Are you serious? a local electronics store!?
Don't I wish.
I did not think there were any left. Kind of like electronics repair shops, gone.
I am not that rural either, just outside of Albany NY
If it were not for the internet and being able to source parts from distant places I could not participate in this hobby at all.
Like most others the only option "locally" is Radioshack that only carries circuit board caps or a few electrolytics.
I buy all my caps from justradios, and in my mind that IS supporting the "little guy" It is run by a fellow restorer to serve this community.
And I am very happy they exist!
Actully I wanted to add, that not too surprizingly in this era of cheap chinese electronics and a throw away society, that I resently read either here or on the ARF that the axial caps we use to replace paper caps may be going away in the not to distant future too.
Apparently they are not used in any currently manufactured electronics and only sold for replacement parts and with the demand so low may not be made much longer. So we will need to look for alternatives. I plan on buying all I need for my current projects that are in storage and then getting an assortment to stock up for any possible future ones.