Moz, I buy a lot of my photographic gear from B&H in New York, substantial savings even after import fees if they are applicable. Just bought a lens with a $400 saving and was here within a week.
www.lightforceimages.com is where my images reside. As for books, I buy a lot of non fiction items from Amazon, but when it comes to fiction, I tend to have an "I want it now" attitude so end up paying more, or at least I did until the advent of e-books at a fraction of the cost of the paper versions.