DoogsATX
Honestly, I think the internet is THE reason (well, outside of general economic armageddon...but bad times always amplify trends) stores are closing and thinning inventory.
But I'm not about to turn my back on Great Models/Sprue Bros/Squadron/Hannants/etc out of some kind of protectionist tendency. We're buying plastic wrapped in plastic, stuffed into a cardboard box. I'm not the sort to hunt for the absolute lowest price, but when you can purchase a Dragon Tiger I on Dragon USA Online for like $32, or at your LHS for $65...I mean...that's not greed, that's just common sense.
You make a good point. I should not have used "greed". I still stand by the "impatience" comment, though. I'm as guilty of it as anyone, too. I guess my point is (and I did a very poor job of stating it) that I love going to the local hobby shops and just hanging out, talking shop, buying a few kits that I opened first just to see what was in the box before I bought 'em; seeing the models that other people built and displayed at the store; stuff like that. But those days (in my area, anyways) are long gone. I really miss doing those things. Hobby Lobby isn't that kind of place by any means, but at least I could just go and look at the kits, maybe buy one or two, pick up some supplies while there. But it's getting to the point that we won't be able to do that, either, unless car kits and railroad sets are your thing (I do have a few cars in the stash.... 
). Please understand, I'm not really complaining. I'm just disappointed about what has happened. I can't blame anyone for going on the internet and buying what they need because of price and availability. My issue is people complaining about what's happening and not realizing why. They're blaming the stores' management (indirectly) for doing away with selling the kits that they want. I think it's a good business decision by Hobby Lobby. It's unfortunate to see a lot of the mom & pop places go under, but they didn't have other departments of floral, home furniture, crafts, etc. to rely on like the large chain stores do. So, consequently, they had to shut their doors. I remember a while back when the overwhelming theory on that issue was that Wal-Mart was undercutting all the local mom & pops by selling kits, but I really don't think that was what really happened.
But, I've been in shops where someone was asking how much and how long to receive it when possibly ordering a kit or aftermarket set, and, when informed, decided to just go home and order it on the internet. And you can't blame them. Maybe Hobby Lobby could've discounted their prices instead of what they've decided to do, but I'm sure we're not seeing the big picture that they get to see. They also get to see the volume of the models that were selling, and, if it ain't moving, get rid of it.
Thanks for bearing with me and discussing this on a friendly level. I was afraid I was gonna start a little flame war here, but I've actually enjoyed the conversation. My wife takes no interest in discussing this kinda stuff (although she STRONGLY supports my modeling habit, just as I completely support her scrapbooking hobby), so it's good to be able talk about things here, even if it is on-line. As I've said earlier, I think I'm the only modeler in Carrollton, GA, so I don't get to discuss the nuances of modeling with anyone else.
How's the move coming along? Where are you moving to? I've moved so many times in my life that I've lost count (due to military and job commitments). Hope I get to stay here for a long time.
Oh, and what's a BT-7?
Gary Mason