How many of you shop local?

The last time I went into a small Kit's or small Mega camera store in a Mall the guys there were about 17 and didn't even know what a prosumer digicam like the G1 was. They had one flash like I wanted that had been significantly molested as it was the ONLY one in the store. No thanks, I'll buy for about 30% less, get it factory fresh the next morning anyday.......

Photo Noob said:

even if they eliminate the no sales tax (sad, sad day) the prices
on line or still mainly lower than a mom and pop shop can match.
Now a kits camera might be able to do a price match..but all those
shops breed (in my experience) are either teenage kids with a part
time job and no real photo experience or the "super sure of himself
elite Sudo-intellect photographer" who only talks down to you.

--
Photo Noob
D60
50mm 1.8, 75-300mm 4-5.6 III

Click to expand...

Got my first D30 kit at a prestigious local shop and paid dearly for it + the 6.5% tax. Then I discovered Delta and the rest is history. Now I have a 1D, 8 lenses (of which 5 are L's) 2 550ex flashes, a ST-E2, extra battery, Hoya Pro1 filters on ALL the lenses and a bunch of other stuff, ALL bought Grey at Delta. I figured my savings with markup and tax at over $3000. I'm not about to pass up that kind of savings when I know what I want and can just get it the next day, which by the way the shop in town rarely had what I wanted and would have had to special order it anyway. Charge top premium retail price for it + tax also. The overnight shipping from NY was cheap enough so as to ignore it alltogether. If I have a problem with a product, I get a replacement the NEXT day at the vendor's expense NO questions asked. No arguing, no proving there's a problem. Now THAT'S the way to buy gear if you ask me.........

Stephen Cook said:

Small company has to sell for $370 to break even.

Click to expand...

Which is fine, they can make up the difference by providing service and being nice to people. They can earn the difference. It seems that they want to make a profit, not provide service and treat their customers with disrespect (not caring what others think of them). Yet stores like Canoga, Samy's, B&H and Delta are building their business on pricing, being nice to their customers and providing service.

My last experience, a couple of weeks ago was with Canoga. The person who took my order did back flips to meet Delta's price (Delta was out of stock), answered my questions, was nice and the order showed up two days later. San Jose Camera on the other hand makes you feel like you don't matter when it comes to price and doesn't want to engage you in photographic conversation. I find that strange in a camera store.

Sooooo, when I need it now and price isn't of a concern, SJ Camera gets my business and when I have time, I shop with online stores via telephone. Craig was the last person I spoke with at Canoga and Betty is well known at Delta.

I don't even know the names of the people at SJ Camera. They know my face, don't try to get to know my name but they accept my credit card

I live in a area where the local camera shop is basicly a film processing center and frame retailer. When i ask for equipment they always look at me and say they can order it.. but then they show me the prices and they are horribile!!. There is another camera shop about 20 miles from my house. They stock Canon and Nikon gear but only the bodies. all the lenses etc are 3rd party stuff.. I ask always if they carry canon lens and parts and they tell me that they can order it.. But then they try to sell it to me at book price (MSRP) like someone else here in the forum suggested their local shop does

I work in downtown Chicago and the big local camera shop (Helix) tailor to more of the pros in the area that will pay their large prices. Im an aspiring amature and would bracket myself in an advanced amature catagory but dont have the bucks that these local shops want me to pay for their stuff.

I would love to support my local shops but when i deeply know that I can support someone like a Delta or a B&H online and get good prices and great customer service. They are the first I go to.

Jeffrey Lazo said:

Just curious how many users shop there local camera stores? How is
there pricing and the support and information?

--
Jeffrey Lazo
-Check out my D60 Galleries-
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj
-Newbie Lens Information/Prices -
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj/lenses/lenses.html
Support Your Local Camera Shops. Don't merely use them as
'Internet show-rooms'

Click to expand...

Lee Rothman said:

Now I have a 1D, 8 lenses (of which 5 are L's) 2 550ex
flashes, a ST-E2, extra battery, Hoya Pro1 filters on ALL the
lenses and a bunch of other stuff, ALL bought Grey at Delta.

Click to expand...

Lee! I'm shocked! Only five are "L's".

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Sorry, couldn't resist

I find the prices much more expensive than one can find on the net at places like B&H , Adorama, Canoga etc..You also save a hefty amount in taxes on large purchases if you buy from an online vendor out of state. Most online retailers also seem to know a little about the equipment they are selling. The retail chains and local shops seem to be manned by teenage kids or part timers who don't know much about the products or photography in general. There are exceptions though.

