[firestar]

I am. Not just because I am cheap (that is part of it) but because if you overpay, it is like someone punked you. I have been ripped off many times at gunshows and at gunstores by not knowing what I was doing. I have sold guns for far less than they were worth and I have paid far more than I should have. Now I try to shop around and know what the price should be before I even think about buying anything.

If you are not careful, gunshow and gunstore people will take you for all they can. I have seen so many shady deals go down that I am left thinking that most gundealers are crooks.

Anyway, it is about more than getting a good deal, it is about not being some dumb hick's mark. If when you walk out of the store, they are your best friend, you probably got screwed.:D

[SquirrelNuts]

I might shop around a little, but I am willing to pay $20 more at one shop if I like them better than another place.

-SquirrelNuts

[cool45auto]

I'm sure I could have picked up a U22 Neos cheaper than I did yesterday because there's a gun show in Gwinnett this weekend. I'm still going to the show, but I'll be looking for a red dot scope now instead of a pistol.:D

[SquirrelNuts]

Is this an Eastman's show or Stone Mountain gun show?

-SquirrelNuts

[XavierBreath]

I pretty much quit buying new years ago. Reputable dealers are pretty fair, but they still make a profit above Blue Book if they are able. I refuse to pay more than Blue Book value for a gun, and often expect better. Some guys think extra mags and an old holster should raise the price. Not with me. It damned sure doesn't raise it on trade-in! I'm at a point where I have what I need, and have shot most of what I would like to, so to get me to spend, it has to be a deal.

[larry_minn]

I wouldn't say Obsessed but I do give low ball offers from time to time. I always back them up if person agrees with it. (if conditions are met I.E. LNIB with factory mags) and I put the conditions in offer. I try to make sure they realize I KNOW it is low offer but would rather give a legit low offer then they sell it for less to someone else. I have gotten a few guns that way.
I do consider extras a deal closer. I.E ammo, mags, etc I look at it that spare mag is $12+ and I like extra mags.

[12.7x99mm]

I buy my guns if at all possible new. I think I only own three that are used but there in fantastic contition.

[Feanaro]

I prefer the best deal possible. But if one store had knowledgable and friendly people but a higher price tag I would prefer to buy from them. Assuming the price isn't more than fifty dollars for a same type/condition rifle.

[Tamara]

I'll pay more from a friend or a favorite seller.

The right gun in the right condition matters more to me than the lowest price.

[Greg L]

I'm more in line with SquirrelNuts and Tamara.

If the price is in the right ball park for something that I am looking for then I may pay a little more at one dealer just to save me the time of driving across town to another dealer to see if he even has the same thing. My time is more valuable to me than trying to save a couple of bucks for a few hours work.

Greg

[swingcatt]

I'm like SquirrelNuts and Tamara, I'll pay extra to keep the store owners I am close with in business. You make better contacts that way and the owners remember that when you need something. I have some friends who go from shop to shop comparing prices and they are very fond of stating "Well gunshop y has it for $x less than you do! Why shouldn't I go there??"

Then they complain about the service they get. :confused:

Doing this means more to me than saving money. If I wanted to save money I'd by them at Walmart.

SC

[Bonker]

Penny-wise and pound foolish is a phrase I live by.

I don't look for the cheapest deal. That's how the government builds roads but not the best way to buy guns.

I pay extra for service.

If a man spends his valuable time to educate me on a product after listening to my wants and questions and he then goes on to give me excellent customer service even after the sale, then he deserves to be paid for it.

[Kharn]

Guilty. If the price on the tag says something higher than MSRP, I put it down and just walk away. I wont even try to negotiate if they feel the need to start from above MSRP.

Kharn

[TechBrute]

I agree with Tamara. I have to be careful, though, because my friends all look to me for advice in this sort of thing. I don't worry about getting ripped off, but if I tell my friend to buy a Glock for $499 from a store that I like, I worry that someone will give him crap because he bought one for $489.

[rock jock]

I'm not desparate and I mainly buy used now, so if I see something I like I'll offer the low end of a fair price range and maybe move up if the gun is in exceptional shape.

