Having been a frequent customer of Dana's (albeit under another name to the one I use here). I whole heartedly agree with 99% of what Dana has said. From the outset, when I started this thread I have always maintained that quality will always win through. What my main concern is however is that the lower quality items or "crap" for want of a better word that we all know exist are beginning to get priced at the same level as the quality items. My fear is that in order to keep a respectable differential between the two the quality output vendors will increase their prices rather than the lower quality vendors reducing theirs. In other words everything goes up at a time when the majority of buyers can least afford it. It's a knock on effect we've all seen this year. One utility company puts it's prices up and within a few day's all the others have also. And the end result is we ALL end up paying more as there are no clear alternatives.

There is one aspect of Dana's post that I do disagree with though and thats when it comes to hobby buyers. In times of depression everyone has to cut their cloth according to it's width. A golfer may play one less round a week to save money. Soccer fans might not travel to as many away games as they normally would  etc, etc. The effect is that less product gets sold. Thats what happens in a recession. Thats why we're seeing pre Christmas sales now to try and induce people to spend. Why some graphics vendors seem to think they can buck the trend or that they're immune to recession I'm not sure. But I for one know that I'm spending less and making more concious decisions where I spend my money and on what I spend it. If graphics vendors thing the majority of buyers are still going to get out their credit cards and buy on a whim the way they used too then I think their in for a rude awakening. In my business I have brought in inducements to keep the work coming in. These range from price discounts to giving my clients the opportunity to pay monthly instead of the normal payment upon completion terms.

All I'm asking is that prices remain realsitic (not static) in comparison to the items on sale and that merchants resist the temptation to up their prices in an attempt to make good any short fall in sales. And just as the stores on the High Street have realised " a little inducement can keep the wheels of industry turning", even during the worst of times.