Tool Discount Centre

This is the kind of establishment which gives the customer exactly what you would expect, tools for all manner of jobs at very low prices. I like the no frills approach of Tool Discount Centre, it is not exactly slick and aesthetically pleasing but that is because it doesn’t need to be. This is the place where DIY fanatics go to indulge in a spot of browsing and come away with all manner of obscure items for household improvement work. There aren’t too many of these establishments left as the market is now monopolised by places such as Homebase or Wilkos but bear in mind a place like Tool Discount Centre because you will get great service from knowledgeable people at low prices.

Tool Discount Centre
Perhaps it was growing up thrilled by the exploits of Tv’s McGuyver or maybe it’s just a weird fetish of mine but I have a thing for Hardware Stores and more specifically tools.
That’s right, those pointy sharp edged wooden handled, weighty things that you can swing and sink into earth, chop at wood with or use to open tins of food.
Yes I am a tool freak.
Chisels, files, hammers, axes, I could go on, but a mere list would not do justice to the beauty and realisation of simply holding such devices in your hands let alone putting them to work.
If you’re a Selly Oak resident and like me jump at the chance to get hands dirty with some DIY or handy craft, Tool Discount Centre is your best bet on the high street, with a wide range of tools for both inside and out, it’s brimming with useful bits of kit and the prices seemed very reasonable.

The Tool Discount Centre is an anomaly in the student orientated area of Selly Oak, a shop dedicated to selling cheap tools surrounded by restaurants, bars and cafes blatantly aimed at the massive local student market. The Tool Discount Centure is a reminder of an era when Selly Oak was predominantly a working class area, and has stayed the same despite the continuing change around it.
It’s the kind of DIY shop I like. I’m not exactly good at DIY, and I’m even less knowledgeable about it, so when I do have to get involved, I want to go to a shop where the staff no a lot more about the subject than I do, can guide my purchases and generally hold my lilly white artists hands through this difficult part of a painful process — maybe even save me a bit of money. Fortunately, the day to day manager at this store is a friendly Canadian man named Rich who seems able to talk to anyone on any given subject and who’s happy to help DIY fools like myself — he also plays bass in a great ska band called Mr Shankly and you can buy their debut album at the counter. The «Discount» part of the name is accurate also. I haven’t done an exhaustive search to prove otherwise but the tools all seems to be generally cheaper than they would be elsewhere. More shops like this please!