How fo you feel about gun shops selling on gunbroker instead of in their store.

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Since the price would float on Gunbroker based on what the market will bear, the gunshop probably knows about what things are selling for and should offer the ammunition for sale at about that price if it is in keeping with their standard pricing practice.

Bottom line.... their stuff, their pricing.

I read all the time about customers buying on line to save $20 relative to the local gunshop pricing. I find that very irritating.
 
A lot of stores sell guns on gunbroker, a lot of times it is stuff they have from trade-ins. I don't see how that hurts anyone. They're all free to do it.
 
The issue here has nothing to do with guns,only ammo.
So do you exclude those customers who come into the store that if you want to buy ammo you have to bid for it on gunbroker or another gunauction site. Seems like a business model for short term gain vs staying in business.

Regarding Ammo: Is there anything that prohibits them from taking the "auction" - which is often a "buy it now" - if it sells in the store?

Nonetheless, with the notable exceptions in the world of firearms ammo is the commodity item. I've never read an economic or commercial case made for restricting a commodity to only one specific customer base.

In my business I've found that failing to sell something and make a profit is surest way to avoid staying in business.

My take on it is that the shortage we are seeing is more about end consumers and manufacturers than the retailers. It's their job to move the merch. The shortage isn't because of retailers selling online. It's because of "Us" (not THR "us" but the royal "Us.") and the mfgrs. IN other words, supply and demand.
 
I do not "feel" about free enterprise: I do "think" about it. Therein lies the problem underlying so many issues today. We feel rather than think.

I would ask the OP the same question I've posed before: if it were your business and you wanted to save it or maximize its profitability by whatever legal and ethical means, would you not do so? If you can point to something unethical in the practice, and provide a reasoned rationale regarding why it's unethical, I'll listen.
Unethical probably not. Bad business decision I would say yes as this store has decided to not sell ammo to its customers in the store rather it you want ammo from them even if you are their local customer you have to bid for it on gunbroker. While there is short term gain in this model a business owner is likely to drive his regular customers elsewhere and in the end destroy his business.

Thankfully the LGS I shop at haven't adopted this model.
 
I don't have a problem with them expanding their sales, but when you ask if they have a gun, and they tell you it is going directly on GB, then it gets irritating.

So if I walk in the door, you won't sell it to me? Whatever
 
Not a surprise, they want to get the best price they can get for their guns . They are getting smarter nowadays.
 
A vast majority of the LGS threads here bash local store owners for being understocked, overpriced and short on social graces.... :rolleyes:

Now that Bud's can't ship next day, people are bemoaning that fact that the local store has opted to move it's inventory on line too. :eek:

Who'd of thunk it? :confused:
 
Feel? No feeling at all.

It's their business and their inventory.

I have no claim to another man's possessions, his trade or the fruits of his labor.

If I am the part of a more effectively supportive customer base both in volume and income, a smart businessman will consider me over the potential internet sale and its inherent complications. If I and those in the vicinity of the shop do not provide seemingly sufficient commercial support it's a smart decision to seek those customers elsewhere.

After all, the fella's running a business and no doubt supporting a family as well.
 
Obviously their stuff, they can do what they want with it.

I'd find another LGS and avoid that one though.
 
a) I think the net is a great place for a customer to find guns that may not be found in a local gun store or when a gun shop will not carry, nor order a specific model. And the net is a great place for a shop owner to sell what is not selling in his store.

b) As for purchasing new: I have not found a new gun on the net that I can not buy at a 'net' price at my local gun shop. One of my favorite local gun shop is Guns Unlimited here in Omaha. I bought my very first gun from there in 1969 and have been buying there again over the years.

The net provides us all with an opportunity to sell a used firearm at market value vs nickles and dimes vs a trade value! In turn more money to buy locally or order. If one has trouble w/ a new purchase the local gun shop is more than helpful vs a net purchase where the philosophy is: let the buyer beware....

There is always a risk, hopefully nothing significant occurs!
 
"The issue here has nothing to do with guns,only ammo."

Why didn't you say so in the first place? You said "gun shops" in the title and repeated it in your original post. Not a word about ammo.

Guns or ammo, it doesn't make any difference to me how they advertise it.

John
 
Even though, as others have said, it's none of my business, it admittedly used to bug me a little bit. Then I realized that selling the occasional high-end item online allowed him to keep the pricing on the rest of his stuff super-low, so I'm 100% behind it. Well, 98% anyway.
 