--
Mike
-------------------------------------------------
http://www.phototracks.net

"Sudo-intellect"

Now that's funny

Photo Noob said:

even if they eliminate the no sales tax (sad, sad day) the prices
on line or still mainly lower than a mom and pop shop can match.
Now a kits camera might be able to do a price match..but all those
shops breed (in my experience) are either teenage kids with a part
time job and no real photo experience or the "super sure of himself
elite Sudo-intellect photographer" who only talks down to you.

--
Photo Noob
D60
50mm 1.8, 75-300mm 4-5.6 III

Click to expand...

zidar said:

Nothing local for me. The closest place to buy film, which I no
longer use, is 300 miles away. So I get everything from B&H. I
order online and four days later a box shows up. And I'm up here
right next to Russia.

But when I lived in San Francisco, I bought at Fireside Camera
sometimes, and sometimes from B&H or 47th Street. If the local
store had a good deal, I'd snap it up. But I have no interest in
advice from a guy in a camera store. A lot of the sales people
resent that. I want a clean and frictionless transaction...

I also buy a lot of gear on eBay...then sell it on eBay later on
after I've fooled around with it.

By the way, when I was on vacation last August I bought a Canon 15
fisheye lens at a camera shop in San Luis Obispo. So sometimes I do
buy "local," Mr. Lazo.

Zidar
Alaska
--
It's not about stuff.

Click to expand...

--
--
Jeffrey Lazo
-Check out my D60 Galleries-
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj
-Newbie Lens Information/Prices -
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj/lenses/lenses.html
Support Your Local Camera Shops. Don't merely use them as
'Internet show-rooms'

Nearest shop close to me is about 55 miles away. I have been there several times but find their prices to be a lot higher than say a B&H. I find that if I do my own research into an item that I'm looking for I can make an informed decision and buy online. Sometimes I feel that these local stores may try to push one item over another. I like to research and make my own decisions.

This has been a very interesting thread. I too shopped online a lot before I started working in a small shop. Seeing from the "other side of the counter" really has changed my views. It is no longer about making money, especially for the shop owners, our prices are competitve just to stay in business.

We have customers coming, clearly using us to play with everything, knowing full well that they will buy online. It is really frustrating to explain the merits of the D60 over the D100, and have them walk to save a few bucks. Like most shops, most people can check all equipment for AF issues, hot pixels, front focusing, etc, prior to leaving the etablishment.

I didn't mean to fire any one up, just my feelings.
--
--
Jeffrey Lazo
-Check out my D60 Galleries-
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj
-Newbie Lens Information/Prices -
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj/lenses/lenses.html
Support Your Local Camera Shops. Don't merely use them as
'Internet show-rooms'

Jeffrey Lazo said:

We have customers coming, clearly using us to play with everything,
knowing full well that they will buy online.

Click to expand...

Myself? I don't play looky-loo games. I say; "Hey!" "How much for that 300mm f/4.0 L w/IS ya got in the box there on the shelf." Guy on other side of counter looks in a folder and says; "X number of dollars." I say, I can get it from so-and-so on the web/phone for this price here." Guy on the other side of the counted says; "Buy it." I say; "Okay." I leave and buy it as the salesman suggests.

The point, they don't even try to get my business at San Jose Camera.

I run a service business, pest-control. I deal with questions and comparative phone shopping seven days a week, except holidays and when the 49er's are playing ball

Sometimes I charge more then people quote me from competitors. It's incumbent upon me to define the services between myself and the competition. I need to take the time to do this so potential customers can understand the differences and why my services are worth twenty bucks more. I guess this is my sales training coming out.

I give them information and encourage them to check with the other companies as to the services I provide and the services others provide. I tell them they should call around and ask questions, see if other companies are willing to take the time to answer their questions and work with them as people, not marks.

Sales and treating people as people, in a camera store, does not seem to be a popular theme these days.

I buy most of my lenses from local online classifieds here in San Francisco. Great deals, first hand inspection of the goods, and no dealer markup and no sales tax.

I'd buy my new stuff from reputable online peeps like B&H, Ritz, etc.

Most camera shops have pushy sales people and high prices.

There are a couple of great film developing houses here (Photo Works on Market and Castro) that I support and buy film from, even though it's slightly more expensive that buying from other places.

This was before online sales took off. We also had peeps come in, play with the gear and really test out, then leave and say "I'll think about it." Of course, they called up B&H and got it from them.

Camera makers should simply pay local shops a rental fee to display their gear there for anyone who wants to play with it, knowing that the buyer will buy direct from somewhere else.

