WinThePennant
Member
This 22 LR supply issue is a perfect example of how businesses, in an effort to avoid being called 'price gougers' (eg, Cheaper Than Dirt), are contributing to the problem. And, the public isn't helping by being so quick to jump on retailers who raise prices to reflect consumer demand.
If we weren't such babies about things, we wouldn't hold it against the business for raising prices. This supply/demand imbalance would be wiped out almost overnight if businesses would raise the price of 22 LR by 4 times the normal going rate.
Raise prices by a multiple of 4 times (to reflect demand), and you'll see people who have a NEED actually buying the ammo. Instead, to keep good face, businesses sell it at "normal" retail rates and only the hoarders and scalpers get the product.
If we'd let prices rise to meet the strong demand, then the price and supply mechanism would immediately close the feedback loop of scarcity -> hoarding -> price scalping -> scarcity. You want to see 22 LR back on the shelf? If we weren't crippling the free market with our accusations of "price gouging" every time a retailer raised prices to meet demand, then we'd have plenty of 22 LR on the shelves today.
If we weren't such babies about things, we wouldn't hold it against the business for raising prices. This supply/demand imbalance would be wiped out almost overnight if businesses would raise the price of 22 LR by 4 times the normal going rate.
Raise prices by a multiple of 4 times (to reflect demand), and you'll see people who have a NEED actually buying the ammo. Instead, to keep good face, businesses sell it at "normal" retail rates and only the hoarders and scalpers get the product.
If we'd let prices rise to meet the strong demand, then the price and supply mechanism would immediately close the feedback loop of scarcity -> hoarding -> price scalping -> scarcity. You want to see 22 LR back on the shelf? If we weren't crippling the free market with our accusations of "price gouging" every time a retailer raised prices to meet demand, then we'd have plenty of 22 LR on the shelves today.