should i feel bad for buying from amazon?

[cckw]

*edited*

[boris]

A B&M store is usually going to be a bit more than an online store but $50 more? That's way too much. The store here in Toronto is usually a bit more but the guy will knock off a few bucks if you ask him. Morally I wouldn't go back if I knew I wasn't going to buy from that store but I would not feel one bit of guilt for not giving your money to someone who is charging that high of a price. It's your money and you decide how to spend it, barring of course a significant other :)

yeah, i wanted to support him cause i can "test" so many different knives before i purchase, that's why i offered to pay $20 dollars over the amazon price but he won't budge, he feels his 10% off msrp is a steal. oh, the manix 2 xl rocks :)

[FroOchie]

Why support wall street?

Because even though it's important to support small business it's also important to support your 401k? Was that a trick question?

[enduraguy]

Well I try to buy local when I can as well, but I do have my limits. If I bought everything based on my moral values, I'd be broke :) There's a local gun store around here which charges close to full MSRP on everything they sell. I choose not to shop there. My last knife purchase was my Military. I shopped locally and online, and the best deal I found was from a highly rated seller on Ebay. $116 shipped. If a deal is that good, I'm not going to the local "guy" based on principle and paying $40 more.

[KardinalSyn]

I like supporting small local businesses. That's why I buy most of my knives from small online retailers like Jim at Howe's and Jeff at C.S.

TedP

+1

Those two gentleman are cool to work with.

[markg]

Keep in mind that to be a dealer you are required to have a physical location, per the dealer agreement (I do believe). A way around that, is to buy from a distributor. Many knife companies are cutting out distributors, but if you buy from them, then in theory you are paying a higher price than the dealer direct business is...

It is 2012, this Internet thing is not just a fad. Most successful knife shops have both a brick and mortar location and an Internet storefront. IMHO those who do not, will and in someways deserve to go out of business. It is just the nature of the business today. Adapt, evolve and survive. And frankly it is not that difficult to invest some funds into an Internet store front.

What kills me are the gun stores that sell guns at competitive prices but sell knives at insane markups.

[cckw]

I wouldn't feel so bad. I believe Spyderco has a set price it sells knives to Dealers at. Amazon or vendors on Amazon are likely buying those knives at the same price as your local Dealer.

My brother has an old HS friend who is (was?) a buyer at *EDITED*

[zhyla]

Screw local shops. Local shopping for small items is over. Ridiculous pricing, lousy selection, burning gas driving all over town, and the worst: returning home empty-handed because nobody has what you need that day.

Amazon is rolling out same-day shipping in my area soon. You just order everything you're interested in and send back the rest. Buy Amazon and you still support local jobs like delivery guys and warehouse workers.

[rodloos]

As part of their settlement of Texas' lawsuit against them, last month Amazon started charging sales tax on shipments to Texas . I imagine other states would like to do the same.

Maybe I'm a stick-in-the-mud, but I don't think it's fair to go into your local shop and take up his time to handle his merchandise if you know you are going buy it online instead.

I used to work at a camera shop long ago, and it was frustrating to have people come in and want to handle a camera, take a lot of your time while you explain the features, and then they would turn around and buy it mail-order. Or if you have only one left of a model, they want you to take it out of the box so they can play with it, but then they don't want to buy the "demo" they want a new one. Local stores will have more overhead because of that.

I've seen people complain about their new knife having fingerprints on it. An online store doesn't have to worry about customers handling his knives and getting fingerprints on them, a local store does. There is more chance of a customer dropping/scratching a knife, etc.

I agree it would be nice if he didn't charge as much over what Amazon has it for, but if you won't pay that price, don't take his time. I don't have a decent knife store near me that carries Spyderco that I'm aware of. But other kinds of merchandise, I'm willing to pay more for to be able to have instant gratification, not pay shipping or hope the delivery arrives OK and doesn't get stolen from my porch when I'm not home, etc.

