ORIGINAL: drunkenbushman
I bought a plane before i even knew of any clubs in my area, should i not have done this? Maybe you are asking why didnt you not talk to any body?! Thats because i had been wanting to get into the hobby since i was 15. i spoke to the guy at my LHs and took his advice.
I bought my first plane from the LHS, way before the web was even an idea. It worked well for me.
I think MOST, but not all, of the people at a LHS have a sincere desire to do the right thing for a beginner. The smart ones also realize that a happy and sucessful beginner represents a huge potential for repeat business. An unhappy and failed beginner represents an initial sale, and potential sales of some repair parts, but not a long term customer. If your LHS has been there for a while and has a good focus on R/C flying, you're probably in good hands.