Time for Black arm bands in Central Illinois

[David Keller NC]

"My shipping and tax was well over $650!! Then it turns out that if I order from Woodcraft.com I do not pay tax?? Grrrrrrrr."

Hmm - Not sure about Illinois law, but in North Carolina you are required to pay the sales tax, it's just that the (online) merchant doesn't have to collect it. One has to report it on their state income tax return.

[Mike Heidrick]

Well for now at least Pekin Hardwood is about as far and they are a Rockler outlet and WMH and Festool retailer. Then there is Berlands House of tools in Joliet and is well worth the drive if you need something now or from a dealer/Store Front.

Online shopping is killing them all though. Had a book from amazon on the step today. It was $8.88 for 2-day shipped (Prime) for a new copy of Sketchup for Dummies. Barnes and Noble and Borders were full suggested retail and both had to order it.

[Gene Howe]

As a former resident (near Vandalia) I'm saddened to hear of Peoria's loss. It sounds like you had a good store, there. Good owner.

today our home is about 150 mi. north of Phoenix, AZ. There are two WCs down there. Been to both. Won't darken either's door again. Knowledgeable, they are not. And, what's worse, they don't care. They could save some $$ by getting rid of some dead weight, for sure.

Now, the folks at the home office are very knowledgeable and go out of their way to be helpful. I needed some obscure parts for an item that they are in the process of discontinuing and they scrounged them up or cannibalized them for me. I was impressed.

[Tim Anderson]

I had bought from Pekin Hardwoods before finding Peoria Woodcraft and they were good to work with. Also the store on the south edge of Morris has/had good service. Unfortunately both stores add more travel time. I'd rather buy local. The LOML (bless her) bought me a gift card for our anniversary for an internet woodworkers site. I ordered a couple of router bits, a finish saw and a hand plane on 12/8 and still haven't received everything while Xmas and my birthday have now passed. Repeated calls have not provided the solution yet so cheap internet prices don't really impress me.

[John Schreiber]

I'm sorry to hear it. I'm about 100 miles away, but I've been over there twice and I've spent some money each time. The guys working there were very nice too. Can't say if I remember that it was you Bruce. I like to be able to touch products before I spend my money, but there are fewer and fewer opportunities.

Late last year, I spent ~~ $120 on German made front vise hardware. Holding it in my hand, I could see that it really was worth twice as much as the Chinese made copy, but I couldn't have told that on the Internet.

In fact, on the Woodcraft website it says "We've tested and compared these Chinese imports to our German-made hardware and, other than the price, we find very little difference between them." With all due respect, that's a load of . . . . What it tells me now is that I probably shouldn't trust other things which they say. If I could go to their local (100 miles away) store and check it myself, I will, but now I can't even do that.

I guess Pekin Hardwood is an option, but the time I went there at 3:00 on a Saturday, they were closed. The Internet is all that's left. Thank the stars for Lee Valley.

[Howard Norman]

As a former resident (near Vandalia) I'm saddened to hear of Peoria's loss. It sounds like you had a good store, there. Good owner.

today our home is about 150 mi. north of Phoenix, AZ. There are two WCs down there. Been to both. Won't darken either's door again. Knowledgeable, they are not. And, what's worse, they don't care. They could save some $$ by getting rid of some dead weight, for sure.

Now, the folks at the home office are very knowledgeable and go out of their way to be helpful. I needed some obscure parts for an item that they are in the process of discontinuing and they scrounged them up or cannibalized them for me. I was impressed.

I am aware of the WC store in Chandler but don't know of any other WC stores in the Phoenix area. Where is the other one? There is/was one in Tucson the last I checked.

[Larry Edgerton]

Not sure how far it is from you fellows but there is a LL Johnsons Lumber in South Bend, and they have awesome wood selections at much better prices than woodcraft, and the people there know what they are doing. I order all of my wood from their Charlotte, Mi home office. They are also a Rockler dealer, and carry their own heavy duty lines as well.

