[SteveK2003]

Have you tried American sites like Towerhobbies.com? They have good prices as well (Not as cheap as HLJ but I think shipping would be better). Also have an immense selection of tools and supplies.

There was some yelling about this on an R/C car company's message board: Their parts were a lot more expensive in the UK and Europe than in the US, and basically the company said that they just sold them to distributors, and it was out of their hands then. Shipping costs, fuel, middle-men who mark up the price when it passes through their hands, and government taxes and tarriffs all drive up the prices you pay.

I too believe in supporting my local hobby shops, but you gotta worry about yourself first. Buy what you can locally, and go where you can get the best price for everything else.