Too many factors. How long the local shop has been around and how often you've dealt with them. The price of the item is big. 5% diffeence on a $500 gun is sure different than 5% on a $2,000 gun. I may be reading it wrong but IMO John's point is that many here celebrate every time a big box store goes down the tubes. Or like to point out when they have a box of ammo priced idiotically. But because they aren't great at everything doesn't mean there isn't value in local stores. I didn't buy a ton from Gander, but I would often grab a box or two of overpriced ammo if I was there to get soemthing else. I probably paid $5 too much or so. Oh, the horror. But I did grap about 4 pairs of their canvas work pants once for $5 a pair. But the trend is that eventually we will not have any place local to shop, handle and compare. It will simply be a handful of online retailers. Prices will be good I am sure. For a while. But how good will they be when 100's of their competitors are gone nationwide? And what will the sleection be like? Good luck getting hard to find things. And what is easier to control? A few companies in an industry or 100's? History shows governments love to have a few big companies in industries so that those companies will do as their told. Imagine Buds, Davidsons, Cheaper Than Dirt and maybe a couple others being your only gun shops. Imagine a Democrat administrstion manipulating them into only stocking low cap mags or limited numbers of the things they think are appropriate. Sounds wacky, but Obama and Holder went after the financial side of the gun industry. There are lots of ways to reduce our options. It may happen regardless, but we shouldn't be the ones helping it along.