Supporting Your Local Store - Do You?

dcsang

dcsang

Canadian & Not A Dentist
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Since about 1998, I've been buying things online.
A lot of things.

My first digital camera came from Ebay.
A classic; the Kodak DC-120 (http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-120-DC120-Digital-Camera/dp/B00005QXZY) was about $300+ various import taxes, brokerage fees, etc.

Since then, anything I found "cheaper" than what it cost locally was purchased online.

Nowadays though; and probably since the last few years at least - if I can find something new locally, I'll usually buy it locally, even if it costs upwards of 25% more. Mostly because I want to support my local shops. (I'm not talking the Big Box stores like Best Buy, or such but my local "mom & pop" shops). This goes for most consumer items but in our case here, I'm talking camera shops.

If I can't find it locally, I then would look to the "usual" vendors - ones from here (Tony @ Popflash, Messr Gandy, Messr Pinto, Senor Abrahamson etc.) and B&H.

Do you patronize your local camera shops or has the advent of the internet (hmm... the web is now about 14-15 years on.. maybe it's beyond its "advent" stage 😀) caused you to do nothing but buy online?

Curious,
Dave
 
Down here in Florida there are no local stores that can even remotely support my particular (rangefinder) habit. Therefore since I am in NYC quite frequently, I treat Photo Village as my local store, than move on to the usual suspects, if needed.
 
For items that do not have a great price difference (i.e. ~ 10-15% difference), I spend the extra money to buy from the little/independent local stores.
 
I buy film, filters, etc locally, but I don't think I've even seen a film camera in a local store in a long, long time. If I wanted a D300 or something like that, I'd probably buy it locally, but DSLR isn't on my list.
 
Supporting your local store is great in theory, but my two local stores are staffed by rude, grumpy men who don't seem to want to sell anything.

So I buy online, but I go to www.robertwhite.co.uk, because it's not faceless.
 
If I feel they deserve my support, then yes I do. Whenever I'm in the need for something, The Camera Store is the first place I go to. Fortunately (my wallet says unfortunately) it's on the way home from work so it's never too inconvenient to make a stop over there.

However if a store has lousy customer service, I see no reason why I would support them. I used to take all my colour development to Vistek. I put up with their lousy service so long, I got fed up and learned how to do my own C41 processing. Heck, I've even offered to do some people's processing just so they don't have to go there!
 
internet is the closest store, it is right in front of me.

other than food and clothing, I don't shop local any more, not even go to the mall for holiday special.

but i get on my usual schedule, just not shopping.
 
The only local mom and pop gives me a decent deal on expired film. There's a fridge in the back that used to be full but they don't sell much anymore. When I showed them my new Bessa I think they were disappointed I didn't buy a new camera from them (they don't sell film anymore anyway) but I explained that it probably means their fridge will be cleaned out pretty soon.
 
I had up until recently, but that is changing. The costs of film are horrendously overpriced, and developer isn't cheap either. Not only that but they barely keep any in stock. I plan on buying all film and chemicals over the net from now on. If I need something at short notice I buy from there, otherwise I order over the net.
 
sienarot said:
However if a store has lousy customer service, I see no reason why I would support them. I used to take all my colour development to Vistek. I put up with their lousy service so long, I got fed up and learned how to do my own C41 processing. Heck, I've even offered to do some people's processing just so they don't have to go there!
Click to expand...

hehe... Derrick, it's good to see that most Vistek "service" is the same whether it's here in Toronto or out west in Calgary.

Dave
 
dcsang said:
hehe... Derrick, it's good to see that most Vistek "service" is the same whether it's here in Toronto or out west in Calgary.

Dave
Click to expand...

I'm sure it's a cooperative effort, Dave! A friend of mine was wanting to purchase a lens from Vistek here in Calgary, but they didn't have it in stock so they had to order it from Toronto. I can't recall all the exact details, but it boiled down to my friend not getting the lens because Toronto just didn't want to send it to Calgary so he had to turn elsewhere for it.
 
One of the major camera stores in Brisbane has a pretty decent stock of film ... I just don't feel like paying $10.00 a roll for TRI-X or the same for HP5. I bought a $350.00 tripod off them for the sole reason that some friends gave me a $200.00 voucher from the particular store one year for my birthday.

