Your local store can be used as a Live workshop/show as a lot are. So by buying local you are increasing your chances of becoming established in your community. Buy local as it will pay off in the long run.
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I will spend a bit more to buy music gear locally.
I don’t think of it so much as supporting local but as a get the thing immediately tax. In most cases it’s a 5-7 day wait buying online.
It’s important to have local music shops though. They’re often hubs for lessons and repairs, urgent guitar string purchases etc.
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Buy a second hand DT mk1.
Probably not the answer you want. But thats what I would do.
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Man, we had a great store near me that had been around for a long time (maybe the 1970s or 80s), and while it was a chain store the people there were really great and they always stocked interesting stuff and got really cool used gear in. It went out of business (lease issue I think) and the chain stores that remain are just really uninspiring shops with unhelpful staff. I miss that old shop so much.
If you have a place like that near you, definitely try to help keep it around. We need more places like that in this world.
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Go for it. Such deals usually don’t last long and any EU shop is bound to offer a minimum of 2 years warranty anyway.
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I’m a bargain hunter with most things but when it comes to music stuff I try and keep it balanced since it’s something I’m passionate about. There are not many shops in the UK and the 2 that I deal with most of the time are incredibly helpful, friendly people who have no problem answering all of my dumb questions and helping me out with advice on various music related things (or if they do have a problem they are super nice about it). To me personally that’s worth the little bit extra since it’s nice to chat to people who are enthusiastic about the same hobby you are, and while I do enjoy a good forum discussion sometimes it’s nice to skip all the noise and get advice straight from someone who knows what’s what. In my experience as well they’ve never tried to sell the more expensive product, but will just tell me what I actually need even if it isn’t in stock/they don’t stock it full stop.
That’s not to say though that if for example a £600 module I want is for sale for £500 on ebay I’d go for the former - on the contrary. Or if there’s a significant saving at a bigger retailer. I’ll also happily buy my patch cables from Ali Express. I also completely understand that a £50 saving on something, whether it costs £100 or £1000, is still significant to a lot of people especially these days. You just need to weigh up your finances at the end of the day and then go for whatever works for you. If the local shop is something that you feel is important to you, try buy from them when you can. If not then that’s absolutely your prerogative and there is 0 shame in it.
Also you mentioned not wanting the hassle of shipping something back and I’ve found that to be a huge bonus (although I do have to ship here since the shops are 5-10 hours away but I’m not waiting 2-3 months to get the thing back). Whenever I’ve had issues, if it is something straightforward the shop will sort it out quickly and send it back, and if not usually they’ll deal with the company itself and just send me a replacement. It’s these little things that make a difference to me personally, and I would be really sad to see them go so that’s why I don’t mind that little bit extra.
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This! While I’m also sentimental about shops dying, it’s different for this kind of shop compared to just a local store of a big chain. Schneidersladen comes to mind, where I could demo my Nina and gladly bought it in their online store a few weeks later, although Thomann had a significantly cheaper B-Stock.
While I still think it’s better a chain has stores in town where people from here can work and pay taxes, they rarely offer something that an online store won’t offer (probably online has better service and prices).
That being said, I mostly buy my music stuff used since you almost always get close to new stuff for significantly less. And if you don’t like it, you can sell it for the same price if you didn’t buy overpriced. I also like meeting like minded people this way and having a chat.
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Since the local shop doesn’t have the DT2 in stock anymore i ordered one from somewhere else and for a cheaper price. It will be here tomorrow i guess.
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Have you tried to get a discount from Thomann also on B-stock items?
…always support ur local dealers, if u can…
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For me it depends on the shop, not just if it’s local.
There’s an instrument store near me that does pretty good repairs and stuff. I’ve been going there for like 15 years when I need cables and things. But the owner is kind of a jerk (probably no more so than I am, but I didn’t choose to run a retail shop as my career). So I wouldn’t go out of my way to make a big purchase there if I could get a significantly better deal somewhere else.
Then there’s another local shop that opened a location near me a few years ago. They’re even smaller but the stock is actually a bit better (more thought through and less random), and the people who run it are very helpful and pleasant. Always happy to talk about gear or technique without forcing a sale.
I’d be willing to give up an extra $75 if it keeps their shop open.
The way I like to think about it is that I’m not really paying for just the one purchase—it’s more that I’m paying a bit extra to protect my ability to shop and browse there in the future, because you can’t go to a store that’s gone out of business.
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I have to pay 10.25% in sales tax at brick and mortar shops. When I buy my gear online, I get 10 percent off, no tax, and free shipping. I can’t justify buying locally when the difference is close to $200. Sorry local shop.
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If you’re in the US, in theory you’re supposed to be reporting any non-taxed purchases you made and paying your actual local sales tax rate (usually on your yearly state taxes). I know that is rare in practice…
Most of the larger online retailers, like Sweetwater, B&H, Alto, etc will now charge your local tax automatically because states have been going after them if they don’t. It’s only the smaller shops that are still flying under the radar.
If it isn’t about bringing food to the table, I’d go local.
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I’ll not be losing sleep about it.
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Somehow I have a hard time buying serious gear without trying it first myself. It’s probably an age and culture thing. I could be buying online for ~10% less then return or resell instead to save a bit. But that feels more like a waste overall: time spent (not just mine), order and return process, shipping, taxes, etc.
I also deeply enjoy walking into the shop, staring at walls of incredible equipment, feeling like a child again. My local shop is quite friendly, they are passionate people who give advice as musicians more than salespeople. I am happy to know that the extra premium I pay goes to them for the enjoyable experience they provide.
All that being said, I am incredibly privileged to have a stable enough situation in life that allows me to afford the premium cost. Student me had a very different approach 
To each their own, no one should feel pressured or judged either way.
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