I'll preface this by saying that it seems I've had particularly bad luck here, and my friends have been treated well by the same store. It's also the only game in town for gold panning supplies, and they evidently carry everything from a $7 gold pan to a $5k enormous box-thing that we learned about in 5th grade.
The Gold Mine lists its hours as 9-6, Mon-Sat. I work hella far away and don't get off until 5, and with people crashing on my commute like assholes* all the time its anybody's guess how long it will actually take me to get there. On my first venture, I rolled up at 5:50, having been waylaid by a stalled volvo for a while. Lo and behold, the store is already closed, lights off, no signs of life. What the hell man?
Forward about a month to me finally forgiving them for the undue traffic I sat in and trying again. This time I called ahead, and it went like this:
[Me]: Hi, how late will you be open today?
[Guy]: Well, the sign on the door says till 6, but I usually take off around 5:50.
((Brain)): Yeah, I know. Maybe you should change the sign. Or, you know, suck it up and be open when you say you will.
[Me]: Alright, well I'm on my way from Davis right now, I'm actually on the road already.
[Guy]: Well, I guess I could be nice and stay until 6:00 today, but after 8 hours of this, you know, I want to go. I've got stuff to do.
((Brain)): Right, working 8 hours is the pits, isn't it? Thanks for the favor bud.
[Me]: Alright, thanks, I'll be by in a bit.
More traffic problems and a wrong turn and I end up walking in the door at 5:55. For those of you keeping score at home, we're 5 minutes past when he'd like to stay till and 5 minutes before he said he would/when the store *actually* closes.
[Guy]: Are you the one who called earlier? 'Cause we're technically closed now.
((Brain)): OK, we just effing talked about this! Calm! Calm! Don't flip out! You need gold pans!
[Me]: I just need 2 gold pans, I'll be out of here super quick.
[Guy]: I already closed the register. You going to be cash or charge?
((Brain)): Why did you close the register? Didn't we just talk about this? AND you acknowledged it right when I walked in? AAAAAARRRR
[Me]: What's easier? Charge? I can do that.
[Guy]: Alright, I'll let my boss deal with it tomorrow.
And while the credit machine is going, I find out that the stuff he has to do consists of going to the store and then starting dinner. Not exactly running off to his daughter's play, is it? Blah blah blah, rant about keeping a small industry alive by encouraging the younger demographic, etc.
Anyway, I'm a bit embittered. 3 Stars still to be fair though, since I've never had a chance to really experience the store in full and the friends have had positive encounters there. Just don't show up after, say, 5:30.
*apologies to those assholes who have sustained serious injuries. You're off the hook with me. sort of. read more