For me, record stores are still useful primarily for used bins.  I 
often still make the pilgrimage to Newbury Comics for new releases, 
but I really mostly go to record stores (In Your Ear, Twisted Village, 
Nuggets, etc.) to troll the used bins.  There are many records I'm not 
willing to take a $12.99 flier on that I'll check out at $4.99 or 
below, and I also find a lot of previously unknown-to-me gems that 
way.  You don't get that online.

S