Remember you C&V'ers are an aberration, a small minority in the bike market. The LBS is not counting on your dollars to make a go of it. The extent they can help you at all depends on how long they've been in business and their love of old bikes. It seems like the LBS's I know make money selling comfort bikes & accessories to newbie's,or expensive road bikes to people who are into riding, not wrenching. I'm sure at least a few of us have had disinterested, sometimes even snotty attitudes from these kind of shops. The big box Performance or Trek store, they sell everything to everybody- as long as it's new.

Fortunately I have a bunch of shops nearby, when I need and oddball part or I'm in over my head. Sometimes I get a deal, sometimes I pay dearly, and sometimes I think, I'm never going in that jerk's shop again!