Midways Pricing

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If I also only need a couple items and there not a firearm specialty item I buy some where else, local if i can. They are fine if ordering larger amounts. Up to the consumer to pay attention. If you don't want to deal with them ,don't. I buy from 4 different companies.
 
Ive run into this many times and i hate to say this but Ebay has saved me money a few times when shipping small parts would have stupid shipping prices at the larger gun supply stores.
 
I went to all my lgs's and was even willing to drive 45min to basspro if they carried it, but they don't. I always buy local if I can.
 
For a small order you will get killed, go to a flat fee or Glock world or google what you want, and put comma, Free shipping next to it
 
I buy local as often as I can, if the LGS or sporting goods chain doesnt have it, I will drive the hour to Gander Mountain, and still pay a bit higher price.

Sometimes, it just can not be found at a place that I can just pick it up, and in that case, I shop around online, and consider other difficult to find local items that I may need/want that would help to offset the cost per item of shipping.
My dad orders everything online these days, partially because he doesnt want to waste time running to three or four places to find the primers, powder, and bullets that he is looking for.

I dont like the shipping charges, but there are times that they cant be avoided, so I make the most of my money when I do. Others just look at it as a convenience expense, and order enough to dilute the cost to the point that it is still a bargain vs. sourcing their supplies locally.
 
"I needed a .035" hex head wrench for a sight adjustment. I couldn't find one locally so shopped online. 99 cents for the allen wrench and $11 for shipping.

Still need that damn allen wrench, but refused to spend $12 on a $1 item."

Find a local paintball marker shop, its a very common size for us.
 
It's 50miles round trip for me to run to the nearest town with anything resembling a gun shop. At 10mpg that's 5gals at $3.50/gal and $17.50 spent. So why would I complain about a company shipping something all the way from Missouri to my front door for $10? Shipping ain't cheap but it's something to think about. Beats the hell out of driving 70miles to Jackson, or 100miles to Nashville, one way.
 
I like Midway and Larry Potterfield. I like the service and selection they have and the NRA Roundup feature they have in the purchase process. I typically try to order in bulk to get the best bang out of shipping charges.
 
reminds me of when my boss had to order orings for his car..........$1.50 in orings........$10 for shipping.........you could literally toss those things in an envelope and put a $0.30 stamp on it.
 
What type of resources do you think it takes for a large company to pull the item from inventory package it up and ship it?

It's not like Midway is staring directly at the part you want. They have to find it, pull it, pack it, and ship it.
How many folks do you think they have to pay to do all that and for how many minutes do you think it will take them to handle your order?
If it takes just 4 guys 15 minutes each and they each get paid 10 bucks an hour your small part actually cost the company 10 dollars not including building and business costs.

Also large companies normally have an agrrement with shipping companies for flat rates. This way they can give greater value to customers who order large and heavy products.

Trust me Midway ain't getting rich off your 3 dollar order.
 
Something else I should say in their defense, they are FAST. Whenever I have ordered from them in a timeframe I thought would put the delivery out a few daws, I am always surprised when it arrives early. I think that they pick and package orders round the clock, they upgrade shipping for free when there's space, etc. When I am used to most companies waiting until Monday morning to process orders, they are processing them Saturday night. I don't think I have ever had one of their packages NOT come 1-2 days earlier than the shipping estimate. I really start to believe old Potterfield when he thanks me for my business, I think he has put a lot of resources into making sure he has it in stock and ships it faster than the other guys.
 
I've bought from various internet suppliers over the years and Midway has always shipped fast and I have never had an order messed up. Ok so I paid a few extra bucks for shipping but I look at it this way: I didn't have to drive 60 miles to get the item (one way), I didn't have to deal with a store full of lookyloo's that had nothing better to do than obscure my view of the glass cases filled with great toys.

Sure some outfits will charge you a tad more but they are in business to suppy you what you want and get it to you and make a profit in the end. Shop around, look at all the online shipping policies and you won't end up with sticker shock at the end of the day :D
 
I've bought a lot of merchandise from Midway. I like them. It costs money to pack goods up and get the order ready to ship. I plan my buys to avoid the small order fees.
 
Shoulda known this thread would have brought some bad karma on me.....30 minutes ago a $4.99 part on my press broke. It looks like Midway is the only vendor with it.
 
If you're needing just reloading stuff, try www.grafs.com. They charge a flat rate for shipping, and it's been 4.95 these days
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Good luck finding anything in stock at Grafs. Every freakin time I ever went on their site, they were out of what I was looking for.


