Btw, the only style I can think of that demands crystal malts is American Red. I mainly brew British styles so I don't particularly need it.
Those bloody Yanks and their dragging down of a fine traditions...will it never end!
I actually get the issue of stocking a limited number of malts. My shipping times were never as bad as yours probably are but when I started brewing, our LHBS was only open hours I worked or was in school (online ordering was in its infancy). I kept 50# sacks of 2-row and Munich plus one sack of some specialty grain that usually took three or so years to use up (so I had 3 specialty grains in stock at any one time). Back then, C20-C90 were some of the few available by the sack.