[Ebbtide]

I would pay an extra 2-5% if good service comes with the deal. But these days I can't find good service so I try to find things as cheap as possible (your local shops may be good to folks, mine are not).

However, I do have a regular shop (B&T Shooting Supplies, if you're interested) where I do buy quality new guns. But lately I have just been fiddling around with surplus junk and accessories.

Nothing wrong with letting capitalism work.

ehenz

[firestar]

If a man spends his valuable time to educate me on a product after listening to my wants and questions and he then goes on to give me excellent customer service even after the sale, then he deserves to be paid for it.

I disagree. If you are counting on the salesman to edjucate you about a product, you are probably in DEEP trouble!:D It is a rare gundealer that knows his A$$ from a hole in the ground. I sometimes wonder how these people (who seem to be at least mildly reatarded) can operate a business.:scrutiny:

I don't count on the salesman to tell me anything I don't know. If at all possible, I would prefer it if they would just shut their face and let me see the guns without comment. I have zero problem buying from a large chain store because I have found that there really is no difference in the level of knowledge and customer service between the 17 year old high school student employee at a chain store and the 45 year old fat, pompass, angery, rasict redneck gun store guy. As a matter of fact I perfer to just go to a chain because they don't work on commision and they don't care how many guns you want to look at or how long you take to make a purchase.

[Ladybug]

Hmm, I guess I'm not... like yesterday, when I became obsessed with buying a new Sig THAT DAY, I called around until I found the one place in town that had one and ran out and bought it. I also paid more for one gun because I was buying it from a friend. But if I'm not in a hurry and don't know anyone who's selling, I guess I do wait and shop around for a bargain.

[Tamara]

Don't hold back, man; tell us how you really feel!



Sincerely,
Tam (non-fat, non-pompass [sic], non-angery [sic], non-racist, non-redneck, non-guy, who never got paid on commission.)

(PS: I'd make use of a spell checker before I ran around calling people "mildly reatarded [sic]". ;) )

[TRIDENT]

I research each purchase for months before I buy (new) for the best price available in Houston... I do that with all my toys, boat, fishing tackle, SCUBA gear, etc. Saving $$$ on every purchase I make = more toys in the long run. For me, that is the goal.

[andy]

I wouldn't say I'm "obsessed" with getting a good deal but I always try to get one. I'm in a low income bracket and have to watch my money with everything, not just guns. A "good deal" is about the only way I can afford to buy one. Besides its kinda fun to shop. :)

[WhoKnowsWho]

I like to stop in the shops and see if I can wander into a good deal. But obsessed? Maybe a bit, but I do like a few certain shops that I would prefer to buy from before others.

[firestar]

gone

[standingbear]

because its the only way i can afford one.im not asking for just a good deal,just a fair one and a honest one.i dont mind paying alittle extra for something new i like as long as its quality and if used,not abused or has hidden problems.when trading,i dont like someone downgrading my gun when theres is of known equal value.im not giving it away.people who try every trick in the book to make the trade seem bad cause theirs is something i want and mine is "just a trade",irratate me.honesty and fairness is all i ask.

[PJR]

We all know the type. They will spend more money in gas going from store to store than the money they saved. They brag endlessly about the price they got and have loud mouthed opinions about how you got hosed when you bought a gun.

Here's my favorite story in this regard. Five years ago I bought at an auction a .22 bolt-action rifle in mint condition. The auctioneer announced that it didn't come with a magazine.

A guy who fits the mould started saying, loud enough so everyone could hear, "Well he got gyped. Just try and find a magazine for a gun no one's every heard of. But I guess there's a sucker born every minute, har, har, har."

I just smiled, picked up my purchase and walked into the parking lot. The "sucker" then dropped into a local gunstore and bought a commonly-available magazine made by Savage for many of its .22s. Went home, popped a spare scope onto the rifle and went shooting. And, oh my, did that little rifle shoot.

What I had bought was a high grade Cooper Arms Model 36 and I recall having read that the magazine Cooper used was a duplicate of a Savage magazine and would work in their rifles.

I'm a little embarassed to say what I paid but it was about one third of the Blue Book price at the time.

