Sandfly, I agree, with your stand on "supporting your local fly shop".
However, with my closest one, being just under 107 miles away from me and the nearest fabric shop, about 5...............
Plus, "dollars spent, are dollars spent". The last hurl I picked up, at the craft store, was $1.19 for enough to keep me tying for a good month. When visiting my fly shop, he had packages of it, about 1/3 the amount, for over $3.00.
When I asked him about "long, surgical style tweezers", he replied; "I carry ENOUGH styles of tweezers already!" (of course, no shop can carry every item, I realize that).
A certain body yarn I like using, is $2.30 A SKIEN, (300 yards), at the fabric store and $3.05 for TWO yards, at the fly shop.
But, for "supporting my local shop", I don' buy my necks at craft stores, (OR off line, where they're usually MUCH cheaper). All my tying threads, not "fancy threads" come from my fly shop, as do all my replacement tying tools, etc.
My local shop also got my money for my Thomas and Thomas, last month, a new Loop reel, a few fly lines, etc.
Even though, as you probably are aware more than some... things are almost always cheaper, on Internet auction sites, "On-line only fly shops", and so on.
But, I refuse to purchase my big ticket items from these places, regardless of the money I may save. Those items, always come from my fly shop. As, do, about 90% of all my tying needs.
"DO I, though" buy enough of the bigger ticket items often enough to help support my shop? Yes, my bride reminds me DAILY that; "You don't "NEED" another fly rod!" "What's wrong, with the 17 fly reels you ALREADY own?" "You paid, HOW MUCH. for just a PIECE of a dead chicken?"
I went to an "estate sale" this past weekend and couldn't believe my luck, when I found a near new Abel TR-1 for $10.00. Fortunately, it was also attached to a G-Loomis, that set me back another $20.00 if I wanted the combo.
My fly shop carried Abel reels, of course, as well as Loomis rods, but I'm not stupid either! (dumb, no doubt, but not, stupid!).
Like I said, "it's dollars spent, to dollars spent" and I feel that I more than enough, support my "local" shop despite my craft store fetishes!?!