Sometimes it pays to go local

ingi · 05-26-2008, 06:40 PM

After being given a quote for my K20D and lenses from both a "big" store and my local one, the "big" store won hands down. The downside was that neither one of them had my lenses in stock. So having to wait for the lenses I decided to go and purchase just the body only from my local camera shop and although he couldnt match the price of the big store he came pretty close and added service, sensor cleaning and any firmware updates to be done by him, free for a year. (yes I know you can do most of these things yourself, but he does it for a living and I dont). Not only that, he was astonished that I would buy the body and wait for who knows how long for the lenses to arrive and be content to read just the manual........He said he couldnt do that, so when he packed up my camera, he packed in a Sigma 30mm F1.4 for me to practice with, until my lenses arrived.

Dont think that the big store would have done that. Although it did cost me a little extra it really is the service that counts.

christinelandon · 05-26-2008, 07:05 PM

Lovely post, Ingrid. I, too, try to buy locally when stock is available and when the price difference isn't too great.

I believe in having access to both good local service and the price benefits of large volume buying power. What usually happens, then, is that I shop for price and availability locally at our larger distinctively local stores (I try to avoid the chains) and compare with my favorite on-line dealer. If both have stock, I'll buy locally if the price difference (including shipping from NY) is less than our state sales tax and figure it's worth paying a bit more to have the goodies promptly and pre-inspected. If the on-line store gives a large enough price break on the more costly items, then I order on-line, wait a few days (impatiently, what else?) and hope everything arrives intact.

So, usually, the local stores get my business for most accessories and some bigger-ticket purchases. The on-line retailer sells me discounted camera bodies, most lenses, and stuff that isn't in stock locally. Both types of retailer help me get what I need, and I'm happy to help both types stay in business.

drabina · 05-26-2008, 08:23 PM

Great post. Yeah, supporting your local photo store gives you good karma points. The only problem with it is, that pretty much all the photo stores in my area closed (NJ). At least the ones I used to go to. Still we have B&H and Adorama across the river but the tax is slightly more (NYC vs NJ) plus tolls, etc. For me it is just a lot easier to order on-line.

flyer · 05-27-2008, 06:31 AM

I buy most of my stuff from my "local" (local is kind of far where I live) dealer. His prices are decent, but the service is outstanding. The guy stands behind what he sells. If there is a problem with anything, even material bought elsewhere, he's going to do everything possible to make sure you're happy with what you have.

ingi · 05-27-2008, 06:31 AM

I hope he doesnt go anywhere soon. The local department stores around here dont carry alot of Pentax gear, so my next option would be to go to city. I still prefer Bricks and Mortar for stuff like this.

AML · 05-27-2008, 06:45 AM

Glad to hear you got wonderful service locally, Ingrid. I find my local (big stores) are quite inflexible on prices and stock carried. Their repair service is very good though.
There would be no way they would have included a lens to practice with like your man did. What a lovely gesture on his part.

Keith · 05-27-2008, 07:12 AM

In this time of supermarket retailers it is good to see that sevice is still available and appreciated. I am glad that you have found your Gem - both in product and retailer

Cheers
Keith

ingi · 05-27-2008, 07:17 AM

Most places these days dont even know their product, they give you the sales pitch and read the specs off the side of the box. Its a shame that the little local retailers are being squeezed out of most market places. I still prefer to go to my local butcher fruit grocerer or farmers market, rather than buying these types of items in the chain supermarkets.

Entropy · 05-27-2008, 08:17 AM

Originally posted by ingi

Most places these days dont even know their product, they give you the sales pitch and read the specs off the side of the box. Its a shame that the little local retailers are being squeezed out of most market places. I still prefer to go to my local butcher fruit grocerer or farmers market, rather than buying these types of items in the chain supermarkets.

Some don't even know the specs from the box.

My girlfriend just bought a new TomTom ONE XL at Circuit City. The saleslady claimed it did not have Bluetooth because none of the units in that price range did.

Well, while it doesn't do BT handsfree, it does have Bluetooth for data services.

