Buying Local

[DUPLICITYx3]

My local grow shop is selling a light that I can buy off the internet for literally $75 cheaper. Plus, not have to pay taxes. I like to help my local economy buying local and have face to face customer service, but is it worth $75+? They also are a little pricey (compared to online sites) with other products and $5 here and $10 there adds up.

 

Small dilemma I know. Any opinions?

 

Thanx.

[solabeirtan]

I think you need to shop around local ! Are you including the 15 % Patient discount offered by most shops. Also most of the local places guarantee / warranty most Everything for 1 or 2 years. Good service, helpfull advice, in store demonstrations, blah blah. Helping to create our Presence as respectable, honest, bussiness people in the Community. No small feat in todays economy quagmire.

[The Digital Nomad]

You lose the discount value of buying online - in shipping weight. A ballast is heavy and a reflector is large - both will cost you in shipping.

 

Work out the numbers and you will see buying over the counter locally with 15% off is better. Plus if things go bad, you exchange same day, right there!

 

also The Cultivation Station is selling a Galaxy Ballast 1000 - switchable to 600 and 400 watts - for $299. Try to find a 1kwatt switchable online for that price! they are at 21 mile and gratiot.. Tell Brad The DigitalNomad sent ya..

 

-DN

[Grow Thread]

i guess it just depends on how you look at it. local economy is important, no doubt.......... but where do your local stores buy their stuff from? out of state wholesalers...... and 9 times out of 10 you can too.

 

if the local economy doesnt care about the local economy, how can we?

 

anyways, i'm not plugging a store that i work for..... nor are these people friends of mine..... but i order "big stuff" from the growco: http://www.4hydropon...wroom/index.asp

 

i do have a local shop that is pretty close to me..... but it is run by a couple know-nothing salesman with next to zero product knowledge. there are no demo's..... these folks couldnt do one if they had to.

 

anyways, if i need something on a whim..... i will head down there.... otherwise i make regular orders to the growco. their prices may be a few dollars higher on everything, but they offer free shipping over $250.

 

i used to do a side-by-side comparison every time i placed an order. mock it up on a "out of state discount hydro store" site and then mock it up on the growco site as well. after you hit $250 and the free ship kicks it.... there is normally only a few dollar difference. especially when dealing with heavy items like ballasts/nutes/ect.

 

BUT........ if i make an order before noon with growco on a weekday, it will be at my door the next afternoon. and thats hard to beat. still keeping the money local..... just not in my city...... its in my state.

 

let's be honest with ourselves here. the MAJORITY of local grow shop owners do not know jack about indoor growing. and they know even less about indoor cannabis growing. the average GROWER in MI doesnt know jack about growing...... im not being negative..... but the laws have only been in effect for 2 years... MOST of the growers in the state just started growing since then.

 

these shops are owned by entrepreneurs who had a buck and saw more bucks. no shame in that at all. that is how this country was founded...... hopes and prayers.

 

don't get me wrong, there are some GREAT shops around, with very friendly and helpful people with a ton of product knowledge. most of these shops are in bigger cities and were in business BEFORE MMJ laws..... these folks were growing hydro tomatoes 20 years ago..... they can grow.. but the majority are "get in, spend your money.... give me my 20% mark-up and get out".

 

once again.......... NO SHAME in that.......... it just means that you need to do some homework before heading to the local grow store sometimes.

[The Digital Nomad]

i guess it just depends on how you look at it. local economy is important, no doubt.......... but where do your local stores buy their stuff from? out of state wholesalers...... and 9 times out of 10 you can too.

 

if the local economy doesnt care about the local economy, how can we?

 

anyways, i'm not plugging a store that i work for..... nor are these people friends of mine..... but i order "big stuff" from the growco: http://www.4hydropon...wroom/index.asp

 

i do have a local shop that is pretty close to me..... but it is run by a couple know-nothing salesman with next to zero product knowledge. there are no demo's..... these folks couldnt do one if they had to.

 

anyways, if i need something on a whim..... i will head down there.... otherwise i make regular orders to the growco. their prices may be a few dollars higher on everything, but they offer free shipping over $250.

 

i used to do a side-by-side comparison every time i placed an order. mock it up on a "out of state discount hydro store" site and then mock it up on the growco site as well. after you hit $250 and the free ship kicks it.... there is normally only a few dollar difference. especially when dealing with heavy items like ballasts/nutes/ect.

 

BUT........ if i make an order before noon with growco on a weekday, it will be at my door the next afternoon. and thats hard to beat. still keeping the money local..... just not in my city...... its in my state.

 

let's be honest with ourselves here. the MAJORITY of local grow shop owners do not know jack about indoor growing. and they know even less about indoor cannabis growing. the average GROWER in MI doesnt know jack about growing...... im not being negative..... but the laws have only been in effect for 2 years... MOST of the growers in the state just started growing since then.

 

these shops are owned by entrepreneurs who had a buck and saw more bucks. no shame in that at all. that is how this country was founded...... hopes and prayers.

 

don't get me wrong, there are some GREAT shops around, with very friendly and helpful people with a ton of product knowledge. most of these shops are in bigger cities and were in business BEFORE MMJ laws..... these folks were growing hydro tomatoes 20 years ago..... they can grow.. but the majority are "get in, spend your money.... give me my 20% mark-up and get out".

 

once again.......... NO SHAME in that.......... it just means that you need to do some homework before heading to the local grow store sometimes.

 

Thumbs up for free shipping over $250.

