My Walmart Random Time Ammo Sales

[22-rimfire]

Walmart prices their ammo competitively for normal times and it is based on what they pay for it. They have not resorted to the greedy take-advantage behavior that so many other stores/shops do. They make their money. I give them a lot of money monthly as a matter of fact. Frankly, I spend more at Walmart monthly than all other stores combined.

 

[danez71]

Didn't intend to. Just quoted you.

Your quote of me was fine... it was your reply that took things in a different direction.

Ok, but what about the wonderful effect it has on the truly less fortunate and the fixed-income (retired) folks.... (snip)

1st of all.... they should count their blessing of having a fixed income. Mine can go away at any moment.

.... who now have a small extra revenue stream because they can spend their unemployed time to buy low priced ammo to re-sell it? That's pretty nice for them!

So my tax dollars are subsidizing people and gives them a gaurenteed income so that they can buy retail and then sell it re-retail. That's something to cheer about? Them doing something illegal is great! Sell for profit with out a business license... evade taxes!! I should be cheering

I mean, if they've got the gumption to get up in the morning, and the patience to wait for a few boxes of ammo each day, and the smarts to find an outlet to sell it at the upper end of the market, WOW, that's pretty entrepreneurial of them!

Under that scenario, again, my tax dollars is what allows them the opportunity to get up early with out needing to go to work and scalp ammo. That's another win-win!

And they can thank WalMart for the opportunity to put a little needed cash into their budget.

They should be thanking all of us social security contributors; not Walmart.

And the only reason they can do that is that WalMart (for their own entirely SELFISH reasons ) refuses to sell at or near the current market price.

That's Walmart's decision. There are other places that haven't significantly risen prices just as Walmart. You speak as if there isn't and the scalper pricing IS the market price. But its not.

I'm no Walmart defender but at least Walmart is playing by the re-sale rules of business license, paying taxes etc.

If WalMart would charge a "reasonable" price, they could balance that price against the demand until those forces equalize. Then we wouldn't have to worry about "gougers" and "flippers."

Whos definition of 'reasonable' are you using? There not loosing money on ammo. They just aren't charging what the scalpers are.

But those poor folks who are un- or under employed wouldn't be able to make a dime, which would be sad for them.

Not really. They're doing something illegal. Reselling with out a business license and not paying taxes. Not very high road but oddly endorsed by you.

It also hurts the demographic of those who cant pay those artificially inflated prices... and there is arguably a correlation of that demographic and the higher crime rate of the geographic area they live in.

 

[nelsonal]

Whos definition of 'reasonable' are you using? There not loosing money on ammo. They just aren't charging what the scalpers are.

Not really. They're doing something illegal. Reselling with out a business license and not paying taxes. Not very high road but oddly endorsed by you.

It also hurts the demographic of those who cant pay those artificially inflated prices... and there is arguably a correlation of that demographic and the higher crime rate of the geographic area they live in.

I won't speak for Sam but business licenses are just a modest form of rent seeking (basically limiting competition by making it marginally more difficult to enter business). I'd be surprised if he weren't against them, as well.

Also, the whole point of a market system is to allocate a good to those who value it most. It's pretty ruthless in that regard, unfortunately those who aren't productive enough to pay higher prices are one group that's not in the higher value users.

Also, reasonable is the price at which sellers sell out but not so quickly they can't restock. The market price for ammo today is much closer to C-T-D prices. Everyone charging less, is giving a large gift to anyone who buys (those gifts are captured by those with low opportunity costs) whether intended to be shot (more than they would at market prices) or resold.

 

[Sam1911]

Ok, but what about the wonderful effect it has on the truly less fortunate and the fixed-income (retired) folks.... (snip)

1st of all.... they should count their blessing of having a fixed income. Mine can go away at any moment.

Well, if it does, maybe you can mosey on down to WalMart first thing in the morning... Always good to have a "Plan B!"

.... who now have a small extra revenue stream because they can spend their unemployed time to buy low priced ammo to re-sell it? That's pretty nice for them!

So my tax dollars are subsidizing people and gives them a gaurenteed income so that they can buy retail and then sell it re-retail. That's something to cheer about? Them doing something illegal is great! Sell for profit with out a business license... evade taxes!! I should be cheering

You're making several assumptions there. None of which are necessarily true at all.

I mean, if they've got the gumption to get up in the morning, and the patience to wait for a few boxes of ammo each day, and the smarts to find an outlet to sell it at the upper end of the market, WOW, that's pretty entrepreneurial of them!

Under that scenario, again, my tax dollars is what allows them the opportunity to get up early with out needing to go to work and scalp ammo. That's another win-win!

You don't know they're on assistance. They could be on a pension or just supplementing an income that they work hard to bring in, just like you! Stop projecting your bitter assumptions on these folks.