I order my wood from them without seeing it first, and the couple of times I was not happy they took care of it. That was a hard thing for me to do, give up that control, but I had no options close to me. Worked out well so far. They deliver in a fairly large circle from each store in a route kind of pattern, and the rates are very reasonable, especially for larger orders as the reat is flat.

Just an option some may want to look at........

Oh, and their calendars are awesome! It is all old pictures of their business, and the business is 100 years old this year. If nothing else call them up and ask for a calendar.

[Mark Smith, too]

The Woodcraft in Orange, CT closed this past fall. The owner said it never was a profitable business. Woodworking is not strong around here and there are two other Woodcraft stores within 60 miles so that probably contributed.

Closeout prices mostly ranged in the 15-25% range. They had virtually no big equipment left before the announcement. All Lie-Nielsen stuff was not marked down at all. Of course, no mark-downs on Festool. Picked up a few items I'd wanted but overall the place had started to shut down and cut inventory well before the final sale.

[Jon Grider]

We all need to take a look at not only where we shop but where what we are buying is made. As a country we are cutting our own throats with our WalMart mentality. I have a construction company with 12 laid off employees that can be directly attributed to a loss of manufacturing jobs in my home state. This is happening everywhere.

Bruce, I am sorry for your loss, and more sorry for the employees that do not have your options. These are sad times indeed.

Well put,Larry.

Bruce, sorry to hear of the closing, thoughts and prayers to those losing their jobs.

[Bill Keehn]

"My shipping and tax was well over $650!! Then it turns out that if I order from Woodcraft.com I do not pay tax?? Grrrrrrrr."

Hmm - Not sure about Illinois law, but in North Carolina you are required to pay the sales tax, it's just that the (online) merchant doesn't have to collect it. One has to report it on their state income tax return.

If I recall, companies that receive online and telephone orders are required to collect sales tax if they are shipping to states in which they have a brick and mortar retail presence.

[Joe Suelter]

Dang. I live in Peoria, in fact, I could probably hit your store with a stone from my backyard. I haven't been in the store for a little over a year, heck, I haven't been on here in longer than that! I took a little break from everything after my daughter was born.

I too am saddened to hear of WoodCraft closing. I spent many an hour drooling over the big boy toys and buying chunks of wood to try my hand at bowl and pen turnings. I remember the Freedom Pen Project show that was held there. Awesome show with a great turnout!

Woodcraft will be missed by many.

Please drop me a PM as to where you are setting up shop. Maybe I'll just take you up on a class or two!

[Clay Crocker]

That's a bummer That store is about 1-1/2 hours from me, and I have bought quite a few things from them over the years. In fact, I was just in there about two months ago picking up some lumber rack parts and CT33 bags. I didn't get to Peoria very often, but whenever I did, I tried to make it a point to stop in there. Oh well, looks like all my future Woodcraft purchases will be via the internet.

Clay

[michael flay]

"My shipping and tax was well over $650!! Then it turns out that if I order from Woodcraft.com I do not pay tax?? Grrrrrrrr."

Hmm - Not sure about Illinois law, but in North Carolina you are required to pay the sales tax, it's just that the (online) merchant doesn't have to collect it. One has to report it on their state income tax return.

I don't think most people are going to go out of there way to give the government more money then they already do!!!!!!

[Dave Lehnert]

Question for the group. Now think about this. How many of the tools that we purchase on-line did we first look at in the store (like Woodcraft) To touch and feel, Then decide to search for a lower price on the net and purchase.
Would we have made that on-line purchased if it were not for the touch and feel the store provided? What will we do if all the local stores go under and on-line is our only option? Do you think shipping from Amazon will be free if they are the only place to buy tools?

[Mike Heidrick]

I make a lot of purchases based on recomendations from other forum members laying hands on tools, putting power or muscle to them, and using them. Woodcraft never did that for me. Did I go in there to see tools in real life, sure, but that was after much research was done.

Without the internet I would have been happy with Sears/Craftsman.