A gun store observation/some thoughts

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Warp

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I was at the counter of my LGS today, waiting to pick up a gun I ordered elsewhere (S&W 15-22). Another customer was doing the same (Glock 19). He asked the employee how long they could keep Glock 19's in stock, and was told that they were out. The customer then complained about some other store, saying "Do you know how much they are charging?!"

I spoke up and said "If they are in stock, probably about $750". I was correct. He said that he would never do business with them again due to their raising of the prices. The employee commented that "that's a good way to drive people away".

But anyway, here's the kicker:
One of the reasons the store we were in had very few firearms available is that they are listing many of the guns they get in on Gunbroker, instead of putting them out on display for local buyers.

So we have a store getting praise/making customers happy because they are listing their new arrivals on Gunbroker to the highest bidder instead of selling locally, while another store who is actually putting their stuff out on display is getting blasted.

How does this make any sense?


PS: I STILL don't understand why so many people prefer that thee store be SOLD OUT vs having them in stock at a higher press. It is completely illogical to be more mad about more expensive availability than zero availability
 
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Well if my future income stream was in doubt, I would do what I could to get ready for it. How is a store going to stay in business if the sell everything at a fair price then can't order new stock? Where is there income next month?

All the whinning about price gouging is getting old. People need to use common sense and realize the people who sell us these things have a very uncertain future. Everyone here is free to open their own store if they want to be a champion of fairness
 
There's a local shop near me that has rising prices. They publicly post they charge based on the cost to replace the gun they sold. So if they blew out their inventory at the "old" price, then their new inventory would be about half the size, thus leaving their customers with fewer choices.

Sure, this president is the best gun salesman ever, but what else are the shops going to do?
 
Supply and demand. Simple economics and something so many simply refuse to accept. Criticizing merchants for raising prices in the face of dwindling stock is the same as criticizing them for being in business at all. Our entire economy is market driven, as is most of the world. Your local gun shop is just a small piece of a much larger pie.
 
I for one am glad I do not own a gun shop. Whatever "big profits" they are making today will only last so long if they cannot stock their shelves or if they buying public determines they have what they need when the pains ends
 
Ditto. I go to a LGS frequently and have noticed some price hikes. Even the owner complains about it. The more an item costs, the more he has to shell out to get it from a distributor. The more he has to pay a distributor, the more he has to charge me or any other paying customer.

Where people need to direct their ire is distributors. Of course, the distributors may well be paying more to manufacturers. And manufacturers are likely increasing prices to hedge against future losses. So instead of blaming the LGS owner or manager, you maybe need to write a complaint to your representatives because they are part and party to the government that is fostering the fear mongering that is occuring.
 
Well, after reading some of these replies I went back and read my OP, only to see that I said exactly the opposite of what I meant to say in the end. I edited my OP, it was meant to say:

"It is completely illogical to be more mad about more expensive availability than zero availability"


For the record I don't complain about people or businesses selling at whatever price the market will bear. It's supply/demand. I totally get that.

My OP was intended to point out that this guy, and perhaps lots of other guys, are deciding which stores to boycott and which ones to support, based not only on something I find illogical but also on incomplete information. This guy in my example is supporting the store who is putting their guns on Gunbroker, but 'dissing' the store putting their guns on the shelves. I wonder what the customer responses would be if this store put up a big sign that informed everybody there about the Gunbroker thing.
 
The LGS I do business with is doing.o.k. keeping stock. They have never even run low on Sig's but I think that is most new shooters have never heard of Sig and the prices are.high without gauge fever. His.HP-38 pistol powder has gone from 15.99 to 17.99 to 19.99 and is at 21.99 now. For weeks in that progression. He has shown me his invoices. He is matching his distributors dollar for dollar. He makes.the same per item now. At 7% sales tax the government likes the price rise. For me.he sells at last weeks price. He still makes money while keeping a power buyer happy. If I have a.buyer for a serious customer I have spotted he give me the gun and I deliver their offices. If like, they call him with card number. All is happy.
 
If they sold a Glock for $500, they would probably see it on Armslist for $700 in 24 hours.

Why not take that profit for yourself?

Again- don't like it- shop elsewhere, or do without.

Who is willing to sell me pre-64 US silver coins at face value? Anybody? Anybody?
 
I for one am glad I do not own a gun shop. Whatever "big profits" they are making today will only last so long if they cannot stock their shelves or if they buying public determines they have what they need when the pains ends

Same here. Although I have my own business in a different field, it has crossed my mind before if I should get into the firearms business.

It may or may not be good to be in the firearms business, depending on what products and services you are offering. Gun shops that are clean out of popular items are not making any more money because they have nothing to sell.

The bubble has caught up and popped for some already. I went to my LGS yesterday and there were no black rifles in their entire wall. All they had were a few very expensive AR's (maybe 6 on a separate table) that no one was even looking at; the cheapest one being $2500. They also had a whole shipment of 45ACP and 380 in bulk boxes stacked around the store that no one was buying. So how are they going to make money in the near future when no one is buying and they have nothing to sell?
 
I was at the counter of my LGS today, waiting to pick up a gun I ordered elsewhere (S&W 15-22). Another customer was doing the same (Glock 19). He asked the employee how long they could keep Glock 19's in stock, and was told that they were out. The customer then complained about some other store, saying "Do you know how much they are charging?!"

I spoke up and said "If they are in stock, probably about $750". I was correct. He said that he would never do business with them again due to their raising of the prices. The employee commented that "that's a good way to drive people away".

But anyway, here's the kicker:
One of the reasons the store we were in had very few firearms available is that they are listing many of the guns they get in on Gunbroker, instead of putting them out on display for local buyers.

So we have a store getting praise/making customers happy because they are listing their new arrivals on Gunbroker to the highest bidder instead of selling locally, while another store who is actually putting their stuff out on display is getting blasted.

How does this make any sense?


PS: I STILL don't understand why so many people prefer that thee store be SOLD OUT vs having them in stock at a higher press. It is completely illogical to be more mad about more expensive availability than zero availability
That guy wouldn't be complaining if he were the one making money.
 
My LGS does it the same way, and I'm OK with that.

I've been kind of jonesing for a Ruger 1911 the last year or so. My local guy gets a few in, and sells them on gunbroker. He knows me, and knows I'd rather get it later for 10% over his price than pay the obscene prices he was getting on gunbroker just to have it right then. He told me as much, and I decided to wait. I probably should have gone ahead and got one before Christmas (at that point he was probably selling them for about $50 over my target price), as I may have missed my chance for the near future, but macht nichts at this point.

It's a family run place, and the daughter actually apologized to me once for doing it this way, and noted that if they did charge less than market price (at this point it would have been about $200 less) the guy they sell it to might very well turn around and sell it on gunbroker.

Like I said, I'm OK with that and hope that they can still be in business this time next year.
 
I actually worry about gun stores going out of business in times like this. They can't buy inventory and don't have things to sell. I'd raise prices as well to ensure in the lean inventory times ahead that I wouldnt' go out of business.

To help prevent local backlash, I'd probably turn to online sales as well.
 
One thing to consider is that post-ban, the shops will probably be selling a LOT less guns for a while. The people that wanted ARs will have bought their currently-legal ARs, and will have no need for a compliant option.
 
Not really. You can't blame the LGS's for going up on price. If they don't they are going to be in trouble.

I agree. The shops in my area are fairly small and the problem is, they can't get anything to sell right now. The guy I deal with is frustrated about not being able to get anything and isn't worrying about it.
 
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