giggitygiggity
Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2009
- Messages
- 2,251
I recently moved locations and have been checking out gun shops in my new location. I just felt like sharing my impressions and observations. It is very interesting how much gun shops vary.
For instance, some shops are pawn and gun shops; often, but not always, the prices are average or better than average (probably because the shop pays the seller well under the actual value and is, in turn, able to pass a better deal along to a customer). The local, family-owned gun shops seem to be the most polite and accommodating. Prices seem to be higher on new guns (likely because these shops do not move as much product as big-box stores), but great deals can be found on used guns. Elitist gun shops: I've found that the bigger shops, often the ones with indoor ranges, big painted 5.11 windows, and fancy names with the word "Tactical" in them seem to have the best advertising, but awful prices; I suspect that these shops attract people who are impulse buyers or who are not willing to shop around or do not know what things are worth (most items are priced at or near MSRP). The shops are nice in the sense that they often have a lot of services (range, gun smith, new guns), but they are often plagued by fat guys who think they are Jack Bauer. I've have walked into shops in which people are super friendly: "Hi, how are you today? Can I help you with anything today? Well please let me know if I can help you with anything." On the other hand, I walked into one shop and a customer (obviously a customer who was a regular was chatting with the guy behind the counter). The guy behind the counter looked up at me, sized me up really quick, and painfully asked if I needed anything. I don't understand why Tommy Tuff Nuts feels compelled to judge or assert dominance to potential customers.
It is also amusing when I walk into certain retailers and the reps have no idea what is going on. For instance, I walked into an Academy and asked the guy about a Kimber Micro. I explained that I had read and heard from other people that the finish has issues and wears/chips easily; I asked if he had any experience with that. His reply was, "Well all guns will wear the more you use them." Thanks Einstein... I was asking whether you, as someone who works in an establishment that sells guns has experienced complaints of that pistol having finish issues. Everyone knows that the more you use something, the more, it will wear. The same rep did not know whether Academy conducted transfers nor what the price might be... seems like something that should be covered on day one for someone working behind the firearms counter.
I interacted with a Walmart employee in sporting goods who tried to tell me that the synthetic stocked Weatherby Vanguard rifles have a much smoother action than the wood stocked Weatherby Vanguard rifles. I just let him talk... a rifle's stock does not determine its action's smoothness.
I am also intrigued when shops try to make a quick buck off of customers. For instance, I bought a suppressor recently. One of my trustees went to a shop with one of Silencer Shop's kiosks to submit his fingerprints, etc. The shop was not the one that would be conducting the transfer so Silencer Shop allows the shop to charge up to $40 per customer for use of the kiosk. In my experience, most shops do not charge anything as use of the kiosk does not require the labor and time of their employees. In this instance, the shop wanted $40. My trustee left... $40 for the customer to push buttons and do everything himself. I could see $5 or $10 as a minor convenience charge, but $40 is ridiculous and greedy. That shop lost a potential customer by trying to make a quick $40 (and possibly more customers as I tell the story).
When I go to shops, I want to be welcome, valued, and that my patronage is important; I should not feel like the shop is doing me any favors. I want the prices to be fair. I do not want to feel like the shop is being greedy by charging a lot for simple services (transfers, Silencer Shop kiosk use, etc). The good thing is that there are so many options now... if a shop is not in line with what I am looking for, I'll gladly take advantage of capitalism and take my business elsewhere.
Just my thoughts. I'd love to hear your's.
For instance, some shops are pawn and gun shops; often, but not always, the prices are average or better than average (probably because the shop pays the seller well under the actual value and is, in turn, able to pass a better deal along to a customer). The local, family-owned gun shops seem to be the most polite and accommodating. Prices seem to be higher on new guns (likely because these shops do not move as much product as big-box stores), but great deals can be found on used guns. Elitist gun shops: I've found that the bigger shops, often the ones with indoor ranges, big painted 5.11 windows, and fancy names with the word "Tactical" in them seem to have the best advertising, but awful prices; I suspect that these shops attract people who are impulse buyers or who are not willing to shop around or do not know what things are worth (most items are priced at or near MSRP). The shops are nice in the sense that they often have a lot of services (range, gun smith, new guns), but they are often plagued by fat guys who think they are Jack Bauer. I've have walked into shops in which people are super friendly: "Hi, how are you today? Can I help you with anything today? Well please let me know if I can help you with anything." On the other hand, I walked into one shop and a customer (obviously a customer who was a regular was chatting with the guy behind the counter). The guy behind the counter looked up at me, sized me up really quick, and painfully asked if I needed anything. I don't understand why Tommy Tuff Nuts feels compelled to judge or assert dominance to potential customers.
It is also amusing when I walk into certain retailers and the reps have no idea what is going on. For instance, I walked into an Academy and asked the guy about a Kimber Micro. I explained that I had read and heard from other people that the finish has issues and wears/chips easily; I asked if he had any experience with that. His reply was, "Well all guns will wear the more you use them." Thanks Einstein... I was asking whether you, as someone who works in an establishment that sells guns has experienced complaints of that pistol having finish issues. Everyone knows that the more you use something, the more, it will wear. The same rep did not know whether Academy conducted transfers nor what the price might be... seems like something that should be covered on day one for someone working behind the firearms counter.
I interacted with a Walmart employee in sporting goods who tried to tell me that the synthetic stocked Weatherby Vanguard rifles have a much smoother action than the wood stocked Weatherby Vanguard rifles. I just let him talk... a rifle's stock does not determine its action's smoothness.
I am also intrigued when shops try to make a quick buck off of customers. For instance, I bought a suppressor recently. One of my trustees went to a shop with one of Silencer Shop's kiosks to submit his fingerprints, etc. The shop was not the one that would be conducting the transfer so Silencer Shop allows the shop to charge up to $40 per customer for use of the kiosk. In my experience, most shops do not charge anything as use of the kiosk does not require the labor and time of their employees. In this instance, the shop wanted $40. My trustee left... $40 for the customer to push buttons and do everything himself. I could see $5 or $10 as a minor convenience charge, but $40 is ridiculous and greedy. That shop lost a potential customer by trying to make a quick $40 (and possibly more customers as I tell the story).
When I go to shops, I want to be welcome, valued, and that my patronage is important; I should not feel like the shop is doing me any favors. I want the prices to be fair. I do not want to feel like the shop is being greedy by charging a lot for simple services (transfers, Silencer Shop kiosk use, etc). The good thing is that there are so many options now... if a shop is not in line with what I am looking for, I'll gladly take advantage of capitalism and take my business elsewhere.
Just my thoughts. I'd love to hear your's.