I tried to buy locally.

[Guns and more]

I've been shopping for an AR for a while. Before I bought off gunbroker, I decided to give my local gun stores a shot. (no pun intended). I didn't go to everyone, but I did go to the ones specializing in AR's. I drove at least 80 miles round trip in the loop. Some were great people, but didn't have any AR's. One had an AR by a manufacturer I never heard of (Century?) Anyway, I had my mind set on a Colt. The last store said the next Colt he got would sell for $2000. I said I could buy one on Gunbroker for $1700. He basically said I was lying, and went in the back to his computer, only to return and admit he found some. (But wouldn't admit I was right). Before I left, I asked how much he would charge for an FFL transfer, and he told me, "If it's a gun I can get, I charge $100. If I can't get it I charge $50. I want you to buy from me"
So tonight I bought from Gunbroker.com. Don't tell me how I need to support my local dealer when they don't treat their customers better.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Just FYI, I have found that you can get your transfers done a lot cheaper if you go to your your local pawn shop.

 

[22lr]

$50 bucks that kinda steep. Show around I know out my way $30 bucks is expensive.

 

[MikePGS]

Gunbroker also has a section for finding FFl's (says the price to). I to want to support local people, but at a certain point it becomes charity and not business

 

[TRGRHPY]

$50 sounds high. My local ffl charges $20.

 

[jpwilly]

Fortunately around here there's plenty of FFL's so prices remain reasonable for transferrs. It's always good to have a report with some of the local shops but if that's how he wanted to treat you than I would never do business with them.

 

[koginam]

Man I just hate it when some scum sucker gun shop owner tries to make a living off of his customers. I mean he invests $1500 to $1700 in a gun has to hold it in stock tying his money up, then expects to make a profit. Why don't they get real? I know the guy selling on gunbroker or through the local paper doesn't have to pay any over head or taxes, or employees wages and benefits so he makes more profit but i would rather see a good guy like him instead of the scum sucker gun shop owner get it and stay open, so he can supply me with the other things I need.
And I get such a good warranty from people off gunbroker, they always list everything honestly, and I can handle everything so I know its what I want.

 

[Brass Coyote]

My guy charged $25 for a used pistol from J & G Sales of Prescott, AZ. He sent them a copy of his FFL then I went online and made the purchase. They shipped to him and I paid no sales tax. The downside is the shipping on the gun was $30.

 

[Babarsac]

I have a guy down in DeLand that charges me $12...he's the only last kitchen counter FFL I know of.

 

[Guns and more]

I know I can get FFL's much cheaper $25-$30 seems about normal here.
I thought $100 was a hoot.

Man I just hate it when some scum sucker gun shop owner tries to make a living off of his customers. I mean he invests $1500 to $1700 in a gun has to hold it in stock tying his money up, then expects to make a profit. Why don't they get real? I know the guy selling on gunbroker or through the local paper doesn't have to pay any over head or taxes, or employees wages and benefits so he makes more profit but i would rather see a good guy like him instead of the scum sucker gun shop owner get it and stay open, so he can supply me with the other things I need.
And I get such a good warranty from people off gunbroker, they always list everything honestly, and I can handle everything so I know its what I want.

Most of the sellers on gunbroker ARE dealers. I'm not telling anyone NOT to visit a local shop, I'm just saying I'm not paying an additional $300 plus sales tax on a gun he doesn't have, so I can wait months, and he treated me like dirt. If that's what you call customer service, okay.

 

[ljnowell]

Man I just hate it when some scum sucker gun shop owner tries to make a living off of his customers. I mean he invests $1500 to $1700 in a gun has to hold it in stock tying his money up, then expects to make a profit. Why don't they get real? I know the guy selling on gunbroker or through the local paper doesn't have to pay any over head or taxes, or employees wages and benefits so he makes more profit but i would rather see a good guy like him instead of the scum sucker gun shop owner get it and stay open, so he can supply me with the other things I need.
And I get such a good warranty from people off gunbroker, they always list everything honestly, and I can handle everything so I know its what I want.

Give me a break. Are you looking for a reaction out of people? That guy wasnt trying to make a living off his customers, he was trying to make a living off EVERY customer. You cant get rich on a single sale. If the guy doesnt want to do transfers, he should say it, not be a jerk and give that line about 100 bucks. That guy deserves to go out of business.

 

[SeanSw]

Yep, I've paid my last $27.50 FFL transfer fee. I may have found the 2nd to last kitchen table dealer who charges less than half that amount. Even though I purchase infrequently the savings are still a sizable percentage of the money spent.

The dealers I know are good too, and I understand they must stay in business. I hope they understand that I must also "stay in business" by shopping around and spending the least amount possible. When I walk in and glance through their wares without asking questions before leaving I mean no disrespect, I have in fact gone 20 minutes out of my way to see if there were any possible purchases at their establishment.