With high ticket items, it's important to handle the goods before you buy. I bought a Dell Insprion laptop w/o seeing it once; when it arrived, it was built like a p.o.s. I wish I never bought it. I ended up with an IBM, which is built much better.

If the price is close (doesn't have to be cheaper), I will buy local.

Steven

Jeffrey Lazo said:

Just curious how many users shop there local camera stores? How is
there pricing and the support and information?

--
Jeffrey Lazo
-Check out my D60 Galleries-
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj
-Newbie Lens Information/Prices -
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj/lenses/lenses.html
Support Your Local Camera Shops. Don't merely use them as
'Internet show-rooms'

Click to expand...

--
---
My really bad Fall Adventures:
http://www.pbase.com/snoyes/fall_adventures_2002

I would like to, but...

I live in a medium-sized college town in West Central Illinois (in what we call "Forgottonia," a liitle piece of nowhere in particular). I bought my D60 kit for $2199 online. The local store price was $2800. Can't afford the extra $600, mostly because this little town has the third highest property tax rate in Illinois, inclusing Chicago and the suburbs.

Dean Roberts
MeanDean Digital

Jeffrey Lazo said:

Just curious how many users shop there local camera stores? How is
there pricing and the support and information?

--
Jeffrey Lazo
-Check out my D60 Galleries-
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj
-Newbie Lens Information/Prices -
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj/lenses/lenses.html
Support Your Local Camera Shops. Don't merely use them as
'Internet show-rooms'

Click to expand...

It has a green awning and a big window with a lot of used equipment. It is on Higuera. I can't remember the name...if there are other stores in town, I don't know where. Got a good deal on the used 15 fisheye. But I bought some Zeiss lens cleaning solution which is absolutely worthless...no point even in drinking it. Kodak lens cleaning solution is still the best, not to mention the cheapest!

I was a salesman in a camera store about 30 years ago. Sometimes I'll be in a store waiting for service and another customer will say something and I'll want to slug him. Working in a camera store is not easy. But I had a friend who worked in a high-end stereo store. Her tales of irritating customers make my hands curl into fists even today. So I can see both sides.

Zidar
Alaska
--
It's not about stuff.

Phil Flash said:

This was before online sales took off. We also had peeps come in,
play with the gear and really test out, then leave and say "I'll
think about it." Of course, they called up B&H and got it from
them.

Click to expand...

Somewhere along the line, camera shop owners need to get the message or they'll continue to go out of business.

San Jose Camera, they won't even try to put in a valid web site. They have a web page but nothing that's usefull.

Not trying to be argumentative; If "peeps" are coming in and then buying from B&H, there's a reason. The shop owner has to identify this reason and make necessary adjustments.

A suggestion. Samy's has in store pricing and phone pricing. The suggestion; have a price for phone sales and put a dedicated person in charge of phone sales. That way no "peep" and the customer gets a better price.

We all would but...

• Try to gouge us with close to RRP
• Don't carry certain product lines
• Service is behind on line stores
• Fail to keep up to date in a number of areas of the busines.

Saying these points though, the D60 and all lenses were purchased at my local stotre, but only after negotiating with some prices that I could get on line.

But I get a little sick of when I want something, taking in a price from elsewhere and asking if they're wiling to match. Gez, I've purchased several thou worth of equipment, can't we get a little respect.
John

To their credit they were willing to talk business

Jeffrey Lazo said:

Just curious how many users shop there local camera stores? How is
there pricing and the support and information?

--
Jeffrey Lazo
-Check out my D60 Galleries-
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj
-Newbie Lens Information/Prices -
http://homepage.mac.com/lazoj/lenses/lenses.html
Support Your Local Camera Shops. Don't merely use them as
'Internet show-rooms'

Click to expand...

--
Nothing to say...............................

mark kay said:

I sometimes go local but usually on smaller items. I have purchased
my STE-2 and MR-14EX, and a couple of bags locally. In truth, I
might have purchased more if it were not for rude sales folks.
THere is a place nearby--mom and pop that i really like but their
prices are outrageous.I have asked about price discounts and i was
told it cannot be sold for less unless it is grey. I like K&S in
Palo Alto and almost made a large purchase there but the
salesperson I dealt with was a jerk so i walked out and ordered it
online. Mark

Click to expand...

That's so true. Doesn't it seem that some people chose to work at high-end stores like K&S because they just want a forum to show how smart they think are about equipment?

Andy Frazer
http://www.gorillasites.com

Agreed. I work less than two miles from San Jose Camera and I only go there in emergencies for batteries and film. And even their film is too expensive.

Andy