A question about supporting the local camera store.

Supporting your local store works both ways. You get discounts and people will be very helpfull. More than once I've borrowed a brandnew lens over the weekend that I didn't have myself for an assignment and brought it back on monday, no charge at all. And that without signing anything, all on trust. Also they help me to get a great price on any redundant gear. So overall I may be paying a bit more than I would online but on the other hand that's what I call great service and something you won't find online. Building up a good relationship (I've helped them out a few times) goes a long way. Besides I prefere to deal with people I know.

there are "local" stores about 35miles away.

Hm 3-4 gallons of gas away.

and the last time I called one, the lady DID NOT know what d-76 was.

she would NOT let me immediately talk to anyone else.

( dragon at the gate)

I emailed the owner and he said " we usually have it but call ahead to be sure"

this was the OWNER's wife!

what would you think?

There were 2 local Camera stores in my area(within a 15 mile radius) 8 years ago. One was a well known retail store the other was a mom-an-pop camera store that tried to compete with the retail store. The thing that got me about this m-a-pop was that they were very snobish and unfriendly.

 

If you asked them for help, they would act as if they were doing you a favor. I tried to support them for a while by purchasing certain items, but it didn't make a dent on how they treated you when you walked inside their store.

 

On the other hand the retail camera store, is very friendly. Some sales people there know me by name. Almost all of them know me by face.

 

The unfriendly local store closed down about 4 years ago. One of the sales-people who use to work there lives around the corner from me, in a more depressed area. I met him at the bus stop one day and he told me he was freelancing. You know, the guy is still unfriendly as hell.

I'd personally support a local store if I knew of one that carried the gear I am interested in and provided service I valued. The best local stores around me are Best buy, ritz and Penn Camera. Penn Camera isn't that bad. However, none of them ever have any of the gear I am interested in (Olympus OM camera gear). So I don't have much of a choice except to go to the internet. At least I support the online retailers who have given me good service and stay away from the ones I dislike. KEH, Adorama and B&H get almost all of my service. Occasionally Ebay if one of those 3 don't stock a product I am looking for.

<i>Personally, I make my purchases at B&H and don't visit any stores. But I pay more than at some online stores, however B&H accepts my returns and is helpful when I need it.</i><p>Thank you. Much appreciated.<p>

-- <br>

Henry Posner <br>

<b>B&H Photo-Video</b>

If you buy local you will most liekly not only support your local dealer or the people who work there, but maybe also yourself. Money that stays in your local economy could come back to your own business. Of course this depends on what job you do.

I am glad there are buy local shoppers. I salute you. You make a powerful argument. Buy something for me and I

can feel better about ordering the new TV from J and R iin NYC( two hundred dollars plus tax less than at Best

Buy here.No hard sell for added insurance package.) Just the way the market has shifted to on line for many of us.

On line sellers are now providing lots of product info, easy returns, and in case of B and H, the option to ship

at a favorable USPS rate to the islands.

FEDEX/UPS costs no gas or time or parking btw ... How can 'local 'keep inventory like B and H for one mail

example. " We can order it for you" aint good enough, E.g, Two months to get that Heliopan filter. Distributors

price or stocking policy clearly favor large retailers I suppose so blame them fellers too...

Another advantage to supporting a local (non-chain) store is that they can support you too. I've gotten emails from mine when something new or used has come in that they think I might be interested in, and they got another guy in touch with me to buy an old film camera of mine

 

Also, they gave me a fine condition Domke F-2 bag that had come in with a trade.

 

Biggs Camera, Charlotte NC, fine folks

Some local stores are better than others. Last summer I went to one of our local photography stores, one that has been around for decades, and the guy behind the counter didn't even know what kodachrome was. There's no compelling need to shop at that store over an on-line store.

 

On the other hand, some of the local stores are pretty good. A couple of them even still carry some chemicals and darkroom equipment in addition to a good selection of digital equipment and books.

When it comes to gear, I can only afford used. I'll check out the prices online from KEH, B&H and the other usually suspects. Then I'll head out and check out the local shops. Now here in LA, there are plenty of shops. Some of the smaller mom-n-pop stores have closed while others may be hanging on by their fingernails. However, as a film shooter the pickings are understandably slim at places like Samys but what really amazes me is how these stores price their used goods on par with online retailers despite the atrocious conditions. I recently was looking for a Nikon F2 and after looking at a handful of bodies at several shops I was appalled at how beat up they were and for the astronomical prices being asked for them. I finally found a decent looking body at a camera swap meet and purchased it for $200 (no tax) from a shop owner from Orange County.

 

I also got a great deal on a 28mm F2.8 AI-S lens from Keeble and Schuchatt in Palo Alto. My father lives up that way and he got a call from them that they had just gotten this lens in and it was overhauled by Nikon. It was exactly the lens I wanted and for $199 plus tax and shipping I still got out for cheaper then KEH. The lens is absolutely spotless.

 

Meanwhile, I buy all my film and darkroom items from Freestyle. I drop by there about once a week and am on a first name basis with just about everyone who works the floor there. Freestyle is about the only place I can imagine that will still be supporting us b&w film shooters in the future. I spend as much as I can afford there for this reason.

We used to have lots of local camera stores in the Chicago metropolitan area...most you could go in, have a good chat and be shown something by a knowledgible employee or owner...or they would "look out" for something you really were interested in. The web and larger camera chains put a hasty demise to many of these (I still have a few on my list here and there in the northwest suburbs, and a couple of interesting shops in the Loop). If I get superb service and knowledgible attention in the local camera shop...I'd give them first shot, but have to admit the web garners probably 95% of my photography purchases these days.

You'd get the lens right away, but any business fails without good customer service.

Too often local shops charge way too much money. It's not my job to justify their light bill, building lease, etc...had I patronized those local stores, it would have cost me at least $5,000 more for thier items I have purchased over the last few years. I never had an issue with service or return or other mitigation when working with internet stores. Often in-store personal lie and manipulate in order to sale what's currently in inventory, or products that have the fattest profit margins.

 

If the brick and morters can hang in there fine, but if they go under, bye, bye, no worries....