As for the original point of the thread, I get the guns I want and know what they are worth. I will pay more than I should if it's a gun that I want and don't haggle unreasonably. It's not worth the aggravation.

Paul

[Tamara]

Tamera, if you work in a gun store then you more than anyone should understand what I am talking about. Please don't try and tell us that stuff like that doesn't happen in your store. I'm sure you've seen it happen and you sat quietly by and let it. You've seen some poor sap get taken by the owner or another employee and you didn't raise a finger to save him. You probably laughed to yourself inside. There is no shame in it, you know more than the customer so why not take him for a ride? Hey, he should have known better than to walk into a store and trust that he was going to get what he paid for. Right?:barf:

First: Wrong.

Second: My seconds will be calling on yours, sir.

[Art Eatman]

I became more active in buying/selling/trading guns in 1963. A real job with steady income will do that to you. Sometime in the late 1960s I began getting a table at our local gunshows. I like to think I've learned a bit about dealers and salesmen and their behavior toward prospective customers in these last 40 years.

The majority of all gunstore people--not talking about WalMarts and hockshops--have been knowlegeable, courteous and helpful.

The majority of all gunshow folks have been knowledgeable, courteous and helpful.

I guess I could limit this to my experiences in Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and Florida, but I have difficulty believing "everywhere else" is full of ignorant crooks. :)

My view on pricing is that I want the fairest deal I can get, whether I'm buying or selling. Sure, I'll sometimes lowball, but the seller can always say, "No." I'm less prone to have much interest in stores which only show full-bore retail prices, but even they are subject to bargaining.

My 40 years of experiences in gunstores and at gunshows leads me to believe that those who use blanket condemnation or show some "all of them" style of badmouth just haven't the first sign of a clue as to what they're talking about. Ya wanna say, "some..." or "a few...", that's a different matter.

Art

[telewinz]

I have gotten past the point (finally) of letting the vendor determine the "deal". As recently as a week ago I walked out of a gunshop when the owner would not give me a trade-in value of my Colt Officer's Model 45. He said it "depended" on what I wanted to trade against. I politely told him my pistol had a certain value regardless of what I was interested in trading against but that I respected his right to make a profit. I spent 30 minutes looking at his inventory while he became more and more interested in my Colt. I politely left (dis-interested attitude) without mentioning a trade against any of his firearms, I'll go back in a month or so and I am sure he will remember this event and maybe learn from it. Worse comes to worse, I'll be stuck with a stainless steel Colt Officer's .45 acp, not a bad situation to be in. I could bend and trade against something in his shop and easily regret it later. He would sell my Colt for at least $650 (with box & papers) I would allow a minimum of $600 in trade but their is only one way he and I will ever know for sure.:D. Getting older does have its benefits, you learn value and patience!

[Erik]

I'd rather pay $20 more to an establishment that provides good customer service via knowledgeable staff. So "no," I am not not obsessed with price.

[Don Gwinn]

Telewinz, it's your gun and your choice, but having negotiated a few auto trade-ins, I'd believe him. It DOES make a difference, at least at a reputable place, what you want to buy.

Is there a gun you REALLY want right now? Would you pay at or over market value for it if you came across a really good one? How about something you always thought was kind of neat, but you never really had a burning desire for it? Would you pay over market value for it if you found one today? Probably not. But if you stumbled across one going for half its value. . . .

Well, a retailer is the same way. He has some merchandise he REALLY wants to sell. He'll give more on your trade to make that deal happen, hoping he can make up the difference when he sells it. Usually this is merchandise that has been sitting on the shelf too long tying up his money. He also has stuff that just came in today, and he doesn't need to make the spectacular deal on that just yet. Or he may have something he knows will sell no matter what.

Your gun has one value when it's being traded for cash, because the value of cash is more or less fixed. But when you're trading it for merchandise, the value does fluctuate.

If you don't believe me, go to your local large auto dealer. Look around. You'll see two things:
1. The new cars have spectacular financing deals on them
2. The used cars, on average, are priced awfully high for what they are.

