Archive - Mom & Pop Hardware

This Bargain Dresser Is Hiding a Secret

But I won't use a 'prime time' hint because puns annoy my WSJ editor

Jan 9 • Beth DeCarbo

How Elvis Saved a Historic Hardware Store

Tupelo buys the building where Presley got his first guitar instead of the rifle that he really wanted

Jan 2 • Beth DeCarbo

December 2025

There Was a Time When the World Was Square

Then the hex nut came along and threw a wrench in the works

Dec 19, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

You're Never Too Old to Strip

Total makeovers are a lot of work, but people will be amazed by the new look

Dec 5, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

November 2025

Book Tour: The Final Chapter

On Friday, three stops before saying farewell

Nov 16, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

My Story Sounds Familiar to These Folks

Read an exclusive excerpt of 'Mom & Pop Hardware' in Hardware Connection, a magazine for owners of independent stores like the ones my parents ran

Nov 15, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

The Book Tour Winds Down on Middle Ground

At an event in Emporia, book lovers lounged in cushy sofas to talk about hardware

Nov 14, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

Oh, to Have the Energy of a Third Grader

Elementary-school students heard the story of Miss Nuisance before they tackled a fun hardware craft project

Nov 13, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

Toughest Crowd Yet: Teen Bullpups

My career pep talk with props and photo slides was met with stony silence. Later, one adult piled on the praise: 'Most everyone was looking at you, so I…

Nov 12, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

Two-fer Tuesday: McPherson and Manhattan

This stop on the Mom & Pop book tour brings beloved teachers and ANOTHER breathtaking light show

Nov 12, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

After a Great Day, I Rode Off Into the Sunset

Following a lively book-signing in Lawrence, there was a light show on the way home

Nov 11, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

How a Business Tip Led to a Lifelong Friendship

My father connected with a trusted banker--and that bond reunited their daughters decades later

Nov 10, 2025 • Beth DeCarbo

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