Packaging??

Someone please help me out here. Why do a lot of items in the hardware store come in a pack of 3 or a pack of 5? For example hooks, butterfly nuts etc.

I bought a pack of rubber buffers yesterday. There were 5 in a pack but I only needed 4. What is wrong with 2 or 4 in a pack?

Is there a rational explanation or is it just purely a marketing strategy? You pay for 3 when you only need 2. You have to buy 2 packs when you need 4. Or do we have to start making table and chair with 3 legs and 3 corners? :confused:

Please tell me. I don’t want to lose any more sleep. :( :( :(

You get 5, so if you mess one up or loose one in the shavings, or the dustie swallows it, you still have 4. Maybe it's a way to force you to think outside the square........make a five legged table/chair or whatever-be inventive.

Honestly, I have no idea why other than the person doing the packaging getting a bigger sale. By doing 5 for a 4 pack they have a 'forced sale' and increase their sales by 25%. Reminds of the story of the airline that supposedly saved heaps by reducing the olives in their meals by one less per meal.Perhaps its not such a bad idea getting a spare, because you can send SWMBO to the store with a sample next time you need some.Make four tables and get the fith one free!

Yeah right.

The answer is simple, all the packs are meant to have 4 in but the packer got bored and to frustrate the hell out of everyone either puts in 3 or 5.

From the point of view of the seller 3 in a pack is better than 5 in a pack because if you have 3 in a pack then the buyer has to buy 2 packs to get the 4 items needed!

Frustrating isn't it. You go to buy 10 small screws nuts and washers, HA!
9 screws/pack, 7 nuts/pack, 11 washers/pack. So to get your 10 you end up with 18 screws, 14 nuts and 11 washers.
Next time you want to use the 8 left over screws you are 4 nuts and 7 washers short- so you go back and buy 7 nuts and 11 washers.
Here we go again- 3 nuts and 5 washers left over. And all this at rip off prices!
So my advice is to work out your most common sizes and go to someone like CEDRAY P/L or any other specialist nut and bolt supplier who will gladly sell in matched lots of 50 at a price that will please you.
Kind regards
Termite

I was going to start a thread on this very topic!

I have a box containing plastic bubbles with between 1 & 3 of every known size shape and material of hardware.

My old man's feats at collecting screws with broken threads, and abilities as a nail straightener were legendary, but I have a bigger collection of fixings than he could have possibly collected in a lifetime, and mine are all new!!! :confused: :confused:

P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wongo

You pay for 3 when you only need 2.

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Actually Wongo you are paying mostly for the packaging so you are paying the equivalent price of about 50 of any item, but because it is in a little bubble pack they give you the items for free.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wongo

Someone please help me out here. Why do a lot of items in the hardware store come in a pack of 3 or a pack of 5? For example hooks, butterfly nuts etc.

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Reminds me of my time in Japan. I could never find sets of bowls and other dinnerware in sets of four..was usually either 3 or 5. The reason being the japanese word for 4 ("shi") is considered to have bad conotations...eg "shinimasu" is the verb "to die".

Martin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bitingmidge

My old man's feats at collecting screws with broken threads, and abilities as a nail straightener were legendary

P

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Sounds alot like my father....was bought up during the depression and is a chronic horder of anything with the slightest bit of value. Ive seen him pick up a comb off the road, give it a quick dust off and shove it in his pocket.

Martin

Sigh!

Two more 60mm M8 bolts and a plastic box for my collection! Bought four bolts to replace the ones on my tablesaw-stand connection now that I have the spacer built- you guessed it.

They only come in packs of THREE!!!!


AAAAaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
:( :( :(

P

The answer is simple: They work on weight to have a standard price across the whole line. 2bolts=3nuts.7 washers=3bolts etc.

Still a bloody nuisance though.

About 10 minutes fomr my place we have the most usefull store of all time, it's called The Universal Bolt Bloke.

Take in anything:

Take in nut and say I'll have two 50mm bolts to fit that thanks = $1

Take in bolt and say I'll have three more of them, and four nuts to fit thanks = $1.80

You get the idea. :D :D

And he's right next door to Total Tools. I've got it made. https://www.ubeaut.biz/thumbup.gif

Ben.

Hmm, must live near Dandenong? :cool:

Close, but no ciggar. :D :D

10 minutes (almost) in the other direction. Boronia.

The two stores mentioned are on Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully


You get into the antiques much ?

Ben.

is an antique Ben ................ :eek:

Getting closer Pete:D

Ben. Son lives in Boronia. I occasionally do work for restorers but I don't have the patience or the inclination to do my own. ;)