Midway's customer service and fast shipping is worth the extra money to me.
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Me too. I also do like others here and add the small items to other orders to avoid the $3 fee though. I've gotten to where I don't even shop around much. I just go to Midway and order. The vast majority of the time, the savings would only be a few dollars going somewhere else. If it were more substantial, I would likely buy elsewhere, but most of the time, it's minimal.
 
I have never found a gunshop in Forth Worth that carried anything I want.
EVERYTIME I order anything I look at all the suppliers on the internet. Take the order all the way thru the shipping charges at each place, then decide who is cheapest. Even then it is very seldom one place will have everything you are trying to order.
However, when I started ordering shooting and reloading items (1968) you did it by mail. Mostly Badger Shooters Supply, Owen, Wisconsin (no Zip). Don't know if they are still in business. Mail both ways, (no UPS, etc) you were usually looking at at least two weeks.
 
Midway DOES have a "minimum order" handling charge (less than 25.00 I THINK (not sure - I only made that mistake once)

but it was for a 29.95 item that was on sale for 19.95 and after sales tax (yes I have to pay sales tax 'cuz we're both in Missouri) and their "handling fee" it still came out to less than the normal listed price of 29.95

But that's easy to get around.... combine your order (toss in a box of ammo, range bag, hat) - come on there's ALWAYS something else you need for our hobby to increase your order from 3.99 to 25.00.

MidWay does NOT - repeat - does NOT "mark-up" their shipping costs. They pass the direct shipping costs on to the customer, no more - no less. "Shipping costs" are not a revenue stream for Larry and the family over at MidWay.

Whatever the common carrier (UPS most times) charges MidWay - That's what they charge you the customer - in fact, they get DEALS from UPS better than you can do on your own with UPS due to their VOLUME.

It's NOT like the "Ronco Pasta Maker Infomercial" where "STOP and CALL NOW, GET ONE FOR 19.95 and we'll send you TEN MORE FOR FREE but including seperate shipping and handling charges and you end up paying 10.00 each shipping/handling of the "free" ones.

I (postal service) MAILED a dvd to Virginia this week - nothing special - 4.00 (flat rate, no extras) - the DVD only cost me 7.00 - and I MAILED it from the post office so no "hidden charges or mark-up" -- GASP 4.00 postage for a 7.00 item.
Reality.

The NEXT day I went to UPS another DVD to the same friend in Virginia and UPS wanted 12.00 for the exact same shipping - I drove the other mile and mailed it USPS/postal service.

UPS is MAKING money and operating in the BLACK

The USPS is LOSING money and operating in the RED

Those UPS Trucks out in MidWayUSA's freight-yard and at the loading docks are NOT owned by Midway.

now if you'll excuse me, there's a pizza at my door and I'm pretty sure she wants the full 12.00 for the pizza and $3.00 extra for DELIVERY charge and heck, she's cuter than Larry so she's gonna' get tipped too!

:what:
 
Grafs has a minimum order as well. No big deal. Little orders drain manpower and packaging time for very little gain for the seller.

I have paid the Midway fee before when I was in a big hurry, but like I posted earlier, I keep a list of small items to add to orders so I can avoid that.

I buy from both places, as well as others.
 
they totally rape you with shipping costs. Thats what companies are doing these days.
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WOW, someone who doesn't seem how retail and shipping works. Check your local gas prices lately? Do you think the person who picks your order, the other person who packs it, the bubble wrap, cardboard box, postage, etc. are all free? REALLY? GET A CLUE - it is either packed into the initial price or tacked on as S&H

No such thing as a free lunch - or free shipping
 
Just for grins I "shopped" the same item at Midway and Natchez (RCBS press). Midway's shipping is $16.95; Natchez wants $18.73...and Midway is 350 miles further.

Placing a $10.00 order from anywhere isn't going to be economical.
 
I only buy from Midway if what I order can be shipped USPS First Class. It's far cheaper than UPS ground, and (oddly enough) usually arrives faster. It's worth remembering that all the major shippers are paying more for fuel (air and ground) than ever before, so rates will climb. Pretty soon the price advantage that click-and-order has enjoyed will be gone; when consumers stop consuming, for whatever reason, the economy really gets clobbered.
 
Toforo says, "MidWay does NOT - repeat - does NOT "mark-up" their shipping costs. They pass the direct shipping costs on to the customer, no more - no less. "Shipping costs" are not a revenue stream for Larry and the family over at MidWay."

I sorry I just don't believe that. I bought an item from Graf's at their regular price + their s&h charge which was cheaper than the identical item from Midway ON SALE. Midway & Graf's are only about 30 miles apart aren't they? Notice how Midway did away with their "exact shipping charges only" sales pitch of a few years ago?
I also found I can order many things directly from the manufacturer cheaper than from Midway.
 
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