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Comment by astrocat | Hacker News Reader

Stumbled across this today and was blown away at the level of organization, information, and detail presented. They provide specific examples of common uses for components, as well as material information like what alloy is used, what's in the alloy and what it's properties are. It was an absolute joy to explore.

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But the average person can't shop here.

Anyone can shop there they just won’t send you a printed catalog unless you spend a ton of money.

Which makes sense because the catalog weighs 20 pounds.

Hah! Thanks for doing that. I was off by a bit...but not that much.

What do you mean by that? Their prices are higher than most, but anyone can purchase from them.

IIRC they don't even tell you the total price until after your order is shipped, which may be a deal breaker for some people

The McMaster site doesn't show shipping costs, because they package your items and then get the dimensions and weight. They only ship things very fast, and they charge you what that costs. They are optimizing for fast and correct, not cheap.

If you're concerned, you can call or e-mail them to ask for an estimate. It's worth noting that free shipping is never free -- it's either hidden in the item cost, or some corner is being cut.

I was told by someone that works there that you have to have a business license to make POs. I didn't push it beyond that and have never tried it myself, so who knows.

No, it’s actually quite good for the occasional purchase by ordinary folks. Pricey, but the selection is amazing.

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