Carlson True Value Hardware

great old school hardware store. they can fix it or find it for you. nice flower selection.
Dave and Candy and the crew are very personable. a delight to come in and visit Mayberry for a while.

Breaking my Unilocal silence to give this little hardware store a great review! The lady I spoke with was super helpful in giving me advice about how to apply the butcher block sealer I was buying. There was only one quart on the shelf, and I needed two – but they thought call their paint store a few doors down, and they happened to have one, so problem solved. If I lived closer, this would be my hardware store!

To agree with another review, everyone that works here are polite, courteous, and helpful, EXCEPT for the young man that works there (unfortunately, didn’t get his name). My sister and I were going to purchase a grill from here for our father, but after the rude attitude of the young man, we decided to go elsewhere. I’m sorry that we had to, because the manager was so helpful, yet, the attitude from the young man made me not want to ever step foot in the store again. Maybe he was upset, because I had some questions to ask, and if he didn’t talk like he had sh*t in his mouth, I might have not had to ask the questions twice over. I have worked retail customer service (on the rough southwest side of Chicago, NOT the cushy western suburbs!!) for 14 years and have NEVER spoken to my customers the way I was spoken to.

This is a great little hardware store with people that actually seem interested in helping their customers. I went in looking for a varnish for my front door and the employee took the time to explain which ones would hold up better to direct sunlight and also the best way to prep the surface and apply it. Very pleased.

I always love going to Carlson for my hardware needs. We are currently renovating a large house in the neighborhood, and though their prices may be a BIT more then the big box stores, they are much closer, and WAY less overwhelming. The staff in knowledgeable, and friendly. I am grateful that this store exists, not only for my hardware needs, but also because it really IS like an older hardware store, where people remember what project you are working on, and will stop and chat with you for a few minutes. I love supporting small, local businesses like this one!

This seems to be a true family business, with representation from at least two and maybe three generations. While the folks aren’t exactly friendly, they’re normally cordial enough, with the exception of the youngest male employee, who typically just stands behind the counter glaring at customers. But there are a couple people who are helpful, including one lady who was very welcoming when we stopped in this evening.
I like that we can pick up hardware items while in town for other fun. It’s nicer than having to drive out to another hardware store, and certainly less overwhelming than a big box store when we just need a few items. They normally have what we need without the unpleasantness of an overwhelming number of choices.
Once, when I asked if they sell low VOC or VOC-​free paint, the guy tried to convince me that VOCs (volatile organic compounds, if you’re not familiar) are not actually harmful. I didn’t appreciate the misinformation he was trying to spread and would have preferred that he just give me an honest «no.»
4 stars for convenience and a good mix of products. I’m not all that sure about their pricing, to be honest, as we don’t comparison shop enough to get a real feel for how they match up. I do wish they’d get it together and decide to have ALL friendly, helpful employees (see my tip about their lack of helpfulness getting in and out of the store with a stroller), but I guess when you have a family business, sometimes you have to take even your lousy family members as employees.

These guys are the tops! This is a neighborhood hardware store like you may have walked into int the 50’s (with regards to full inventory of products and personal service) but they are wired as well. Example… I went in to get my Toro lawnmower serviced. I was fully expecting it to be painfully slow AND get fleeced. Instead, Dave said, «Let’s have a look.» He had me set up and running in 5 minutes and had entered the job as no charge AND connected on line with Toro to apply it on my warranty. In this world of getting lost in the aisles at Home Depot, This experience was awesome!

A friendly local store. They take the time to explain things, very knowledgeable staff. They have a small garden center with beautiful cast stone pots and even benches. Small but they seem to have everything… Highly recommend! Great art supplies store right next door.