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> I prioritize a locally owned store if possible, second option is a reputable specialty web store that specializes in the kind of item I want. Serious questi

> I prioritize a locally owned store if possible, second option is a reputable specialty web store that specializes in the kind of item I want. Serious question, how do you find reputable specialty web stores nowadays? (for items which are not your professional specialty, i.e. when you don't have direct knowledge of the market or trusted contacts that can recommend those for you). Trying to google for items of medium quality, you only get shady reseller shops that are as bad as Amazon third-party market, or worse.

xxs 5y ago
using google is rather futile as you'd have to escape your own search bubble (incl. your recent searches). Other than that: trusted contacts, indeed.
Slippery_John 5y ago
Honestly, reddit. I moved to Berlin last year and wanted to buy some coffee making equipment. This was still the height of the pandemic, before vaccines were readily available here. So I hit up the local subreddits. And now I have a small list of sites where I can buy both good equipment as well as some great coffee. Of course now I can also go in person if I want to.
xvector 5y ago
B&H - general electronics, tax-free Headphones.com - headphones, tax-free Drop.com - general hobbyist goods DigiKey/Mouser - miscellaneous parts Your local bougie salon - high-quality body products (bodywash, hairspray, etc) Bed Bath and Beyond - bedding and bath products Design within Reach - furniture Ubiquiti - wireless APs, PoE switches, and the nicest Ethernet cables I've ever used ProtectLi - firewalls Crowdsupply - miscellaneous gadgets for supernerds -- Best way to find a good quality product is to go to the hobbyist subreddit/community for said product and see what vendor people use. Also, r/BuyItForLife.
- JKCalhoun 5y ago
  "within Reach", LOL. (Sorry, love their furniture, not so much their prices.)
  - xvector 5y ago
    Yeah the prices are absolutely insane lmao. I've had good luck with CB2 and West Elm for more affordable but still decent furniture. But I'd get a flagship lounge chair from DWR
  - ndaiger 5y ago
    I agree the name is pretty terrible for a mass-market company because everybody associates it with price, but I believe the origin was due to the fact that they offered direct sales of products that were previously only available "to the trade" (aka professional designers/decorators).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- technothrasher 5y ago
  > B&H - general electronics, tax-free B&H has been collecting sales tax for about two years now. Still a great place to get electronics from though.
  - xvector 5y ago
    If you get their Payboo card you don't have to pay tax. Took me like 2 minutes to sign up. They just closed the program but are re-opening it in January.
    - technothrasher 5y ago
      Opening a line of revolving credit, with a 29.99% interest rate, and a promise of cash back rewards that match the tax you pay (rewards which you technically are supposed to pay income tax on) isn't exactly the same as no sales tax. As as for "re-opening" the program, we'll see what they actually have for a new program when it is announced.
      - xvector 5y ago
        The interest rate is irrelevant, if you rely on it you have a lot bigger problems than ordering from Amazon. Opening the line of credit will lower your overall credit utilization, actually helping your credit score in the long run. Let's be serious, literally no one cares about paying tax on the rewards. The new program is exactly the same as the old one. The backend card provider is changed.
      - limitedmage 5y ago
        The interest rate doesn’t matter if you use the card as cash/debit by paying it off every month. And credit card rewards are not taxable because they are considered rebates by the IRS.
- tablespoon 5y ago
  > Ubiquiti - wireless APs, PoE switches, and the nicest Ethernet cables I've ever used Haven't they been having issues recently?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - xvector 5y ago
    What sort of issues? Security ones? That basically came down to a malicious engineer compromising their own infrastructure and then whistleblowing.
    - tablespoon 5y ago
      > What sort of issues? Security ones? That basically came down to a malicious engineer compromising their own infrastructure and then whistleblowing. I don't know exactly. I believe they were trying to force cloud-signon for even locally managed devices, and since then I think I've picked up "used to be great" complaints that their quality and support is slipping (like they off-shored their engineering teams or something).
      - drdaeman 5y ago
        They're kinda pushing for that (like every other tech business, sadly - and I get it, everyone wants to have that sweet subscription model cash flows), but you still have an option to run a local controller without any cloud nonsense, just have to click some small link beneath some form.
      - xvector 5y ago
        That's for their routers and firewalls, which were shit even before the cloud stuff. Their switches and APs are pretty good and don't require cloud nonsense.

xxs 5y ago

using google is rather futile as you'd have to escape your own search bubble (incl. your recent searches). Other than that: trusted contacts, indeed.

