I am not a dealer, I work out of my garage and pole barn. I deal with people who understand what I am and what I do. I have run into those who only want to deal with "legitimate" dealers. Good for them, I understand totally. I haven't attempted to buy "wholesale" and am not planning on it anytime soon.
Many legitimate dealers started out of a garage. I also agree that wholesalers need to be selective on who their customers are. Liljerry I hope you understand why Lowbrow isn't interested in your business. You are "5 minutes away" why should they sell cheaper to you when they can take that same walk in business themselves and keep $$. Brand image makes a difference. If I am building a brand I might want my products only shown in higher end show rooms. That is the vendors choice. Exclusive trading areas and minimum requirements are standard in nearly every area of sales. In a different business I had $1 million a year sales and a 15,000 foot show room, I still got turned down by some vendors who only wanted multiple store retailers and exclusive displays, again their decision.