[raulus]

Go with what works.

There are lots of channels for buying. I’m all for supporting local dealers. At the same time, while a small premium might work, a gigantic premium is a deal breaker. Don’t forget that saving on shipping can help offset some of that premium.

If you can find appropriate prices on pieces you want from the local shop, then use them for those pieces. But if they want museum prices for pieces that you can find anywhere, then I would go for another source.

These days, eBay is often a tough place to find good stuff, although it’s not always entirely worthless. A lot of low and midgrade pieces have migrated to the various weekly or encore auctions, which seem to be another option.

And you’ve always got the BST around here, plus the various reputable dealers online or at shows. Have fun and enjoy the chase!