I purposefully DON'T look at and fondle guns in the LGS that I use for FFL transfers. I don't believe it is fair for me to take up their time only to purchase from someone else. I will try to see what their price is on a gun before I purchase over the internet. Frankly, they seldom have anything that I couldn't purchase cheaper elsewhere.
 
I can on one hand understand why they may do it but leaving your customers without supply seems to be a bad business decision.
Most of the brick-n-mortar gun stores I see on Gun Broker usually include statements in their listings that the auction may be closed if they sell the gun in the shop. This seems a fine way to do buisness to me. IMO any buisness that ignores the internet these days is cutting their own throats.

I purposefully DON'T look at and fondle guns in the LGS that I use for FFL transfers.
My FLGS generally has a very good selection (at least before the "panic") and competative pricing. The only time I went to online retailers or auctions is if I was looking for a gun they didn't have and could not get me in any reasonable time. I have nothing but contempt for people who use local buisnesses to window shop and then do all their buying online. :mad:
 
I LOVE IT! Over the years I've managed to pick up some really unusual rifles from gunshops selling on Gunbroker. Case in point, most recently I was able to locate and purchase a beautiful Winchester 43 in .25WCF ... with a Weaver J-4! I already had 43s in .22 Hornet, .218 Bee and .32 WCF, but NEVER expected to find one in .25 WCF. Or, how about a Newton First Model with a J-4 in a Stith mount? Trust me, you WON'T ever see rifles like that in my neck of the woods.
 
I can't complain, unless the gun is marked "NFS due to auction" in the case. I buy more guns online than I do locally because I get better deals through auctions than I do at my LGS. Every once in a while a consignment gun comes through my LGS that the owner has consigned for a low price, I picked up my last Colt like that. And the more LGS's putting their items up on online auction, means I have more selection online.
So if my LGS can find a better buyer online than I am willing to be, more power to them. I'll still run my transfers through them and buy guns from them when they are priced right.
 
Their shop, their rules, but yes, if I am a local customer and they would not sell to me, I would be irked with them. However, it is their business to run as they may, and their chance to take as far as alienating local customers.
 
I went to the best LGS for 25 years until he got to old. never found one even 10% as good. I would never buy online when he was in business but these other guys I could care less they could go online themselves and expand
 
Ok..new twist,

Store owner/Business takes orders (no cash exchange-just an order with cc on file ) and places them on backorder status. Backorders come in and instead of filling them at promised prices, sells them on GB or other site.

Ethical or just maximizing profit? I say this becuase it was rumored on other forums that this has been happening. But then these are rumors.
 
I have no loyalty to any LGS. I have only loyalty to me, myself, I, some family, and my fiancee. Everyone else is expendable. If the LGS doesn't have the price I want I'll look elsewhere simple as that. I'd do the same thing if I was them. I mean heck, how many of us buy our ammo online or at Walmart to save not having to pay LGS ammo prices, even before this panic and conspiracy theory fountain.

If I had some sense of loyalty to a LGS and I found out they were doing this then I might give a hoot. But otherwise, let them do what they want so long as they let me do what I want. I've only ever bought a gun from a legit LGS three times in my life. Everything else has been armslist, gunbroker, and private sales. And I own over two dozen firearms.
 
It's their business and their inventory.

I have no claim to another man's possessions, his trade or the fruits of his labor.

If I am the part of a more effectively supportive customer base both in volume and income, a smart businessman will consider me over the potential internet sale and its inherent complications. If I and those in the vicinity of the shop do not provide seemingly sufficient commercial support it's a smart decision to seek those customers elsewhere.

This Sir, is the most refreshing and logical post, reflective of the values of a truly free people and economy (absent any form of gub'ment or crowd based coercion) that I have read in a loooooooong time.

I commend you for it.
 
Store owner/Business takes orders (no cash exchange-just an order with cc on file ) and places them on backorder status. Backorders come in and instead of filling them at promised prices, sells them on GB or other site.

Ethical or just maximizing profit? I say this becuase it was rumored on other forums that this has been happening. But then these are rumors.
Maximizing profit. OTOH I have heard of a few distributors doing that to gun stores, even after being paid.
 
I have a friend who owned a camera store. People would come in to handle the cameras, see how they functioned, the features, then leave to buy them on line.

It is very hard for a brick and mortar store to compete against the web.
 
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