I know this is an old thread, but I'm going to post to it hoping that some of the people in the northeast of the United States are still here and reading the forum.
I've always believed that one does better to purchase many types of pets, hamsters included, from a reputable breeder over a pet shop (of course, rescuing the homeless is right up there at the top of the list, too!) However, I've been searching for a while now and haven't been able to find any Syrian breeders within reasonable distance to upstate New York.
I'd be very interested in networking with others in the northeast of the US. It's starting to look like I'm going to have to resort to a trip to PetSmart!
(Yes, I do have my name in with the shelters in my area and not a single one who occasionally takes in small animals has even responded to my inquiries).