What the heck has gotten into Cabella's?

[Smith & Wesson Man]

I have to say that I am not tired of hearing that line. You might be in a bad place for family owned gun stores. Where I am here in Michigan I have two local shops that take good care of me and my friends. The prices are not over the top. You can get a good deal when picking up a used handgun or long gun. I don't know what to say about all the big time gunshops. I don't care for them that much. I do find some deals at those places (Gander Mountain, Cabelas), but they seem to happen that often.

 

[gopguy]

Prices on everything are moving up

Folks the prices on everything are moving upward. Inflation has started to rear it's ugly head. It is because energy costs are way up. With gasoline hovering somewhere shy of $3 a gallon. The cost of transporting everything is up hence the cost of everything is rising. For example I have noticed a pac of Tic Tacs at Walmart has jumped from 48 cents to 97 cents just in the last three months. One of many examples I have noted in recent months... I can go on and on about this.

Unfortunately with China and India consuming gasoline like crazy. The Middle East is a basket case, the threat of continuing terrorism and the instability in Venezuela are causing the oil speculators to go nuts. The environmentalists are continuing to block new drilling and new refineries here on US soil and our coast line....I don't think it is going to get any better unless we all scream at Washington to cut the red tape and allow us to get to new oil sources, and build more refineries....But until we all do that we will all sit here and whine about how prices are rising and wondering why....

Here I will make it easy. Here are the links. Call your two Senators and your US Representative and raise Hades with them. Tell them to free up the red tape and let the oil companies do what they need to do....NOW.

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.house.gov/

 

[Taurus92 in KyleTX]

Related to mcmoyer's comment, I, too, got all excited about the Cabela's shooting sports weekend (maybe 2-3wks ago?), thinking there'd be some good deals. Turned out not to be the case.

However, just last week, they had a handgun sale on a number of "popular" models-- SA's XD9, Ruger revolvers, and a couple others that I wasn't in the market for.

Anyway, it had me wondering if this "sale" was Cabela's response to the lukewarm consumer response during the Shooting Sports weekend. (BTW, I use quotes around "sale" because the prices were down to just about being competitive with other local shops.)

I've heard stories from friends that swear by Cabela's return policy, and I agree with the other poster that may play into some of the price raises. Also, the operating costs of these mega retail stores has got to be hitting their bottom line. I think they went from something like 10-12 stores in '03 to a planned 25+ in '07?

What irks me about Cabela's is their so-called Bargain Cave. At least at the one in Buda, it's terribly disorganized; at least a quarter of the merchandise is broken, unusable, or indecipherable as to what may actually be in the bag; and the stuff that is decipherable isn't selling at a reasonable discount. So, the thought of hunting down a deal doesn't even entice me to spend money there.

I always feel like a kid in a candy store when I walk in (which is more often than I'd like to admit), but I always feel like I walk out with only a pamphlet on tooth decay cause that's all I can afford.

EDIT: Just realized this was my first post-- must've been lurking for too long.

 

[Matt King]

The mom and pop gun store in my town is wonderful. Cheap ammo, Relativly low priced guns, friendly and helpful staff, and it's been around forever. That and walmart(cheap ammo), are the only place that I will shop for guns/ammo.
I agree with the comment about yuppie "outdoorsmen". The cabelas and bass pro shops in my area are over filling with them. Burns me up , when they sneer at your remington 870, and brag about the new $2,000 o/u that they just ordered from Italy.I'll stick with mom and pop stores for as long as I live. Too many of them are having to close because of places like cabelas, bass pro shops etc. It's a shame.

 

[Shotgun12]

I've heard stories from friends that swear by Cabela's return policy, and I agree with the other poster that may play into some of the price raises. Also, the operating costs of these mega retail stores has got to be hitting their bottom line.

Exactly. And by-the-way .... welcome.

Somebody IS payin' for all of this .... and guess who it is.
That's why a pair of [$100] boots - cost $150 .... or a 'decent' hunting coat - is close to $300.
As far as blaming oil prices .... that no-doubt figures into it - in a big way .... but places like these were reamin' people (on many things), years before oil prices spiked.