[JLS]

Maybe I'm a stick-in-the-mud, but I don't think it's fair to go into your local shop and take up his time to handle his merchandise if you know you are going buy it online instead.

I feel the same.

There is only one store that is semi-local (25 miles) that has a good selection. Their prices are OK on Spyderco, but not fantastic. Their prices are actually quite good on other brands and flashlights, so when I go in and handle a knife or two, I nearly always end up buying something for $40-80. I rarely go there, handle a knife and then go home and buy it online. I will often handle 2 or 3 to get impressions and then perhaps buy something a few months later. I wish their Spyderco prices were better, but...they aren't. Since I do enjoy handling items that I don't intend to buy, I try to buy enough to make sure they're around in the future. It's a way of investing.

This is a place that has a pretty good online presence and in the past they've had a sign on the door saying they are largely an online shop, so please limit your browsing to 15-20 minutes. I don't consider that unreasonable and they've been just fine to deal with and talk knives.

Before I found this shop, I would just buy without handling over the internet. I would make my best guesses based on the specs and more often than not, I was happy with my purchases. If not, I would sell on the secondary market.

[JerryIsAlive]

I own 5-6 knives. 4 of them came from Amazon. Their customer service is always spot on and free 2 day shipping with prime is hard to beat. I dont have many shops I can support locally so Amazon is easiest

[Joshua J.]

He stated he had it as low as he could go and then went on some diatribe about how online companies are driving small business owners out of business...

He could start selling his products on Amazon tomorrow and his business would probably grow, but instead he whines and complains and does nothing. We have this word for things which refuse to adapt to a changing environment, they're called "extinct".
The world has changed, we've found a way to virtually eliminate retail premiums and if you can't figure out how to keep going in the new market your demise is inevitable.

[Minibear453]

We have this word for things which refuse to adapt to a changing environment, they're called "extinct".

I found this hilarious for some reason.

[jenmar]

Screw local shops. Local shopping for small items is over. Ridiculous pricing, lousy selection, burning gas driving all over town, and the worst: returning home empty-handed because nobody has what you need that day.

Amazon is rolling out same-day shipping in my area soon. You just order everything you're interested in and send back the rest. Buy Amazon and you still support local jobs like delivery guys and warehouse workers.

Agreed!

[Wolverine666]

I would not feel bad in the least. Amazon is great. As are many of the online stores that sell Spyderco. I agree that paying a certain premium when buying from small shops is worth it to support local businesses. But only to a point. I think $149 for a Manix2 XL is too steep.

But to have a local knife shop near by with friendly , knowledgeable staff that you trust is certainly worth a few extra bucks to me.

[SteelyDan]

[quote="zhyla"]" Local shopping for small items is over. Ridiculous pricing, lousy selection, burning gas driving all over town, and the worst: returning home empty-handed because nobody has what you need that day."

Like it or not, this is where things are obviously, and inexorably headed. Out here in the sticks, internet shopping is the best thing that has happened for us consumers,who do not have the option of having a brick and mortar store within a hundred miles. Saving $, is part of making $, is part of Capitalism.

[c.joe]

Hard to beat Amazon's customer service. They sometimes even let you keep the item after they process a refund. Can't beat free two day shipping either. Don't feel too bad, it's quite understandable. Just don't waste too much of their time.

[FroOchie]

Just don't waste too much of their time.

Thats a point I can agree with too... as a customer and as a salesman. The premium you pay in some stores is just too much though. I'd rather tip the person at the counter for showing me something and buy it on Amazon and still be ahead 30-50 bucks in some instances. Shopping online has saved me a small fortune on my frivolous spending for sure.

[cckw]

I'm not a bleeding heart liberal, *EDITED*

*EDITED*

[FroOchie]

Until Amazon holds someone at gun point, kidnaps them and forces them into slave labor, I'm not going to feel bad for their workers. A lot of jobs suck including my own sometimes but no one makes us work somewhere last time I checked.