I came across a recent dilemma as I tried to buy some trophies for our softball championship. We recently won our league and it was my duty as league manager to buy the trophies. My first instinct was to stop by the local manufacturer of baseball trophies that I had come to know over my years of youth baseball. I was taken back at the high cost of the low production.

I remembered seeing an ad for corporate plaques and corporate awards and decided to see what they offered. I knew that I could save money by ordering a large lot but local companies only produce local needs. As a result, I found an online trophy store that had so much volume and inventory that I saved a lot of money while giving our team a great reward.

It is always best to compare local prices with online and give the businesses the option of competing.