Where did the Lock & Locks go?

1.1k · June 30, 2009

Walmart dropped them, but they are available all over the internet.

June 30, 2009

Walmart dropped them, but they are available all over the internet.

Sorry have a double post going.

I know they can be bought via the web. I would rather buy these local.

I not only use them for Geocaching but also for our kitchen.

Original post,

WalMart, K-Mart and Ace Hardware all had them in my area. (Wisconsin)

Now, none of them do. They have been replaced by the cheapo versions from Sterilite and Rubbermaid.

I know I can buy direct from them but would like to be able to buy local.

3.7k · June 30, 2009

I've gotten them at Target or Uwajimaya (Asian grocery in Seattle area). I found Snaplocks to work pretty well as an alternative (got them at Costco).

9.3k · June 30, 2009

QVC has what looks to be pretty good deals on them, with gobs of unique colors and shapes.

Apparently the ones they sell are made in China. I thought the L&Ls I used to find at Wally World were made in the USA?

June 30, 2009

Meijer still has them, but they only have stores in MI, IN, IL, OH and KY.

4.2k · June 30, 2009

Clearly, proponents of glass containers are buying them up to further their evil ways.

19k · June 30, 2009

Clearly, proponents of glass containers are buying them up to further their evil ways.

That, and they're going through them like mad out in Arizona.

Yeah, our Target stores (MN) stopped carrying the Lock 'n Lock brand as well. I saw a TV ad this week for a Rubbermaid version, but I haven't personally tried them yet.

2.6k · June 30, 2009

Clearly, proponents of glass containers are buying them up to further their evil ways.

That, and they're going through them like mad out in Arizona.

Yeah, our Target stores (MN) stopped carrying the Lock 'n Lock brand as well. I saw a TV ad this week for a Rubbermaid version, but I haven't personally tried them yet.

I have two that have been out in wild for just over a year now and they work great. As good or better than one of my LnL containers.

June 30, 2009

We still seem to have lots of lock & locks up here in Canada. Good thing too, I use them for just about everything. Hopefully it's just a temporary shortage or something.

June 30, 2009

Our Bed Bath and Beyond sells them. Of course with some of these stores closing, B threes are harder to find. As newbies (we haven't put out our first cache yet) we bought Rubbermaid ones for our future caches. I guess we will have to see how well they perform.

What surprises me are the caches that are in those disposible containers made by Glad and Rubbermaid. They bill them as being disposible for a very good reason - they fall apart easily. But I am digressing from the OPs topic. Sorry!

June 30, 2009

The last ones we got were from Costco. Not L&L brand, but still seem just as good.

June 30, 2009

The Walmart next to us carries the Sterilite ones, but we found that Dollar Tree carries them also. They are definitely cheaper plastic, but still do the trick and keep water out. I think we will stick to the Sterilite ones though just for the quality.

38.2k · June 30, 2009

Clearly, proponents of glass containers are buying them up to further their evil ways.

That, and they're going through them like mad out in Arizona.

Yeah, our Target stores (MN) stopped carrying the Lock 'n Lock brand as well. I saw a TV ad this week for a Rubbermaid version, but I haven't personally tried them yet.

I tried the Rubbermaid and Sterlite versions out in the store and couldn't get them to seal well. Very poorly designed. I'm bummed about the disappearance of Lock n Locks from Walmart. They were cheap there. My local grocery store still has them but at 4 times what Walmart was charging.

4.2k · June 30, 2009

I tried the Rubbermaid and Sterlite versions out in the store and couldn't get them to seal well. Very poorly designed. I'm bummed about the disappearance of Lock n Locks from Walmart. They were cheap there. My local grocery store still has them but at 4 times what Walmart was charging.

Just got back from lunch and looks like North Alabama has been hit. I looked at the Sterlite and Rubbermaid, and I was not impressed. At all.

June 30, 2009

The Walmart next to us carries the Sterilite ones, but we found that Dollar Tree carries them also. They are definitely cheaper plastic, but still do the trick and keep water out. I think we will stick to the Sterilite ones though just for the quality.

The dollar store ones are okay, but I fear a cold day when someone looks at it crosseyed. Biggest thing I see is the locks snapping off after a year of use, seen a lot of them in the field with one or two tabs missing.

The sterilite and rubbermaid may not look as good, but I'd bet they'll both work real good.

Market economics, when a great product comes out, all the knock-offs kill their sales.

