Go buy some stuff from your local shop now !

Davesw · 10-23-2007, 01:11 AM

This weekend I went to my local camera store for darkroom supplies. ( I had not been in for a long time ) The owner told me he was closing next week.
He no longer had enough customers to stay open and pay the rent. He was not bitter,he is a great guy,and he realised it just no longer made financial sense for him.
My point is this: we should not only support the online sellers that support APUG, but the local shops that have been there for us in the past. With out our bussniss they will not survive.

Ray Heath · 10-23-2007, 01:20 AM

your quite right Dave, though i suspect support of online sellers have lead to the demise of local shops

Ray

juan · 10-23-2007, 06:56 AM

My local camera shop no longer carries anything that I use except for a few rolls of 35mm film. The store looks more like a Best Buy than a camera shop.
juan

IloveTLRs · 10-23-2007, 07:05 AM

I just spent $100 on photo junk sunday night. The place I go to is a big chain but they still appreciate the business. I've always got the film & chem section to myself.

Just today one of the teachers at school gave me 12 packs of ID-44 for free. Apparently the photo club used to do dev & printing but they've all gone digital now. Ah well, their loss is my gain

Uncle Bill · 10-23-2007, 07:09 AM

A decent local shop is a relative term. I picked up a 25 sheet pack of Kentmere fibre paper at Downtown Camera in Toronto before my night class at Ryerson.

jnanian · 10-23-2007, 07:10 AM

i do once in a while.
but if there is nothing for
me to buy, there is nothing for
me to support.

i kind of wish i lived in boston still,
ep levines was/is the best camera store ...

Akki14 · 10-23-2007, 07:40 AM

I don't have a local shop. The closest ones that are vaguely useful, in having what I need as far as chemicals etc, are online businesses anyway (RK Photographic and Silverprint).

doughowk · 10-23-2007, 07:42 AM

I'm "vacationing" in Kalamazoo next week, and plan to stop by Norman Camera store. By their website, it appears they still have some traditional stuff available. As Juan said above, our local store here in Jacksonville has gone digital, which is really a response to our local Pro's.

SuzanneR · 10-23-2007, 08:03 AM

Wish I could, but they closed awhile ago, now.

And they were hard to support, because they did not carry a lot of the materials I needed, and if they did it was often out of date. I bought some nicely fogged paper... lord only knows how long it sat of the shelf. And the prices!! Oy!

There are some good local retailers in Boston, but it takes me an hour to get there, and an hour back... and don't even talk to me about parking!! If I'm down that way, I will buy from them, but the online thing seems the most economical way for me at the moment. Both in terms of price, and time.

Jack Lusted · 10-23-2007, 08:06 AM

I mostly buy online, but tomorrow I'm off 'up North' for a few days. I usually take 120 but I thought I'd get some 35mm HP5. As my family were going into Tunbridge Wells this morning I thought I'd tag along too and get some HP5 from the photographic shop there.

No HP5 in 35 mm. No TriX either no Delta 400. Finally got some Neopan400 at the princly sum of £4.99 - ouch!

To be fair they did have plenty in 120 so I may have been unlucky.

As it takes at least 30mins to drive into Tunbridge Wells from my village, and with all the best will in the world it is just too expensive and too time consuming.

Sorry, but the 'local' shop simply is not worth the time and expense - so I'll carry on with mssrs Silverprint, Morco and Retro.

Jack