Tim, there is a wholesaler in Sac off Northgate, but they are small in the salt dept. Mostly freshwater. There are a few in the bay area, but all the big ones are in LA near the airport.
I am sure the quality your LFS is getting is due to the fact that they just order over the phone or via fax, so they get what they get. If you want the top of the line quality animals, you need to go and hand pick your animal if you want the best.