Sylvan

Are you trying to persuade people to shop at the local store by appealing to your readers sense of charity oris your approach tosuggest that the small shop actually offers more value for the dollar than the super store even though the small guy is likely to be more expensive? Maybe it's both but, for what it's worth, IMO it would be important to keep the two very different arguments in mind when you write your paper.

Personally, I feel no sense of obligation to include charity in my decision making process regarding where I purchase anything. I will buy wherever I believe I get the biggest bang for the buck and I will donate charitably wherever I feel that money will be best used as well andI should add that local businessmen don't even make my listfor consideration.

In practice this means that sometimes I'm willing to pay a bit more at the local shop because I feel the service that goes with it is enough better than the super store's very impersonal service that I believe it's worth it. If all else is equal, I will buy the product whereverI get the best price.

Good luck with your paper.

Rickmur

I spread my money around to what and who is conveintent to me at that particular time. If I need sometime and can waittill I get a chanceto get to Len's I will wait, however if I'm in need right away or don't forsee me being in the area of Len's I will use whatever is conveinent. Mail order works for me cause I'm 2 hours away from Balt. and there is nothing here in my area to support.

JLmoore1956

Yepper that is what I was trying to say earlier. If it is cheaper at the local pro shop I will get it, if not I am going where I can get the most bang for the buck!

Rickmur

It's not about the most bang for the buck for me but more so about conveincenceand ergencyto me at the time in my ever so busy life.

JLmoore1956

True the urgency I know too[8D]but when we have a Gander Mountain that is actually closer then either pro shop, and it is in the Mall..... can drop in all the time.

Rhody Hunter

i spread it around whats ever cheaper but i will pay a little more if it means getting good advice and service

nodog

I've bought a lot of things so I'm kind of past the time in my life where buying something at the best price is an issue all though I'm no idiot in that regard either, there's just more than that. There are many reasons to shop at one or the other. An example of one is, maybe that day I just want to talk to another hunter, learn something (wink, wink, if he's willing to talk) and have some laughs.

You could some up my whole game with one word,

illumination

and it doesn't have to be related to hunting.

I get most hunting stuff on line from Keystone Country store. Tremendous service! They've earned my loyalty. Hard to get them to talk though.

tsoc

My preference is to always buy locally if I can.There is a value or price point though.Business is earned through competetive pricing and quality service.If those things are not available locally I will go as far as I have to to find it.

Paul L Mohr

For me it all depends. They all have pluses and minuses. I try to buy most of my stuff from my local gun store or archery shop, or something simular. Especially if it is a larger item or something I want help picking out or think I will need service in the future. I have bought one gun from cabela's and it was a pain. It just took forever, they treated me fine and everything went ok, just had to do lots of waiting.

Now if I can't find what I want at a smaller shop or I can find it considerably cheaper at a chainstore I will shop there. I do look around first. If I can get ammo or other stuff cheaper at gander mountain or wally world I will do it, but not to save a few cents or something. For instance I am going to go shoot some clay pigions next week with some co workers. I was looking at buying some bulk ammo. Most stores around me sell if for between 35-50 bucks. I found some federal ammo at Dunham's (local chain store) for 19 bucks. Guess where I will be getting shotgun shells for next week. Another plus for Gander Mountain and Cabela's, they have a ton of ammo choices in stock.

The biggest apeal to me about the larger stores like gander mountain and cabela's is selection. They have a lot of inventory and varied products. There is a good chance I will find what I am looking for. And with those two it may or may not be cheaper than a small shop. I don't really consider cabela's as a place to save money, some of their stuff is more expensive than my local shop is. The down fall for me is the people, I don't care much for crowds or waiting in line. Sometimes I would just assume pay twice as much for something not to deal with it. I have issues.

Another thing I look at is the return policy. If it is something I am not sure I want or will be happy with then cabela's or walmart will get my purchase. They have very liberal return policies. Heck Cabela's will enourage you to try something out and bring it back if you don't like it. I went through about 4 scopes on one of my guns before I found one I liked. I could not imagine doing that with my local gun store.

I will not get stuff from the internet. I just have a pet peeve about that. If I can't see it and touch it I have trouble giving money for it. I might do it if it was the only way I could get something and had to have it. But so far I have just done without if I couldn't find it locally. If I were to decide to buy some target archery equipment it would pretty much be my only recourse since most of the shops around me cater to hunters. They could order it for me, but they are ordering from the same places I would on the net. Might as well do it myself.

I have a pet peeve about that as well. You go in a store, any store, looking for something and they don't have it but say "Well, we can order it for you." Dude, it's like 2006 and I have a cable modem I can order it myself, and possibly cheaper than you will sell it to me for! What I will not do though is look at something in a store and then go home and order it to save a few bucks. I just don't think it is fair, I do have one or two morals left in me.

Those are my opinions any way.

Paul

kevin1

I patronize both , but mainly shop via the net or mail order . If all it comes down to is price I go with the lower price unless there is a substantial difference in quality .