[NVMM]

I'm going at a later date.
Were you there for opening day? How was the shopping experience

2,000 waiting when Reno Cabela's opens
Ray Hagar (RHAGAR@RGJ.COM)
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
November 16, 2007
More than 2,000 people lined up to wait for today’s 8 a.m. opening of the Cabela’s outfitter superstore near Verdi.

The first in line was Jordan Switzer, 21, of Sacramento, who began his vigil at 3:30 a.m. after sleeping in his Ford F-250 pickup.

Second in line was Brad Lyons of Sun Valley, who began his wait at 5 a.m.

When the store opened at 7:56 a.m., it took 23 minutes for the assembled crowd to push through the front doors of the 125,000 foot store.

Cabela’s set up a free coffee stop to give the assembled crowd a warm drink as the sun rose. More than 180 gallons of coffee were consumed, Cabela’s employees said.

Cabela’s management expects up to 45,000 visitors will visit the store before the end of the weekend. Many of the people standing in line said they had stayed the night before at a local Reno hotel-casino including Boomtown, which is next to Cabela’s, the Sands Regency and John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks. Others spent the night in the nearby Boomtown RV parking area.

People cheered and yelled as they came through the front doors, greeted by some of the store’s 250 employees who gave the customers high-five hand slaps as they came though the front doors.

Jesse Medrano of Chico, Calif., said coming to Cabela’s was like a religious experience as he waited in line.

Although there were no traffic jams at the Garson Road-Boomtown exits off of Interstate-80 west of Reno, the Nevada Highway Patrol was out in force, patrolling both on-ramps and the surrounding area.

[Cougfan2]

I just want to know when the heck are they going to put a Cabelas in the Pacific NW? Preferrably Portland.:D

[Jorg]

You know, Cabela's is a cool store and all and the same madness ensued when it opened here, but I sure don't understand waiting in line for 5 hours for the privilege of spending money a bit sooner.

[Cougfan2]

Whoa, I just found out that they opened a Cabelas just TODAY in Lacey, WA. ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Gunz]

You know, I have visited the Hamburg, PA and the Dundee, MI locations. Nothing much to write home about. The one in S. Dakota was also prety old.

The gun prices were high, and the displays are very eye-catching. lots of nice stuffed animals.

I guess if you have a thing for the store itself. To buy guns, I can find better stores with lower overhead, and better prices.

[Eyesac]

No I sure wasn't... But wow! 180gal of coffee? Cheebis.

[gunsmith]

have had a rough week, I was in a car wreck and pain meds mean no driving.

[FR Baseball]

Yea I was one of them. The store was pretty impressive. Prices weren't too bad either, IMO. First time I have ever gotten to fondle an Ed Brown 1911, man that thing was smooth.

[NVMM]

gunsmith, hope your doing better soon.

[NVMM]

Hundreds line up early as Cabela's season opens
Ray Hagar (RHAGAR@RGJ.COM)
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
November 17, 2007
Jason Switzer of Sacramento was not going to miss the opening of the Cabela's outfitters store in Verdi for anything -- even if he didn't have a job or money.

Switzer, 21, said he quit his job recently as a house framer, partially so he could get Friday off to come to the Cabela's opening.

He was the first of more than 2,000 people who lined up Friday before the store's 8 a.m. opening.

Switzer began his vigil in the cold, wind and darkness at 3:30 a.m., too excited to sleep.

"I never get to do this kind of stuff," Switzer said. "I live in Sacramento. Nothing cool ever happens there."

Switzer's unemployment issue was no problem. His girlfriend, Megan Odgers came along. She had a credit card and was willing to let Switzer charge his purchases as long as he paid her back.

Odgers had camped out in a Ford F-250 pickup with Switzer and two other pals the night before in the parking lot.

Odgers shrugged when asked if she was concerned about her unemployed boyfriend running up her credit-card debt.

"I have another job lined up," Switzer said.

Some in line were not so sure.

"You'll see these two on "People's Court" next week," joked Sandi Lake of Spanish Springs, who got in line at 5:20 a.m.

Like Switzer, Lake was fired up.

"I'll spend as much as I can," she said as her husband Dale looked on. "I have no limit. I never have. I love spending."

Switzer was eager to borrow the credit card. To him, nothing could compare to this day, not even the Super Bowl.

"Maybe a Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, everybody-all-in-one super concert would (compare)," Switzer said. "That would be close. Not quite there, but close."

Cabala's poured free coffee to help warm and wake people as they waited in line, watching the sun peek out to the east.

Cabela's employee Shirley Withers declined all tips as she poured more than 180 gallons of free coffee.

"No, no," she said when offered a tip. "But I have cream and sugar, do you want some?"

When the store opened at 7:56 a.m., Switzer strolled in like a conquering hero, walking between lines of employees on both sides of the front door. He exchanged high-five hand slaps with some of the 250 employees, who were cheering and clapping as the customers came in.

"I feel like a kid in the candy store," Switzer said. "I love the outdoors."

Twenty-three minutes passed before the conga line of customers behind Switzer all came though the front doors.

People screamed, whooped and yelled as they entered, excited to be in the outdoor-retail Nirvana.

"This is a religious experience. It's Cabela's," said Jesse Medrano, a real estate loan officer from Chico, Calif.

The parade of people was made up of all ages, as many stopped and gazed at the some of the 400 taxidermy animals on display, causing a minor logjam.

"I've been saving up for a year for this," said Brad Lyons, a Sun Valley resident who got in line at 5 a.m. "I've been waiting on this for years, ever since I moved here (three years ago) and heard they were building a Cabela's."

Cabela's management estimated that at least 8,000 customers would visit the store Friday, with an average stay of about three and a half hours.

"I personally was overwhelmed with the amount of people that showed up this morning," said the store's general manager Richard Flores. "It is by far one of the best (openings) I've seen. I can't even fathom or even guess what we will run today in sales."

By the end of Sunday, the first weekend of Cabela's could bring in as many as 45,000 visitors, Cabela's officials said.

Although there were no traffic jams at the Garson Road-Boomtown exits off of Interstate-80 west of Reno, the Nevada Highway Patrol was out in force near Cabela's, patrolling both onramps and the surrounding area.

Cabela's contracted with the Nevada Highway Patrol to handle heavy traffic expected with the store's opening. The $30,700 contracts calls for one sergeant and five troopers in six patrol cars on each shift. Officers will also be near the area today through Sunday and the same days the following weekend, a Highway Patrol spokesman said.

[repo]

Cabelas is actually the largest tourist attraction in Kansas, which either says something about Cabelas or says something about Kansas.

I don't think the store is anything special. It's cool to go look at the animals and fish and they have a pretty nice cafe area but there's nothing there that you can't order online for way cheaper. You have to take a damn number and wait in line for help at the gun counter. I went there looking at Glocks the other day but ended up buying a brand new one for $50 cheaper at a smaller gun store and didn't have to wait in line either. I don't know why the place is so popular, but I don't know why a lot of things are popular. It is PACKED on the weekends.

[wuluf]

I was there (Reno) today. Great store, big crowds, i'll be back in the spring when the new experience wears off. The taxidermy displays are awesome!