Gun show greed is great for Walmart!

[Redlg155]

The hawkers were out in full effect this weekend at the Panama City gun show. Overpriced guns were a glaring contrast to those few dealers who priced their wares appropriately. One example- a SW Govenor. Just about every dealer had them priced at $700 plus. A local dealer had them priced at an honest pre election $570.

I happen to speak to the Gun counter manager at my local Walmart who was estatic at the sales he had from disgruntled gun show attendees. Especially in the AR dept where they are selling everything from $600 Oly Arms to $1100 Colt M4s.

On a positive note, I sold a M1a and a home built AR for enough funds to buy a brand spanking new FN SCAR 17!

 

[12131]

People are entitled to charge what they want. Folks are entitled to buy or ignore them.
Btw, did you make a profit from your sales?

 

[Impureclient]

Gun shows, pawn shops, swap meets, flea martkets, etc are all a waste of time. It's almost as if they believe nobody price checks before stepping into their shops.
Good deals are so few and far between in these places, why waste the gas money and time to play bargain hunter when you can buy it at a LGS, walmart or online for less.
It's so disgusting seeing somebody sell something used for the same if not more than another seller has it for new.

 

[Fishslayer]

ARs at Walmart... sigh...

 

[FROGO207]

I go for the thrill of the hunt. I look for the most overpriced firearm there for my entertainment. Oh and some of the eye candy is not that hard on the eyes either. It seems the entrance price is a better deal than going to a movie for the entertainment value.

 

[abq87120]

Many people don't know the buyer sets the price.

 

[Zoogster]

To be fair the guy at the show may be driving a good distance. Paying for gas. Paying to rent a spot or be at the show. Keeping an FFL. Spending many hours of thier time (most people get paid to be at work.) Then depending on their own sales to pay for it all, sales that may come on occasion.

Walmart on the other hand is a giant business with a large fleet of trucks that have already priced in moving many other items and are not paying much to get guns to location. They buy them inexpensively in bulk and don't need to make much profit on guns because they sell many other items.
This mean fuel costs are almost nothing, nobody is renting space at a show, in fact they don't even need a full time employee at the gun counter, he can do other stuff when nobody is buying guns elsewhere in the store while he earns his minimum wage.

I don't know if I would call it all greed. I don't think many people could make a living supplying almost anything Walmart does at similar prices. Hence why many small businesses disappeared when Walmart moved into towns across America.

However Walmart may not be at all invested in your gun rights, and would just replace the gun counter with more sports equipment if things got difficult. I recall that is what K-mart did some years back, went from being the best deal on ammo and some guns (better than Walmart) to not selling any at all.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Most dealers I see at gunshows sell at reasonable prices...It's the guys with a table full of guns and a cardboard sign saying "private collection" that usually are the joke. I often see guns priced way above book or what they bring on the best day on Gunbroker. Those geezers truly help define gunshow. I don't think they really want to sell, they just seem to want to put on a show of what they have.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I don't see what's "dishonest" about asking $700 for their gun.

Either;

They get that amount.

They use it as a starting price 'cause everyone seems to think everything is negotiable these days.

They - for reasons known only to them - are not particularly motivated to sell at this time.

Are matching a known price for another venue at which they sell.

-or-

Will lower their price after lack of sales for misjudging the market.

In any case, the sense of outrage at someone else's perceived high price smacks of a sense of entitlement to someone else's wares. Rather un-American, that. Not unlike a sense that you might have a right to their time, labors or property.

Disappointing.

I'd say, express your dissatisfaction by not buying.

 

[BLB68]

My local gun store is cost + 10% on firearms, including special orders. No additional fees for anything. Great guys.

 

[Ignition Override]

Zoogster: That contrast puts it in a clear nutshell. As for Walmart, the German govt. ruled years ago that any store in their country would be verboten, ausgeschlossen, in order to protect the many small businesses.

ColtPythonElite: at least one or two gun show sellers in my area who sell miscellaneous items told me that shows are mostly a social event, because there is far too much supply for the demand. They expect to sell very little, if anything.

When you said that some sellers with private collections mostly, or only want to show off, that had never occured to me. That's excellent insight.

The two shows I've attended in the Atlanta area (in '12) are at least three or four times as large as our Memphis area shows, and the list prices of some milsurp rifles over there seem to be less than what we see.

 

[crazy-mp]

I can go to one gun show in one corner of the state and not sell a single thing, not even a para cord bracelet for 8.00, and the next weekend I can go to the other side of the state and come home with 1/4 of what I took.

Gun shows are strange, I have had people act like they were interested and spend 30 minutes examining a gun or suppressor only to walk away, and I have had other guys who about get knocked down because they stop mid step and start pulling money out because I had that "certain" gun.

