This can't be overstated. I'd add 'especially these days' but it's always been the case.
I realize not everyone has a selection of good shops close by to choose from, but for those that do, making sure to darken your LBS's door from time to time and spending some money there has always been a long game worth playing. If you always just look for the cheapest deal online, remember that your transaction was impersonal, and that's (possibly) the level of service you should expect.
Feb. 9, 2021, 9:04 a.m. - Pete Roggeman
This can't be overstated. I'd add 'especially these days' but it's always been the case. I realize not everyone has a selection of good shops close by to choose from, but for those that do, making sure to darken your LBS's door from time to time and spending some money there has always been a long game worth playing. If you always just look for the cheapest deal online, remember that your transaction was impersonal, and that's (possibly) the level of service you should expect.