It depends on where you are and how many quality LFS there are. We are spoiled in the Seattle area, there are several high quality stores that compete with each other and do order from some of the online vendors.
This is why seeing if you got a good price is hard, each area of the US is differant ... and differant countries even more so.
I've heard from others that NC isn't so lucky, and many have to do mail order as the costs is about equal even with the shipping added in. Personally I believe it's a college basketball tax from the rest of the country put on NC.