Inspired by yellowoftops' request for webcomic recommendations as well as this thread where I've learned that I'm not the only one on Hubski who thinks Amazon is the E-Commerce equivalent of the devil (though I'm not surprised because you guys are cool like that), I've decided to start up a list of online Amazon alternatives. I also change the title from "rd95's Living List . . ." to "Hubski's Living List" as you guys have already contributed more than I have.
Since few places can match the breadth and depth of Amazon, they'll obviously be more specialized shops. For ease of use though, I'll break them down into categories and where possible, have a slight description of the site and what makes it worthwhile. Of course since I'm the first one posting, most of the stuff will be oriented towards shops that appeal to me. To make the list grow, post in the comments sites you want seen added to the list, what category you think they belong in, as well as a brief explanation, and I'll update my original post.
It's not my goal to get people 100% off of Amazon and their services. After all, their convenience is their number one selling point. However, I think that supporting other businesses is import for a diverse marketplace and supporting smaller, more niche websites is the online equivalent of supporting your local business. The prices might be a bit higher and there might be another step involve, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. That said, whenever you can, buy local. Your friendly neighbourhood stores appreciate and value you.
Also Note: If you think a site should be taken off this list (bad customer service, poor security, etc.) let me know and I'll more than likely consider removing it. A list of recommendations is useless if they're bad recommendations.
A Little Bit of Everything
Etsy - Buy directly from the people who make their products. Clothing, dolls, jewelry, graphic design. If someone can make it, chances are you can find it on here.
Storenvy - I have no idea if this is similar to Etsy, but if you want to stand out, this is the place for you. When it comes to clothing, they have indie brands aplenty. They also have toys, music and band merchandise, and health and beauty products.
Clothing
6pm - A great selection of shoes at great prices. They also have bags, luggage, backpacks, and the like.
Grailed - A place where you can buy and sell used men's clothing, both designer and vintage.
Books
BookFinder4U - A search engine to compare book prices across websites. Like a Kayak/Trivago for books.
Better World Books - A used book store with good selection, worldwide shipping, and a socially conscious philosophy.
Chegg - A textbook rental company. Not exactly a store per se, but if you're in college, they could be a God send.
In Stock Trades - A great website for comic fans. They have an amazing selection, are quick to get in new products, and often have prices that rival Amazon's.
Textbook Rush - A textbook seller and renter.
Wordery - Huge selection. Worldwide shipping. A hard place to beat.
Electronics
B&H Photo - Primarily a camera store, but also a good source for many other electronics including audio and video. They only collect sales tax for orders shipped to New York.
Digi-Key Electronics - Is it a thing that connects to another thing and has electricity running through it? They probably have it.
Jameco Electronics – They have a large selection of computer components to choose from as well as tons of other electronic bits.
Monoprice - Audio, Video, Gaming, Computers, and more.
Mouser - They have everything from your mundane such as fuses and memory cards to the more sophisticated such as sensors and calibration equipment.
Newark element14 - Batteries, fuses, cables, oscillators, heat sinks, thing-a-ma-bobs. They have it all.
NewEgg - Much better searching than Amazon, prices essentially the same. Strongly against patent trolls. They also only charge sales tax in California, Indiana, New Jersey and Tennessee.
Radioshack - General electronics and a few more esoteric bits as well.
RS Components - RS Components is a trading brand of Electrocomponents PLC . . . Our products, sourced from 2,500 leading suppliers, include semiconductors, interconnect, passives and electromechanical, automation and control, electrical, test and measurement, tools and consumables. (Text pulled from their site)
Music
Bandcamp - One of my go to sites for music. You can listen to tracks online as well as purchase albums. Many artists not only have digital versions of their albums, but other formats as well such as CD, Vinyl, and sometimes even Cassette. Many smaller artists will have a “Name Your Price” option when you want to buy their music.
Sports Equipment
REI – A great site with all sorts of supplies for outdoor adventures. They have stuff for skiing, camping, hiking, cycling, and more. WanderingEng vouches for their customer service.
Ringside - A supplier of boxing and mma equipment, they carry their own brand as well as many other brands. They have a ton of options for high quality equipment at fair prices.
Title Boxing - A supplier of boxing and mma equipment, they carry their own brand as well as many other brands. They have a ton of options for high quality equipment at fair prices.
Toys and Games
Big Bad Toystore – If you're a nerd and you like toys and collectibles, this place is worth checking out.
Cool Stuff Inc. - A good source for Tabletop Games, CCGs, and Roleplaying Games.
Miniature Market - An absolutely awesome website for Tabletop Games, CCGs, Pencil and Paper RPGs, and the like. They have an amazing selection, an easy to use website, and extremely competitive prices.
Toywiz - A site with a decent collection of toys and collectibles.
