Support your local drumshop! After playing guitar for years, I recently started drumming just to mix it up. I always wanted to give it go. I stopped into Drum World a few weeks back to get a practice pad and sticks. The staff was super friendly and very encouraging. They took some time to show me a few techniques to work on and made me feel very welcomed.
Last Saturday I went back to Drum World with my 2 adult sons who were in town for a few days. They are both professional musicians who also work in the industry (manufacturer inside sales and retail vendor shops) to help me get hardware for a shell pack I picked up on Craigslist. Turns out Drum World had sold it to the original owner last year.
The boys and I were very impressed with the shop. We couldn't be happier with the level of expertise, service, and the courtesy we recieved. They have a great selection of new gear and great condition used equipment; shell packs, full kits, snares, cymbals, heads, sticks, other percussion instruments. Just name it! The staff worked with me to get the best quality new and used equipment within my budget. Thanks for the great deal! We proceeded to rock out for the next few days!
There's really no comparison to the big box music stores. You're not exactly getting the decades of experience or the personal attention that a small shop can provide.
I've bought in a lot of music shops over the years and I believe Drum World is clearly "Best in Class".