Harbor Freight Tools Coupons - Where have they gone?

Hello. It's been quite some time since I've posted out here, busy with the holidays and post holidays trying to catch up. For those in the know and follow such things, we can't help but notice the massive roll back in coupons and advertisement being issued by Harbor Freight Tools. To the point of being non-existent.

Maybe we took it for granted. All of the years that I have been here in Texas (since 2008), there is one thing you used to able to most certainly count on in your Sunday paper - a Harbor Freight Tools insert.

Apparently those days are gone with the wind.

Back toward the last quarter of last year, Harbor Freight Tools went on an advertising spree. There were inserts every Sunday in the paper, various mailings as well as coupons in various magazines ranging from local electric companies, to car, truck and hunting magazines. As an added bonus, they even sent out an flyer in those monthly advertisements that get mailed to your house full of Life Insurance, DirectTV, fast food coupons, checks, As Seen on TV, etc. These were good times for those looking to catch a real bargain for tools and things for the home, or for those who endeavor in such things, to sell on eBay (more on that later.)

I have a Harbor Freight Tools store local to me here in Texas. I often save them due to their generous expiration dates, for use when I need something. The 20% and 25% off any single item coupons work very well also and I have used them in the store more times than I can remember. I like the store, the people and the deals. I'd rather buy a shop vac there for $25-30 as opposed to getting ripped off in stores like Wal Mart, Home Depot or Lowes' paying almost double for a product that does the same thing.

However, at the end of December 2013 and is still ongoing as of mid-March 2014 at least in my area, there have been no Harbor Freight Tools flyers and inserts in my Sunday paper as well as none mailed to my address via the monthly flyers mentioned above. Nothing, done. Finito. Even the one-page flyer they print still in the SmartSource coupon flyer has been dramatically reduced to the same 12 (it used to be upwards of 20) items over and over again.

I went in the stores recently and asked a clerk why they no longer advertise like they used to. Of course being the clueless $8.00 an hour clerk that it was, he stated it was "probably to get you to buy one of these things" and picked up their $30 a year Inside Track club membership card.