Do you shop online?

[Darin Bastedo]

I tend to buy more supplies than kits these days, so I find the LHS very convenient for paint and scratch-building supplies. Kit's on the other hand I tend to buy either online or at swap meets.

[Luc Janssens]

The reason that I shop online is, because American kits are hard to find here and when a batch of them does arrive, they're a lot more expensive, then when I order them online from ebay from a US vendor.

Kits of European manufacturers I do buy at stores or swapmeets, cuz they tend to be much more expensive when you order them online (shipping charges)

When I'm visiting in the US it's mixed, I may have a stack of kits which I bought online waiting at a friend, but I love to check out the local stores, and buy until my suitcases and carry-on baggage are full...

last time I even met a MC boardmember who works at a hobby store in Chicagoland.

Edited August 4, 2011 by Luc Janssens

[pepperdrumstix]

I don't and can't buy on-line as I don't have an on-line account or a credit card. I go to one of the LHSs in my area to get my kits, supplies and paints. After shopping in these stores for most of my life I enjoy going into a brick and mortar store for an hour or so. They have kits to look at, supplies to sort through for future projects, books and magazines, built models of all kinds to see and enjoy and friendly help to answer my questions. Because of my past and present medical and financial problems I don't have a car to drive so I ride the buses. I plan for the whole day on these LHS trips and go to more than one. I carry a fairly large back-pack to bring things home so I am somewhat limited in my purchases as far as size and number of items. I do OK and have not had any trouble getting the things i want or need in the last 16 years doing things this way. It does prevent me from going to the local model club meetings though and that is a bummer. You do what you have to do to be in this hobby. I also trade kits and parts with forum members and that is always a treat to help someone find the kit or part they need and when I need something these is usually someone to help me out. One more reason I love this hobby and the people that enjoy it. Thanks folks. Patrick Mitchell

[Terror]

The only LHS in my town is Kinney Drugs, so yea,I shop online most of the time.

[niteowl7710]

After reading the various horror stories about LHS closings, or surly attitudes, I feel very lucky to have the shop that I have nearby. It's 11 miles (albeit it takes nearly 25 minutes to get there since SW PA is hilly and curvy when you're going cross-county. They only have 3 or 4 guys there, but the owner is really into trains, the 2nd shift guy is really into models, and they have a weekend guy and another who works off and on out of the back doing all the R/C repairs and sales. So the stock is always new in everything, the prices just a bit higher than I would pay from a show vendor, and way less than any of the "box" hobby stores (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Hobby Town USA).

But I do shop online for older kits as well as kits I want to import from Japan. My LHS seems to get everything RoG puts out, and has started carrying Trumpeter and some mainline Tamiya/Aoshima stuff, but it's not as in-depth as I'd like, so it's Hobby Link Japan or eBay to the rescue.

[Junkman]

It's 11 miles (albeit it takes nearly 25 minutes to get there since SW PA is hilly and curvy when you're going cross-county.

You may want to look into the purchase of a Caterham Super Seven?

Btt:

I simply cannot avoid to shop online, since hardly anything I want to buy is available locally. Most of the stuff is even Made in China, heavens forbid!

Thanks god this is mainly restricted to my rather exotic hobbies, since in all other aspects of life I'm a keen advocate of anti-globalization, autonomy, and regional economy. I'm on a 100 mile seasonal diet, buy my clothes at a local men's fitter, support the local businesses as much as I can, drink beer from my local brewery down at the pub, have my cars serviced at a little garage down the street. I think I more than make up for what I spend on my hobbies, or the odd Honduras cigar, tea, coffee, or wine.

[Thumper]

Well...I hit up my LHS (Trainmaster) for stuff like styrene, glues etc but we have a Hobby Lobby and it's waay overpriced and the Micheals we got is a joke. We do have a Hobbytown and they have a good selection of kits but are about 15 miles away (and heavy traffic). I have gotten to the point of buying some things online but I'd rather deal with a good LHS.

[Bernard Kron]

... I ... exclusively buy kits from two local 'plastic pushers' or emodelcars or ebbbbbbbb ... you know, or at the periodic local swap meets. ... My plastic pushers buy directly from a distributor and offer fantastic 'friend' prices. ...

Hmm, 'plastic pushers', eh? That's a concept in car modeling I'm not familiar with. Sounds like a winner!

Edited August 4, 2011 by Bernard Kron

[Steve Keck]

I try to give my business to the LHS, especially if it is locally owned. I'd rather put out my $ to drive to the LHS than pay for shipping and handling.

I used to work in a direct response marketing company and I know how big a profit center S&H can be. It just kills me to pay the $ we get charged for S&H when buying a few pieces of photo etch or sheets of decals.

[Harry P.]

I try to give my business to the LHS, especially if it is locally owned. I'd rather put out my $ to drive to the LHS than pay for shipping and handling.

I used to work in a direct response marketing company and I know how big a profit center S&H can be. It just kills me to pay the $ we get charged for S&H when buying a few pieces of photo etch or sheets of decals.

Buy at the store and pay sales tax (and gas to get there and back).

Buy online and pay S&H.

In the end it's pretty much a wash, $$$ wise.

