McGuckin Hardware

For some reason I have been dragged here every day. But they have a really good employee who sells Christmas trees, who I call Tree-​Man. Also they have a wonderfully funny selection of humorous magnets.

Just got accused of shoplifting a piece of crap keychain from this joke of an establishment. Before I share my full story, keep this in mind. After about 10 minutes of research, I found 10+ reviews from other people who have also been accused of shoplifting. This seriously troubling trend tells me that McGuckin management doesn’t give a rat’s ass about treating their customers with respect. Here’s my story:
Two employees followed me out of the store and demanded that I come back inside. As a couple middle-​aged managers stared me down with their smug, judgmental mugs, the henchmen informed me that they saw me slip the keychain into my right pants pocket. I said, «You sure about that?» as I emptied everything from my pants and hoodie pockets. Phone, wallet, car keys, and OMG… magically, no junky keychain! I get it. Well, sort of. They probably have to deal with these problems fairly often. But you better be damn sure of yourself before you wrongfully accuse someone of a crime in the middle of your store during busy shopping hours. And if you’re going to make that gamble, be prepared to face the consequences of being wrong. Plus, I can think of about 18 better, more tactful ways to go about this type of confrontation. The silver lining here is that they are the ones who look like fools after I proved my innocence and walked out. I’m all for supporting small, local businesses, but I will be going to The Home Depot now.

I’ll take one of everything here.
So many fond memories of going to McGuckin with my Grandpa. We’d spend a lot of time discussing with the staff hunting and fishing trips, renovation products and techniques, and telling tales of past home improvement battles won.
It’s been a few years since I’ve been to McGuckin but the staff was warm, friendly, and helpful. I snagged some really cool Colorado flag themed apparel they had as well as a fishing license. The store layout is logical and well marked and the inventory great, but it’s definitely the great staff that makes a trip to McGuckin so much better than going to one of those big box hardware stores.

I am a frequent visitor to Boulder to visit our single Mom daughter who always seems to need a multitude of house repairs. I have typically frequented Home Depot as I am familiar with their stores in Seattle and Bellevue, WA as well as Boise and Twin Falls, ID and am particularly impressed with the service in the Boulder store. Best HD I have found anywhere.
My daughter is a local business owner and suggested I try McGukin’s as they are a local business and my experiences to date (3) have all been excellent but a party in the parking lot this afternoon suggested I read the reviews on Unilocal.I must say the posts about the McGukin security personnel are pretty scary. When I couple those comments with the generally higher pricing than the big boxes, I cannot make an argument to return.
Before turning your back on Home Depot, try the Boulder store — I have never encountered such a good level of service in any other HD store. This afternoon I was asked by three different floor people in 15 minutes, if I found everything I was looking for. That does not happen in other HD’S and it was greatly appreciated.
I also returned something to HD today using the receipt they emailed to me at the time of purchase and the return person was ecstatic to have the iPhone copy of my receipt. I am not sure how this HD store manager finds and trains his floor people but he/​she deserves a great deal of recognition and reward.
At the end of the day, I will stay with HD rather than run the risk of an encounter with one of McGukin’s security Nazis or run afoul of their return policy after paying their higher prices

I love this place. If you’re looking for some great people who know what they’re talking about — and care about what they do — than this is the place for you.
It’s kind of mind boggling how big the store is and how diverse the merchandise is. I used to live about a three minute walk from McGuckin Hardware and probably (according to my wife) spent a bit too much time and money there, but for a local business that’s been around for a long, long time (read the new book that they just put out, it’s really interesting), I’m a supporter all the way.

I am a relatively intelligent person with a terrible habit of asking really, unforgivably dumb questions at McGuckin.
The gallant and unlucky employees at McGuckin have braved my rambling, woe-​is-​me stories and have helped me out using their unbeatable expertise and superhuman patience. They sometimes have even helped me solve problems that require me to buy *absolutely nothing* from their store. They are superheroes. They deserve Joss Whedon to direct a superhero movie about them, or make them the stars of a cult TV show that unfairly only lasts one season.
Examples:
–«No, Megan, you are not a plant murderer. You might want to move your plant to a north-​facing window, where it will not get grilled by that fearsome orb we call the sun.»
–«No, Megan, the birds outside do not hate you. You might have the wrong birdseed for the birds that live in Boulder. Try this type of bird seed instead.»
–«Yes, Megan, your license plate is definitely going to fall off your car because you have the wrong type of screw. Without even measuring, I am going to magically give you the correct screws, and you will skip back to your car without a care in the world.»
–«Yes, Megan, it is probably best if you replace that weirdly specialized-​looking light bulb in your kitchen so you can, you know, eat dinner without the aid of the fearsome orb we call the sun. Here is the exact light bulb you need.»
–«Oh, you’re looking for a spatula? They are in this display. Yes, this display *right in front of you.*»
I love you, McGuckin.