As far as Pentax gear - I always order online. No B&M stores anywhere near me carry Pentax gear. There was one listed as a Pentax dealer but they didn't actually stock anything Pentax, and they are also going out of business.

tbone-ike · 05-27-2008, 07:15 PM

Yeah, it is nice having that kind of service and knowlege..and having it close by. Believe it or not, I actually wanted to buy my K200d from my local, Pentax authorized shop but the owner told me he didn't carry that model because too many customers had bad experiences with the AA battery cameras and didn't like them. I asked him if he could order it, but he kindly said "no" in as many ways as possible without actually saying it. In the end, I ended up getting it at B&H and saving some money anyway. Maybe I should have pushed him a bit harder.....

Arpe · 05-28-2008, 05:10 PM

Yep, it's nice to go local when you can. i couldn't get to my shop when my K20D arrived, so they brought it out to me! About a 20km drive. Yay! Meant i had it for the Easter weekend to play with.

**germar** · 05-28-2008, 07:04 PM

While I would love to tell you how wonderful my local camera shop is, I really can't.

I'd love to tell you that they would talk for hours about Pentax and helped me pick out just the right gear, but I really can't.

I'd love to tell you they loaned me lenses and came to my son's birthday party, but sorry...no.

See, my locally owned and operated shop here in the heart of Texas has time for you if you've got several grand to drop on Canon or Nikon gear. They look at you funny when you ask about Pentax. They sniff cautiously if you ask about a battery for a K10D. "Sorry, we don't have much call for that." Forget about having an M42 to k mount adapter or having an M series lens in the used case.

They are camera snobs here, and if your camera doesn't have a C or N in the name, well, the beginner's books are over there on the shelf, son.

It's a good thing I've got this excellent forum and well stocked places like BH and Adorama to pick from.

germar

ingi · 05-28-2008, 11:17 PM

Originally posted by germar

While I would love to tell you how wonderful my local camera shop is, I really can't.

I'd love to tell you that they would talk for hours about Pentax and helped me pick out just the right gear, but I really can't.

I'd love to tell you they loaned me lenses and came to my son's birthday party, but sorry...no.

See, my locally owned and operated shop here in the heart of Texas has time for you if you've got several grand to drop on Canon or Nikon gear. They look at you funny when you ask about Pentax. They sniff cautiously if you ask about a battery for a K10D. "Sorry, we don't have much call for that." Forget about having an M42 to k mount adapter or having an M series lens in the used case.

They are camera snobs here, and if your camera doesn't have a C or N in the name, well, the beginner's books are over there on the shelf, son.

It's a good thing I've got this excellent forum and well stocked places like BH and Adorama to pick from.

germar

Thats awful. Mind you our local departement/electronic stores only sell pentax P&S. And because pentax isnt a really popular brand, the prices can be pretty high if you dont shop around. I would love to have a shop like B & H or Adorama to visit, all that gear sitting on shelves, I imagine you could spend hours in there. hmmmm maybe its better that there isnt one.

Mechan1k · 05-29-2008, 08:37 AM

I always drop into my local shop (if it wasn't for the him ... I'd be carrying an much more inferior camera and gear).

I bought my initial kit from him in the first place (although i have purchased lenses elsewhere since though due to price ... which he fully understands) .... but for all the little other things like filters and the like ... I get from him. He knows me by name when i walk in ... and is always interested in what I have been shooting as well ... he keeps giving me little tips as well ... and is willing to help out with any questions I ask about photography in general and Pentax equipment.

I have had a great experience with my little store in my closest town ... I will be going there to get my better shots printed off as well ... I always feel welcome when i walk in there.

ingi · 05-29-2008, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by Mechan1k

I always drop into my local shop (if it wasn't for the him ... I'd be carrying an much more inferior camera and gear).

I bought my initial kit from him in the first place (although i have purchased lenses elsewhere since though due to price ... which he fully understands) .... but for all the little other things like filters and the like ... I get from him. He knows me by name when i walk in ... and is always interested in what I have been shooting as well ... he keeps giving me little tips as well ... and is willing to help out with any questions I ask about photography in general and Pentax equipment.

I have had a great experience with my little store in my closest town ... I will be going there to get my better shots printed off as well ... I always feel welcome when i walk in there.

Excellent, not enough of these little stores around.