Most of those 700 dollar AR's you seen were being sold at 10-15% over cost, that is pretty much the going rate, well unless you want a sporter DPMS, or S&W M&P. You can't even touch a Rock River for under 700.00. This is not 1998 the 500 dollar Colt's with quad rails and half a dozen other bells and whistles are gone.

The last gun show I went to tables were 83 dollars a piece, I had 2 (plus a 5 dollar city vendors license). So I had to sell 1700.00 worth of guns just to pay for the tables, not to mention gas, food and paying my help (1 other guy).

If you would like to get your license, pay for tables, pay to travel to the gun shows, and sell 684.45 dollar dealer cost AR's (plus shipping) for your "honest" $570.00 make sure to send me a message I would really enjoy hearing how that business plan works out.

 

[Rocketmedic]

It's a good thing that firearms we love are mainstream.

 

[Sam Cade]

Zoogster: That contrast puts it in a clear nutshell. As for Walmart, the German govt. ruled years ago that any store in their country would be verboten, ausgeschlossen, in order to protect the many small businesses.

Not hardly.
Wal-Mart had been operating in Germany since the late 90's but it wasn't particularly successful, mostly due to bad PR and labor issues.


They sold all their stores to Metro AG in 2006 and they turned them into real branded stores.

 

[Ignition Override]

Sam Cade: I stand corrected.
Maybe my faulty memory was thinking of Scientology. We definitely can Not afford to libel That "outfit".....

The Walmart manager's Hemd says: "Our people make the difference".

 

[tarosean]

Its my understanding that the only wally worlds that still sell hanguns are in Alaska. So you cannot compare apples to oranges (S&W Gov prices). If you posted up the prices of the cheapest weapons made from the manufactures from that show for a direct comparison, then we can talk...

 

[possom813]

I went to a local gun show this weekend, mainly because it was only a mile or so from the house and I was bored.

I went in specifically looking for a 91/30 to build on. The local Gander Mtn gets them in with Monte Carlo stocks about twice a year for 159 or 119 with the wooden stock.

I figured I'd find a wooden stocked one there for 125 or so.

I walked around the venue for a couple of hours, and literally only found one Mosin in the entire show(honest to goodness, 1). Granted, this wasn't a 500 table show, but there were about 80-100 tables here, I thought I'd find at least a few.

The one that I did find, I supposed the owner knew he had the only one, because he had it priced at 300. None of the numbers matched, and it wasn't in near mint, or even good, condition.

I had to move on, I did end up buying a Hi Point .380 from an individual, just to make the day eventful.

 

[guyfromohio]

When people who mostly paid retail for something want to try to make a living reselling that something, prices will be high. I generally do the Glock test. If the brand new Gen 3 at the table isn't around $400 or less (+/- a few $), I can get it cheaper at the LGS. But I'm generally not looking for new at a gun show. I'm looking for that one I shouldn't have sold or the one I should have bought. And there is quite a bit of entertainment value, od course one could make a case for Walmart too.


Edit: I meant $500

 

[Reloadron]

When people who mostly paid retail for something want to try to make a living reselling that something, prices will be high. I generally do the Glock test. If the brand new Gen 3 at the table isn't around $400 or less (+/- a few $), I can get it cheaper at the LGS. But I'm generally not looking for new at a gun show. I'm looking for that one I shouldn't have sold or the one I should have bought. And there is quite a bit of entertainment value, od course one could make a case for Walmart too.

Along those lines I have visited a good number of gun shows from both sides of the tables. As to selling or trying to sell new guns, there wasn't much money in it. There was a time for example when a new Mossberg Model 500 family shotgun was costing me about $239 + S&H from a wholesaler. That same shotgun bought at Dick's, Walmart or other large retail national chain was was selling for $249 or about $10 over my cost before S&H. Large chains are buying direct in most cases from manufacturers in very large quantities. There was no way we could compete with the large chains. For us, the money was in used and selling what the large chain stores didn't sell. This was during the early to mid 90s.

When I go to the shows today as a shopper I generally have certain things I am looking for. When I see things that trip my trigger, if the price is right I buy. Yes, like the gun I sold, regret selling and want another one.

Ron

 

[abq87120]

Lol. Walmart bashing... I lived in Pagosa Springs CO. Walmart wanted to build a store there. The county commissioners and the city would not allow them in just to protect the small businesses. Now that bHo has improved our economy so much, those small businesses are gone and so is Walmart. AMF, 300 full time jobs. Downtown looks like a ghost town. WTG.

I cannot cite this but I have read that when Walmart comes to a small town, some businesses do go down. But the overall economy of the town improves. The old west went through the same challenges Walmart presents communities with the expansion of Woolworth's five-and-dime and Sears with their mail order. Read "The Americans: The Democratic Experience" by Daniel J. Boorstin. Great book. Long but a very good read.