Any dealer that tells me I'm being overcharged by not making a purchase with them is simply saying they do not want my business. I will pay a premium for right here/right now/no shipping purchases, but the market will decide, not their business philosophy.

 

[statelineblues]

$50 bucks that kinda steep. Show around I know out my way $30 bucks is expensive.

$50 is pretty much the standard around here - found one that will do a transfer for $40, and he has a nice shop, so I go there.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Pawn shops around here only charge $10-15 for transfers as opposed to $25 by gun stores... Check the pawn shops, I bet they are less in your area also.

 

[Bubba613]

Ah geez, not this sh*t again. Another, "let's beat up on dealers who overcharge" thread.
Now I know how LEOs feel on these sites.
Some folks are WalMart buyers. They need to buy from WalMart and leave the rest of us alone. The guy has a store. He has overhead. He has people coming in. For him to do a transfer takes time.
I used to do them for $25+10 for the background check. It was the next-cheapest around.
After a while I just felt exploited doing it. I was also aiding and abetting people who were cheating the state on their use tax. It involved receiving the shipment, unpacking it, calling the customer, getting him to come in (sometimes a week or two later), then doing the regular paperwork. Invariably guns would come with no ID, come to the wrong address, come without any paperwork whatsoever, no contact information at all, and I would have to figure out who it belonged to.
And the customers who took advantage of the service were WalMart customers. They wouldn't buy a thing if they could get it at WallyWorld for 10 cents less.
I raised my price to $50 inclusive of the state tics. The customers I get are much better quality. They appreciate the service. I feel gratified. I had one guy call and when I told him about the price increase he said "does that go for old customers too?"
I wanted to tell him, no. But Bubba, when have you ever been a customer? How many guns have you bought from me? Zero. How much ammo have you bought from me? Zero. How many cleaning supplies, books, holsters have you ever purchased? None.
That isn't a customer. That's a leech.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Its up to each gun store to set its own prices, but for something like a transfer, I don't see why you would want to pay $50 when a guy down the street will do it for $15.

Gun stores would be better off just saying that they won't do transfers at all. I could understand that. But setting your price way high on a transfer can't help build good will with potential customers. Most gun stores are only in business for a couple of years, then go belly up. I would suspect this kind of tactic is part of the reason why. I am not bashing gun store owners though. I feel they should be able to establish whatever poor business practices they desire. But economic darwinism will weed them out.

 

[Bubba613]

If the guy down the street wants to do it for $15 that's his business. And if people want to go down the street, more power to them.
It's a question of what kind of business do you want. Do you want people who are low price shoppers, or do you want people who are value buyers? In my mind low price shoppers are probably the reason stores go out of business.
The most successful gun shop in this area is also the highest-priced. I don't think that's a coincidence.
It is like Hi Points. I don't stock them even though I could probably sell a lot given my location. But I don't want that kind of business. If the guy down the street wants to stock them and sell them, that's his choice.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Lone Gunman: "Gun stores would be better off just saying that they won't do transfers at all. I could understand that. But setting your price way high on a transfer can't help build good will with potential customers."

I don't see it that way. Refusing to do it at all is denying the customer an option. When you encounter an unreasonably high price for a service, it's a sure sign that the merchant/professional simply does not want to do that work.

When clients ask how much I'd charge for certain work, I quote them a price two or three times what someone else would charge. I tell them so, and that it's probably not worth it to them to have me do that. They respect that. Sometimes they hire me at my quoted price anyway. I figure if they're going to pay me THAT much, I can get over my reluctance to bother with it, and it's gratifying to know that a client would knowingly pay me several times what another guy would charge just to have me do it.

Admittedly an FFL transfer is not exactly like a professional service, but in a way it is -- there's a little bit of trust involved. I don't deal with just anybody when firearms, ammunition and accoutrements are involved. Certainly not with some schmuck I just met on the internet.

 

[briney11]

I too have been trying to buy locally. I bought a brand new rifle for $500 and a mag for it for $30. Then I go to the gunshow where other dealers are charging $350 for the same brand new rifle and the I check out Cheaper Than Dirt for some mags and find the same mags that I paid $30 for are only $15. Needless to say I was a little upset(mostly at myself for not checking around first, but hey I thought I would keep my money local). I have no problem at all with someone making a profit but I do have a problem with someone that charges outrageous prices compared to other places and then will lie and act like they are the only game in town. Or when you tell them about another place that sells the same thing cheaper they tell you that the place is selling blems or they won't stand behind the product like they will. And I also know darn good and well that CTD and the dealers at the gun shows have overhead ect and are making a profit. I all boils down to honesty over greed. And when these gun shops close down for lack of business they have noone to blame but thier greedy little selves. Needless to say they will not be getting my money ever again.