05-26-2008, 06:40 PM	#1
ingi Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 40	Sometimes it pays to go local After being given a quote for my K20D and lenses from both a "big" store and my local one, the "big" store won hands down. The downside was that neither one of them had my lenses in stock. So having to wait for the lenses I decided to go and purchase just the body only from my local camera shop and although he couldnt match the price of the big store he came pretty close and added service, sensor cleaning and any firmware updates to be done by him, free for a year. (yes I know you can do most of these things yourself, but he does it for a living and I dont). Not only that, he was astonished that I would buy the body and wait for who knows how long for the lenses to arrive and be content to read just the manual........He said he couldnt do that, so when he packed up my camera, he packed in a Sigma 30mm F1.4 for me to practice with, until my lenses arrived. Dont think that the big store would have done that. Although it did cost me a little extra it really is the service that counts.

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05-26-2008, 07:05 PM	#2
christinelandon Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Seattle, Washington, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 812	Lovely post, Ingrid. I, too, try to buy locally when stock is available and when the price difference isn't too great. I believe in having access to both good local service and the price benefits of large volume buying power. What usually happens, then, is that I shop for price and availability locally at our larger distinctively local stores (I try to avoid the chains) and compare with my favorite on-line dealer. If both have stock, I'll buy locally if the price difference (including shipping from NY) is less than our state sales tax and figure it's worth paying a bit more to have the goodies promptly and pre-inspected. If the on-line store gives a large enough price break on the more costly items, then I order on-line, wait a few days (impatiently, what else?) and hope everything arrives intact. So, usually, the local stores get my business for most accessories and some bigger-ticket purchases. The on-line retailer sells me discounted camera bodies, most lenses, and stuff that isn't in stock locally. Both types of retailer help me get what I need, and I'm happy to help both types stay in business.

05-26-2008, 08:23 PM	#3
drabina Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 525	Great post. Yeah, supporting your local photo store gives you good karma points. The only problem with it is, that pretty much all the photo stores in my area closed (NJ). At least the ones I used to go to. Still we have B&H and Adorama across the river but the tax is slightly more (NYC vs NJ) plus tolls, etc. For me it is just a lot easier to order on-line.

05-27-2008, 06:31 AM	#4
flyer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ste-Anne des Plaines, Qc., Canada Posts: 2,013	I buy most of my stuff from my "local" (local is kind of far where I live) dealer. His prices are decent, but the service is outstanding. The guy stands behind what he sells. If there is a problem with anything, even material bought elsewhere, he's going to do everything possible to make sure you're happy with what you have.

05-27-2008, 06:45 AM	#6
AML Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 212	Glad to hear you got wonderful service locally, Ingrid. I find my local (big stores) are quite inflexible on prices and stock carried. Their repair service is very good though. There would be no way they would have included a lens to practice with like your man did. What a lovely gesture on his part.

05-27-2008, 07:12 AM	#7
Keith Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne (Cranbourne) Australia Posts: 121	In this time of supermarket retailers it is good to see that sevice is still available and appreciated. I am glad that you have found your Gem - both in product and retailer Cheers Keith

05-27-2008, 07:17 AM	#8
ingi Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 40 Original Poster	Most places these days dont even know their product, they give you the sales pitch and read the specs off the side of the box. Its a shame that the little local retailers are being squeezed out of most market places. I still prefer to go to my local butcher fruit grocerer or farmers market, rather than buying these types of items in the chain supermarkets.

05-27-2008, 08:17 AM	#9
Entropy Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 976	Originally posted by ingi Most places these days dont even know their product, they give you the sales pitch and read the specs off the side of the box. Its a shame that the little local retailers are being squeezed out of most market places. I still prefer to go to my local butcher fruit grocerer or farmers market, rather than buying these types of items in the chain supermarkets. Some don't even know the specs from the box. My girlfriend just bought a new TomTom ONE XL at Circuit City. The saleslady claimed it did not have Bluetooth because none of the units in that price range did. Well, while it doesn't do BT handsfree, it does have Bluetooth for data services. As far as Pentax gear - I always order online. No B&M stores anywhere near me carry Pentax gear. There was one listed as a Pentax dealer but they didn't actually stock anything Pentax, and they are also going out of business.