These two things are closely related. When new car sales died last year, dealers had to push them off the lot, so they made some great deals on new cars (if a new car can ever be a great deal.) They also pushed trade-in values up to get deals made--but not on Corvettes, pickups, or other guaranteed sellers. Because they pushed the trade-ins up, they had to sell those cars for higher values, and now, a few months later, their entire used inventory is probably still high.

The man is just managing his money so as to make the greatest profit and thus survive.



Firestar: What were you thinking?

[Wildalaska]

Your gun is also only worth not only "cash", but time. There are guns that are worth a lot in reraltion to what you paid for them, but worth less becasue they are unsellable. Also the local market must be considered. Thus high grade militarys, HK P7s, Colt SAA seconds and firsts...you will alwys get " a lot" on the trade becasue of the huge market and they sell fast. Now walk in to a shop in Alaska with a high grade custom shop Winchester 270 in Alaska and see how little you get.

Alaska is hot for Colts, on the other hand, the max trade in on anyhting on a new Officers Stainless is about $400, since the market will only sell them for $499.

Try trading in a BHP and see what I mean.

WildimnotretardedeitherAlaska

[Cosmoline]

I'm perfectly willing to overpay if it's from a good source. Certain gun stores in town just have a much better eye for used rifles, and if they've bought it themselves (as opposed to consigned it), I will gladly pay extra for it.

I also know other stores where the reverse is true.

[redneck2]

find a reputable store

do most all of your business there

treat the personnel with the respect you would like to receive in return

I get excellent deals because I've shown loyalty to my favorite store. I'm honest with them and they return the favor.

just because their opinion doesn't match yours doesn't mean they're stupid or wrong...maybe just different. I wish I was as smart as some of the customers (think they) are.

Also, they're not in business just to do you favors. Maybe they need to make a living too.

work in a shop for a few days. You'll be singing a different tune.

and...my standard reply when this topic emerges...if it's so lucrative, open a store yourself. If all the owners and employees are so stupid, it should be a slam-dunk to get rich.:)

[4v50 Gary]

A good deal is a good shopping on the buyer's part (or luck). Getting a good gun is more important.

[Hkmp5sd]

I'm just obsessed with getting guns. Price is one, but not the major factor in my gun purchases.

[Byron Quick]

Tell you something. If I buy a horse, I don't expect the seller to guarantee that it's got four legs... I do expect from myself the gumption to go round the horse and see for myself.

Are there folks who aren't on the up and up dealing in firearms? Of course. Just like any other career or business you care to examine. Does that mean all of them or even most of them are crooks? Nope.

And what makes a crook? A price tag above blue book or MSRP? Nope. It's called capitalism and the free market. He's free to set his prices as he pleases and you are free to take your business elsewhere if you so choose. High prices alone does not make a man a crook.

I've bought most of my firearms from Joe Sheehan at the Gun Cabinet. I wouldn't say he's the firearms discount leader in eastern central Georgia. However, we haggle some. But if I run into a problem, Joe will move Heaven and Earth to make it right. That's worth a premium. Joe will let me take $3000 worth of firearms out of his store after giving him a 10% down payment and the balance in post dated checks over several months. That's worth a premium. Joe and I have a business relationship that has been developed over a twenty year period.

Saw a man that thought Joe was trying to cheat him on a late 19th century Winchester he'd brought to sell to Joe. Man couldn't understand the difference between NRA Excellent(the price he wanted) and NRA Fair(which was the condition of his rifle). He also couldn't understand that a dealer buys at wholesale prices and sells at retail prices. It's called making a profit.

And there are gaps in everyone's knowledge. In the late 70's I bought a mint pre WWII FN P35 from a large, long established dealer...for what was a used BHP price. And there was a gap in my knowledge too...I didn't know what I had bought until much later.

[ElToro]

ditto what wildalaska says...
here in cali, if your gun isnt on the "list" forget about gettinga new one, and forget about importing one, as for older nice smiths (my vice) were pretty much limited to stock on hand inside the state... and prices have adjusted upwards accordingly... supply and demand my friends...

but i will patronize my regular shop even if they are a few percentage points higher in price becuase they let me hang out there and behind the counter and play with stuff and one of my best friends is the asst manager and shooting buddy. But he also knows that im into older stuff and i haunt other shops that specialize in older stuff.

