Feeling Guilty

[Grover]

I am a new member but would like to ask a question I have been thinking about. How do you feel about supporting the local dealer vs buying the same gear cheaper on the net? A few days ago I went into a local store that had a lot of great gear that’s on my “to buy” list. I spent an hour in there talking to him and picked up some good tips. Bought 4 items for about $800. I research gear a lot and knew dang well that I could buy the same gear online for $100 cheaper or more.

I felt bad for spending more than I needed to but would have felt worse going home and ordering online.

How do you balance buying online vs supporting the local guy?

 

[87TT]

I balance my buying to local places(not just hunting gear) because they are my neighbors and they need to make a living to stay in business. They are the ones you turn to when you need something right now. If they fold up, then there is no place to go. Plus like you said you got invaluable knowledge and you got to physically see and touch the items.

 

[Middleofnowhere]

I don’t have any “Local Guy” availability, so don’t have that dilemma.

A non-profit, that I am on the board of directors, meets monthly at Bass Pro 2-hours away. They let us use their conference room for free. I buy stuff from them all the time, even when I know I can save money elsewhere. I also would give preference to a rokslide vendor as a thanks for supporting this site.

 

[doverpack12]

I try to balance. Just bought the stone glacier sleeping bag for $500 knowing I could get 10% off from one shot gear. Same dealer carrier SG packs but I’ll be ordering my pack accessories I need before the season from one shot

 

[Grover]

Yea, now that I think about it I am loyal to the people I deal with too. I bought a SG pack, their Chilkoot bag and a few other odds and ends. Only deal with one guy there. Call him up and place my order. Met him at the SLC expo and he has helped me make some good choices.

 

[outdoorsbound]

I am a new member but would like to ask a question I have been thinking about. How do you feel about supporting the local dealer vs buying the same gear cheaper on the net? A few days ago I went into a local store that had a lot of great gear that’s on my “to buy” list. I spent an hour in there talking to him and picked up some good tips. Bought 4 items for about $800. I research gear a lot and knew dang well that I could buy the same gear online for $100 cheaper or more.

I felt bad for spending more than I needed to but would have felt worse going home and ordering online.

How do you balance buying online vs supporting the local guy?

Agree with your logic. Nearly all of the hunting gear I lust over is not stocked anywhere near me. Once you get past the basic consumer level, you’ve run out of options where I live.
There is an outdoor gear store though that has a respectable inventory and really good employees. When my family needs shoes we always start there and my wife almost always finds something extra on a clearance rack.
First experience w the store was walking in and asking for suggestions on places to take my son on his first camping trip. Young employee referred my to a guy in the back of the store a little older than me. He spent 30 minutes showing me out of the way spots on a map from their display rack. Then folded it back up w/out suggesting I buy it or spend a single penny. I thanked him profusely and was going to leave when, upon asking another young employee a last minute question, I found out the gentleman was the owner.
I went back and got the map and several other items I needed. Price was more than Internet but came with kindness, courtesy, and info I would never have gotten otherwise.

 

[EastMT]

I try to buy local, but a paychecks a paycheck. I’ll shop local, if it’s close I’ll buy it there. For instance, I found some good tires cheap on amazon, $500 cheaper than here. Called everyone, to see if they could get close, couldn’t touch it. Sorry, I hate giving them my money but that’s enough for some fancy pack saved in one swipe.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Grover]

I found S & S Archery on this site and was surprised when I found out they are in Boise, where I live. I have been there a couple of times and bought a few things. Ironically, I went in last week to look for some boots and they couldn’t help me but recommended another local place a few miles away. That’s the store I referred to in my original post where I spent some serious money (at least to me). Would have never know they were there w/o the help from S & S. It’s nice to be involved in a community where not everyone is chasing the almighty dollar.

 

[Skinnj01]

Something to be said about being able to touch,feel,try on,ect. Being out east I do all my gear online, and hope it is what it says it is. I try to do my research. Convenience might out weigh the small price difference.