05-27-2008, 07:15 PM	#10
tbone-ike Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: West Michigan Posts: 38	Yeah, it is nice having that kind of service and knowlege..and having it close by. Believe it or not, I actually wanted to buy my K200d from my local, Pentax authorized shop but the owner told me he didn't carry that model because too many customers had bad experiences with the AA battery cameras and didn't like them. I asked him if he could order it, but he kindly said "no" in as many ways as possible without actually saying it. In the end, I ended up getting it at B&H and saving some money anyway. Maybe I should have pushed him a bit harder.....

05-28-2008, 05:10 PM	#11
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	Yep, it's nice to go local when you can. i couldn't get to my shop when my K20D arrived, so they brought it out to me! About a 20km drive. Yay! Meant i had it for the Easter weekend to play with.

05-28-2008, 07:04 PM	#12
germar Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: North Palm Beach, Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 728	While I would love to tell you how wonderful my local camera shop is, I really can't. I'd love to tell you that they would talk for hours about Pentax and helped me pick out just the right gear, but I really can't. I'd love to tell you they loaned me lenses and came to my son's birthday party, but sorry...no. See, my locally owned and operated shop here in the heart of Texas has time for you if you've got several grand to drop on Canon or Nikon gear. They look at you funny when you ask about Pentax. They sniff cautiously if you ask about a battery for a K10D. "Sorry, we don't have much call for that." Forget about having an M42 to k mount adapter or having an M series lens in the used case. They are camera snobs here, and if your camera doesn't have a C or N in the name, well, the beginner's books are over there on the shelf, son. It's a good thing I've got this excellent forum and well stocked places like BH and Adorama to pick from. germar

05-28-2008, 11:17 PM	#13
ingi Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 40 Original Poster	Originally posted by germar While I would love to tell you how wonderful my local camera shop is, I really can't. I'd love to tell you that they would talk for hours about Pentax and helped me pick out just the right gear, but I really can't. I'd love to tell you they loaned me lenses and came to my son's birthday party, but sorry...no. See, my locally owned and operated shop here in the heart of Texas has time for you if you've got several grand to drop on Canon or Nikon gear. They look at you funny when you ask about Pentax. They sniff cautiously if you ask about a battery for a K10D. "Sorry, we don't have much call for that." Forget about having an M42 to k mount adapter or having an M series lens in the used case. They are camera snobs here, and if your camera doesn't have a C or N in the name, well, the beginner's books are over there on the shelf, son. It's a good thing I've got this excellent forum and well stocked places like BH and Adorama to pick from. germar Thats awful. Mind you our local departement/electronic stores only sell pentax P&S. And because pentax isnt a really popular brand, the prices can be pretty high if you dont shop around. I would love to have a shop like B & H or Adorama to visit, all that gear sitting on shelves, I imagine you could spend hours in there. hmmmm maybe its better that there isnt one.

05-29-2008, 08:37 AM	#14
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	I always drop into my local shop (if it wasn't for the him ... I'd be carrying an much more inferior camera and gear). I bought my initial kit from him in the first place (although i have purchased lenses elsewhere since though due to price ... which he fully understands) .... but for all the little other things like filters and the like ... I get from him. He knows me by name when i walk in ... and is always interested in what I have been shooting as well ... he keeps giving me little tips as well ... and is willing to help out with any questions I ask about photography in general and Pentax equipment. I have had a great experience with my little store in my closest town ... I will be going there to get my better shots printed off as well ... I always feel welcome when i walk in there.

05-29-2008, 09:03 PM	#15
ingi Junior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 40 Original Poster	Originally posted by Mechan1k I always drop into my local shop (if it wasn't for the him ... I'd be carrying an much more inferior camera and gear). I bought my initial kit from him in the first place (although i have purchased lenses elsewhere since though due to price ... which he fully understands) .... but for all the little other things like filters and the like ... I get from him. He knows me by name when i walk in ... and is always interested in what I have been shooting as well ... he keeps giving me little tips as well ... and is willing to help out with any questions I ask about photography in general and Pentax equipment. I have had a great experience with my little store in my closest town ... I will be going there to get my better shots printed off as well ... I always feel welcome when i walk in there. Excellent, not enough of these little stores around.