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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1779817" data-attributes="member: 151">Quite frankly, I'm torn on the issue.  It's complicated, and there isn't a good answer.Once upon a time, I shopped exclusively at my FLGS.  But the service became poorer and more erratic, and eventually I fell away.  Price helps move me, but not dramatically.  I think the online market has contributed to the rising cost of books, but it's hardly the only factor.  Paper is much more expensive, the distrubution system was thoroughly wonked in the early 1990s (remember when Diamond wasn't the only game in town?) and the economy has gone through a nasty slump.My purchasing went down in 2002, when I was unemployed.  RPGs just weren't important, when you've got a family to feed.  When I was re-employed in late 2002, my purchasing resumed, but more cautiously.Local retailers have some distinct advantages that are a double-edged sword.  I like to impulse-buy...but for that to happen, they need to have a back stock. That back-stock takes up space, and costs money to maintain.  I like getting good service, and I'm willing to pay for it.  My current FLGS will special order things in and call me when they arrive.  My previous store messed up my previous orders, and never contacted me (and were clueless when I contacted them).  It shouldn't take over two weeks to get a copy of one of the most popular d20 games from your distributor, IMHO, especially if you have no idea how long, exactly, it may take.  That was nearly a cancelled order.  The experience was such that I purchased Freedom City online, from another shop.A place like Amazon, Noble Knight or USAComics has the benefit of better prices or free shipping (or both, on occasion).  What they usually don't have is SPEED.  Some days, you want it NOW.  Remember the stink when Amazon was breaking shipping dates?  It's because it was one of the FLGS' best strategies, was to have the book right there, physically, on the release date.  (side note: another example of why I left my old FLGS?  I went in for Tome & Blood, sure to be a big seller, on it's release date.  The owner had no idea when it was coming out.  He opened his UPS shipment from the previous day which he hadn't even bothered to open yet and discoverd three boxes worth of copies, since his main store had anticipated demand.  Then I had to convince him to sell me a copy before he put all the other copies out on the shelf, first.So it's a hard decision for me.  I like to save money....who doesn't?  But I like to have an FLGS handy to browse, window-shop, impulse-buy and even just occasionally shoot the bull.  What's a gamer to do?</blockquote>

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