How many of you shop local?

Hi Lisa,

I stumbbled on Ken-Mar in the late 80's whilst visiting a friend in Great Neck. They are a class act. I shop there when I am able. They carried all my Contax film needs.

As an aside, in years past, I would get a system and stay with it for years. In this digital age with the HUGE advances being made each year, I guess we all shop much more often. I try to use online as in information gathering tool and shop as local as possible.
Best,
Robert

Still, with the Ritz factor I mentioned in a post above, local is becoming less of an option. The marketing demographics for a large chain like Ritz show them no need to place a full range/service store in my area.

However, a great store which had a decent full range of products( even projector lamps!), went out mainly due to Ritz. The demographics were there for a smaller self-owned store, but not for a planet munching ,quarterly return driven, faceless corporation. I have yet to meet a Ritz owner. Are there such things?
Best,
Robert

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...

--
Michael

http://www.mikekaplan.com

I love your experiences. In the small town you try to support your local sheriff and merchant, if s/he's honest and available.

Down here in the boonies we have only our chains to throw off- the electronics chains. I would find even Ritz a blessing since I can get cameras and supplies only at Circuit City, 'The Shack' , Sears, Walmart and the local drug store. Digital there means your fingers. It's 80 miles to the outskirts of Memphis. (Oops i forgot Sam's.) I am frequently amused by the warnings of those on this site to the effect that you have to look at and touch any $2K purchase.

It seems even a problem in larger metro areas. On a recent educational foray to New Orleans to keep my license, I visited most of the "camera" and electronics stores on Canal St . near Le Vieux Carre. I have more high level Canon camera gear than they do combined. I did not recognize the few boxed EOS lenses available but EOS Magazine assures me they were made in the past. One or two of the managers/sales consultants had heard of 'L' lenses and assured me they could order them-likely from Delta or BH...

Back in Tupelo I sent one of our nurses on to find her consumer digital camera with several warnings including that to ignore the hype regarding digital zooms. So the hack from 'The Shack' intimated that I was clueless.... Maybe, but not about that. The only camera store in town folded up before i arrived 5 years ago, the victim of the throwaways and the cheap digitals I suspect. the only prosumer camera I have seen in town digital or otherwise is used by the local paper's photog and its a Nikon......

Meanwhile if any of you are from the Tupelo area I'd love to Talk shoppe. Email me.

Bopbop dba George A Housley Jr

Tupelo Birthplace of the King
and now home of the bopbop, breathlessly awaiting his 15" of fame.

Jeffrey Lazo said:

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

Click to expand...

George A Housley Jr said:

I am frequently amused by the warnings of those on this site to
the effect that you have to look at and touch any $2K
purchase.

Click to expand...

Well, George, when you buy a $2K camera or a $2K lens and find after a few months that you hate it because of the way it handles, the way it feels, you may see what we mean. I too buy without handling because we don't have a decent shop even in Chicago unless you want to drive all over to find what you want to see, but I have had some very expensive disappointments. Maybe that's why I've had 5 digitals and 4 Canon lenses in 18 months and am not happy with what I've done. On the other hand, I am amazed that I don't see many posts objecting to "handling." Maybe I'm strange.

Over 30 years, I have bought numerous film cameras and lenses, often without seeing them first, and I've had only one disappointment. But digital seems to be a different story because of the proliferation of imaginative designs.

I do it anyway, but the point is still valid.

Bob

--
D60, CP5700 and stuff

I needed to buy NetObjects Fusion 7 and it costs $149. Ritz/Wolf has a special offer where you get several things for free when you buy any digital camera. One of those things is the full version of Fusion 7. I decided to buy a Fuji 2650 for $200. Since I opted for the Fuji it also came with an APS camera and a binocular, this pair will be used as a gift for someone.

Since I was going to spend that $150 anyways I end up with a gift for someone and a decent little digital camera for my wife for about $50 more. Other then deals like this I almost always shop on-line since not only are the prices better but the biggest reason is that the local shops (30 plus miles away) don't carry that much high-end equipment.

Not to demean any one's bad experiences and how to avoid them but...

I think my point is that I would love to touch all before I buy but a 5 hour roundtrip to even get into Memphis is foolish. Never mind that I do not know of a suitable retail establishment there. Given modern shipping to the boonies, reasonable return policies, even a 26.4 k max download speed with my working hours and hourly rate it is wiser to buy then try. I do devour the net though for info.

The critical mass of community knowledge that should help you find a possible gold mine of info in a place like Chicago does not exist in Tupelo. If I am to believe my Chicago friends they possess much of that knowledge about mid and almost high level Chicago eateries. (as with photography the gains and losses in quality at the margins may not be worth the costs) . I am unaware of any local high level digital photography source here- personal and certainly not retail. Give me a few hours though and I can tell you about everyone else's business in town. I just may be the most knowledgeable in 30 miles-horrors! If these posts are a true measure, that gold mine of info and photography product in the big city seems to have evaporated in most places . I'd love to have one in close access, say a 3 hour roundtrip, since I can and will afford to pay the extra for some info. Maybe even a Ritz.