I try to give very few 5 star ratings, but after 14 years of being a loyal McGuckin customer they’ve most certainly earned it and then some.
They truly have the most random and useful items you could imagine along with the everyday things you need. I’ve brought family in from out of town who have found items they can’t find anywhere else. My parents found some unique clips for their patio table and my brother found some hose clamps in the size he needed after each of them had checked numerous places for months.
Myself? From Dremel accessories to art supplies to random hardware to high end tools they have it all. The other week I needed a speciality screwdriver for newer MacBooks that the guys at Radioshack had no idea about (eventually found one in a $ 50 kit). I came into McGuckins, asked a green vest and of course got shown right to the exact screwdriver I needed. Bam!
Sure, on certain items you’ll pay a premium vs a big box store and McGuckin isn’t a lumber yard. But on the whole it is amazing place with friendly staff that you can get lost in for hours and actually find the stuff you need.
Hope they are around for many more years to come!

It is a pretty cool place to go but it is more expensive. We own a small engineering firm and only come here when we need a specific item we cannot find elsewhere or if we need it immediately. Their pricing can be ridiculously more then it should be and as we order from China and other places for tools occasionally, we know that they are ordering the same items but marking it up 2 – 3 times. We once saw a drill bit we ordered from our contacts in China there and they had it marked 3x more then we paid to have it shipped directly to us! I also am a female and have had several of the workers talk over me, thinking I know nothing about running a CNC machine or knowing how to weld. Not always the case, I have had some really nice people too, but it is frustrating. I love to support local places but when running a small business, this is not always an option. Definitely do not come here for your every need but perfect for the odd or unusual thing you cannot find elsewhere!

This place has everything under one roof and a local business! I love visiting this place when visiting Boulder and can find anything I need or want! Better than retail chain store!

Building a fence? Planting a garden? Painting a picture? You get the idea. They basically have everything. The employees are awesome and couldn’t be more helpful. Stop by, you won’t be disappointed.

Dog friendly, they have just about everything, & are pretty knowledgable about where to find it. Basic hardware store requirements in Boulder. This place allows us to remain shopping & supporting local business with a huge variety of goods & services. There is also a checkout counter at many of the multiple exits which is nice because as many time as I have been I usually end up lost & wondering where to pay.

Yes, they have pretty much everything you could imagine but it comes with the major caveat of paying as much as twice or three times what you’d pay for those items elsewhere. McGuckin’s is a store of convenience but you’ll pay a hefty surcharge for not driving around to a couple other places to find the same things. That being said, the staff is superbly knowledgeable and willing to help you find and/​or figure out just what it is you need. If the first person you ask can’t get you to the item in question, they generally know exactly who to go to. If Home Depot trained their employees like this, they’d put McGuckin’s out of business in a year. For better or worse, I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening anytime soon ;)
So, if you need it NOW and cost is no object, or if you’re not quite sure what you need and would like to solicit the advice of someone who knows what they’re talking about then McGuckin Hardware should be your first stop. Otherwise, save some money by shopping around and getting it elsewhere.

Don’t shop here! Store has a return policy that’s not listed on its receipt, and customers are not informed of at check out, therefore if you buy something and the nature of that thing is to be used, like a snow shovel, and the inept sales people don’t say, «that shovel is too short for you, try one with a longer handle» or at checkout, «here’s a copy of our return policy, you can’t return that shovel once it’s used, at all.» Then you’ll have an inept manager quoting you store policy when you try to return something that you wouldn’t have issue returning at say, home depot or Wal-​Mart. Small business stupidity at its finest!

I didn’t think I’d write a review for McGuckin’s, because pretty much everyone else has covered how amazing it is and how varied their selection is.
But, here’s a few items for why McGuckin’s is personally awesome for me.
I found MAP PINS here. I needed them for a project but was putting off ordering them online due to pricy shipping, and just happened to see them there one day. It hadn’t even occurred to me to look for them there, and I actually wasn’t. They just magically appeared in my vision and came home with me.
In late October, their central seasonal aisle begins turning into a Christmas shop that’s easily the rival of the only other Christmas shop I know of in Colorado (in Georgetown.) These are not the mediocre ornaments of big box and craft stores. They are NICE. There are a LOT of ornaments and a huge variety of lights and trees. Some are imported from Germany. Some are Colorado themed. Some are popular collectible items, like the Fontanini nativity pieces. I was REALLY excited when I discovered this winter wonderland. Another store just showed up in this store!
They open really early, unlike most of the stores in Boulder, which is nice if you have waiting time to spend, but slightly unnerving because as you wander in the early hours, waiting for the next bit of magic, you will be accosted by EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE STORE, anxious to help you.
Yeah, I used a lot of all caps, but it’s that kind of store.