That's Walmart's decision. There are other places that haven't significantly risen prices just as Walmart. You speak as if there isn't and the scalper pricing IS the market price. But its not.

LOL. If someone's paying a price for a commodity, that is indeed one factor in the MARKET PRICE. What do you think sets the market price? The Federal Ammo Price Fairness Committee?

I buy for $99, you buy for $19, the market price reflects both. If I bought from a high priced "gouger" (because I had the cash and wanted the ammo now) and you bought from a store practicing "loss leader" sales (because you had the time but didn't want to spend more money), neither is exactly reflective of the average market price that second, but both contribute because both influence what the next person will pay.

If WalMart would charge a "reasonable" price, they could balance that price against the demand until those forces equalize. Then we wouldn't have to worry about "gougers" and "flippers."

Whos definition of 'reasonable' are you using? There not loosing money on ammo. They just aren't charging what the scalpers are.

Certainly so. They have their own money-making reasons for charging what they do. (Has to do with their image and sucking in customers.) Who cares whether they're losing money? There are no ethics involved. You don't get to decide that it isn't "fair" that someone makes 100% profit instead of 10%. Or that someone bought low and sold high. All that matters is what someone will sell for and what someone will buy for. Don't like it? Don't pay the higher price. By not paying the higher price you are actually working to lower the market price!

But those poor folks who are un- or under employed wouldn't be able to make a dime, which would be sad for them.

Not really. They're doing something illegal. Reselling with out a business license and not paying taxes. Not very high road but oddly endorsed by you.

LOL. You don't have ANY basis for saying that. You have no proof of any of the allegations you're making, just your own suppositions. That's not very High Road of you!

Heck, I know for a fact (because it has been reported here!) that some of those "scalpers" are local gun shops who go to WalMart and buy ammo to resell off their own shelves at higher prices. Guess what? They have a business license and they pay their taxes. Not a thing in the world illegal about it! How 'bout that?

It also hurts the demographic of those who cant pay those artificially inflated prices... and there is arguably a correlation of that demographic and the higher crime rate of the geographic area they live in.

So...you're actually proposing that there's a significant correlation between people not being able to buy cheap ammo and increased CRIME RATES? Holy stretch, Armstrong!

This kind of statement is indicative of why I, perhaps improperly, suggested you felt that there was some compelling social necessity that cheap ammo be made available to the masses.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Hey Sam, I know it's possible but perhaps more difficult, but when you are responding to fifteen people in one post in a thread with 130 posts, it's difficult following who you are responding to with the above format.

 

[Sam1911]

Better? I added a name that time. Honestly, in long threads like this, I rarely even notice who, exactly, I'm responding to! Just free form discussion and exchange of ideas.

But, yeah, that can be hard to follow!

 

[danez71]

You're making several assumptions there. None of which are necessarily true at all.

You, me, and most everyone is this thread is making assumptions. The OP had a half dozen assumptions and none of them are necessarily true.

You don't know they're on assistance. They could be on a pension or just supplementing an income that they work hard to bring in, just like you! Stop projecting your bitter assumptions on these folks.

Nor do you know that they are retired or un or under employed when you brought them up.
I have no bitterness toward retirees... all of my living parents are retirees collecting SS. And yes, Ive told them the same thing... they're lucky to have a 'fixed' income.

LOL. If someone's paying a price for a commodity, that is indeed one factor in the MARKET PRICE. What do you think sets the market price? The Federal Ammo Price Fairness Committee?

Correct... but you've been portraying the scalper pricing as market price; not "one factor in the market price"

LOL. You don't have ANY basis for saying that. You have no proof of any of the allegations you're making, just your own suppositions.

LOL...Nor do you have any basis for claiming these little poor old people are just being entrepreneurs and supplementing their 'fixed' income.( Which wouldn't be 'fixed' at the point anymore but that's another thread.)

So...you're actually proposing that there's a significant correlation between people not being able to buy cheap ammo and increased CRIME RATES? Holy stretch, Armstrong!

See now.... There you go again. I didn't say they couldn't buy cheap ammo. I infurred that they couldn't buy expensive ammo. ;-) And I certainly didn't infur anything to do with cheap ammo (or lack there of) and crime rates. Essentially I said some people that cant afford overly and artificially inflated ammo prices are living in areas with high crime.

This kind of statement is indicative of why I, perhaps improperly, suggested you felt that there was some compelling social necessity that cheap ammo be made available to the masses.

Well when you read into it things that aren't there... I can see why you improperly suggested that.


Plainly put... family living in the ghetto that clears $50 a month beyond expenses used to be able to afford a box of ammo to be able to protect their family. Now, due to the scalpers, they might not be able to.


