I dunno,
While I agree that buying local is always a noble idea, it just doesn't always work out to be the best for me. I typically don't fuss if an item is a few bucks more than I can get online and I try to keep the price difference in perspective with the cost of the item; e.g. $20 difference on a Koralia powerhead is too much, but $20 on a Skimmer or LED light system is not a big deal. Similarly, stuff that's a little finicky to ship (like salt or T5 lightbulbs) I almost always buy local. I agree with prioritizing local business... but only to a certain point.
That said, I get a little weary of listening to the constant mantra of "If you don't buy your dry goods from your LFS at a premium price than you won't have any fish and coral to buy from us". I don't buy that for a second, I would bet heavily that 90% of the profit comes from livestock and small stuff like food and lightbulbs. If an LFS owner decides to spend the money and bring in a ton of dry-goods and then prices them so uncompetitively that people buy elsewhere... that's a bad business decision, not a failure on the part of the consumer to "be supportive".
The other argument, that was floated at the start of this thread (and that I have heard several times when discussing cheaper ways to do things) that "It's the worlds biggest money sucking hobby and if you can't afford to buy new you shouldn't be in it" is unbelievably elitist, ridiculous, and shallow minded. It's like saying if you can't afford $1.50 a litre you have no business owning a car because you're obviously too poor to deserve an automobile. This IS a money sucking hobby which makes it that much more important to be price conscious. Even if you're filthy rich, you probably didn't get that way by throwing money around without a care. Not saying you have to be out to squeeze the last nickel out of an LFS, but you shouldn't be obligated to overpay too much either.
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