As someone just starting a new hobby, I need tools. Lots of tools, most of which I can certainly…read morebuy online, but when I'm looking for something relatively standard that I want or need NOW, and for a good price, Harbor Freight comes through.
My jewelry making teacher suggested that I go to Harbor Freight to pick up the different levels of sandpaper I need for our class, so that was my first order of business. Oddly, the sandpaper I needed was not on the sanding aisle (that seems to be devoted to belts and wheels), so it took me awhile to find the actual paper, but in the meantime I picked up a soldering pick/reamer, a plastic divided box to hold my unset gemstones, and a stubby ball peen hammer (that's one with a short handle, for metal stamping purposes), all for well under $10 total. Add in my sandpaper, which my husband finally found, and I'm good to go!
Browsing was fun - the store is not fancy or flashy, but they have a ton of stuff, including some metal stamps, doming blocks, and other things that I didn't really expect to see. Prices were very reasonable, the staff we interacted with were friendly, and we ended up signing up for the coupons/flyer, as it sounds like a pretty good deal. Hello, occasional freebie!!
All in all, now that I need tools, I know that I'll be a frequent shopper at tool and home improvement stores. Harbor Freight is certainly a good starting point, especially when it comes to buying reasonably priced essentials. I'll definitely be back, and look forward to seeing what else I can find as I browse.