Slippery_John 5y ago

Honestly, reddit. I moved to Berlin last year and wanted to buy some coffee making equipment. This was still the height of the pandemic, before vaccines were readily available here. So I hit up the local subreddits. And now I have a small list of sites where I can buy both good equipment as well as some great coffee. Of course now I can also go in person if I want to.

xvector 5y ago

B&H - general electronics, tax-free Headphones.com - headphones, tax-free Drop.com - general hobbyist goods DigiKey/Mouser - miscellaneous parts Your local bougie salon - high-quality body products (bodywash, hairspray, etc) Bed Bath and Beyond - bedding and bath products Design within Reach - furniture Ubiquiti - wireless APs, PoE switches, and the nicest Ethernet cables I've ever used ProtectLi - firewalls Crowdsupply - miscellaneous gadgets for supernerds -- Best way to find a good quality product is to go to the hobbyist subreddit/community for said product and see what vendor people use. Also, r/BuyItForLife.

JKCalhoun 5y ago
"within Reach", LOL. (Sorry, love their furniture, not so much their prices.)
- xvector 5y ago
  Yeah the prices are absolutely insane lmao. I've had good luck with CB2 and West Elm for more affordable but still decent furniture. But I'd get a flagship lounge chair from DWR
- ndaiger 5y ago
  I agree the name is pretty terrible for a mass-market company because everybody associates it with price, but I believe the origin was due to the fact that they offered direct sales of products that were previously only available "to the trade" (aka professional designers/decorators).
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
technothrasher 5y ago
> B&H - general electronics, tax-free B&H has been collecting sales tax for about two years now. Still a great place to get electronics from though.
- xvector 5y ago
  If you get their Payboo card you don't have to pay tax. Took me like 2 minutes to sign up. They just closed the program but are re-opening it in January.
  - technothrasher 5y ago
    Opening a line of revolving credit, with a 29.99% interest rate, and a promise of cash back rewards that match the tax you pay (rewards which you technically are supposed to pay income tax on) isn't exactly the same as no sales tax. As as for "re-opening" the program, we'll see what they actually have for a new program when it is announced.
    - xvector 5y ago
      The interest rate is irrelevant, if you rely on it you have a lot bigger problems than ordering from Amazon. Opening the line of credit will lower your overall credit utilization, actually helping your credit score in the long run. Let's be serious, literally no one cares about paying tax on the rewards. The new program is exactly the same as the old one. The backend card provider is changed.
    - limitedmage 5y ago
      The interest rate doesn’t matter if you use the card as cash/debit by paying it off every month. And credit card rewards are not taxable because they are considered rebates by the IRS.
tablespoon 5y ago
> Ubiquiti - wireless APs, PoE switches, and the nicest Ethernet cables I've ever used Haven't they been having issues recently?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- xvector 5y ago
  What sort of issues? Security ones? That basically came down to a malicious engineer compromising their own infrastructure and then whistleblowing.
  - tablespoon 5y ago
    > What sort of issues? Security ones? That basically came down to a malicious engineer compromising their own infrastructure and then whistleblowing. I don't know exactly. I believe they were trying to force cloud-signon for even locally managed devices, and since then I think I've picked up "used to be great" complaints that their quality and support is slipping (like they off-shored their engineering teams or something).
    - drdaeman 5y ago
      They're kinda pushing for that (like every other tech business, sadly - and I get it, everyone wants to have that sweet subscription model cash flows), but you still have an option to run a local controller without any cloud nonsense, just have to click some small link beneath some form.
    - xvector 5y ago
      That's for their routers and firewalls, which were shit even before the cloud stuff. Their switches and APs are pretty good and don't require cloud nonsense.