Finally checked out that giant Ace Hardware on Moreland

Went in for a single shower head gasket last Saturday and ended up spending 90 minutes wandering the aisles. Found a whole section of obscure plumbing fittings I didn't even know existed, like brass toilet flanges from the 1950s. But the weirdest thing was the key cutting machine right by the front door - it was broken and had a hand-written sign taped to it saying "Out of Order Since April 2023." It's almost 2025 now, so I guess nobody cares enough to fix it. Anyone else seen random stuff just abandoned like that in Atlanta hardware stores?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_burns732d ago

Did you ask anyone at the counter what the deal is with that key machine, or is it just accepted as part of the scenery now? Seems wild that a store that still stocks brass parts from the 50s can't get a simple machine fixed in a year and a half. Curious if the staff even remember it working.

the_miles2d ago

Asked the lady at the counter about six months ago and she just laughed and said "oh that thing's been broken longer than I've worked here." Which I guess is at least three years from what I gathered. The wild part is there's literally a sign on it from 2022 saying "out of order" and it's faded and peeling now. I've seen customers walk up to it, read the sign, and just stand there for a second staring at it like they're waiting for it to magically start working again. Honestly feels like they've just accepted it as weird store decor at this point.

morgan.jason2d ago

Remember @the_miles, that whole situation with the broken key machine is a perfect example of something I see everywhere these days. It reminds me of the old payphone at our station, been dead for years but nobody bothers to remove it. People just walk past it like it's a piece of furniture now. I think that's just how things go in a lot of places anymore, especially older stores and businesses. They fix things when they absolutely have to, but if it's something that doesn't cause a big problem, it just sits there collecting dust and fading signs. Kind of sad when you think about it because that machine could probably be fixed with a simple part swap, but nobody cares enough to make it happen.