I live in Prescott AZ now. We have two Walmart's with a very well stocked gun section, a Sears, a Target and a Kmart and about ten gun stores. All the way from one that has everything and is expensive to one that has a lot on the shelves and charges cost + 10% for guns and special orders. Service and selection is what keeps these guys in business.

If those guys at the gun shows really wanted to make showing up worth their time, they would think about and appreciate the idea of competition in the market place. None of this "We goin' give everybody everything all the time" business the USA has been going through for fours years now. Free market capitalism makes (used-to-make) our economy (the used-to-be) greatest economy in the world... Before we started running the printing presses.

Dan in Prescott
aka Dan in ABQ

 

[medalguy]

Yes Wally World does offer new guns at good prices. When was the last time you saw a Garand or 91/30 at a Wally World?

Frankly I'd never go to a Wally World for a gun, but that's just me. And I wouldn't normally buy a new gun anywhere but a gun show, because I can look at the gun, check it out, and decide whether it's really in the stated condition. Same for used guns. Are you really sure that Winchester Garand offered on that auction site has all correct parts before you drop money on it? And of course, I can haggle the price with the seller.

I think a lot of guys today don't know how to haggle prices. I grew up in gun shows, been going since the early 60's and I had a lot of fun years ago, sure. Granted today shows are a lot different, much more new stuff than before, but that's because all the older guns are drying up. But I digress. Sellers always have priced their stuff at the highest price they think they might be able to get, and haggle down from there. It's easy to come down, but you sure can't get more than the tagged price.

We need to keep in mind that everything is negotiable. Take that premise and you'll be far more successful at gun shows than the idea that a tagged price is it.

 

[MagnumDweeb]

I think many people work with the idea that they'll get deals at a Gunshow, on the retail end. Because why would you put all this together and not want to move a lot of product. Granted I do see some deals (not much better than gunbroker but still better) from time to time but not enough to make me want to go.

I go to ogle and handle guns like a patron at strip club with a two drink minimum and no cover (yes no handling at the other business). I try to get their early to see what greybeards are popping their trunks at 9am in the parking lot to sell off their collection. Because those can be the real deals if you're smart and you have cash, and want guns over ten years old.

Granted I'm annoying at gun shows where I see private sellers trying to move products at prices I find ridiculous (granted I'm a deal hunter so unless it's a great deal I don't want it) I politely tell them good luck. And then I look over to my friend or other companion and say "they must not want to sell that gun." As I have seen husbands selling guns with the impression their wives want them to sell it and that's the only reason their selling it, and even the wife won't make them sell it unless they get a good price.

As to Walmart, hey if they sell something I want and it's a good deal. I'll buy. Gun stores that don't want to compete can sell items and guns that Walmart doesn't. I doubt we'll see Rock Island 1911s pop up at Walmart anytime soon but I would like to see handguns show up at Walmarts here in Florida sooner rather than later. Help push the pricing down on the competitors. Again if the gun stores want to compete they just have to sell products Walmart doesn't. Even if Walmart starts selling handguns I'll doubt they'll be like Gander with a large selection. They'll probably stay mainstream with Glocks, Taurus, S&W, and other polymer autos.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Deals can be had at gun shows,,,

Deals can be had at gun shows,,,
You just have to keep looking and haggle.

I (like another gentleman here) simply smile,,,
And say "Good luck" to people with outrageous prices.

I go to gun shows to see accessories my LGS never stocks,,,
And to look for used revolvers that are seldom in local gun stores.

Last year at a Tulsa gun show,,,
I picked up a second hand Charter Arms .22 Pathfinder,,,
It was very gently used and after a bit of haggling I got it for $175.00,,,
That gun made a great graduation present for a young lady friend here at OK State University.

I have two more friends graduating in Spring of 2013,,,
I'm hoping to find two more bargain revolvers I can use as gifts.

Wanenmacher's Tulsa Arms Show is on the 10-11 of November,,,
That's always a treat as it is absolutely HUGE in size.

Don't go expecting to find bargains on new guns though,,,
I've seen people with smart phones look up guns at Buds Gun Shop,,,
They showed the dealer that Buds had the same gun for a much lower price.

Invariably the dealer simply says to order it,,,
But, "If you want it now, this is the price".

Even if I don't buy anything, which is rare,,,
It is still like a day at the fair,,,
Just without the rides.

Aarond

.

 

[huntsman]

ARs at Walmart... sigh...

Actually I think it’s fitting, the king of the cheap plastic throw away crap store selling a cheap plastic throw away rifle.

 

[mdauben]

ARs at Walmart... sigh...

I'm all for AR sales at Walmart. Deeper penetration of ownership of such guns into the wider society can only make it harder for legislators to demonize them and push through future bans.