[OLS]

Well I have to both report and answer that, Dave.
It simply comes down to money. It is easy to fall into the assumption that everyone is the same in the NYC Camera trade.
The two big dogs, both Hassidic Jew-run outfits, and TO THE PENNY, they will both have the lowest price on new, legit gear.
It is when you talk about USED stuff that Adorama runs away with the title. They demolish KEH and B&H on used
gear. And by demolish I really just mean they are 10-15% lower, lol. Sometimes more. But after you factor in the
shipping I griped about, it starts to get a little closer. But I needed a mic mixer the other day, and no one had the one
I wanted, and new they were $250. I had a choice between principle and price and I fell down. AS I have EVERY time I
have had a gripe with Ado. They are like a girl you just can't quit even though you know they are poison and they stick
you good every chance they get. But I have done two things in response. I have cut my purchases WAY BACK so that my
exposure is down, and for new stuff I am back to B&H. It's a tangled web. I got a lens early this year, it was a "E-"
grade, and it had a gouge on the front element and what felt like sand in the helicoids. I thought "Who on earth would
grade this excellent minus?" But it was so cheap that I just took it as a sign to stop using them......for a week, I think,
lol. I use it on a video camera as a wide angle lens. My feeling is that SOMEONE there was just not paying attention
anymore. Ordered a plain Stick mic and I got a wireless stick mic (but no receiver). Ordered a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8
and got a Sigma Mini Wide for Nikon. A dead cell on the occasional DSLR body deal was one thing (three times in 2 years,
all replaced without question or cost) but pure, avoidable mistakes tend to make me a little madder. I used to open boxes
from them like a kid on Christmas, now I open them like there might be a snake in em, "lordy, what will be wrong this time?"
They'll get it figured out, this can't be a general slippage company-wide, this is an individual or two in a large Used dept
that need to be found and fired.

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BUT THE NEWS IS GOOD for them today, as both packages shipped last night/this morning, so I guess I am just
going to have to call it a tie. What's in the BOX might change that, but they also might get it right. I have found out
as you have that ordering ANYWHERE near one of their holidays is asking for trouble. When the staff returns, they do
not seem to be entirely on their game. And granted, they are usually long holidays, so I am sure the backlog is intimidating.