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I used to buy almost everything mail order. Charge it to a credit card and a few days later, presto, it's here. The shipping rates are getting unreasonable and the mail order prices are no longer always less than local retail.
Here is an example from last week. I wanted a Glock magazine and a spacer sleeve(to use a mid size mag in the compact gun).
Here we go, the best deal I found on Glock magazines on the web was $15.95. They didn't carry the spacer sleeve. I finally found a website that had both. Glock mags $17, spacer $10. My other choice was spacer $8.99 but Glock mags $22.95.
So, I start to place the order for a $17 mag & $10 spacer, =$27. The shipping was going to be $12.45 cheapest option!! $39.45 total.

I stopped by a shop where I have bought guns before. They had lots of Glock mags, $18.95. The spacer, sure, here we go, $8.75. With the sales tax it totaled $29.99! In past years it was always the other way around. Not anymore.

If the high cost of shipping has got you down try some of the local shops. If they don't have what you want, they might order it for you. You won't have to pay shipping, only sales tax.

Yes, I was bored today..................., OE

Bored or not, that's good information. I've been trying to explain this concept to my wife for months now.

I have to agree to support locally. Many times you will pay more locally but either save money on shipping. But you can really save if you ended up getting something wrong and have to ship back. Shopping locally it is alot easier to makes sure everything fits and many times it is very enjoyable talking to the local gun guy.

I've started making combined orders w/ friends whenever possible to save on shipping costs. Usually the shipping is much more tolerable when cut in half.

I'd like to buy local more often, but often just the cost of driving makes it not worthwhile, let alone the extra sales tax.

Unless an item is over $100 so that sales tax starts to compete with shipping cost -there's no way I'll order just one item when it can be found local.

For me this means wait till I think of a multiple item purchase of over $100. When buying things motorcycle related there is often a free shipping offer when the total is over $100 (or even just $75). But I haven't found that in gun related online stuff

I'll probably hit Natchez with an order next month of multiple mags a little ammo and perhaps some primers or powder.