July 1, 2009

Market economics, when a great product comes out, all the knock-offs kill their sales.

Only when a patent or copyright is not there to protect the product/idea..........

July 1, 2009

I'm getting ready to place my first cache, a "Dollar Tree" version of the Lock & Lock container. I think its about a quart (maybe 1.5 quart) round container (a small cache size).

I've camo'ed it with Fusion paint and hope it hold up, however I'm not very optimistic. Of the three I bought, one had a faulty (failed) lock tab on one side. On the up side - they run $1.00 each with maybe $1.00 of paint it makes for a $2.00 container.

I'll be keeping a close eye on this first placement and switching if it doesn't hold up.

38.2k · July 1, 2009

I'm getting ready to place my first cache, a "Dollar Tree" version of the Lock & Lock container. I think its about a quart (maybe 1.5 quart) round container (a small cache size).

I've camo'ed it with Fusion paint and hope it hold up, however I'm not very optimistic. Of the three I bought, one had a faulty (failed) lock tab on one side. On the up side - they run $1.00 each with maybe $1.00 of paint it makes for a $2.00 container.

I'll be keeping a close eye on this first placement and switching if it doesn't hold up.

Tried those. They don't do well.

18.9k · July 1, 2009

There were 4 stores near me carrying them (Target, Kmart, WalMart, Family Dollar) but now they are gone from all. Walmart has the rubbermaid version but they just aren't the same. Only time will really tell though. I ordered 2 boxes of 10 containers each from Amazon before they are gone for good.

19k · July 1, 2009

I wonder why these places are dropping the Lock n Lock brand, anyway. Does anybody here know anyone that works for Walmart marketing that can get the skinny for us? My best guess is that the profit margin is higher on the clones, and that most consumers either don't care, or don't know of the differences.

Interestingly, I can't find (online, at least) who makes them. I don't have one here to see if there is any manufacturer information molded into the bottom of the container.

Edited to add:

Shortly after I wrote the stuff above about the manufacturer, I found this, where the author says that the manufacturer (or distributor, more likely) is:

Heritage Mercantile

8241 East Gelding Drive

Scottsdale, Arizona 85260-3619

Phone 480.624.2450

Fax 480.624.2460

www.heritagemercantile.com

But the website "www.heritagemercantile.com" brings up one of those "junk link" sites that I think are from bought up domains.

He also mentions, further down, another website, www.LockAndLockUSA.com, but that doesn't go through, either.

So, it is looking to me, at this point, as though the company went out of business!

Edited July 1, 2009 by knowschad

4.2k · July 1, 2009

I wonder why these places are dropping the Lock n Lock brand, anyway. Does anybody here know anyone that works for Walmart marketing that can get the skinny for us? My best guess is that the profit margin is higher on the clones, and that most consumers either don't care, or don't know of the differences.

Interestingly, I can't find (online, at least) who makes them. I don't have one here to see if there is any manufacturer information molded into the bottom of the container.

Hanacobi Plastic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hana_Cobi_Plastic

1.2k · July 1, 2009

But the website "www.heritagemercantile.com" brings up one of those "junk link" sites that I think are from bought up domains.

He also mentions, further down, another website, www.LockAndLockUSA.com, but that doesn't go through, either.

So, it is looking to me, at this point, as though the company went out of business!

www.locknlock.com

but they are no good at answering emails ever.

Edited July 1, 2009 by jho135

19k · July 1, 2009

Hanacobi Plastic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hana_Cobi_Plastic

Awesome! How did you find that?!?

I'm guessing that they are the manufacturer, and the U.S. importer/distributer was Heritage Mercantile, and that they probably went under.

So, if that's the case (and its only a guess), I wonder where the Groundspeak Store is getting their supply?

July 1, 2009

My mom just bought a boxed set of about six of them, I'll ask her if there's any contact information on the box when I see her. Seems strange that they're still all over the place in Canada, and coming out with new ones all the time.

July 2, 2009

I don't know if I should be giving up my secret L&L location in fear of there being a run on the store. Hmm, well, about 3 months ago I bought a 20 piece set at JC Penney's for I think it was $20 on sale. It was in the advertisement. JC Penney's has about 3 different sets (16 - 20 pieces, round and square). Check it out.

