On Apr 3, 9:57*am, Bill Noble wrote:
On 4/2/2011 11:46 PM, RS at work wrote:

In the past couple of months I have been plagued with repair
necessities. *Washing machine, dryer, ice maker, gas oven, lawn mower
and weed wacker.

In doing all of this work I have done a bunch of shopping around and I
am amazed at the variation in prices for parts. *The washing machine
needed a kit to repair the agitator. *Part price varied from $4 to
$15, and freight was all over the map.

The ice maker project was looking to be about $90 in parts until I
found that ABT electronics In Chicago would ship me a whole brand new
kit including everything from the water valve to the ice bucket for
$41 including freight.

* details snipped



Also I wonder how may folks out there forgo all the fun I have and
either pay for service calls and labor, replace repairable items or
hire out the task of mowing the lawn (Of course for the first 10 years
of home ownership I had a guy that charged me $6 a week to mow front
and back, so I didn't bother buying the lawn mower until he retired.)
or giving the mower a oil change and tune up.

Roger Shoaf

when the price difference is modest, some of us elect to support local
businesses. *I will also from time to time go to a local business and
show them the on-line price and say "I want to support local businesses
like you but I can't afford this price difference" - sometimes the on
line price is less than their cost, sometimes they can help and meet me
part way.
--www.wbnoble.com

Well said.

I also try to spend my money local..it is the ONLY way to keep local
businesses in place.

But...I do not approve of price gouging and that is exactly what some
local businesses do.

TMT