I considered a job at GC and Sam Asch. Problem is you work until 10pm. If you are a musician out working you cant work those hours. If you are a gear expert you dont work those hours.
I have trouble taking the sales peaple seriously, couse they don't have the opportunity to take gear into real applications.
drum sticks, Guitar strings, and picks though should be at the local convenient, if not K mart.
I have had luck using RS stuff that I borrowed from my dad for odd situations.
My dad can make any piece of gear sound good.
He is from old school radio. but as for standerds 57s and 58s will save you money in the long run.
If you buy a RS mic now, assume that you will want to upgrade after the first playback.
Big music stores will haggle, they will often part with a staple like an sm 58 at cost in hopes that you return in a month for the sanhiesser and Roland, and taylor, and you know the story, we keep buying.
you are at an age where you are deciding what is cool and what is not. you will soon enter collage, and get big loan checks that you will inevitably blow on gear. you will be given credit cards that you will be unable to pay off, but you will max them out anyhow.
Who is going to be the lucky chain store?
Make sure they knowyou haven't made up your mind yet.