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you can pick them up from the classifieds for a tenner...
Your whole logic is flawed though Hora, and you're making a circular argument! I agree it is stupid to hold £400 of stock in something you won't sell, but if you don't get 8 of them in you're not going to get a sensible price and you won't be able to sell anywhere near the prices CRC et al do. Interestingly there is no RRP on most King stuff.
So if you only get one or two, you can't realistically afford to stock them, and folk like you whinge that their LBS doesn't have the stock that CRC do. It's a vicious circle.
Hope are good like that, you don't really get much discount no matter how many brakes etc you order from them (as a shop) so it makes it easier for shops to compete on price with the CRC's, CK stuff is a different matter. With Shimano most shops would be able to compete on price if they bought 20 of cranks/hubs/mechs etc at a time (which a lot of shops will if it's SLX level) the problem is that it's not a level playing field, they arn't buying up grey imports from 'over suppled' OEM bike manufacturers abroard etc.
Buy from the shops local shops if you like the shop and they look after you, and if you like having a local bike shop. I'm sure they arn't trying to rip anyone off, it's not really in their interests in the long run. They might not be aware of how much these things cost from CRC, they probably find the website a bit depressing, and the guy that opens the box from the supplier just reads the price list and stamps it on the box, there's no conspiricy.
where i am currently there are two bikes shops in town and another a 20 minute ride out of town. i stomach the 20 minute ride most of the time. one of the shops near-by sells shopping, kids and old lady type bikes but is good for the small things; cables, spokes..... that's about it actually. they don't hold much in the way of 'proper' mtb/road stuff but they are helpful, friendly and don't take the piss.
the other local shop is nice if you want to go and look at what you'll probably buy online. they charged my mate 5€ for the metal spring that goes in the brake caliper. they wanted 8€ from me for 50ml of mineral oil. everything in the shop is marked up as threr aren't any other alternatives in the area (that most people know of). a Hex helmet costs 130€ in there! all that combined with the fact the owner is fat, doesn't actually ride bikes but wears 'sporty' clothing and stupid ****ing yellow tinted sports glasses (despite the fact he's indoors) means that i'm pretty loath to go there.
the shop out of town isn't amazing. it's an outdoor clothing/climbing/camping/bike shop. but at least you can speak directly to the mechanic/bike man and he knows what he's doing. although you can't go into the workshop for insurance reasons, which i find bollox.
where i previously lived, southern germany/northern alps, the LBS (radstaion lindau) was brilliant. i'd spend entire days there when bunking work. i could use all the tools and fiddle with my bike. people came in for a chat. the guys there would price match or sell at cost to friends. i miss it really. nowhere to go here when it's raining.
still, i wouldn't like to run my own shop.