Since a decade ago, I buy from a popular local indie shop that uses a nearby local lab. No complaints at all.
tqgibtngo
joined 1 year ago
There is nothing at all being copied but an aesthetic.
Although to me it is interesting that, even without literal copying, a generator might be capable of potentially emulating some key features of a specified source. Can this sometimes arguably extend beyond just "an aesthetic"? We've all seen examples similar to this one (from the SD online demo, default setting, with a familiar public-domain source) — https://i.imgur.com/PUJs3RL.png
I buy some of that stuff locally from a well-known & supposedly-"eco-friendly" brand. Just now I checked their website to see if they sell direct-to-consumer. Some do but this brand doesn't. So I took a look at their "Where to buy" list. Most of the listed online sellers were the obvious big-box or affiliated. But there was one apparently independent and environmentally-focused alternative retailer listed, with reasonable retail and shipping prices. I'm reading up now (Wikipedia and reviews) to decide whether that retailer will interest me or not.
So, my suggestion is to visit the websites of some brands that you like. Perhaps some may sell direct; and if not, check their "Where to buy" listings to see if any interesting options might be found there.