[Dabhand16]

It is with gresat sadness I read this announcement on their web-site:

Please note that unfortunately A J Purdy & Co Ltd are now closed and so no longer trading. Please check back here later this week for further information.All orders that were in stock have been processed and sent out and we have advised most customers who ordered items not in stock that they will not be receiving the item. For any query please use the contact us button and send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please do not return any goods as the unit is closed and cannot accept deliveries.

When my photography bug was re-invigorated a few years ago it was A J Purdy that supplied me with my Nikon D70s. A very sad day.

A J Purdy

[silkstone]

That is very sad. They always gave good service, and I bought my 40D from them just a few months ago.

[Steve]

While very sad I suspect that this is just the beginning. Its going to get a lot worse before it gets better and we will probably lose some of the well recognised and respected names.

[morlandroger]

Very sad. O/H's 400D and my 17-85 IS came from there last Christmas.

[Rob Barron]

Saddest thing is we are going to see the likes of Purdy, Green's, White's etc in danger of going under but the unit sellers (as opposed to personal service, knowledgeable staff etc) will keep going. Will we end up with places to get things when we know what we want but nowhere to get accurate advice from people who know what they are talking about?

Sorry to see you go Purdy's, you deserved to beat this depression but at least your legacy is a huge number of satisfied customers who will genuinely mourn your closing.

Cheers,
Rob

[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.

[M1ke A]

That is a shame. I've never brought from Purdy's but have known the name for years.

My local shop is Park and they've recently splashed on a swánky new building. I hope for their sake that they can weather the storm.

[Charlotte]

[brian wright22]

My Canon 350D and 17-85 and soft case came from Purdy's at Focus, so its a shame they won't be at the NEC Focus photography exhibition next February.They were certainly the best Retail seller at the show for cameras and kit.

[LJR69]

Very sad news indeed. I only got into photography this year and purchased a D300 from them in March. Very nice people to deal with. I wish them well whatever they move on to.

[simpbow]

Its not a nice thing to happen but it looks like its gonna be one of many unfortunately.

[samleo]

Sad news; I suppose its a case of "use them or lose them". We are all chasing the best deals we can get and like everything else , you get what you pay for, and that includes service just as much as the actual product!