McGuckin Hardware rocks! If you can’t find it at McGuckin it doesn’t exist or they don’t make it. Amazing customer service. Just find a green vest or they’ll find you to find exactly what you are looking for. I’ve gotten everything from fans to humidifiers here to stools to mason jars. Mason jars are perfect for trying out a package free or package light diet buying in bulk at the plethora of natural food stores in town.
Check out McGuckin and pick up a free pen on your way out :)

Just look for the Green Vest to find anything you need or want from cat food to a birdhouse to petunias for your garden to a socket wrench!
Seriously!
McG’s has it all… and more!
And their Annual Tent Sale is fun to walk around for the very best bargains that may make you scratch your head and say «my local hardware store carries this??» Of course they do — it’s McGuckin’s and they carry it ALL (and more!)

A classic, unique Boulder landmark, McGuckins is near and dear to my heart, one of my favorite places in the world. A born-​n-​raised Boulderite, I’m blessed with childhood memories of wandering the epic hugeness that is McGuckins Hardware. What a magical place. Every town I go to, I“m like, where’s the store where you can find ANYTHING and EVERYTHING? Where’s their McGuckins and how do they LIVE without it!!!
The Good:
If you need/​want to build/​make/​do ANYTHING, McGuckins has what you need. If you need to get rid of ants, build a bookshelf, install a light, plant a garden, McGuckins can and will help you!!!
You can get indoor plants, outdoor plants, dog food, lamps, tools, calligraphy pens, a copy of your keys here, they can help you with anything and everything!!!
The aisles are named as Boulder streets with actual street signs. The place is huge and has several entrances, try to remember which one you came in (good luck!)
Spring – get your starter plants, soil, fertilizer, seeds, planters, gardening tools…
Summer – get your umbrellas, lawn chairs, BBQ, tent, outdoor wear, fishing pole, waterbottle, camping gear…
Fall – get your leafblower, Halloween decorations…
Winter – get your Christmas presents (they have an EPIC selection of ornaments), your Christmas tree, Christmas lights, Hanukah menorah…
The Bad:
You can spend hours here. You can spend hundreds of dollars here. You will want to buy EVERYTHING, things you need, have needed, might need, want to need… things you like, things you didn’t know you wanted, things your friends might like, things for your mom, your cousin, your dog, your neighbor, your neighbor’s dog…

I love the store. This is a place you can go to when you are feeling stuck and come out inspired. There is so much there, the regular hardware fare along with extras: clothing, art supplies, kitchen goods, plants, every screw or bolt you’d want (and that comes with personnel in the department dedicated to helping you find out what you need.) The Christmas ornament display is magnificent.
Sure, it’s a little more expensive, but I don’t know if I have ever left McG unsatisfied in some way. It can take us a lot longer in a bigger discount store to try to find things ourselves without the help. So in a way, it’s more cost effective time wise.

MY 200^th REVIEW ! How fitting, then, that I get to review a true family-​owned institution in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado!
I have always been able to depend on McGuck’s (as my family calls it) for anything from last-​minute gifts, to arts and crafts supplies, to home project supplies. The fun and knowledgeable employees in their trusty green vests are always available to help. Just because McGuckin’s is locally-​owned does not mean that they aren’t a huge store, so you will definitely need the assistance of the Green Vests to help you negotiate their labyrinthine store.
There are two ample parking areas, depending on which entrance you use, and their website is also pretty convenient for doing some of your shopping and prepping ahead of time, so you won’t be as overwhelmed when you walk through the doors, veering off towards the pen area for some $ 30 space pen when all you truly came in for was a section of PVC pipe for your bathroom improvement project.
I have huge love for a mom-​and-​pop locally-​owned store that has lasted for so many years, even since the big ol’ Home Depot has opened less than a mile away. Granted, I’m sure there are things HD carries that McGuckin’s does not, and vice versa, so there’s no doubt they each have their pluses and minuses, but I’d be willing to guess that McGuck’s will fulfill just about every need and want. It’s like a hardware/​variety/​miscellany paradise in there!

PRICE GOUGING DURING FLOOD!
I’ve lived in Boulder since 1984 and have been a loyal of patron of McGuckins. Oh I’ve been tempted by the big new box store over there on Arapahoe and 29^th, but I want to support my local business.
Well during the epic flood of 2013, I went to McGuckins to pick-​up some plastic basins and garbage cans for leaks in my roof and debris. I was shocked to see they had put new prices right over the previous prices, Plastic garbage can was now $ 33 without a lid, that would be $ 11 more. I checked under the new tag and can was originally priced at $ 23. Oh McGuckins, I’m so disappointed that you would price gouge people during such a trying time.
Signed a former loyal customer. :-(