Your first fish, tanks and supplies were bought online? I am not saying a LFS is what made you get in to this hobby but it would be almost impossible for most people to get started in this hobby without them.
I'm not saying i never used them before... However, I got started in this hobby through a friend/hobbyists I worked with in Southern California when i lived there... he brought me to a SoCal Reefers meeting, from there I met a bunch of people... and collectively they all got me into it, and got me setup and going... I was very fortunate, and clearly this is not the normal... as i got started into the hobby in the coming months, i started to visit a few places... I found alot of the info, etc that the LFS were giving me, did not gel with what my buddy and new buddy's were telling me... the LFS, a few of them, were giving me crappy advice and trying to sell me nonsense, and jus overall about everything, etc... however, at that point, and for the next 3 years, i would buy my fish from the LFS's that I found were what i felt, up to par...
Thankfully, i had some great people, and was actually in a club, and an incredibly large and great one at that, before i even got started... they are also the ones who turned me on to some of the online vendors for dry goods... I now buy all my dry goods online, as i jus wont find it cheaper anywhere else, i think we can all agree to that... I mean, i know some places will match price, but considering where I am located, and the fact that i can always find free shipping, its not worth spending the 20 to 30 dollars in gas to get there and back... for all intensive purposes, im poor, so i have to get things the most cost effective way i can... with that said, i dont skimp on product quality either and i dont believe in lower quality products, im jus not gonna pay more, when i can pay less... also, pretty much all my fish i currently have are rescues/adoptions, or purchased from other hobbyists... and every coral i have is aquacultured by other hobbyists, and Greg at Cultivated Reef, and a few people like him...
I guess I lied when i said i dont use LFS's at all... on occasion, when meeting up for trades and whatnot with my fellow hobbyist, i may grab some frozen mysis while I am at the LFS for said meetups... And also, so everyone doesnt think I am such a hater, I do talk up the very good stores i have found myself to some of my fellow hobbyists... i dont jus show up at LFS's to degrade them or judge them... I went to Skiptons this weekend and brought a CTARS buddy who had never been, and wanted to go cuz i recommended he check them out as he loves a good LFS, I can guarantee he will be back to spend money...
Out of the literally, probably close to 100 LFS's i have been to in numerous states, and both sides of the country, I have 4 amongst them all, that I would actually recommend to anyone... 2 there on the west coast, and 2 here on the eastcoast... and jus to note, I have not been to Jay's in Salem, NH, but i have heard good things and wouldnt mind checking it out... but honestly, for all that I have been too, those are not good percentatges...
I really wish i would have worded my opening post differently, however, all i can do is apoligize for its overzelous'ness, and move on...
every person who has chimed in has disagreed with me, which is 100% OK, but if i dont use the LFS, does not mean i do not love or cherish this hobby any less or more than the next person... barring any mishap with living conditions or health, I will be in this hobby heavily, for the rest of my life... whether i choose to support certain venues or not... and I hope everyone else who loves this hobby as much as i do, gets to stay in it for as long as possible as well...