[silkstone]

They were founded in 1931.

What price Jessops now? And DSG aren't doing well. Before long we'll have no choice but to buy on eBay from HK, except that the pound will be so weak we won't be able to afford the postage.

Back in the 1980s there was a camera shop in Barnsley run by someone who was a very knowledgeable enthusiast. He would let people try out cameras, lenses, etc in the shop, and would give good advice. His prices weren't the cheapest (nor the dearest), but his knowledge and help could stop you making an expensive mistake, so it was worth paying a small premium. Or was it?

He closed down because people were taking advantage of his advice and then going around the corner to Dixons and buying for 5% less. The internet didn't exist in those days, and Dixons (and even Jessops) were the discount dealers.

So are we all to blame for this phenomenon? Have we been greedy and not placed a value on good advice and service? Are we all after bargains instead of supporting dealers who care about their customers? I'm afraid the answer is, in many cases, yes.

We reap what we sow. We'll end up with Amazon and some of the other large internet dealers, and we'll carry on bargain-hunting from all over the world. There's a real danger that there won't be any high street photographic dealers left before too long. Maybe all we had to do was value the good advice of independent dealers at a few percent?

Am I being too cynical or sceptical? And let's not get into another discussion about Jessops, because they managed to fall spectacularly between two stools.