Which gets me to my most important point- IS THERE ANYONE IN MY AREA THAT WANTS TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK PIXELS AND LIGHT AND ADMIRE MY PICTURES ER LET ME ADMIRE THEIRS?

BY THE WAY SAMS IN TUPELO HAS 63, NO NO NOW ITS 61, D60'S FOR SALE AND 5 1DS'S. 1-800-forgetit.

FULL OF UPGRADE ANGST, CRITICAL OF FASHION and GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY I remain your most humble servant:

bopbop
Tupelo Mississippi

Birthplace of 'The King' and now 'Home To The Bopbop' waiting for his 15" of Fame

I would like to but we have only one camera store in town that carries "high end" cameras and lens. Their price for a D60 is $2600+ for a 70-200 2.8IS $1900+ and for a 28-135 $600 plus and they don't even discuss discounts. I wouldn't mind paying 10% more if that was the "out the door" price but sales tax adds approx. 7.75% to these high prices. I buy all of my audio and home theater from a local store even though I can get some equipment cheaper on line or mail order. They have a liberal discount and they will set up any system I'm interested in so I can listen in the store and I can take it home for a tryout and return if it's not what I want. I have no idea what the profit margin is in either store but I know that a 25% discount from retail probably doesn't leave a large profit in the store where I buy HI-FI. I will say that I won't use a local store for a demonstration and then buy on line.

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...

--
Keep life in focus.

Jeffrey Lazo said:

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.

Click to expand...

That's a good point. As much as I do most of my shopping on-line, I never use the local shops just as a showroom. If I know what I want, I buy on-line. If I want the touchy-feely experience, I will buy it at the store where I tried it out.

Trying out a product in a store with no intention of buying it from the store is perfectly legal, but totally unethical.

There! That's my two cents.

Andy Frazer
http://www.gorillasites.com

DON said:

I will say that I won't use
a local store for a demonstration and then buy on line.

Click to expand...

Nothing says that just because you look at an item in one store that you can't purchase it in another store. I've gone to 4 or 5 stores for the same item and bought at the store that had the better deal. If that camera shop's prices are THAT far out of line then they should expect that people are going to buy from someplace else.

I disagree with the idea that it is somehow wrong to go and look at an item at the store and then go and buy it on-line. If the stores were remotely competitive then this would not happen that often. For most people it needs to be a good size difference in price for you to put the item down in the store, go home and order it. I would love to buy locally but I've got no problem checking it out at a local store and buying on-line. If they really want my business then they'll deal with me. If they won't deal then they aren't really interested in weather or not I buy from them.

I will go from one store to another looking for a price match if I can save more than it costs me running around. To me that's much different than going to my local camera store to look at a XXX to see if I like and then buy on line. I said in my post that I'm willing to pay a premium around 10% to buy locally. You and I will just have to disagree about using the local store for a demo when we know that we'll most likely buy on line. I just wont do it.

Greg M said:

DON said:

I will say that I won't use
a local store for a demonstration and then buy on line.

Click to expand...

Nothing says that just because you look at an item in one store
that you can't purchase it in another store. I've gone to 4 or 5
stores for the same item and bought at the store that had the
better deal. If that camera shop's prices are THAT far out of line
then they should expect that people are going to buy from someplace
else.

I disagree with the idea that it is somehow wrong to go and look at
an item at the store and then go and buy it on-line. If the stores
were remotely competitive then this would not happen that often.
For most people it needs to be a good size difference in price for
you to put the item down in the store, go home and order it. I
would love to buy locally but I've got no problem checking it out
at a local store and buying on-line. If they really want my
business then they'll deal with me. If they won't deal then they
aren't really interested in weather or not I buy from them.

Click to expand...

--
Keep life in focus.

It still amazes me that local stores operating with what should be an overwhelming advantage - they have me right there in the store with merchandise to seduce me with - still manage to drive me away.

I think that is an important point that in the past local camera stores not only provided a modest bit of expertise, but also an environment where one could spend time with his own kind - a guy likes to hear a little photo-talk every now and then. Things have changed. I can’t find a shop where I can go chat with the owner for an hour or so on Saturday while his clerk waits on customers - I never run into anybody I know with whom I can waste another hour. I don’t need paper, chemicals and film anymore.

I still go to local shops every now and then but I’m only reminded why I’ve begun buying on-line. My last high-dollar item from a local shop was a Pro90. The clerk did his best to get me to buy ANY camera BUT a Pro90. It was the only one they had left - I got the impression he wanted it for himself or a friend. On other visits, no matter what I want to buy, they want to sell me something else, not in-addition-to, but instead-of. I wanted to buy a gray card once - they didn’t try to talk me into a black card or a white card - they were just out of stock. They have been out of stock for 6 months.

I’ve reached the point I’d rather pay EXTRA to the on-line merchants and wait a month for delivery than to go local. I’ve never talked to an on-line person that wasn’t friendly and helpful. I can get my photo-chat fix from the forums and I don’t even have to listen back.