My initial post included the gas shortage comparison. The gas stations stopped allowing people to buy extra gas in gas cans and took other measures too. There was a 'run' on gas. Had they not taken some of those steps, the family only clearing an extra $50 wouldn't have be able to afford to buy gas to get to work.


Since this thread is nothing but assumptions, and apparently only yours count the most, maybe its time to shut this one down.

 

[Bruno2]

If they are drawing social security then that means they paid into it just like the rest of us.

 

[CZguy]

And the statement about oil companies (just don't buy gas from them then) , that isn't a good analogy. Fuel is hardly a free market item when fuel companies or OPEC or government limit producing to control prices and fuel is a necessity for survival so you have no choice but to bend over and take it if you want to heat your home or get to work and the economy depends on fuel, while ammo so you can go plinking or target shooting IS NOT.

I don't think that gasoline is necessary for survival. It's a heck of a nice convenience though.

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

I agree with the above poster that it isn't socialism when a store decides to listen to it's customer base. However, Wal-Mart doesn't care about anything but profit. They don't care who buys it, as long as someone does. To them, selling out fast is a good thing.

What a customer base of one or two crybabies to lazy to work for the ammo they need.

 

[X-Rap]

WalMart seems to be the main topic here but they are far from the only ones who are still holding prices at what could be called pre panic levels. I'm sure there are many reasons, my LGS's believe people will remember and punish those who took advantage of a situation, for large retailers it's probably more about keeping a margin above their wholesale cost. Wholesale cost is the key to the difference between gouging and retailing. There is more wholesale ammo going to retail than ever before but some are tapping into the false market of the panic and conspiracy. I am not currently in the market but if I was, me or someone I know would be in line for the delivery and pay the standard price.
On a side note it might be a surprise but even TV personalities are caught in this, I saw Tred Barta pay $75 for a brick of 22 ammo this last weekend and he was none to happy about it either.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That's pretty lame. Gas gougers do what the ammo flippers are doing.. re-sell from a common/main source.

They can't re-sell if you won't buy. It takes two to tango!

 

[Arkansas Paul]

What a customer base of one or two crybabies to lazy to work for the ammo they need.

No. I was saying it wouldn't be if a customer base actually wanted something. Not just one or two crybabies. It was aimed at people who called a company doing things for the benefit of many customers socialism. It's not. It's the freedom of a company to decide what policies it will adopt. If the government started mandating that things be done that way, it would be.
I personally don't give a rat's derierre. I have plenty of ammo and components.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

No. I was saying it wouldn't be if a customer base actually wanted something. Not just one or two crybabies. It was aimed at people who called a company doing things for the benefit of many customers socialism. It's not. It's the freedom of a company to decide what policies it will adopt. If the government started mandating that things be done that way, it would be.
I personally don't give a rat's derierre. I have plenty of ammo and components.

The question is, would the proposal benefit customers or not? Do any significant number of customers prefer this to first-come, first served?

 

[Certaindeaf]

It's pretty crazy that walmart doesn't charge $100/500 for .22lr. They'd make more money and not have to dick around with limits or times. But they don't, hence the vultures.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

The question is, would the proposal benefit customers or not? Do any significant number of customers prefer this to first-come, first served?

Probably not.
I was just making a point as to whether or not it was socialism. It seems like any time someone doesn't like something that's the go to word to label it.

 

[larryh1108]

If Walmart didn't care if one guy bought out their entire shipment, as some say, they wouldn't impose limits. Why fix something that isn't broke?

However, when I did buy ammo (pre-reloading), I would stop by Walmart once or twice a week to see if anything was available that was cheap and what I needed. I usually went for the CCI Minimags and bought 100-200 each visit. If 9mm WWB was on sale, I'd pick up a box or 2 and the same for the other calibers I used. As we all know, the ammo is in the back of the store so I'd have to walk past their mass merchandising displays of whatever. Many times I'd see a good deal on something and pick it up. I'd also pick up some odds and ends in the grocery section as well. I'd even get my oil changed every 3 months and bought my tires there too. I did this because I was in Walmart to get ammo.

When I started to reload, my trips became less and less. I still wanted the .22LR but that's about it but it still got me there about once a month. I always went there for my household items when I needed something and always checked the ammo case while I was there. Cheap 9mm ammo is always a good thing to have if it's on sale even if you reload. There was usually a good supply except for the "shortages" so I always knew that I could find what I needed when I needed it.

When the shelves were empty in '08 and then again these past 6 months, I don't even bother to go there any more because the shelves are always empty of the .22LR CCI I want. The other day I went to a quick oil change place for the first time because I knew Walmart had no ammo I wanted. About once a month, these last 6 months, I stop in to check the ammo only and it's always empty so I just leave with nothing else. So, this ammo shortage has cost Walmart a lot of my money the last 6 months. I've found other places for my other needs and I still have .22LRs from my frequent visits over the years.

