Your local store..."doing the right thing"?

Redlg155 · Dec 22, 2012

I visited 3 stores on Thursday. One was sold out of ARs, which he sold at normal prices. He had one complete polymer lower w/6 pos stock from a lesser known maker for $179.00. That happened to sell while I was standing there.

Second store. Everything overpriced $2-300 over his normal prices on the couple of tactical rifles he has left. He also has a new black SCAR 17 for $2900 and a used M1a in a SAGE EBR NSG for.$2200. I ended up buying a RR complete lower w/6 pos stock and 2 stage match trigger for $500. A bit much, but it was also the last one in town.

Third store. Bare bones except for a few bolt actions. A gentleman in a business suit was purchasing his last two mini 14 rifles. He had a couple of. 22s left at fair prices. I do know he sold at fair prices.

4th store today. No ARs except for a camoflauge Remington in 7mm-08 for $1400 on the shelf. It would have been long gone if it was in. 223 or. 308.

PHP:

So far the folks in my area are "doing the right thing" and selling available stock at somewhat fair prices.

Barr · Dec 22, 2012

The local store here was giving the anti-Obama sales pitch of items blah blah and blah won't be here in 6 months and fed a few lines of gov't conspiracy ideas in his statement. No love lost for Obama but this guy was desperate to sell crap.

greg531mi · Dec 22, 2012

CDNN just raised their prices $300 to $400!
And suspended their online sales!

Ragnar Danneskjold · Dec 22, 2012

Allowing the market to set prices is the right thing.

Tell me; when you see something on sale for under the normal price, do you tell the clerk no and that you insist on paying the normal full price?

MachIVshooter · Dec 22, 2012

A good friend of mine runs the LGS. He got cleaned out this week. I stopped in today, there were 4 ARs with exorbitant price tags, but they weren't his guns. 2 belonged to employees, 2 belonged to customers. One of them sold while I was there, a nice custom that was probably worth $1,800-$2,000 last month; It went for $4k :what:

The others were a NIB Colt 6920 that the owner priced at $3,250, an SP1 clone at $2,300 and a Stag at $2,500. They were still there when I left.

He is selling GI mags for $30 now, where they were $12 before. Not too outrageous, considering he can't get more any right now.

Ragnar Danneskjold · Dec 22, 2012

There's nothing outrageous about it.

If one feels morally OK with purchasing something at a sale price less than normal, why then turn around and say it's bad for something to be sold at a price higher than normal. One situation benefits the buyer, the other the seller.

Anyone talking about price gouging or being critical of gun stores raising prices had better not ever bought anything on sale before.

CraigC · Dec 22, 2012

A free market has no morality. A price is set for a product or service, you either agree and pay it or you don't. So, IMHO, there is no "doing the right thing" or not and it is not personal. So if you're offended by the price tag on an item, that's your problem.

Giterboosted · Dec 22, 2012

I work at the gun store I frequented for years before becoming employed there. Amd through both panic buys we haven't changed a thing, the ONLY thing we've touched price wise is ammo and p mags, just because we can't get them anymore basically and even them we aren't on the gouging bandwagon, just a couple dollars higher.

I'm proud of my store and its owners, they are good people that take car of us and our customers, we welcome you guys lol

Boxhead · Dec 23, 2012

While I have no issue with businesses trying to make as much money as they legally can (this is what we all preach isn't it?). I was pleasantly surprised, today, when I went to the range where I shoot and found the owner selling his AR builds (pretty high quality as are his 1911's) for $1250. A good man.

jmstevens2 · Dec 23, 2012

We have not changed our prices. I can't say that will last long though. We will be out of stock if we are too low.

Bubba613 · Dec 23, 2012

If I sell an AR for $800 that I could sell online for $2000 then I've just written someone a check for 1200.
What is called "price gouging" is rational response to shortage. Why sell out of something only to sit in an empty store?

MachIVshooter · Dec 23, 2012

So if you're offended by the price tag on an item, that's your problem.

If enough people are offended, it becomes the business's problem.

It may not be unethical to profiteer on a luxury item, but it could prove unwise. I think some companies that engaged in profiteering through this panic will pay for it after things calm down. Cheaper than dirt not only jacked magazine and ammo prices by more than 200%, they withheld firearms (refused to take orders) until other vendors sold out, then listed theirs at massively inflated prices. They may be making a bundle right now as the only ones with stock, but they may well find themselves having to float on their large profits from the current market when the normal market returns and they see far fewer sales than they would have if people hadn't felt they were being unethical.

Steve Raacke · Dec 23, 2012

My idea of doing the right thing would be for every FFL dealer to take a minute during each sale and, along with the usual BATF paperwork, fill out a membership form for the NRA and sent it and 25 bucks in in the name of the buyer. All of these panic buyers paying $1500 for an AR which sold for $700 last week should walk out of the gun store with a years membership.