DON said:

I will go from one store to another looking for a price match if I
can save more than it costs me running around. To me that's much
different than going to my local camera store to look at a XXX to
see if I like and then buy on line. I said in my post that I'm
willing to pay a premium around 10% to buy locally. You and I
will just have to disagree about using the local store for a demo
when we know that we'll most likely buy on line. I just wont do it.

Click to expand...

I understand your point. My point is that when you're standing in the store they have an oppertunity to make a deal if they will sell the item for less then they have it priced for.

As far as high ticket items go, I always mention the price that I can get it for from someplace else. I give them the chance for the sale. I don't expect them to match the price but I do expect them to at least get in the same ballpark. If they come up with a price that's acceptable then I'll buy it then. If they don't then I leave.

We both win. I get to see the item and they get a chance at a sale that they would not have had if I had not taken my time to go to the store. After all, it's their choice to make or not make the sale.

If its something small, like the occasional printer paper, ink, canned-air, ect., then I will buy local. Other than that, I can get things WAY cheaper from either BH, Delta, or Bestprice. And that excludes sales tax. (8.1 YUK!)

I have guessed that from all the things I bought online, I have saved about $1000. Thats a whole 28-70L!!
--
Mike B.
D60, 70-200L IS, 50 F1.4
16-35L F2.8, 550EX

mike b said:

If its something small, like the occasional printer paper, ink,
canned-air, ect., then I will buy local. Other than that, I can get
things WAY cheaper from either BH, Delta, or Bestprice. And that
excludes sales tax. (8.1 YUK!)
I have guessed that from all the things I bought online, I have
saved about $1000. Thats a whole 28-70L!!
--
Mike B.
D60, 70-200L IS, 50 F1.4
16-35L F2.8, 550EX

Click to expand...

--
-----------------
David
Washington, DC

And in the sticks, there's no local to shop. ("Local shop" reminds me of "League of Gentlemen.") The Internet has been a real boon to selection and shopping.

Nearest camera shop is over hill and dale, 3-hour round trip, and it's not particularly well stocked. Prices are high. After I had picked up a 1 GB Microdrive from Iomega for $189 + tax/shipping, I was in that shop, and noted that they were selling the same drive for near $500. I made a jesting reference to the counter guy. He was interested, and I think he planned to buy via Iomega/net, also.

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...

Don't forget online places often have much lower overhead than freestanding stores. This can at times help explain the differences in pricing.

The pricing I cannot understand is when a store has both mail order and storefronts with differing prices for the same item. My thoughts are they should be the same.

Then of course if the mail order is out of state a tax savings occurs which can offset the shipping depending upon the item.
In the ball park is key. I like the 10% concept.
Best,
Robert

funny thing about all this is that my D60 cost the same as online shops, but i paid a little more for the first 2 lenses i bought. the 3rd lens i bought from B&H. the TC80 remote and my first Bogen tripod came from my local shop again, but only now they started giving me a 20% discount. later i bought a Bogen 3228 wilderness combo and again, 20% off. last night i bought a Bogen bag and some other goodies, and again 20% off. why? i'm now part of what they consider a full time consumer.

sure some stuff can still be had for less on the net, but my local shop has even gone to the extent to offer me a tab.

in a week, i will be living (during the week) at San Luis Obispo, and will patronize one of the local shops there too.

my next lens selection is the 24-70L when it becomes available, and the shop here in Fresno has offered to get it for me at 50 dollars over online prices.
i'm glad i stuck with them now.

Robert P Miller said:

Don't forget online places often have much lower overhead than
freestanding stores. This can at times help explain the differences
in pricing.
The pricing I cannot understand is when a store has both mail order
and storefronts with differing prices for the same item. My
thoughts are they should be the same.
Then of course if the mail order is out of state a tax savings
occurs which can offset the shipping depending upon the item.
In the ball park is key. I like the 10% concept.
Best,
Robert

Click to expand...

--
photography is my passion.

The tripod and head I want costs just $35 more locally so I'll probably buy it there. You're right about stores offering steady customers a discount. The HiFi store I buy from has a once a year sale for any customer that has purchased anything in the last 12mos. And it's a real sale....they don't raise prices and then discount from the higher price. If I thought the local camera store would do the same I'd buy all my photographic equipment there.

hawkeye said:

Robert P Miller said:

Don't forget online places often have much lower overhead than
freestanding stores. This can at times help explain the differences
in pricing.
The pricing I cannot understand is when a store has both mail order
and storefronts with differing prices for the same item. My
thoughts are they should be the same.
Then of course if the mail order is out of state a tax savings
occurs which can offset the shipping depending upon the item.
In the ball park is key. I like the 10% concept.
Best,
Robert

Click to expand...

--
photography is my passion.

Click to expand...

--
Keep life in focus.

Not to insult you, but "poll" questions like yours pollute the forum with pointless messages. Forum is not a place to collect statistics.

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...