In response to numerous (and, um, somewhat persistent) reader requests, I'm pleased to welcome B&H Photo as a regular sponsor of T.O.P. As you might already know, B&H is the #1 retailer of imaging products in the world. Its Manhattan megastore is the area of a football field, and its extensive warehouses are stocked with a ready supply of almost any conceivable imaging product you might need, available for immediate shipment to any address in the world.
B&H shares its profits with us for anything you purchase through our site—always, of course, at no additional cost to you. All you have to do to support T.O.P. is to navigate to B&H through their ad on our site. We receive a small percentage, pennies on your dollar, but it adds up to significant income for this site and helps make it possible for T.O.P. to keep on truckin'. Everything you buy at B&H when you link to them from here is credited to us (the same is true of Amazon.com).
For those who might like to incorporate our ID into your permanent link so we're automatically credited for all your purchases, simply copy and paste the following URL into your links: www.bhphotovideo.com/?BI=2144&KBID=2882 . [UPDATE: Better hold off on this for now. I haven't gotten confirmation that this actually works. I'll keep you posted....]
I'm pleased to have B&H Photo on board as a sponsor. And, as always, I really appreciate the kindness, kudos, and material support offered constantly by you, our readers. Thank you!
_____________________
Mike J., Chief Bottle-Washer and Head Factotum of T.O.P.
Featured Comment by robert e: "So, then, every dollar I spend at my favorite photo gear and supplies store now helps keep my favorite blog going? This is trouble."
While I'm delighted to see your new B&H sponsorship (I usually drop a couple of thou with them every year), when I copy and paste the link in, it just reverts to www.bhphotovideo.com, with no indication that it's been accessed through TOP. Are you sure that it's working? (The one into Amazon works fine.)
Posted by: Bill Mitchell | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 03:57 PM
Way to go.
Even in far off Ireland we regularly use B&H. Their service is excellent. We'd be delighted to pass all our purchases via TOP
Posted by: Paul Mc Cann | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 04:00 PM
Bill,
Actually, no, I'm not certain. I haven't gotten a confirmation of it from B&H. So maybe it's better just to use the site link. I'll go change the post and take out that URL.
Sigh,
Mike J.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 04:13 PM
Bravo! Most of my photographic purchases go to B&H. Here in Connecticut, if I order online by mid day, they almost always ship that day and UPS 3 day gets to me from them in one day. If you want to be sure it's working, I clicked through their TOP ad on Wednesday and bought 10 rolls of 120 TX400, among other things.
Posted by: John Sarsgard | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 04:26 PM
John,
You were the first, I think. Your film purchase included (effectively) a 79¢ donation to TOP, for which thanks! Did you also buy some NH-5 fixer and some Multigrade FB Warmtone?
Mike J.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 04:35 PM
OK, that prompts me to complete the checkout for some items that have been sitting in my B&H "Cart."
I have been a satisfied B&H customer for many years, and from now on I'll be happy to use the T.O.P. link so I can continue to enjoy T.O.P. for a long time to come.
Posted by: Pat Trent | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 04:42 PM
About 5 days too late. Sorry. I bought a Zeiss Ikon from them after your recent review. Next time, eh?
Posted by: Peter Robinson | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 04:44 PM
Peter,
Too bad, but no worries. I hereby unilaterally declare your new ZI to be loaded with good karma anyway. [g]
Hope you have fun with it!
Mike J.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 05:37 PM
Dear Mike,
You have a way to check if someone's ordered something thru one of your links? Reason I'm asking is I ordered about $400 worth of stuff thru Amazon in mid-March and I logged in via your link, but I really have no way of knowing if you got a kickback from those sales.
pax / Ctein
Posted by: Ctein | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 05:52 PM
Ctein,
I can check. The reports tell me what was ordered on what date, but not who ordered it or how it was paid for or any personal information at all (naturally). If you know the date and remember some of the items, I can check.
If the items are distinctive enough I can check with just an approximate date, but there are a lot of items ordered so it would quickly get unwieldy to wade through it all. If you ordered something that many people are ordering, there would be no way for me to distinguish yours from someone else's.
Mike J.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 06:06 PM
Wonderful!! I buy most everything photographic from B&H and have for over 20 years. I am so glad I can help contribute to your site in this manner Michael.
Posted by: darr | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 07:47 PM
If the 1 train would only pass through Waukesha on the way to 34th Street, I'd order through T.O.P., but lacking that, I do click through the links here to Amazon, when I need something from Amazon.
Posted by: David A. Goldfarb | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 08:26 PM
Congratulations! The more support the better for your site. This is one of the few places I read on a regular basis.
Posted by: Alexander Vesey | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 09:04 PM
"...but lacking that, I do click through the links here to Amazon, when I need something from Amazon."
Which is a big help too, so thanks for that.
Mike J.
Posted by: Mike Johnston | Friday, 28 March 2008 at 09:18 PM
This is terrific news. I buy from B&H exclusively. Now I will make purchases there by coming to TOP and then clicking B&H. Well done sir.
Posted by: Tom Kaszuba | Saturday, 29 March 2008 at 12:16 AM
Congrats on bringing the B&H Affiliate Program online with TOP! I had done the same with my blog, but since I didn't really get the traffic that places like TOP do, have since abandoned adverts and it's gone back to just being a labor of love. That being said, I do make most of my purchases through B&H as well. Typically I use the NAPP link to get some discounts there (free shipping), but if there's a way to navigate through your site while still maintaining that NAPP benefit, that would be good to know about...
Posted by: Jason | Saturday, 29 March 2008 at 12:09 PM
As a side bar - is B&H really the number one retailer in the world for photographic equipment? Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo must be a contender for this title (?)
Posted by: Peter Simmons | Saturday, 29 March 2008 at 09:03 PM
B&H is privately held, so nobody has exact revenue figures. But based on estimates I've seen here and there, I'd guess that Yodobashi is roughly an order of magnitude larger than B&H in annual revenues.
Of course, for both of them, photographic equipment now represents only a small portion of the range of products they sell.
Posted by: Oren Grad | Sunday, 30 March 2008 at 01:43 AM
Mike
I buy from B&H from a regular basis, since you have nearly no choice in Brazil. I'll do it via your link with pleasure!
Helcio
Posted by: Helcio J. Tagliolatto | Sunday, 30 March 2008 at 03:45 PM
B&H is a welcome addition. The only other gear outlet I buy nearly as much from is KEH, which is excellent for all that ole film stuff that you don't have to buy new.
Any chance of getting them on board TOP?
Thanks for a great site.
Posted by: Jeff Glass | Monday, 31 March 2008 at 10:23 AM
Wow!! This is very gratifying. We're very happy to be hooked up with TOP and thrilled about all the positive comments and kind words.
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video
Posted by: Henry Posner | Monday, 31 March 2008 at 11:38 AM
Mike,
Thanks so much! I've had great service out of B&H and it will be a pleasure to know that by availing myself of their fine services I can also help TOP!
Posted by: Jim Hart | Monday, 31 March 2008 at 07:54 PM
Yodobashi only sells a fraction of what B&H does each year. B&H has both small and large customers worldwide and with the dollar vs yen, is more attractive than Yodobashi which only caters to a small geographic part of the Asian market. Furthermore, B&H has massive educational, contractor, and governmental sections that Yodobashi does possess. I do think that despite B&H's recent retail store expansion, Yodobashi has a larger retail space, but I could be wrong.
Posted by: captain kodak | Tuesday, 01 April 2008 at 12:29 PM