Walmart wants every customer to be able to buy ammo if that's why they came there. They lose money when we stop checking because it's always empty. Why bother going there if there is nothing to buy? Impulse sales don't occur when you aren't in the store. Walmart cannot be happy at all about the scroungers who take it all for their own reasons and leave empty shelves for the rest. It costs them a lot of money.

 

[22-rimfire]

Larryh1108: Pretty good post on Walmart.

However, when I did buy ammo (pre-reloading), I would stop by Walmart once or twice a week to see if anything was available that was cheap and what I needed. I usually went for the CCI Minimags and bought 100-200 each visit. If 9mm WWB was on sale, I'd pick up a box or 2 and the same for the other calibers I used. As we all know, the ammo is in the back of the store so I'd have to walk past their mass merchandising displays of whatever. Many times I'd see a good deal on something and pick it up. I'd also pick up some odds and ends in the grocery section as well. I'd even get my oil changed every 3 months and bought my tires there too. I did this because I was in Walmart to get ammo.

This is why the superstores exist. I am a regular Walmart customer. I make no bones about it. As I mentioned above, I spend more money at Walmart monthly than all the other stores combined. They must be doing something right.

You comment about ammunition being present is part of the reason that some gun shops charge really high prices on ammunition. One I frequent does. I won't and don't pay their "market price". If all their ammunition shelves were empty, they would likely get fewer customers coming in to "look around". They'd just not bother.

Sam, you can buy all the $99 bulk packs you like. It's a free country, I think? That's important actually. I personally just wouldn't shoot. If those became the "regular" retail price on 22 ammo, I would stop shooting any 22 ammo once I got down to a relatively low inventory level. For the anti's... mission accomplished.

 

[Sam1911]

Sam, you can buy all the $99 bulk packs you like. It's a free country, I think?

Well, thanks!

I personally just wouldn't shoot. If those became the "regular" retail price on 22 ammo, I would stop shooting any 22 ammo once I got down to a relatively low inventory level.

But as we're saying over and over, if folks stop buying the ammo because the price is so high, demand drops, and so the price then falls. As we're starting to see happen already. We don't really have much of a concern that the prices for ammo are going up to $99/brick of .22s in the long term. Maybe $20 or $25, sure -- a small increase over last year, but even that I think is unlikely.

For the anti's... mission accomplished.

No, no it isn't! If SO MANY PEOPLE are willing to pay SO MUCH MONEY to shoot that the price rises to $99 for a brick of .22s and stays there??? What does that say about the values of the American people and the investment/commitment of the American gun owner? If that was to happen, the anti's will have even more cause to weep because folks will be voting with their wallets that guns and shooting are so important to them!

 

[22-rimfire]

In case anyone is wondering, I buy two dominant promo 22LR ammunition brands at Walmart; Federal Lightning/Champion (#510B, or #510 outside Walmart), and CCI HV LR. I get most of the other stuff via online shopping or the occasional visit to Champion's Choice near Nashville, Sportsman Warehouse, or Bass Pro. I seldom buy bulk packs, but I do keep 10 or 15 usually for family outings. Seldom use them.

I always tend to defend Walmart for ammunition, but they are not my dominant source.

Sam, Good point about my "anti statement" regarding ammunition availability versus cost.

 

[TennJed]

I think the government should take over all ammo manufacturing and distribution. Even it out to each citizen. This could work in other areas like income. Think of it as a social form of government. One where everyone is equal and everything is fair.

 

[22-rimfire]

Few things are actually "fair" relative to government social programs. I hope you jest.

 

[TennJed]

Few things are actually "fair" relative to government social programs. I hope you jest.

why do you think I am jesting . It is not fair that other people have something that I do not and I am not willing to do what they do or pay what they pay to get it.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Well at least you can park your trailer there. pretty good times

 

[Deaf Smith]

I think the government should take over all ammo manufacturing and distribution. Even it out to each citizen. This could work in other areas like income. Think of it as a social form of government. One where everyone is equal and everything is fair.

You have got to be kidding? I hope you are!

The same government that sics the IRS on groups they dislike? The same government that leaves people do die in Libya as the plead for help? The same government that gets all the phone records on rivals? The same government that gave us Obamacare?

See in South America countries they do things like nationalize industries, with predictable shortages, shoddy produces, and lots of red tape.

The government, ANY government, by definition is a parasite. Maybe a necessary one but still a parasite. And parasites should have only the minimal power needed to serve their function, for power corrupts.

So they surely don't need to nationalize the ammo industry!

Deaf