Interesting subject with valid points all. I spent most of my working life in owning mom & pop retail, so I have a soft spot in my heart for it.

That being said.....M&P used to be based on quality & service, an appreciation for the customer that was feeding them with a bit higher price, but worth it for the extras.

The problem is.....M&P is no longer based on that criteria in my experience. People still say that, but it doesn't exist. They hire people at chump wages, as opposed to what used to be a good living wage, so that professional sales people could be recruited. If I read the outside of a box for an item, I know more about the product than the salesperson does. This applies not only to music stores, but across the retail spectrum.

In my town we have both a GC and a M&P.....with the exception of a VERY rare salesperson, they don't know squat about the gear they are selling. Simple example, bought a higher end mic at GC .....I asked, how does the battery go in.....the audio depratment manager/specialist said with no doubt it did not take a battery. To which I said let me see that and proceeded to unscrew the head and show him where the battery went. Another case.....on a Kurzweil, I asked how the arps worked.....the keyboard department manager....uh I don't think it has an arppegiator on it.....oh yeah, can I see the manual please....oh here it is and this guy owned one!

So what's my point? Well It wasn't until recently that I started to shop online, giving the local retailer the benefit of the doubt. When they quit living up to their committment to know about the product and offer quality service at a reasonable difference in price, then I quit giving them my loyalty as well. On top of which, one can grow old waiting to get waited on in these stores with the new "lean and mean" mentality of hiring employees.

This to me has become a rather simple equation...I get better service before and after the sale and price online now. I also don't have to listen for an hour to some twirp wailing on 2 chords with a guitar or a keyboard at full volume either. Not to mention that they treat arranger people like we're just visiting from another planet and don't really play "serious" music.

I know there are a few retailers here that I am sure do not fit my scenario, but you guys are very far and very few in between.
Terry

Seconding what Bill E said. I wud want to test out a keyboard before I buy it. I wouldn't buy a keyboard on manufacture's hype or a couple of mp3 samples on the WEB. The trend is unsettling. Some companies, like Roland, have a poor WEB presence: few samples, no on-line manuals, their Canadian WEB site still have not removed discontinued models and don't feature the EM55 at all. Without authorized Roland dealers their products wud cease to exist. Without a local retailer I would find it difficult to make a purchasing decision.
Starkeeper

I got my keyboard from a (somewhat)local (guitar center) instead of through an online store.

Sure, loyalty is good...but not all local stores return your loyalty. Some do, and they might be worth to do business with.

Regarding "helping the local business" I have a story: I was looking for a (different) keyboard a while ago. I was approached by this salesperson with "whatever, i'm too busy smoking my joint".....and couldn't answer my questions at all, when I asked for a price, he just quickly glanced at his price manual, and quoted me a price WAY over (i'm not talking 100-200 bucks difference here) what I could find in the musician'sfriend or similar online stores. When I mentioned this to him (hoping he could lower the price)..he rudely ask me this question.."well, you wanna pay less with those stores, or you wanna pay more and help the local store." I gave them a second chance, I sold my Technics through the same store, SPECIFICALLY told them, to hold my keyboard case with them while I took my box from my home. Came back 15 mins later, they SOLD my keyboard WITH my case.

Don't get me wrong. I STILL buy my stuff from the local store, but they gonna have to try better than saying "Support us." It's all about business....