# What non-obsolete things are now difficult to find in brick and mortar stores? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725 "2023-06-18T14:33:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/102 "2023-06-21T15:17:17Z")
Boxed computer games. There used to be a selection in many different stores. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/103 "2023-06-21T15:21:01Z")
Man, I miss that. It has been so long, I forgot to bring it up. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/104 "2023-06-21T15:26:34Z")
Of course, it’s rare to find them online either aside from $200 special edition steelcases and quirky Kickstarter reward tiers. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/105 "2023-06-21T15:38:25Z")
Big grocery stores used to have hardcovers of the most popular best-sellers, like John Grisham. Ours has a wide selection of soft cover and paperback books now, mainly thrillers and romances… I’ve heard Costco, BJs, and Sams Club have books to purchase. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/106 "2023-06-21T21:20:17Z")
Do they still sell individual regular plates? Went to Walmart to buy a couple of plates for a party and Walmart would only sell me plates part of a complete set OR “Collectors item” super expensive single plates. I know they sell them online but I couldn’t find anyone one-offs. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/107 "2023-06-21T21:31:52Z")
I don’t think I ever saw a Walmart/Target type store selling individual plates. More expensive stores, yes, but I only remember discount stores selling sets, like a 12 piece service for 4. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/108 "2023-06-21T22:04:56Z")
This is something that’s easy to find at dollar stores and thrift stores. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/109 "2023-06-21T22:06:35Z")
Exactly. Dollars stores are something vaguely close to the 5&10s of our childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/110 "2023-06-21T22:53:18Z")
Pipe cleaners. Even if they still sell tobacco. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/111 "2023-06-21T23:37:00Z")
Once again, Dollar Stores. ---
**Author:** ![gre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@gre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2023, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/112 "2023-06-24T00:05:39Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Now the waist sizes are typically 30 or 32-44 And that’s with vanity sizing. I wear a “30” now, but it’s really about 33 inches. And I’m average height and wear what is now a “small” in casual shirts. If I’m still alive and still not fat in 20 years, will I have to wear kids’ clothes? ---
**Author:** ![gre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@gre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gre)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/113 "2023-06-24T00:13:25Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > A great many simple household objects and tools are now shoddily made out of plastic when they once were standardly well-made out of sturdy materials. I broke my scissors because I thought the handles were plastic-coated metal but they were really plastic-coated plastic. And then I discovered that scissors that aren’t plastic shit are now hard to find. Profits profits profits. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/114 "2023-06-24T02:08:07Z")
A lot of the things mentioned are not too hard to find here. But any type of part or component on anything more than ten years old might be an online purchase if a couple local surplus stores don’t have it. Canada used to have a lot of military surplus stores but these have all mostly closed. Used book stores have good selections but the big box chain bookstores often only have titles both recent and popular. Colby cheese was once hugely popular in Canada, and is now hard to find here - but not in the US. Don’t know why. Things easily or better done by smartphone have caused some items, such as quality MP3 players, to be hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2023, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725/115 "2023-06-24T11:41:18Z")
> [@gre](#): > > And then I discovered that scissors that aren’t plastic shit are now hard to find. Heavy kitchen shears are great. I like to spatchcock and grill chicken. Good kitchen shears make it much easier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-non-obsolete-things-are-now-difficult-to-find-in-brick-and-mortar-stores/985725.md?page=5)