Wow, you really do have a variety of stores. We should all do that instead of channeling our money through Amazon.
how does BHProtovideo make money on PCs? wouldn't it be cheaper to order direct from manufacturer?
I also find it interesting that you have 1 store specifically for cables, I heard monoprice is just an overpriced brand otherwise their cables are just as good as anything.
There's actually more. But a lot are one off purchases and I can't remember the names. But yea, you'll save money on often by going elsewhere. It's not like ten to fifteen years ago where Amazon was flat out cheapest nearly all the time.
I like Monoprice because I can quickly narrow down the exact specs I want. The cables I've bought have always been well made. They also meet whatever industry standards they are supposed to meet.
I just did some spot checks against Amazon searches and the prices where quite competitive often cheaper than the first few results. I don't have to waste time going through customer reviews. To make sure the cable works or doesn't fall apart after a couple months of flexing, plugging and unplugging. Nor deal with all the false positives of Amazon searches which don't meet the specs I want.
I don't usually buy one or two cables. I'm usually restocking a bunch of different cables. So, shipping doesn't matter.
Cables aren't just cables either. Some are very poorly made and the connectors fall apart. Ones which deliver power may not meet any safety standards nor able to safely handle the current they are being advertised for. They may also not conform to industry standards.
People have misunderstood or over simplified by saying cables are just cables. It was really meant for BS like Best Buy selling a $90 Gold plated Monster HDMI cable or $30 USB cable by Belkin at Office Depot. Not for questionable junk cables.
As for BHphotovideo. Their prices are often cheaper than BTO because they buy in bulk and get discounts we'll never see. Also OEM BTO usually has insane pricing on upgrades. As for when BH has the occasional amazing price laptop. I can only think of a few reasons. They bought too many and they are trying to clear out stock which has been sitting too long and taking a loss. It's a loss leader. The manufacturer is taking a loss and clearing out inventory and sold to them at discount.
