Nymph, you won't get much of a price break buying a brand new rod unless you find something that is discontinued or closing out. The prices are pretty much set by the manufacturers and in such a competitive market a shop can easily lose it's dealership status by offering them at a lower price than everyone else. if you want a good deal I recommend buying a rod second hand. Most of the manufacturers will fix any rod that comes back to them warentee or not so the only disadvantage of a used rod is dirty cork and maybe a few scratches.. Just go to a few of the fishing websites and let people know what your looking for. Also you can check out some of the larger fly shops online as many of them buy as many to be discontinued rods as they can because they can make a ton of money by selling them at a discount. try looking up Bob marriots or the Madison River Fishing Company.
good luck, let us know what you get...

Nymph, I am not an expert fly fisherman by any means, but if you are looking for a 9'6" 7wt rod you might check this out. This is from Berkeley / Fenwick's outlet store. Click on rods, and then fly. I have purchased from them and they have been great. web page
Hope this helps.