Originally Posted by
stapfam
But I find that my LBS can always come very near to the Internet prices so I rarely have to go elsewhere.
Ah, yes, But you live in Merry Olde. Here across the pond, in the land of "free trade" and all that hogwash, the importer tacks on their margin, then the distributor tacks on their margin, then it goes to the end seller, be they online or LBS.
Then everybody whines "Unfair! Gray market!" when buyers get smart and cut out the middlemen.
My reply is "free trade".
I may be left-leaning in my politics, but I'm hard-line to the right when it's my wallet.