Bob Swaim Hardware Store Paris Texas. If You Can't Find It Anywhere - Swaim Hardware Probably Has It. Part Hardware Store/Part Museum
One of the areas that we work frequently is Lake Raymond Gary in Fort Towson, Oklahoma (Extreme Southeast Corner of Oklahoma). Fort Towson is a very small town that sits nestled on the banks of Lake Raymond Gary. Fort Towson, Oklahoma only has about 600 folks. There's one restaurant, Lee's Catfish Kitchen; One Convenience Store/Gasoline Station/Deli and that's it.
So for shopping you either head over to Hugo, Oklahoma which is about 15 minutes away or to Paris, Texas. Hugo has about 6000 people. Shopping is better but often the folks around Hugo and Fort Towson just go ahead and drive over to Paris, Texas.
It's only about 40 minutes or so from Fort Towson to Paris. Paris is a city of about 52,000 so there are more choices for restaurants, medical care, and shopping. With choices on big hardware/home improvement stores (Home Depot, McCoy's, and Paris Building and Lumber), I can usually find what I need.
Recently I was shopping for something.. that for the life of me I can't remember what it was... but no one had it. One of the ladies that was working at Home Depot told me to go to Bob Swaim Hardware and that I would probably find it.
Was I surprised when I found the Bob Swaim Hardware. It looked like it had probably been in that one location forever.
Not knowing what to expect, it was another surprise when I got inside. There is so much merchandise inside the Bob Swaim Hardware store that you follow trails around inside.
It's stacked just about floor to ceiling and just about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that ever was available in a hardware store is in that store. In fact, some of it looks like has been in their stock since time began. Even things that are SO out of the area.. I found a Clam Steamer...
A lot of the ceiling was metal and there were all kinds of shelves just packed as full as they could be. There is no way that I could begin to describe this unique store. Items that are totally unrelated will sitting side by side or even hanging from the ceiling!
I did not have my camera with me, so pulled the cell phone out and and had to make do.
Some of the items that I remember besides the Clam Steamer - Flea Catcher, Plastic Screws, Tricycles, Garden Tools, Paint, Horse Tack, All kinds of mismatched pieces of China, Ironstone, flatware, miscellaneous surprises like one of those metal dispensers for kitchen matches that everyone used to have hanging on their kitchen walls when I was a child, all kinds of tools.. both that are antique-ish and modern, doors, all types of door knobs, plumbing supplies and fixtures, electrical stuff by the tons, toys, bandanas and flags in every color, the list goes on and on.. They had so much stuff hanging from the ceilings.. even a child's old tricycle (still new but old).
The next time I go to Paris, I'm going back to Bob Swaim's Hardware just to look around. It's worth the trip even if I don't have anything on my shopping list. I'll probably find something and bring it home just because it's that kind of store. Pay for your items by several choices.. including mastercard... but the dust and cobwebs are priceless. :)
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Lots available on the water on Lake Raymond Gary right now include 5 parcels.
They are priced from $15,000 per lot to $31,000 for a 2 lot parcel fronting the lake. The $15,000 lots are a half acre approximately and front on a small cove. The 2 lot parcels front on the main channel of the lake. A third upper end parcel is available 2/3 acre at $29,000. Call me and let's talk about waterfront on Lake Raymond Gary. You could be shopping at Swaim's every day.