[Longbox55]

I prefer going to the brick and morter stores, mainly because i like to see the item in person before I buy. There's also perhaps a bit of the thrill of the hunt, as I always thouroughly look over the shelves whe I'm at the shops. I almost always find something that perhaps i wasn't looking for, but would like to have. Since the closest shops to me are either Champaign, IL, or Indianapolis, IN, I tend to make my trips count. In the case of the Champaign store, Slot & Wing Hobbies, I always get good deals there. For exapmle, I got a Fujimi GT-R full detail kit for $15, just because the top of the box was slightly damaged. As far as supplies, I use the Indy stores for that, making a list before I go, usually in conjunction with a car show or swap meet.

That's not to say I won't buy online. Most of my online purchases are either HLJ or E-bay.

[Steve Keck]

Buy at the store and pay sales tax (and gas to get there and back).

Buy online and pay S&H.

In the end it's pretty much a wash, $$$ wise.

While I don't disagree that it may be a wash on my part ( and we haven't even factored in the operating cost of my daily driver - other than gas) all other things being equal I prefer to put my $ into the locally owned LHS. It's an all or nothing situation for the LHS. They either get my $ or they don't. Enough 'don'ts' and they're gonners.

And thanx for giving me a bonus! Before I only had $.

[kenb]

The only real hobby shop (that sells plastic) near me is 50 miles away. There is one close by, but he caters to r/c. I was in there a few months back and they had a shelf 4ft wide and 5ft tall with cars, armor, planes, ships and sci-fi on it. I told them they didn't have much of a selection, the woman behind the counter very nastily snapped back at me and said "that's a full variety, anything you could want is on those shelves". Needless to say I wouldn't even buy my super glue there. I go to Hobby Lobby with thier 40% coupon if they have what I'm looking for, and they have a decent selection but it never changes. Very rarely is there something new there unless it's a new release. So it's online after that. Ken

[diymirage]

if im looking for cheap thrills i buy stuff online

like mentioned before, you can get 2 kits online for the price of one in a store

obviously this cuts into the profit of the brick and mortar stores and i dont want to see them disapear so me and the wife have an understanding, whenever we do make the trip to ryders in grand rapids (45 minute drive) im allowed to spend 20-30 dollars on a kit or some supplies just to support them

[James Flowers]

Buy at the store and pay sales tax (and gas to get there and back).

Buy online and pay S&H.

In the end it's pretty much a wash, $$$ wise.

Ohio state income tax forms require you to pay sales tax if you purchase from out of state or in state. How many other states have this on thier tax forms I wonder?

[Aaronw]

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<p>Buy at the store and pay sales tax (and gas to get there and back).</p>

<p>Buy online and pay S&H.</p>

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<p>In the end it's pretty much a wash, $$$ wise.</p>

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<p>Many of the online dealers have flat rate shipping or even waive shipping on larger orders, so it pays to save up and buy in bulk.</p>

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Ohio state income tax forms require you to pay sales tax if you purchase from out of state or in state. How many other states have this on thier tax forms I wonder?<br />

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<p>California is trying to do this, but so far it is a voluntary tax since they have no way to enforce it. It appears to be one of those issues that is of questionable legality so the state takes what they get rather than give an opportunity for opponents to get it into court.</p>

Edited August 6, 2011 by Aaronw

[Aaronw]

Ok, so it appears I broke the forum, sorry.

[Harry P.]

Ohio state income tax forms require you to pay sales tax if you purchase from out of state or in state. How many other states have this on thier tax forms I wonder?

They added it here. Everyone considers it a joke. Basically it's the "honor system." You're supposed to keep track of all your online purchases all year long and then pay Illinois the sales tax they would have gotten if those purchases had been made in Illinois stores.

Just like waiters and waitresses are supposed to report their tips on their income tax form.

[sjordan2]

Tennessee has been working on a bill to collect sales tax from online retailers, but there are a number of obstacles. While one requirement is that if you order online from a company with a bricks-and-mortar presence in the state, you have to pay sales tax (primary example is Apple stores); on the other hand, to attract Amazon to build three distribution centers in the state, the sales tax requirement was waived.

[Harry P.]

As far as I'm concerned, the band of crooks that run Illinois already get way too much of my money.

[Longbox55]

As far as I'm concerned, the band of crooks that run Illinois already get way too much of my money.

i feel the same way.

[Tonioseven]

I buy online as far as kits go. I go to the local hobby shop for my supplies though. They usually get anything I need supply-wisw; with the exception of Tamiya paint.

[RodneyBad]

I shop where it is cheapest.

Hobby shops for supplies,Model car Mags and kits.

If I can I get Kits on-line cheaper, so be it..

Their lost, my gain..............

[Erik Smith]

Brick and mortar shops are kind of like bookstores - it is a dying business model. I love going to book stores and hobby shops and perusing the shelves, but how can either compete with the selection and prices online? They can't. They must offer something beyond what you can find online - price and selection wise. Most haven't been able to come up with anything and are dropping out (think Borders). I DO shop at a few local shops for new kits as they are actually cheaper than online and not too far a drive - but I avoid big box "hobby" shops because the selection and prices are horrible and while located locally, most of the profit goes back to the corporate offices.

[kenb]

like i said before the only real hobby shop is 50 miles away so it's usually online for me, but there is another thing I do. Whenever we are traveling I look up in advance to see if there are any hobby shops in the areas that we will be traveling through (if driving) or in the cities we will be visiting if flying. I try my best to visit them. Wife says she understands but sometimes I get some greif over it and sometimes I just can't do it but I try. Ken