lukan Loc: Chicago, IL

A private venture capital group bought the Ritz and Wolf Camera stores/ inventory/ name(s) and in the Chicago suburbs there are a couple that go by the Wolf Camera name. I like a couple of the guys that work at one of the stores, but prefer an old family-owned store in downtown Chicago named Central Camera. I just wish Central Camera sold ALL the brands that are currently relevant as they do not sell Olympus right now (their choice), nor Sony (Sony's choice, as they want to be only in big-box stores). Their expertise, knowledge and guidance is second to none.

ocbeyer Loc: Baltimore

:thumbup:

Poison Ivey Loc: Mtn Brook, AL

In Birmingham, AL, our wonderful "Camera World" is closing today. They just could not compete with Mail Order equipment sales (no Sales Tax), and prints from Costco or SAMs . Owners were wonderful people and always ready to help.

donnahde Loc: Newark, DE

Many have disappeared in Delaware but there is still one at the Christiana Mall in Newark - at least the last time I was at the mall!

hippi Loc: Sedalia MO

they are all gone in kc area I found only one camera store in the kc area and that is overland photo supply they are at 82nd Metcalf op ks

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Apparently, but I bet someone will try to get the name going again. It's like Indian Motorcycle. It's a familiar name, so it keeps trying to make a comeback.

spdmn54 Loc: Avon Lake, Ohio

Clyde141

I used to go to a camera store in Fresno. It closed a couple of years ago. There is a camera store in Bakersfield - they have almost nothing and will probably close in the next year or so. They just can't compete with Adorama, B&H, Amazon (who does charge CA sales taxes) and all the other big online stores. Samy's Camera has 5 stores in California and are excellent, but all are either in LA or San Francisco area. The online sites always have lower prices making it hard for local stores to compete. And then there are those California sales taxes - but even without considering the taxes the online stores are usually cheaper than buying local.

Mmouse

Hi Gram 27. I live very near the Ritz in Fairfield. I miss the convenience but have found that I can learn more here and with videos online.

georgevedwards Loc: Essex, Maryland.

Most camera stores have gone out of business. Here in Baltimore, they used to be all over the place, now there is only one, Service Photo. Strange when you consider the digital revolution, everybody and his brother have a camera these days. Best Buy and Walmarts, etc, have some things but are very limited. I liked Ritz but it seemed like the sales personal had no real knowledge of photography, only what items the store stocked, kind of made me hesitate when trying to get info to buy something. Maybe the online market has killed them, also a factor is high rent. The Art scene has undergone a similar purge, there used to be many art supply stores around, now here in Baltimore there are only like 2, plus the MICA(art college) supply store. Art Galleries, including the one I have been a member of for 20 years, are failing, as are frame shops, mostly due to high rent. A separate small business is required to always pay more rent every year (it is like the Mafia, or protection gangs, every so often they bleed you for more money until you go under, here it is called by a nice name, capitalism, mostly under Republican guidelines), until it gets out of hand, prices for standard types of products are pretty much stable; The frame shops tried to keep pace by just raising frame prices until that got out of hand, you had to pay twice as much for a frame than for a picture, they had to charge to meet the rising rents. I used to have an easel set up in Deck the Walls frame shops. They were a big chain of frame shops in shopping malls. I was booked 6 months in advance sometimes. I thought I was set for life, if one store failed I could just move to another. Now they are all gone, the owner at my store said they just kept raising the rent every year, a new store entering got a reasonable rate. The only thing that is saving me is online jobs sketching caricatures at parties. I do sell photo prints at a gallery, but it is struggling.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

Ritz Camera in downtown Chicago was bought out by Calumet Photo. Calumet has kept the shop open however.

lukan Loc: Chicago, IL

Calumet's a good place too. :thumbup:

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Yet another victim of on-line stores. Ritz has been in trouble for some time and was slowly going away since oh, at least 3-years ago. They may be gone all together.

mlkddk Loc: Colorado

In Denver the wolf camera also seemed to be linked with Ritz
is now mikes camera. Expensive but service is good.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

They were a crappy store anyway.