Electronics Newegg - Much better searching than Amazon, prices essentially the same. Strongly against patent trolls. They also only charge sales tax in California, Indiana, New Jersey and Tennessee. B&H Photo Video - Primarily a camera store, but also a good source for many other electronics. They only collect sales tax for orders shipped to New York.
More electronics:
B&H is the bomb. They often have the same or even better prices than amazon. And they have a used section which is surprisingly good. I bought a camcorder from their used shop on a whim. According to their grading, the condition was a 9. When I received the unit - it was flawless - I mean the corners on the manual were a little bent - but that was it. That bumped my confidence in them a lot. And if you're in NYC - it's worth a trip to the store. It's super fun to visit.
Besides the conversation I linked to? Poor Warehouse Working Conditions, 2 Playing Hardball With Publishers Then there's also the fact that companies like Amazon and Wal-Mart use their buying power to undersell smaller businesses causing many of them to struggle to make ends meet if not close their doors altogether. In general, it's not a very nice company.
As a university student I find I really, really heavily rely on Amazon, and, to be honest, I've never felt really happy about it - like you said, they're just convenient more than anything. But all the shit I've been hearing recently about them has just soured my taste even more, so I'll do my best to wean myself off their services. This list will definitely help! Wordery in particular looks pretty great.
Absolutely. It can be a hard deal to beat. "You mean to tell me that not only will this come to my house with no effort on my part, but it's also $15 off? SOLD!" Do you live in a college town? Have you explored it at all? You might be surprised at the kind of businesses it has to offer and that poking around is half the fun of shopping.
The college town I lived in had some pretty decent local businesses, but in fairness I never really explored them enough. I'll be doing my masters somewhere else come September, and it's a much bigger town that's pretty well known for its diverse local economy so I'm looking forward to just walking around and seeing what I can find, haha.
Hyperbole aside, don't think about boycotting Amazon as a way to hurt Amazon. They're an absolutely huge company and they have so many customers day in and day out, it's hard to imagine it sometimes. If you and I and everyone else on this thread up and decided to stop purchasing from Amazon forever, they'd never even notice. We wouldn't affect them. Instead, think of boycotting Amazon as a way to help out smaller companies. Because they're so much smaller the same purchasing dollars that Amazon won't notice missing actually have a more substantial impact. This is even more true when you turn away from online purchases and purchasing from places like Wal-Mart and Best Buy, and buy from local mom and pop shops. Your purchases not only help keep your local businesses open, and by extension support the families of the people that own and work at those businesses, but it also keeps your money local and contributes to keeping your local economy healthy.
What's that place that sells cables for like ten cents? It's not newegg but something else and I can't remember the name...
Is it Monoprice? Not quite $0.10 cheap but very reasonable prices on some things.
Yes - I was thinking of their volume pricing. Thank you!
Music / Clothing / Misc. Storenvy, great for music and poster type items, you can buy directly from small music labels and such. It's kind of hip and eclectic but I'm a fan of it. Etsy. How isn't this already on here? Great for individually produced art, clothing, zines, and just about anything else you can think of. I've got some great bonus items just from ordering from certain people and it makes you feel connected to what you're buying. Big Cartel a bigger and slightly more professional version of the above sites, this can be where things start to get pricey but the quality is great and a lot of larger independent record labels host their merch on this site. 6pm. Shoes. So many pairs of good shoes on sale at any point in time. Great sales from time to time and I haven't had any problems with quality. Grailed. Site for buying and selling used Men's clothing. Can find some cool stuff on here. Tech Monoprice. The only site I use that hasn't been mentioned. Great for cables, in particular.
For outdoor goods I like [REI](www.rei.com). Their brick and mortar stores have outdoor people, and I've had good experiences with their online store, including next day shipping and talking to customer service. They coax people into paying $20 for a membership (not required), and you get a couple 20% off coupons throughout the year. Members get a 10% store credit rebate on their full price purchases, issued once a year. For buying one or two things, REI may not make sense, but if you regularly buy outdoor stuff, I like them.
Saying that Amazon is the "e-commerce version of the devil" was a bit of hyperbole on my part. I think "evil" is a stretch. I don't see the people running these companies as your typical movie villain, mischievously twisting the tips of his mustache while a damsel is tied to the train tracks. That said, I do believe that they do engage in very socially unhealthy behaviors. Seeing as how Amazon Payments is part of Amazon's company, I would lump the two together. Paypal (while not related to Amazon) is not without controversy. 2
I wish I could get away from Amazon. They have literally saved me over a thousand dollar in school fees honestly between textbooks and other miscellaneous goods. There were a few times that textbooks were going to destroy my food budget for the month and amazon helped me salvage it... With that being said they are essentially the devil, and it is painful to be so selfish. I hope after college I can finally stop using it all together. I will be looking to expand on my list of specialty stores, and when i get back to my desktop I'll do some digging.