I lament the demise of the local hobby shops because it always gave me something of a thrill to take a trip to the LHS and see what treasures might be found. That said, my LHS doesn't generally stock what I need--nor can they be expected to maintain such a broad range of supplies that they probably only sell one or two of per year--so I am rather forced to shop online. I like the convenience and flexibility of shopping online, but it's crushing small business owners; and not just in the hobby industry.

I buy kits from the LHS as I find it cheaper compared to buying online. The only time I'd go online is if the kit is not available. As an example Rye's Tiger I #5001 is listed today at $47.99 (Sprue Brothers), $44.90 (Hobby Easy), $50.77 (Hobby Link Japan). I have to add shipping at the least around $20-25, plus the hassle I'd have to go through the PO / Customs folks (priceless!). Compare it to the LHS which lists it around $57 tops -- no brainer. Happy 2016 modelling to all!

Well, I certainly do buy more than a few things online - mostly from Amazon or my go-to online store. About 60% of my purchases still go the local local hobby stores. Living in Canada, I find many of the shipping costs prohibitive. For whatever reason - although some smaller stores fall by the wayside- there are more than a few stores that remain. Many have branched out into r/c, sci-fi, roleplaying, etc. But still have a large model selection. Between sales and customer discount cards, the online thing becomes less attractive. There is also the intangible and visceral aspect- physically poring over kits, accessories and magazines. I will always choose the local store over online. I am old fashioned and still believe in supporting local commerce. I make enough where saving a few dollars is not my primary concern..especially when it takes weeks to ship. I would rather go pick something out and take it home right away