my bag that I obtained through the internet that would never be stocked at a local store.
Even a set of JIS screwdrivers to properly remove screws from old Nikkors is something I could not find locally.
It is sad, but especially in the time of COVID, the possibilities and fascination of wonderful tools is enhanced compared to the past.
As for young people and the trades, I do agree. Students these days in the US are way too focused on meeting tests and standards, so the time for hands on activities is insufficient.
