To me it doesn't seem to matter where you order from all in all. (blasphemy??)
Well, that may change the more familiar you get with who you're ordering from and how the orders are handled whether it be shipping times or how you're treated if there's a problem with the order.
Places like
Penn State, while it's nice that they are able to grow the craft as they do since they're so large, they're also a bit of the WalMart of penturning. While yes, they do fulfill their function, they're also somewhat of a faceless megamart. For some people, supporting that sort of a business is ok, others not.
Places like
Craft Supply are similar to Penn State in that they are able to push out a nice color book for you to drool over, but they also have a presence in the turning forums online, which I think means a lot. They're able to interact with other turners, answer questions, pass along deals, etc. It shows a willingness on their part to connect with the customers.
Places like
Wooden Wimsies or
Woodturningz are able to act as a seller for Penn State and can get you the same items Penn State has in their catalogs but at the volume pricing rather than the higher, low volume pricing. I've found that Woodturningz will ship faster than Penn State too. I haven't ordered from WW yet.
People like
Curtis (the cactus MAN)
Seebeck was selling blanks a while back in order to help him raise money for a private adoption of his child. If that's not a reason to venture outside your normal mega vendor and spread the money around, I don't know what is. We also have a number of wood sellers here on this forum who are regular turners, regular members.
Sure, you can continue to fund the mega marts, but I don't see why you'd want to considering what's out there for the same price or even less.