Hardware store blues

I recently went to a hardware chain establishment, let's call it mACE because I don't want to use the real name. I went to this mACE because I needed a new recycle bin. I recycle like a good little tax payer and I got rewarded for it by having my recycling bin destroyed. The town I live in doesn't give their tax-paying citizens recycling bins (like other towns do) so I needed to go out and purchase one. Of course this time of the year, it isn't easy to buy one because recycling bins are grouped in with trash cans and garden hoses and well who in there right mind would want to buy an item like that during the winter? That's plumb crazy.
So being plumb crazy I went to mACE because I could have sworn that in the recycle bin buying weather, mACE had like a million of them on display outside their fine establishment. When I arrived I could plainly see there weren't any bins outside - but why should there be, it's winter! So I went inside mACE and went down the trash can/garden hose aisle and low and behold I could not find any recycle bins. So although being a man I don't like to ask for help ... I asked for help in this matter. Now I've been in this particular mACE like 50 times over the last 4 years and probably spent close to $2000 in those 4 years - but they still look at me like I'm from Mars. Anyway, I was told mACE doesn't sell recycle bins. I acted surprised to this answer and so the "salesman" asked a fellow "salesman" about it & the second genius declared "we never carried recycle bins". I must be losing my mind - I thought to myself - I could have sworn mACE sold recycle bins.
Now I needed a recycle bin because Wednesday was coming up soon and by golly I have to recycle. So off I went to another chain which I'll refer to as Gnome Depot - and after much searching found two lousy (and dirty) recycle bins. "That's all we got" I was told. Of course, it's not recycle bin buying weather! What's wrong with me!? So I purchased one of the two very dirty bins for an unbelievable price of $30 and went home to fill it with bottles and cans. (Even the Gnome Depot cashier made me feel stupid as she was also shocked at the price and the fact that I was actually buying it!)
Long story short - fast forward to 2 weeks later and I'm speaking with my brother-in-law and we get on the topic of recycle bins. He tells me he bought his at mACE for a reasonable price. He said mACE had tons of them. Always have and probably always will (in season of course).
I love hardware stores almost as much as the employees who refuse to work in them.