American Flag
I went to an Elliott’s Hardware Store here in Dallas, TX on Sunday afternoon to purchase a new outdoor US flag and a Texas state flag. As a proud US Navy veteran I fly them almost constantly on my home. Not just for holidays.
My wife and I have purchased our flags from Elliott’s for 20 years as they were of good quality. Not so anymore. The store was bought out by new owners (the reason they are now open on Sunday) and many things have changed. They used to have nothing but the good stuff. Now it appears to be 50/50 junk, like the box stores.
They did have one (1) fair quality 3×5 printed but unsown Texas flag in stock without the staff, in the size I wanted – but no separate staffs available.
I was actually in tears as I drove away without a new flag. I get emotional about patriotic stuff. I didn’t want a $10.00 cheap dyed flag “kit” for one day use. I was looking for a good quality flag WITH a quality staff as one of the old flag staffs got damaged in recent storms here is Texas. The “kits” had 3 sections, flimsy; push together, ¾ ultra thin-wall tubing for the staff. They must have had a hundred on display. Yeah, a whopping $500-$600 investment in inventory by Elliott’s marketing people.
Yet they had probably hundreds of flags hanging all over the store for the holiday. Sure sends me a mixed message. Elliott’s has always been my go-to place for quality goods. Surely they would have good quality flags in stock for the holiday.
Amazon has the same cheap flags (and brand) as Elliott’s but they also show more expensive outdoor quality sewn flags for both Texas and the US by a different maker. As I said, I fly both almost constantly on my porch. They also listed good sturdy flag staffs. Thank you Elliott’s for driving me to go check Amazon for the good stuff.
I was looking for the 3×5 foot outdoor size and not the cheaper 2.5×4 dyed flag. It is obvious that the new Elliott’s owners with their “New York City market studies” think true red blooded Americans want mostly cheap $10.00 flag kits. I am willing to pay $50.00 – $60.00 or more for a good quality outdoor symbol of my county – for which I risked my life to honor in 1968.
Obviously, Elliott’s isn’t the store for the real thing. Pete’s dragon must be setting store policy. (A lot of hot air and usually invisible.)
You marketers – Yes, I would spend $100 or more for two new flags on my porch for the 4th of July.
A representative and actually a descendant of the original Elliott’s founder contacted me by email. I haven’t been granted permission to publish the response but it boils down to is lack of inventory of the higher quality USA flag products.