I get that, but what about limiting it to the major brand holsters and most common pistols?
Well, certainly that would have to be part of the plan. How many of what model, for what gun?
Lets see, the autos folks carry most are, Glock, S&W, Springfield, 1911s, CZs, Khars, Kel Tecs, H&Ks, and Sigs. (Yeah, I missed some.) Now each of them make what, 5-15 models that are "commonly" carried? Oh, wait, lots of folks carry revolvers, too. S&W, Colt, Taurus, Rossi, Charter -- 1-7/8 up to 4" barrels are common, but some of those cross over. Now we need an IWB, OWB, high-ride version, low-ride version, plus ankle or shoulder rigs for some choices. If there's only one company's version of each...that's a PILE of holsters.
Given the cost of the alternative, a pile of rarely used holsters, I would personally be willing to overlook some minor scuffing. We buy used houses, typically marry "used" spouses and once you test drive a car it's no longer "new". Maybe I'm the odd one for being able to accept that.
You're really going to buy a holster that's been chewed up by the sights and safety levers of 20-50 guns before yours, and you're going to pay full retail, plus a BIG mark-up for that? I'd have to say you're mighty alone in that opinion. And, as I mentioned, 9 out of 10 buyers are going to come try out stuff and then go home and order it on-line to get a NEW one without the huge mark-up the brick&mortar store has to charge for keeping that huge inventory.
Or, if they're more "ethical" than that, they'll just stay home and place their order on-line without coming to your store at all. Like they do now.
Don't be that guy! And shame on those who follow that practice today. WalMart, Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy killed off the mom and pop store only because we let it happen. That is a despicable practice in my book. We should be thanking the bricks and mortar retailer for putting their cash on the line and presenting a product in a manner that we can pick it up, see for real, evaluate in our hands, etc.
A pal of mine used to say, "
Wish in one hand and poop in the other...see which piles up first."
We all want great local stores that keep a great selection, let us try them all out, and charge less than we can get it elsewhere. But like most things, you can get one or the other but not all three. And when the business model doesn't work -- because folks won't pay enough to support it -- the business fails. We wish it wouldn't. We promise with all our hearts that we would never spend less if we could. But all those "other guys" out there are real jerks, and one or two loyal customers with deep pockets can't keep a shop afloat.
We'd like it to be different, but it isn't. And begging, pleading, and wishing won't make it so. Folks spend no more than they have to, and take whatever advantages they can. That's a natural law/condition. YOU may choose to break that natural law, but the rest of human society won't.
This is one of the times when "that's just the way we do things around here" should be challenged.
Well, I'm sure some places have tried. Some may have made it work. I'd encourage you to try, yourself. Put the money into it, get the inventory. Tell folks the deal. If it works and you can sustain yourself and your shop that way, GREAT! You may have taken a step to make the world a better place. But understand that you're not breaking totally new ground and the vast majority of shops who sell that product have decided that they can't make it work your way.
we perpetuate that reality by going along with the way it is and not demanding a better alternative.
Demand? Demand of whom? There's a lot of "demanding" going on these days. Folks seem to feel they can simply insist that the conditions or things they want or feel entitled to be provided for them. But the cost of those entitlements has to come from somewhere. Considering how incredibly difficult it is to survive as a business, the extra costs aren't going to come out of the dealers' pockets.
Are you going to go holster-less until someone gives you the shopping experience you want? Are you going to convince the rest of the shooting public to join your boycott? My hat's off to you if you can, but in the mean time, I need holsters NOW to carry my guns, and the system that has developed organically already works well enough to get a holster on my belt that works well enough for my needs, for a price I can afford. It seems the vast majority of shooters have discovered the same reality.
But what can I say? Develop your business model. Figure out how much you have to charge per unit sold for the service you're providing. Put up your money. (Or convince your local shop(s) to do so.) Offer folks your way and see how the experiment plays out. If you believe in something that others do not, you'll have to make it happen yourself if no-one else will.