Funnily when I was in there getting the tripod I spotted an M8 in the cabinet and asked if they had sold any. The salesman said "Not one ... what sort of fool would pay that much money when you can buy the DSLR next to it for a third of the price?" When I mentioned that I had just bought an M8 he slunk away ... such salesmanship! 😛
 
Damn straight I do!! The ONLY internet shopping I do for camera gear is right here on RFF!
I've been a proponent of shopping local for years - look under my avatar. I understand that many, many member here simply don't have that option based on their geography or lack of service in nearby stores. I guess we're pretty spoiled here in Vancouver because we have at least five stores that stock pro level gear and are easy to get to. At least three of them still deal with used gear and a couple of them are staffed by knowledgeable working photographers.
I know for a fact that some people go into these stores to fondle gear, take up the sales staff's time with questions and then go buy online because they can save a buck. These people should be shot. If everyone who has a choice bought online then ALL the retail storefronts will go under and there will be no place to get a good old-fashioned, hands-on, try before you buy experience with the latest gear, or the nifty used gems.
IF you have a local store nearby that offers good service and reasonable (compared to other stores NOT the internet) pricing, please support it!
 
If I am buying a bottle of developer or a box of film, I tend to shop for price because on such expendables the service is not as big an issue as it is, say, for my MP or a lens. Generallly I get these supplies locally. I live in a big city where there is lots of camera and film activity, but if the store has mediocre service I feel no loyalty at all towards them, even if they are local. In fact my best camera experiences come from the internet-- for example, just to name one of several outstanding and personal experiences with online dealers-- Tony Rose seems to care very much about giving good service and a good price, plus he knows cameras and lenses, and after a while there is a real relationship with someone like that and you feel confident working with such a person...just as if he were local. The internet enables communities of interest like RFF so it seems natural that after a while you develop meaningful relationships with people you relate to every day or week even if they are in Brisbane or Paris or Jerusalem, Toronto or LA. It's not an either/or-- I think business relationships develop like friendships based on good experience, and the vendors who encourage a good experience seem to do fine whether in cyberspace or real space.
 
I live in Washington, DC. I try to support my local shop. My local shop is Penn Camera. The prices are usually more than B&H or Adorama. But, I try to support them because without them I will have to use Ritz Camera.
 
I buy film and get processing and scanning done at one of the "pro" downtown camera shops in Halifax. They do good work, they're friendly and the prices are reasonable. Besides, if it doesn't stay open the photo majors from the local university will have zero job prospects when they graduate!
 
photogdave said:
Can't agree with this. RFF is a great resource for RF cameras but for the average DSLR shooter the internet is a minefield of misinformation, one-sided opinions and unnecessary brand bashing.
At least a camera store employee who sells a number of different brands and has the opportunity to try them all, can offer an objective opinion. They often have real world results for the customer to view, not to mention offering equipment rentals or demos.
Click to expand...

"Some" camera store employees 🙂

Being up in Canada (and I'm sure there are stores like this in the U.S. as well) I don't ever shop at Henry's anymore. I used to. Many years ago but not now. Their employees seem to be a bit biased (at least they were the last time I was in there) and the ones that weren't, well, needless to say, the next time I went in there those employees were not there anymore.

The one local retail place I will shop is, actually, unbiased and objective. They know that I (or other clientele) will spend money on SOMETHING so they don't care one way or the other what we buy - but they are knowledgeable in all the products...

Cheers,
Dave
 
I patronize Village Camera in South Orange. He's been in the business for well over thirty years and gives me expert advice on cameras, accessories, and chemicals. He also has a large stock of used film cameras should I suddenly have a GAS attack.
 
My nearest dealer is 30+ miles away and has a very small stock with almost nothing I want, and at very high prices. I don't think I've ever bought anything there except a couple of developers (2d and 3rd choice) and a couple of batteries.

But even when I lived in Kent, I bought very little at the nearest decent store (Canterbury Cameras/Brian Cowley) except processing; almost all my 35mm C41 was done there (the rest, plus 120 C41 and all E6, at my nearest pro lab). I also bought second-hand, especially darkroom and accessories. Again, too little choice, and in too small quantities: 20+ rolls of any single emulsion would normally more than clean them out.

There was another amateur store that cost 30-50% more than mail order and never had anything I wanted, so he had to order it anyway. And he wouldn't order it until he had consolidated a big order, so instead of 2-3 days it could take 2-3 weeks.

At that time (7 years ago) there were about 8 stores within a 20 mile radius and there was enough business for one at best -- which I think is what now survives.

If you use much of anything, or have specialized needs, there are VERY few traditional amateur-oriented stores that are any use -- though two of my favourites in the UK are Bernard Hunter in Bristol and Camerex in Exeter.

Cheers,

R.
 
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