 

[Coyote_Hunter_]

Ah geez, not this sh*t again. Another, "let's beat up on dealers who overcharge" thread.
Now I know how LEOs feel on these sites.
Some folks are WalMart buyers. They need to buy from WalMart and leave the rest of us alone.

The guy has a store. He has overhead. He has people coming in. For him to do a transfer takes time.
I used to do them for $25+10 for the background check. It was the next-cheapest around.
After a while I just felt exploited doing it. I was also aiding and abetting people who were cheating the state on their use tax. It involved receiving the shipment, unpacking it, calling the customer, getting him to come in (sometimes a week or two later), then doing the regular paperwork. Invariably guns would come with no ID, come to the wrong address, come without any paperwork whatsoever, no contact information at all, and I would have to figure out who it belonged to.
And the customers who took advantage of the service were WalMart customers. They wouldn't buy a thing if they could get it at WallyWorld for 10 cents less.
I raised my price to $50 inclusive of the state tics. The customers I get are much better quality. They appreciate the service. I feel gratified. I had one guy call and when I told him about the price increase he said "does that go for old customers too?"

There used to be a gun shop in north Parker, CO, just north of Pine Lane. I went in a number of times to look around and on occasion bought reloading and shooting supplies. The problem I had was that all the merchandise, from guns to targets, was over-priced. Target packs I paid $2 for 16 miles down the road went for $6. I was in there one day and didn’t really want to make the 32-mile round trip to the other store so I gathered a few items and picked up a box of 7mm 160g Partitions. The price tag was on the bottom of the box and when I flipped it over I saw that the same Partitions that were $18 down the road were priced at $34. I quickly set the box down like it was a hot potato. The owner was walking by and asked if something was wrong. I mentioned the cost difference in the bullet costs and said that although I wanted to support the local businesses I had a family to look after and couldn’t support him that much. His response was “Well, I guess we don’t have anything for you.” I walked over to the counter, set the $60 worth of merchandise in my arms on the counter and answered “I guess you’re right.” With that I turned around and walked out. The next time I was in the store was at its closing sale when I picked up the targets I use at the same $2 the gun store down the road charged.

I have no problem with gun stores or any other store charging whatever prices they like. But they should have no problem with me taking my hard-earned money elsewhere, either. At the end of the day I choose to support my family first.

I wanted to tell him, no. But Bubba, when have you ever been a customer? How many guns have you bought from me? Zero. How much ammo have you bought from me? Zero. How many cleaning supplies, books, holsters have you ever purchased? None.
That isn't a customer. That's a leech.

There have been many times I’ve visited a gun store and didn’t buy anything. Sometimes I’m just looking around, willing to take advantage of a good deal if I find it, other times I’m looking for something specific and will buy it if it’s in stock and reasonably priced. If I can save a significant amount by purchasing an identical item elsewhere, I’m likely to do so. It is, after all, MY money.

That said, I DO spend a fair amount on firearms and shooting supplies. Over several years I figure the old Parker gun store lost out on several thousand dollars of my business due to their attitude and pricing policies. In the end I wasn’t even sorry to see them close shop.

If you look at potential customers as leeches I suspect you are headed down the same road.

 

[Guns and more]

when have you ever been a customer? How many guns have you bought from me? Zero. How much ammo have you bought from me? Zero. How many cleaning supplies, books, holsters have you ever purchased? None.
That isn't a customer. That's a leech.

Maybe there's a reason for that.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

Expecting a store to sell goods for the same price as an online wholesaler or private seller is absurd. The markup is for the convenience of handpicking your item, inspecting the goods before purchase, asking questions of the seller in realtime, shopping for additional items in person at the point of purchase, comparison shopping for several items directly at hand, and paying by cash or check.

Frankly, I'm also willing to pay extra in order to have a pleasant shopping experience. Wally World is the most depressing shopping experience I have ever had, and I haven't been there in years. Life is too short to waste in the aisles of Wally World, among mouth breathers who think they've found and struck some sort of "bargain" by paying their hard earned money for cheap chinese crap.

 

[Bubba613]

Yes there is. He can buy the stuff on line with no sales tax, thus screwing the state. Did I mention he works for the city, so his salary comes in part from sales taxes?
There are people with the mentality of "I can go 32 miles down the road and pick up the same thing for $2 less." If they want to do that and their time and gas money is worth so little then fine.
For every story I see here about greedy clueless shop owners I could tell probably two about greedy clueless customers. Just as the customer is free to shop elsewhere, so too the shop owner should be free to tell the customer to get stuffed. If the shop is worthwhile at all then the customer has screwed himself out of unique items, good deals, professional expertise, and convenience.

 

[ljnowell]

For every story I see here about greedy clueless shop owners I could tell probably two about greedy clueless customers.

No one said you couldnt, but thats not what this thread is about.

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Wow, some of you guys are getting gypped. My FFL guy only charges $15 plus tax.