B & M stores or "vape shops" prices may be more expensive than what can be found online; after all, they do have an overhead to have a store to present products in, not just a warehouse like an online distributor uses. B & M stores have the advantage for the customer to actually view products in person and possibly try it in the store. The salesman may even offer to demo a device or assemble some products, such as a cartotank. Many vape shops have a "juice bar" where you can try samples of the e-liquid flavors before buying. If you are lucky enough to live near a B & M vape shop and they offer good products and service, I believe it is important to support them. It is a huge advantage to be able to walk into a store to make a purchase or try out an new juice flavor, than to take a chance on something a little unknown from a vendor online.
I generally do NOT like starter kits, but I generally know exactly what I need for a typical setup. Many starter kits come with pieces that I know that I will never use, so I'm paying for something that will be wasted. I've been vaping long enough to know where the best place to get certain gear with the best selection and best price.
For instance, if buying a new mod, I would purchase the battery holder itself alone. I would then head over to
RTD Vapor for batteries, battery recharger, battery cases, and drip tips if I needed any of those.
I prefer to buy genuine brand products. I believe that you get what you pay for with these. I prefer to get genuine Joytech, Vision, AW brand batteries, Pila or Xtar rechargers, etc. I have also found that the best e-liquids come from vendors that deal only with e-juice. Most multi-product e-cig vendors make most of their money on equipment, not juices, so that is their focus. If an e-juice vendor doesn't have a great juice line, they won't be in business very long, because that is their primary focus.
