Heh heh.....Can't let 'em know what you paid for it...
Don't worry, I'm on the retailers side. Having sold cameras back in the day of film (anybody remember film? it is this kinda' thin plastic stuff...).
It was amazing the length people, even very good long term customers would go to get a great deal.
Back in those days it was fairly hard to buy overseas with no internet but
they would do it anyway, and almost without fail they lost out, sometimes big time.
Margins were and are still quite slim. As long as the local guy is giving it a fair shot, I will always buy from him.
We have a local garage who I always buy all our spare parts, tyres and get servicing done. I don't even bother shopping around anymore.
I just pay whatever the cost because I found the small difference is just not worth worrying about.
BUT the big difference is... Now that he knows me, he's offered the use of his timing light, the use of his hydraulic press and a dozen other little things even just a bit of know-how that make life so much easier.
Support your local man!

I buy local where I can, last time I bought some suspension bits in from Minispares UK the freight was almost as dear as the goods.
I could have bought em cheaper from Kc.. imported isn't always cheaper (particularly when they choose to ship your 2 or 3kg parcel via the UPS highway robbery co.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

We've deviated along way from the OP's subject so my apology to MiniBill.
I just wanted to say this... Just yesterday I went into a local steel merchant
who I buy tiny bits and pieces fairly often. They are always easy to deal with.
I needed a small piece of 150mm hollow bar which was going to be a special order. One of the guys in there says "Hang on a minute", bends down, a lifts up a piece that was used for a door stop..."How much?" I asked, he said just put something in the Care Flight Helicopter donation tin.
That was almost $100 worth of steel for a small donation.
Do you think he would have done it, if I was always in there shopping around
for the best price?
Do you think I will continue to use them, even if I find out that I can save two dollars elsewhere? Not likely!

Haha no problems Rocket.

And back to my original topic ...... i have purchased my project mini and she's a little beauty rough around the outside but i hope a good first project ....... A Project called ....... wait for it ......... Project Pickles , why call a mini pickles you say ... well i say why not

I will start a thread in the members section when i get some pictures of her .
And i hope with the before and after pictures , the after look better

Edit:
Forgot to add Pickles is a 1973 leyland mini white with brown interior " interior will be redone in black "

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Project Pickles is ALIVE!!!!! Click Here!
Success is so much sweeter after the struggle

The beauty of the internet is that you can COMPARE.... Sometimes the Oz supplier will pick your pocket and sometimes the UK supplier will send rubbish. So it becomes a question of finding someone you can trust.

At least with the internet you can shop around - and hopefully- find guidance from fellow travellers..

Overall I would suggest its a percentage thing. Big stuff is generally cheaper OS - with a concomitant risk. Little stuff you may as well buy locally because the risk outweighs the small cost variations.

Unfortunately when someone can make a profit selling a litre of Fijian mineral water in North America for a dollar (including extraction, bottling, packaging, marketing, shipping etc) while it costs $14 to ship 500 grams of chocolate across the Pacific nothing makes sense.

Good luck, Ian