I have NEVER demoed a keyboard (or anything else, AFAIK) at a store, then gone and got it online. You keep doing that, and sooner or later (mostly sooner) you CAN'T demo things in a store, and HAVE to do what so many of us are faced with right now. Buy the damn thing just to be able to demo it...

Perhaps this trend is exactly WHY stores won't stock many MOTL and TOTL arrangers any more. Too many trying, but not buying.

Keeping a good relation with a store is pretty important. There have been times when the local store has saved my a$$ by giving me a loaner for something that went on the fritz (that I had bought there) for a gig that day. Try getting THAT from an online retailer! My only problem is I tend to keep my keyboards quite a lot longer than many here, so they don't get quite the turnover they would like

I have bought things online that I've tried a friend's one out, and my local don't normally stock it, so they dislike returns. But if you try it in a store, just how much is that experience worth...? Quite a chunk of money, I'd say. Shipping and restocking fees can make returns to online vendors quite an expensive habit. At least the local store, although he charges a bit more, allows you to make SURE it's the right decision before you buy. No returns needed - and THAT saves you money.

I wonder just how many of us that have returned or sold a very recent purchase from online would have NEVER bought it in the first place if they had only had an opportunity to play it in the store a couple of times, first?

I know that online, you can save maybe 10-15% over a local dealer, but factor in how much further you'll have to drive NEXT time to try one out before you buy, or the restocking fee for an unwanted online purchase, and it doesn't seem so high a price to pay, anymore!