I did my work too, I had initally ordered my gear online from htgsupply.com, but I found that working with local shops, they continued to give me freebies everytime I come in - sometimes even when I don't buy anything. It is about networking with your local suppliers and peoples, it is too bad that some shops are lacking in knowledge - perhaps this is where some of us growers should be working then?

 

-DN

[Grow Thread]

perhaps this is where some of us growers should be working then?

 

 

i think to myself constantly.......... "if i owned my own shop"

 

it would be the best shop in the state of course.. ... but i do not have the time.

 

this is no different than selling new cars. when the manufacturer came out with a new model, we would have what is called a "ride-and-drive". it would be a demo-day for salespeople to drive and ride in the new model. on a track and at different speeds. a full test of everything the car/truck can do. starting/stopping/taking off/ect...... and then they would have models from other car manufacturers for us to ride and drive to compare.

 

with the constant evolution on grow supplies, and the newness of the "system" in this state...... it is IMPOSSIBLE to have the proper customer service (or at least what i would call proper) inside a Michigan grow shop unless it was run by old school indoor growers. OR....... a business man who is serious about his business and had about 10 different systems going in a back room somewhere to constantly compare.

 

anyone can read in a magazine and tell a customer "oh that has 2,500 lbs. of towing capability" ............ or .............. "you can grow 6 plants to maturity with that system" ......... but until they have done it themselves..... they have no idea what they are talking about.

[The Digital Nomad]

i think to myself constantly.......... "if i owned my own shop"

 

it would be the best shop in the state of course.. ... but i do not have the time.

 

this is no different than selling new cars. when the manufacturer came out with a new model, we would have what is called a "ride-and-drive". it would be a demo-day for salespeople to drive and ride in the new model. on a track and at different speeds. a full test of everything the car/truck can do. starting/stopping/taking off/ect...... and then they would have models from other car manufacturers for us to ride and drive to compare.

 

with the constant evolution on grow supplies, and the newness of the "system" in this state...... it is IMPOSSIBLE to have the proper customer service (or at least what i would call proper) inside a Michigan grow shop unless it was run by old school indoor growers. OR....... a business man who is serious about his business and had about 10 different systems going in a back room somewhere to constantly compare.

 

anyone can read in a magazine and tell a customer "oh that has 2,500 lbs. of towing capability" ............ or .............. "you can grow 6 plants to maturity with that system" ......... but until they have done it themselves..... they have no idea what they are talking about.

 

 

Exactly - I hate that silent pause after I ask a saleman if he tried the expensive nute he is pushing on me. If you haven't used it, why should I trust you?

 

-DN

[Grow Thread]

Exactly - I hate that silent pause after I ask a saleman if he tried the expensive nute he is pushing on me. If you haven't used it, why should I trust you?

 

-DN

 

would you walk into the grocery store and ask the employee in the frozen food section how the "tombstone" frozen pizzas taste compared to the "digiorno"?

 

same thing :goodjob:

[The Digital Nomad]

would you walk into the grocery store and ask the employee in the frozen food section how the "tombstone" frozen pizzas taste compared to the "digiorno"?

 

same thing :goodjob:

 

I would if they were trying to sell me the more expensive 'digorno's' over the "tombstone" - and when I asked them if they even tried frozen pizza, and they give me a dumblook - then I know those people are lucky to be stockboys.

 

-DN

[Grow Thread]

I would if they were trying to sell me the more expensive 'digorno's' over the "tombstone" - and when I asked them if they even tried frozen pizza, and they give me a dumblook - then I know those people are lucky to be stockboys.

 

-DN

 

exactly

[thanks2]

Many grow shop match internet pricing with shipping plus tax. So you will just be out gas and tax and will gain local support and no operation green thumb.

[SublimeWind]

I'm in a hurry, couldn't read it all..

 

I look at it like this..

 

I won't buy a ballast or bulb online... Hoods and anything else is fair game...

 

Mark-up on some things is just silly.. my enviro controller in the shop 750, online 500.. I HAD to buy that online..

 

The 250 I saved, bought me a water cooled hood...!!!!

 

I'm taking a risk, it's a complicated piece of gear, but for 250$ I had to take the chance.. for 75$ go to the shop... What are you going to spend, should you need to send it back? What are you going to be out while it's gone??

 

I'll only buy high quality ballasts (Sun Systems right now) and only from a shop because of the customer service.. That and quality is worth it, when it could burn your house down..

[brbud]

My local grow shop is selling a light that I can buy off the internet for literally $75 cheaper. Plus, not have to pay taxes. I like to help my local economy buying local and have face to face customer service, but is it worth $75+? They also are a little pricey (compared to online sites) with other products and $5 here and $10 there adds up.

 

Small dilemma I know. Any opinions?

 

Thanx.

 

thank you for considering your brothers and sisters here in mi. we need all the help we can get

 

in this economy that is an even harder decision....follow your heart

 

good on you

[hummous]

put it this way if your ballast fail anf you need another one right away most grow shops will take on off the shelf and give you it and they will return your old one. if you order it online it will take 4-8 weeks to get fixed. I ALWAYS buy at the store, unless you have extras

[detroitdjs]

I have yet to buy online but I'm sure I will in the future for smaller items. I am lucky to be in an area where finding a supply shop is not an issue and most of them offer a generous discount so it makes it about the same as if you bought online and added in the shipping. I have developed a good relationship at a particular store and they are always upfront and honest when a less expensive product will get the job done or offer better results they let us know.

[Kingdiamond]

I buy all of my add ons like nutes dirt pots etc local but hightechgardensupply beats any price locally and Tony has yet to charge me shipping for anything but Ive bought over a dozen complete light kits for members in need so I'm sure its a volume type of discount deal i get.