O.K. Here goes......
I make it a point to buy locally where I am fishing and feel pretty strongly
about that practice, I also purchase things from catalogues when I can save big$ or the
item is not available elsewhere. If the item is available for roughly
same cost locally I will buy it there. I live pretty far from the ocean
and don't have a 'local" tackle shop per se, that specializes in Surfcasting lures and eqpt.
and Kay's and other shops are often closed when I go fishing. (Please don't send me a list of
local tackle shops, I am using Kay's as an example because they are roughly equivelent of Surfcaster)
Surfcaster is a small organization which provides an excellent service with quality
products, I don't get everything from them, but I DO make a point of ordering
some stuff every year, because I would hate for them to go out of business just like
I would hate Surfland to go under.
Just because I recommend a catalogue does not mean I don't support local
economy. There are a great many businesses which provide valuable services
which deserve to be supported and not all of them are local. Should we not buy a
book from the reel-time store (amazon.com) because we could order it at the
local bookstore? (assume it's not a Barnes and Noble in a mall for the moment)
How many out there own only T&T rods and Valentine Reels? Or for that matter
Penn Reels rather than Diawa or Shimano? All consumer choice is an important
balance of cost,convenience,service etc. and cannot always be broken to to Local
and Not Local.
Sorry to spew, but I refuse to be scolded over ordering from a catalogue
Dave