Ragnar Danneskjold · Dec 23, 2012

Who's choice would that be? What if they just want the gun but don't want to be a member of a political action group?

Steve Raacke · Dec 23, 2012

As I see it they are either with us or against us. If they are willing to pay panic prices but aren't willing to help defend the right to make those purchases in the future then they part of the problem.

feedthehogs · Dec 23, 2012

The only people I know that complain about market prices are those who fail to see and prepare for market trends.

There's always a run up followed by a crash down the road. Think 08'.

JERRY · Dec 23, 2012

yeah, wolf 7.62x39 used to go for 5.99/20 round box now its 7.99/20.

Ragnar Danneskjold · Dec 23, 2012

Could you clarify what you're suggesting Steve? Would the seller be tacking an additional $25 onto the sale price specifically for the compulsory NRA membership? Would it be compulsory or would it be a suggestion? Is the salesman just saying "Hey since you bought this gun from us, we'd like to suggest you join the NRA and we've already taken the liberty of getting some applications together to make it easy. It's just an additional $25"? Would the buyer even know they've just been enrolled in the NRA without their permission?

Davek1977 · Dec 23, 2012

As I see it they are either with us or against us. If they are willing to pay panic prices but aren't willing to help defend the right to make those purchases in the future then they part of the problem.

While ideally, I see your point, thats a no-go. When I buy a video game, I want my game...not a membership to the NVGA (hypothetical organization). Just because I want something, and can afford to buy it, doesn't mean I necessarily want the political baggage that comes with, complimentary or not. WE all have choices, and while I WISH every new gun owner would join the NRA, MAKING them do it seems rather odd, when we as gun owners are fighting back against "mandatory" things.

CZ223 · Dec 23, 2012

I have talked to several dealers in the last few days

each of them are good guys who sell guns at fair prices. All of them are cleaned out of AR's. Their replacement cost for an AR that cost the $750 last week is $1500 right now and they can't get them. One dealer was on the phone with a guy who had put one on layaway and was supposed to pick it up the day after Christmas, but he could not afford to. The dealer said that he would give him his deposit back plus $100. The man agreed. Two hours later, the dealer made a verbal agreement to sell the same rifle for $1450. He was waiting for the original purchaser to show up and collect his money, in case the man changed his mind. He also set the price $50 under his purchase price. I would say that is more than fair. I bought a Glock 19 which I had been wanting for a long time and it was available for $535 this week. It might be $700 next week if things keep going the way they are.

Nanook · Dec 23, 2012

One local store is completely caught up in the frenzy. The owner was even complaining that he sold most of his guns locally, when he could have sold them for 2 to 3 times as much online.

The other stores are acting normally, they haven't gone on a price-raising tear yet. There are no AR / AK semi-autos left at either store. The crowd is moving on to handguns since the rifles are gone.

.223 is unobtainable at any price locally. I saw a couple of 50 round boxes of Fiocchi, but no cases in any brand. .308 is hard to find right now, and so is .22LR for some reason.

JustinJ · Dec 23, 2012

My lgs sent out an email statinv they will not be gouging but prices may rise in response to distributor prices. They are also limiting mag putchases to 5 of each type per month. Ammo too. That is why they will always have my business.

1911 guy · Dec 23, 2012

"My" shop has a margin they need to make. As their cost goes up, so does mine as a buyer. Seems absolutely fair to me. I went in for ammo yesterday and was told to buy what I could afford then because the next shipment was going to cost more. They didn't jack up current stock based on future prices. That's why I keep going back to Stockers in Champion, Oh.

Dean1818 · Dec 23, 2012

Put yourself in the LGS owners shoes.

Everyday he is asked to match buds guns online price.

Buds has great inventory (before) and a good price.

They DONT have people at a counter that can assist.
(unless you are local to them)

The LGS owner must try to pay competent people to man the counter to help with customers, and he must find a way to make a profit on sometimes slow moving inventory.

The cost to the LGS to operate is much higher than buds per gun.....

I agree that the LGS shouldnt rape and pillage with the price, BUT......
They paid for the inventory, its THEIR product..... Its still a free market.

They can price it to what they need.

You can always buy someplace else

scchokedaddy · Dec 23, 2012

Wolf Ammo price

Hey Jerry, saw Wolf selling for $11.76 yesterday in local shop!!!! People were standing in line to get it!! I have never understood why everybody is so crazy and obsessed with the "black Rifle", but each to his own. No I don't have any problem with people having them, just don't see any reason I need one. Yes I have shot them and even own a 223 bolt action rifle that I bought to shoot crows and 'yotes with, so I have no problem the caliber. That said, even though the proposed bans do not affect me, I do agree that these "bans" are pure BS. Its probably all ready been said but in all reality alchol, tobaco, young drivers and old farts who are half blind kill way more people than guns do. Actualy I have never heard of a gun killing ANY ONE, the a----hole behind the bangswitch is the culpert!! Over simplified but you get the general idea.

Your local store..."doing the right thing"?

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