I'm involved in a community of (mostly online) retro video game dealers down in Australia. You've hit the nail on the head. The fact that e-commerce is so strong allows people to run less profitable physical stores as basically hobby clubs for meeting like-minded customers.
A lot of people in specialist retail genuinely care about the niche they're in and it's fantastic to come across someone IRL who cares about it as much as you do. It reminds you that what you're doing is appreciated.
Of course, there's also the element of status amongst the other dealers. Running a physical store definitely carries more clout than owning a big house or a Mercedes-Benz.
A lot of people in specialist retail genuinely care about the niche they're in and it's fantastic to come across someone IRL who cares about it as much as you do. It reminds you that what you're doing is appreciated.
Of course, there's also the element of status amongst the other dealers. Running a physical store definitely carries more clout than owning a big house or a Mercedes-Benz.