Needed a couple of 5mm X 5mm set screws, my local HW store showed stock, packet of 4/$1.00.
Went down and picked up a couple of different lengths.
Leaving the store, I tossed the bags on the passenger set and on arriving home, proceeded to open the 'pre-sealed' bag.
Except the 5mm Leng. the bag was empty, I knew the bag had contents when I left the store, on inspection, the bottom of the plastic sealed bag had been neatly slit open, so when I tossed them on the the passenger seat the remaining three out of four fell out but were fortunately recovered under the back rest.
I can only surmise, that some twit just needed one, and could not spring for the buck needed!!

 

So you got one for $1.00.
What you're gonna do with the the other two except put them some place that you will forget tomorrow where you put them?

 

Needed a couple of 5mm X 5mm set screws, my local HW store showed stock, packet of 4/$1.00.
Went down and picked up a couple of different lengths.
Leaving the store, I tossed the bags on the passenger set and on arriving home, proceeded to open the 'pre-sealed' bag.
Except the 5mm Leng. the bag was empty, I knew the bag had contents when I left the store, on inspection, the bottom of the plastic sealed bag had been neatly slit open, so when I tossed them on the the passenger seat the remaining three out of four fell out but were fortunately recovered under the back rest.
I can only surmise, that some twit just needed one, and could not spring for the buck needed!!

This seems very common.

On the other hand the prices for those small quantity hardware packages is outrageous. I have slowly been buying an inventory of the needed screws, nuts, bolts, washers, and the like so I will have them on hand. For a couple of bucks I can buy 300 serviceable machine screws or… 4.

Hardware stores used to sell by the piece for very reasonable prices, then someone figured out they could make it a lot easier on themselves to bag them up like that in terms of inventory and stocking—that the margins shot through the roof didn’t hurt.

 

Same thing applies when buying resistors, capacitors, LEDs, etc.
I buy them in lots of 100. The unit cost drops to almost nothing.

 

I have no problem at all with paying a buck for just a few, they have to make money and after all, set screws are very low demand items for the DIY'er I imagine, anyway I welcome the convenience.
You apparently have to steal ONE because you don't believe in paying a measly buck. ??
No, I don't need a 100, so the opportunity to pick a couple up is welcomed.
So I gather from the response my purchase was over the top!
I have a vast inventory of various fasteners , accumulated over time, both N.A. size and Metric, but the odd time I need something I don't stock, so I have absolutely no problem purchasing a couple.!
.

 

I have no problem at all with paying a buck for just a few, they have to make money and after all, set screws are very low demand items for the DIY'er I imagine, anyway I welcome the convenience.
You apparently have to steal ONE because you don't believe in paying a measly buck. ??
No, I don't need a 100, so the opportunity to pick a couple up is welcomed.
So I gather from the response my purchase was over the top!
I have a vast inventory of various fasteners , accumulated over time, both N.A. size and Metric, but the odd time I need something I don't stock, so I have absolutely no problem purchasing a couple.!
.

Not at all. We're just joking around.
If you just needed a couple of set screws, a package of 4 will do. I sympathize with you for being miffed for finding a missing one when you expect to find a complete set of 4 in the package because that is what you expected and paid for.

 

Ran into the same thing at a Tractor Supply store only they simply pushed the part through the plastic tearing an obvious hole in the bag. There're idiots and shoplifters everywhere...

 

I have seen said same also at Lowes and Home Depot. Normally what Sam saw where a nut, bolt, screw or whatever was just forced through the bag. Now I inspect each bag.

Something else I noticed was on bags with a slit, a nice clean slit I wondered if when unpacking from boxes if someone used a box cutter and cut a little too deep catching some of the product? I have seen that happen with other products.

Ron

 

Remember REAL hardware stores? Bulk screws, nuts, washers, etc. in the front of a drawer, boxes in the back for far less per each.

 

Living in a coastal community with lots of shrimp trawlers and fin fish commercial boats as well, the local hardware store/chandlery has bins and bins of loose stainless steel, brass/bronze, and galvanized, as well as the standard bare and zinc plated steel fittings. Not to mention ropes, chains, steel cable, and netting twine as well as the standard household hardware. All for much cheaper than any franchise store. The only thing missing is the really small machine screw stuff.

 

hard to say in math but easy in society about this ineqality 1>>99.

 

Open containers or bins rely on the customer to count, they will or not count accurately. So, they put them pre-bag to reduce open bin type of theft. I can grab one or two and move to another container so on an so forth each time like magic I cup it or palm it easy peasy. Cheap bastards a screw, really? At the University I worked we purchased for a job or room in this case and let the depts pay for their screws, what we didn’t use we left it for pick up by surplus who threw them in the metal bin for sale.

kv