July 2, 2009

Okay, I got the contact information off the containers, but now I'm concerned. The website listed is www.starfrit.com but I just visited it, and the lock n lock links seem to be broken. There's a few lunch and storage sets in the discount section, but those are the only ones I saw. The contact phone number on the Canadian packaging is 1-800-361-6232. I don't know if that will help at all, but I'm starting to get the feeling I should be grabbing them when I see them too.

July 2, 2009

I'm getting ready to place my first cache, a "Dollar Tree" version of the Lock & Lock container. I think its about a quart (maybe 1.5 quart) round container (a small cache size).

I've camo'ed it with Fusion paint and hope it hold up, however I'm not very optimistic. Of the three I bought, one had a faulty (failed) lock tab on one side. On the up side - they run $1.00 each with maybe $1.00 of paint it makes for a $2.00 container.

I'll be keeping a close eye on this first placement and switching if it doesn't hold up.

Tried those. They don't do well.

Thanks for hte reply briansnat. I suspected that might be the case but found it hard to resist (bargin minded shopper). Our local China Mart carrys some better containers that can be quickly used to replace the existing one if (optimistic, really meaning when) it fails.

I'll keep a close eye on its condition.

July 2, 2009

www.containerstore.com has a variety of lock & lock style containers. Nope, not the original Lock & Lock brand.

I have no direct experience with them but my wife pointed out the website after seeing them on an Oprah getting oragnized show.

4.2k · July 2, 2009

Hanacobi Plastic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hana_Cobi_Plastic

Awesome! How did you find that?!?

I'm guessing that they are the manufacturer, and the U.S. importer/distributer was Heritage Mercantile, and that they probably went under.

I found a link via google that lead me to a page on www.locknlock.com that told how to identify a "REAL" Lock N Lock container. They mentioned looking for the Hanacobi logo and name on the bottom. I did another google search on Hanacobi and that lead me to the wikipedia article.

I agree with you on distributer angle for Heritage Mercantile.

19k · July 2, 2009

All of this really begs the question, "where is the Groundspeak Store getting them?" Can they still get them? Did they just get a large inventory back when they were still available? Getting them through one of the online sites that claim to still be selling them? Hmmmm....

July 2, 2009

www.elocknlock.com

1.2k · July 2, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

19k · July 2, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Versatility, variety, in some cases, because (if not painted) they are see-thru, generally more appropriate in urban situations...

On the other hand, could always use glass jars, right?

4.2k · July 2, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Um... they don't sell ammo cans in retail chain stores and all my local Army Surpluss shops have gone out of business?

1.1k · July 2, 2009

All of this really begs the question, "where is the Groundspeak Store getting them?" Can they still get them? Did they just get a large inventory back when they were still available? Getting them through one of the online sites that claim to still be selling them? Hmmmm....

They still get them because the company is still in business. I doubt Groundspeak goes down to the local walmart to pick up their inventory.

1.1k · July 2, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Last time I saw an ammo can for sale at an army surplus store it was around 10$. A lot of the ones I see on e-bay are around 8-12$ each after shipping charges unless you buy them in bulk.

I can appreciate that they might be cheaper in your area - but prices are not universal and change over time depending on the DOD and other conditions.

4.2k · July 2, 2009

Got a close look at the Sterlite and Rubbermaid containers at lunch.

Sterilite has a gasket similar to Lock N Lock, but the clasp only "grabs" at a single small tab-like protuberance that's about 2cm across. LNL containers grab with an inch or so long area- actually they grab more than once as there is more than one strip that clicks the lid in place. It's almost a ratcheting-like function.

The Rubbermaid has a larger grasping surface on its clasps, but the gasket is not an independant part that meets the rim of the bowl at the top, but rather bonded to the lid in such a way that it meets only the outer circumference of the rim of the bowl. The clasps put pressure downward, but the seal is formed by pressure coming in from the sides.

4.5k · July 2, 2009

The Groundspeak-sold containers do NOT appear to be Lock & Lock brand. Not the ones I've seen in the wild, and not from what I can see in the blow-ups. I'm surprised Groundspeak isn't selling the best.

Unfortunately, recently I've seen Starfrit selling Lock & Lock containers that appear to be cheap clones of ...the clones, with wimpier closures than the originals. So the brand name alone isn't enough anymore, I'm afraid.

The best ones are the original Starfrit Lock & Lock containers, the ones with big plastic teeth on the container that fit into big rectangular holes on the lids. These ones go for years and years and years, even in a frigid climate.

