Reluctant to buy from Blick

I have noticed that, since the death of Pearl Paint, Dick Blick has eliminated their student discount, and raised their prices on most things that they carry.  Basic economic theory: drop the price until the competition goes out of business, then hike it back up again.  I am again a fan of looking for the local distributor and increasingly less inclined to even look at the Blick site when shopping for art supplies.  Better yet, I am a BIG fan of the hardware store and buying directly from ink/paint makers instead of the box retailers like Blick.