You get good and bad at whichever way you go.
I have had very few good experiences with B + M stores. Twice I have gone into places and thought at first that I had lucked into a great spot, but while still learning, I am a potential target for each store owner.
The learning curve on Vaping i have found to be so great that its almost impossible not to be for you have to put your trust in somewhere.
On the other hand, once i know what I am doing, at that particular level, I find buying online to be the easiest as i can buy what i want, not have to deal with anyoen tryign to sell me something else that is more expensive, simply for the sake that it is and hopefully if you have enough gear, you dont mind waiting 2 weeks if it takes tat long for once it arrives, something else will be coming the following week or two anyhow
I DO agree with Oberon75 that has suggested you look online at Facebook for Vaping Groups in your area. You will usually find many a store, as well as great groups where people are trading or selling their gear at reasonable prices. Quite often new, used one day and perhaps it just didnt turn out to be that persons new love but it might be yours.
The only downside i have found to FB groups is that often you cant ask a question without being hit by 30 different people who are there only to sell you something and dont care at all for what it is you need and will lie and answer whatever it is you want to hear, simply so they can sell you something.
There are also unfortunately rip off artists that will ship and have done so many a time without problems but perhaps what you dont know is 30% of the time they dont ship out what they say they are going to...LOL
Fortunately I have not fallen for those ones but have seen others do so
My biggest problem with FB groups is that they usually all, at least in my experience, attempt to make any Vapers that want to buy from FT or other discount spots, feel guilty for doing so.
I for one am tired of the Vape store owners that have all opened up stores 6 weeks after they discovered Vaping and feel they are now entitled to own a store. That on its own is fine but too many feel as if I and every last one of you owe it to them to keep them in business.
Dare i mention buying something at FT and I hear the damn speech about how you need to keep the business in Canada, or in the case here for many, the US.
The one i dispise the most is when I see them telling people that they owe it to B + M stores to buy from them since they are a member of this group and asking questions..LOL
Whatever happened to opening up a business and being successful because you practised great customer service or you offered competitive pricing? Opening up a Vape store today, you better be prepared for the fact that there are a whole new world full of buyers that do buy online and know how to get their goods at a better price.
None of these store owners are paying my rent but seem to feel we owe it to them to pay theirs.
That mentality will surely mean I wont frequent your store at al.
I now buy from one store here in Toronto and the fellow there is great. Hes bee Vaping since 2004. Sighs, I wasnt even ware of this until 2 years ago so I cant even imagine WHERE he got one from in 2004?
But this fellow is very passionate and he cares about his hardware and what he sells to people and when you have someone that great, that passionate, then usually the money will follow.
But dont expect people to buy your 1-2 year old goods you werent able to sell and now charge top dollar for to all newbies and then turn around and give any of us a speech about owing it to our country to buy from a store and not China, for example.
So not enjoying that angle of B + M stores, I have found that many of the FB groups are full of owners and all others looking to sell whatever they can grab from people asking simple questions. Ask someone what you think of, oh lets say a certain brand of tank and I can promise you that every one selling said tanks will be on top of you instantly trying to direct your busines their way. Then you have all the ones that dont have stores but who pick up deals here and there and want to flip them for cash and they too will be on you like crazy glue
MVP30 was NINETY DOLLARS 