19k · July 2, 2009

All of this really begs the question, "where is the Groundspeak Store getting them?" Can they still get them? Did they just get a large inventory back when they were still available? Getting them through one of the online sites that claim to still be selling them? Hmmmm....

They still get them because the company is still in business. I doubt Groundspeak goes down to the local walmart to pick up their inventory.

I suspect you're right about that last part. I was basing my question, though, on the (unproven) premise that the importer/distributer in the US has gone out of business.

6.5k · July 2, 2009

Market economics, when a great product comes out, all the knock-offs kill their sales.

Only when a patent or copyright is not there to protect the product/idea..........

If you compare the old L&L with the newer starlite clones, the old ones have a sort of slot in the tab so it can pass over a sort of stud and still have the end of the tab grab the container rim. The clones have no stud, they just simply snap down and grip the rim.

perhpas this is different enough to avoid any parents?

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Can I ask how many ammo cans around you?

Two or three years ago they were the about the same here, but the price of cans have doubled or more, while the price of lock and lock has stayed pretty much the same (assuming you can find them). Additionally, I haven't seen any ammo cans at flea markets, garages sales, and the farm/fleet stores that seemed to have them from time to time haven't had in more than years.

For some reason I used to think LnL was imported from china to either UK or Canada before in turn being imported to the US. I always wondered why. But Looking at some of the linkspeople have post I could be completely wrong about that.

July 2, 2009

Harris Teeter grocery stores in NC have the real thing. At least the one near my house does.

19k · July 2, 2009

Harris Teeter grocery stores in NC have the real thing. At least the one near my house does.

You wouldn't mind buying up their inventory for us, would you? Thanks!!

July 2, 2009

I don't know if I should be giving up my secret L&L location in fear of there being a run on the store. Hmm, well, about 3 months ago I bought a 20 piece set at JC Penney's for I think it was $20 on sale. It was in the advertisement. JC Penney's has about 3 different sets (16 - 20 pieces, round and square). Check it out.

I found the 20-piece set at a local Bi-Mart for $19.99. They look like the good sturdier ones. Buying them individually would put the price somewhere near $50.00. The smaller ones (4) are not something I'd use as a cache container, though others would and do. I gave these to my wife and still have 6 containers leftover for caching.

July 3, 2009

we just had a Harris Teeter open in town recently. time for me to finally have an excuse to go in there!

2.4k · July 3, 2009

As someone said earlier, so far so good for us in Canada - but I think I will do a quick shop before my friends from south of the border come up on a caching expedition !

I use them for non-caching use too.............forgive me, I have sinned..........

July 3, 2009

I bought one of the Rubbermaid LnL knockoffs tonight. It does not appear to be of the quality of a real LnL, but it seems like it may be serviceable. Time will tell.

1.2k · July 4, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Um... they don't sell ammo cans in retail chain stores and all my local Army Surpluss shops have gone out of business?

Try local gun shows. They have them cheaper than the Surplus stores. Also any local flee markets? We have two around here and ya can get a 30cal for $5.00.

6.7k · July 4, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Um... they don't sell ammo cans in retail chain stores and all my local Army Surpluss shops have gone out of business?

Try local gun shows. They have them cheaper than the Surplus stores. Also any local flee markets? We have two around here and ya can get a 30cal for $5.00.

LnLs come in sizes that ammo cans don't. LnLs are also see through for those locations that require it. Sometimes you need to fit the container to the location.

Frank, if you're interested the last time I was at Tops they had LnLs in stock.

Edited July 4, 2009 by GOF & Bacall

July 4, 2009

You can get LNL's at Dollar Stores & Walmart. I've seen them there!!!

1.2k · July 4, 2009

You can get an ammo can for the price of a decent size lock -n lock - why bother?

Um... they don't sell ammo cans in retail chain stores and all my local Army Surpluss shops have gone out of business?

Try local gun shows. They have them cheaper than the Surplus stores. Also any local flee markets? We have two around here and ya can get a 30cal for $5.00.

LnLs come in sizes that ammo cans don't. LnLs are also see through for those locations that require it. Sometimes you need to fit the container to the location.

Frank, if you're interested the last time I was at Tops they had LnLs in stock.

You are right GOF, there is a need for them. I repent... haha

My wife has some dollar off coupons for them at Tops, thanks for the reminder I need to use the coupons and get the L 'n L's.

Where did the Lock & Locks go?

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