It seems to me that what SnakeBlitz is trying to do is gently remind us all just how hard it is to start a business, especially in the current economy.
It's hard to compete with a web site when you have to pay rent or a
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on your property, insure it, pay the utilities, pay employees etc.
There's a lfs very close to my house, owned by a nice guy who is trying very hard to keep it going. He's been there two years, and is just barely managing to keep his head above water.
He has reasonable prices, but not much inventory.
The other lfs I go to is much larger (in a stand alone building) with tremendous display tanks and aquariums, lighting, filtration, livestock, etc. galore. Their prices are much higher than the little guy, but I occasionally buy stuff there becaus the little guy doesn't have it, or can't get it.
One thing I make sure to do is buy thing from the big place. If they go under, I'll be left here without the ability to go in and see things personally, hold them in my hand and evaluate them before I buy. As much advise as I can get here, and on all of the other web sites, that tactile experience is worth a lot to me.
I try to spend my money at the small local place as much as possible because I've become friends with the owner, and really want to see him succeed. What I won't do is go into the big place to do reasearch on something I'm going to go home and order on line. That's just wrong.
