I'm thinking this isn't exactly a good situation...since they have just
about everything else in the catalog in the store it appears.

I'm thinking that I'd have learned how to spell the store name and called to
check before driving 20 miles each way if the trek bothered me that much.

You're not paying twice for shipping. You're paying twice for not checking,
which is your own fault, not the store's. To expect any store to have
exactly
the same items in stock it had 5 or 6 years ago is stretching it thin.

He's also paying for being impatient. Didja see this in his post?

I had to order from the catalog to get it in a few days since ordering to
store was at best, 2 weeks.

I've ordered things from Rockler before, that I didn't want to pay the
shipping on. Just call the store and have them put it on their next regular
order. They'll call you when it's in.

You're right. Maybe that's the highest cost. I think most of the top mail order
outfits do something similar. It can't hurt to ask, anyway. It is probably
impossible to stock every item in a catalog every day of every week of every
year anyway. I know Lee Valley tries, but most others limit their store SKUs to
a certain extent, depending on space, franchisee desires, etc. Rob doesn't have
franchised stores, so doesn't have to deal with franchise owners some of whom
are really, really superb, and some of whom are not.

Charlie Self
"The function of posterity is to look after itself." Dylan Thomas