 

[Poser]

Picked up a new Sawyer mini last week at the local shop -paid $4-$5 more than what’s available online or at REI.

 

[Boarmaster]

If you value the local business staying open then buy there. If not then buy where you think it works for you. Not many knowledgable hunting equipment businesses located in SW Florida. So not a issue for me.

I think my beef (or my guilt) would be if you went to a local store and spent their time educating you on what gear you needed and then left out of there and purchased it online to save a few bucks. If I use someone's time I pay for it.

Im not going to feel guilty because I'm not going to do it. I am more sensitive about it because I have a business of my own and people use me for information all the time with no intention of using my service.

 

[87TT]

We used to have a small "outdoor" store her in the small (1000<) town I live in. I used to go in and was friends with the owner. He used to give me elk hunting advice all the time and would answer all my nooby questions. He was a Kryptek dealer. I knew I could buy the stuff elsewhere cheaper but bought through him just to keep it local and as a way to payback for the help. Sadly, it is no longer there. I buy stuff at Sportsmans Warehouse too. The nearest Sportsmans is two hours away but they donated gift cards and discount certificates to our local Gun club for door prizes at our open house.

 

[Travis2282]

I found S & S Archery on this site and was surprised when I found out they are in Boise, where I live. I have been there a couple of times and bought a few things. Ironically, I went in last week to look for some boots and they couldn’t help me but recommended another local place a few miles away. That’s the store I referred to in my original post where I spent some serious money (at least to me). Would have never know they were there w/o the help from S & S. It’s nice to be involved in a community where not everyone is chasing the almighty dollar.

Even though I have never met the guys from S and S archery and probably never will they have answered many questions for me and just all in all been very helpful. I have been ordering things from them and will continue to even though I probably could shop around and save a dollar here or there! Just something nice about knowledgeable and experienced people!

 

[87TT]

If we don't support the people who support us, then Amazon and Walmart will own the world.
And I have met Rob, Steve and their staff several times and been to their store several times even though it's over 2 hours from here and can say they are as nice or better in person.

 

[Napperm4]

Completely depends on the “local shop”. In some cases they are blatantly gouging. For optics in my city we have a ton of camera shops but they are anti hunting.

I’m Canadian so it’s cheaper for me to buy local 99% of the time ( that free healthcare isn’t cheap when the tax man nails anything coming through the border)

Most often I’ll buy online from the site sponsors here or a company that is pro hunting. Anyone who charges extra on a pair of binoculars and then uses that money to fight hunting and land access doesn’t deserve a dime.

In other cases such as the local archery shop, I’ll pay extra on a few of the more expensive items because the advice they hand out is worth a lot to me.

In the majority of cases though, money talks and I’ll go for the best price without sacrificing my stance on sponsoring anyone that is not pro hunting, pro public lands or pro oil.

 

[bmf0713]

I like to go to local shops when I'm on an out of town hunt and spend money. Even if its something i don't absolutely need. I just passed up a bunch of good sales on Mystery ranch Metcalf and went with a Seek outside pack that was quite a bit more $$$. Couldn't get past the mystery ranch not made in America for that kind of price. I usually buy stuff online because a lot of stores here are big box stores. The stores i buy from online tend to be smaller/family owned type businesses.

 

[Mosby]

I try to buy as much as I can from local shops but they don't carry a large inventory or higher end equipment, so I end up buying most stuff online.

 

[Ace12]

I try to buy local. But when the local bow shop owner is a jackass and the bow shop “tech” is an even bigger jerkwad it’s hard to spend extra there. Much less even step foot in the place

 

[WannabeHunter]

I'll support my local businesses, but if I can save >15% by ordering online...sorry. I gotta make my dollars stretch just like everyone else.

 

[Dos Perros]

I'm going to have to buy my next bow at Scheel's, they've earned that business by helping me tune a bow I bought from this other place that only after I gained some experience realized they didn't give a crap. I do mix it up, buy local buy fast (Amazon).