Works the other way also, since i buy most of my ammo and gear at "my" shop, they will go the extra mile and order stuff for me with nothing down because they know im good for it and will call the owners of consignment stuff and ask them if they are willing to come down... also let me buy on layaway for expensive stuff with no interest for as long as want to make paymenst before they DROS it..

i hate patronizing wally world and standing in line for an hour to save a dollar

[Midnight]

I buy all my new guns from a dealer who only charges $20 over cost. It's hard to get screwed on new guns that way. As far as used ones go, I usually wait it out for a good deal, because I can't afford to be anything but frugal. Sometimes with trades I'll give up a little because I don't use the gun anymore.

[GTKrockeTT]

i believe i'm in that category. if i find a good deal on a firearm, and do due diligence on the reputation of said firearm, then i will most likely be inclined to purchase, even if the firearm wasn't on my current wish list.

[only1asterisk]

Many gun shops overcharge. This is a fact of life.
Many gun shops have sales clerks that don't know as much as they should and will make up answers to questions they don't know.

I buy from shops when they have reasonably priced wares and order out of state when they don't, or can't seem to find what I want. I buy all of my guns through a fine gentleman who has a well equiped and stocked shop at his home. $20 per transfer.

I want to support my local shops and keep them open, but I will not pay through the nose.

Dave

[arinvolvo]

Im in a certain stage of gun purchase that can only be described as:

get the most gun for the least money, and even better if no one knows what it is.

I like obscure, well made, cheaply priced handguns....no glocks, berettas, HKs for me...not yet anyway.:D

[Jim March]

I'm mainly a revolver guy.

To me, if I see two otherwise identical wheelguns, and one has:

* a sloppy cylinder;

* a barrel gap of about .009";

* slight timing issues;

...or anything like that, it's worth at least $100 less than the same gun that's tighter and in better shape.

That's why I started the thread on the "revolver checkout process" - a LOT of people have so far reported using it to pick out a "jewel in the rough" - in one recent case, an old Rossi 357 in perfect mechanical shape (tighter than most new S&Ws), crude grips, he paid what the store was asking ($125) and he's delighted with it.

No haggling involved, just IDing a good deal that wouldn't otherwise be obvious. Same as how I scored my early-production Charter Arms Undercover snubby - I didn't haggle, I just picked a great gun out of a pile of crapola and paid exactly what the store was asking. Best $186 I ever spent.

Start here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1430

[Majic]

I'll pay what I consider fair market value. That means what I consider fair for the firearm I want in the condition I approve of. You should factor in other considerations beside Blue Book value. Location of sale, popularity of firearm, and availability of firearm.
New firearms basically have their prices pretty much fixed, but the used market is flexible. I have bought like new used models for more than book value because there are so few of them on the market to be bought. I have also bought like new used models for less than book value because they were available in a caliber that was not popular.
If one of my favorite stores ( and I'm lucky enough to have 3 very good stores) have what I want, but it's a little hgher than I find the price to be on the internet, I will buy it from them. If they don't have the model then they will do the transfer for me at very reasonable prices. Being a good customer can reward you with benefits down the road.

[jsalcedo]

This thread reminds me of the time I went looking for a Makarov.

I drive all over town anyway so gas is not an issue.

Shop 1. Didn't have any in stock so he pulls out shotgun news
shows me one for $89 and says he will sell it to me for $130

I asked him to order one and left my info he never called me again. Called back and he didn't seem interested in talking to me.


Shop 2.

Same as shop one but they looked at the same shotgun news
so I could not see it.

They then said they could oreder me one and I could have it for $250. plus tax (You know, shipping and all.)


Shop 3 Had a beat up East german one in the case for $210
Guy behind the counter had a snotty holier than thou attitude.


Shop 4 Pawn Shop has one out the door
TT&L for $162 and is willing to throw in a free holster.
They shake my hand as I walk in. Give my kid a candy.

Guess which one I pick?

[telewinz]

Storeowners no longer lick their lips when I walk in. As often as not I will politely walk out of the store and away from their "best deal". A used gun should not lose it's value like a mobil home.