Phil, I agree with you wholeheartedly. If I make extensive use of a retailer's inventory to make a buying decision, especially if they are helpful and patient with me, I feel obligated to buy through them. Of course it costs a few dollars more, but in the long run the retailer will stay in business and the resource will be there for me and for other birders over a longer period of time. This may explain, of course, why I will never be wealthy...grin. Best, Norm Date sent: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 00:15:44 -0500 To: mdosprey@ARI.Net From: Phil Davis <PDavis@ix.netcom.com> Subject: Retail vs. Mail-Order [was: Re: [MDOsprey] Spotting Scopes] Send reply to: mdosprey@ARI.Net > Been on travel ... catching up on messages ... > > > At 07:37 AM 11/16/1999 -0500, Parke John wrote: > > > I recently purchase a Leica APO-TELEVID 77 . > > Because I was confused by all the advise I was getting on spotting > > scopes, > >I went to the New Jersey Audubon's: Center for Research and Education , > >Cape May > >Court House, NJ 08210, 609-861-0700, which is on Rt. 47 near Goshen. I > >compared > >all the top brands. I lined them up and compared apples to apples right there > >on their deck. > > (snip) > > > I purchase the scope from one of the photography warehouses in New York; > >Adorama. (save a few hundred $) > > > > Parke, et al. - > > I dunno ... this bothers me. As the former co-owner of a "wild bird > store", does everyone think this is fair? > > Specifically, the scenario in question is to go to a "nature store" whose > owners pay good money to keep expensive inventory (like 77mm spotting > scopes) in stock; and has rent and utilities to pay; salaries to pay for > people to set up the scopes, answer questions, etc.; to use their equipment > for comparison shopping; pick what you like; and then go and mail order the > item from a discount house? > > If people want to buy discount, that's fair, but to "use" a retail store > for comparisons and then not buy from them seems unfair to me. > > Thoughts? > > Phil > > > > > ================================================ > Phil Davis > > home: PDavis@ix.netcom.com Davidsonville, Maryland USA > work: PDavis@OAO.com Greenbelt, Maryland USA > ================================================ > =============== Norm Saunders Colesville, MD osprey@ari.net