Encouraging you to Buy Locally!

Just picked up my new 7D today! Bought it at my local mom & pop camera shop (not many of those left in the country). With the $200 rebate, their price was as good as any of the on line stores, (lower than a couple), and they gave me a nice allowance for my Rebel XTi as a trade in. Over all with tax, probably paid about $25 more than if I bought at any of the big on liners with shipping, but I really felt good about helping out the local economy.

I hope you all will join me in supporting your local camera shop!

AW

Sounds like you got a good deal, but that seems it would be pretty rare, at least around here.

Most gear is priced anywhere from 25-50% higher in local shops then on Amazon. Factor in the ~10% tax and it's just not economically sound to buy local.

Local camera shops have pretty much ceased to exist in my area. The only choices really are the big box stores but then you have a very limited selection.

Same here. All are a lot higher than the on-line retailers, and not by 25 bucks.

I do and that's why I always shop at Adorama....sometimes BH too...

Bought my 85 f/1.8 from B and H Photo for $300. The best local Mom and Pop shop (Harolds Photo) price $460 including tax.

The best mom & pop photo shop near me closed down many years ago. They sold to Wolf Camera which then became Ritz and I won't buy from them way over priced.

davesans wrote in post #11887890
The best mom & pop photo shop near me closed down many years ago. They sold to Wolf Camera which then became Ritz and I won't buy from them way over priced.

Wolf/Ritz closed all their brick and mortar stores, didn't they?

The closest thing I have to a local camera shop is a pawn shop, and that is only if you are looking for a 20 year old film body or maybe some 5 year old P&S. But those who live up in NY can shop at the favorite stores on the net right there in place...if you dont mind colliding with 1000 others looking for the same thing. I bet there are more people taking pictures of people taking pictures than people breathing in my state.. LOL
Yep, jealous to the core..

I am lucky in that Calumet and Canoga Camera are both local to me. The downside is that because they're local to me, they charge sales tax. So that kills much of the benefit. So I find myself more often than not opting to purchase from B&H or Amazon.

I worked in a local camera shop while in HS, ~10 yrs ago. Even back then we had a lot of customers telling us that our prices weren't competitive with online shops, and 5% MA sales tax was making them even worse. Operation cost for online store is significantly lower than having an actual store, and given the vast availability of reviews and comparisons on all the newly released cameras online one no longer finds information they receive from the store's sales stuff valuable enough that they'd be willing to pay 20%+ over the online store's price. In my opinion, local camera stores don't have any future.

Truly lucky in Western MA. We have Peipuls Camera in Chicopee and a very small chain called Hunts Photo and Video in Hadley. Great prices and more importantly experts who can really work with you. Bought mine at Peipuls, $1,499. Plus I got $250 for my four year old XTi. Very satisfied. And I didn't have to wait for Brown to show up!

I'd consider local but like the the bike shop, local is not an option. I'd probably be broke if there were actual local stores for the hobbies and interests I have. I'd always consider a few dollars more for the instant gratification.

Darth Mo wrote in post #11887909
Wolf/Ritz closed all their brick and mortar stores, didn't they?

Only some of them. There are still a lot of them arround.

The closest I've got to a mom&pop camera store around here is a ritz camera (or are they gone?)

adamwright wrote in post #11887633
Just picked up my new 7D today! Bought it at my local mom & pop camera shop (not many of those left in the country). With the $200 rebate, their price was as good as any of the on line stores, (lower than a couple), and they gave me a nice allowance for my Rebel XTi as a trade in. Over all with tax, probably paid about $25 more than if I bought at any of the big on liners with shipping, but I really felt good about helping out the local economy.

I hope you all will join me in supporting your local camera shop!

AW

So with the allowance they gave you for your rebel xti you still paid 25$ more then online?!
If this is true, I don't think you made any deal., you could get few hundreds for that rebel, with the rebate(which is online as well) , no taxes and free shipping you could get a real deal.

I only have Worst-Buy close to me, and I don;t think I need to say more.
Their princes are from a different planet.
I never buy in store. You want me to support local stores from my hard earn money?! Why would I do that? Is their business, If they cannot stay competitive just close the darn store. For me is the same product I'm buying.