Who Doesn't Haggle?

[Soap]

I must be the only person in the world that doesn't haggle over prices in a gun shop. I hear about people trying to strike a deal for a half hour in a shop just trying to get them to throw in a free mag/box of ammo/etc. I normally just inspect the weapon, pick up any accessories I should need, pay and move on with life. If the price is significantly higher than what I could get elsewhere in town, I politely let the shop owner that I can get a better deal but I would rather do business with him. That is the extent of my gun shop haggling. Also, I try not to frequent gun shops that consistently have unreasonably high prices. Another line that I think is silly is: "I'll give you ___ cash." I think sometimes this nation is going to cheap itself to death. Just one man's opinion.

 

[kd7ctv]

I think I have only haggled once, and that was when I bought my used Glock, I only asked what was the lowest they would go, because I only had enough for the Gun just no tax, and I wasn't intending to buy a gun I was looking at something else they had I wanted so they just gave it to me for thier asking price without tax, so I think they knocked off 34 dollars... Other then that I usually just pay the price....

 

[Black Majik]

I also dont haggle. But I shop around a LOT to look for the best prices. In the end, I usually find a gunshop that has lower prices than everyone else, so I dont bother with haggling the price.

Oh well.. that 20 or $30 saved doesn't hurt me that much. I rather use that time to be outta the gunstore.

 

[treeprof]

I don't like dickering at all, and am terrible at it (confession: I once upped a car dealer on his lowest offer!), so I most often buy in no-haggle shops with the better prices. I do shop around enuf to know what a fair price is, tho. There's one over-priced shop where I'll offer them cash for what I've seen the gun going for elsewhere and they'll usually bite. One other where I know they'll take 10% off the tag if I ask, which usually puts them a little below other shops.

 

[MikeB]

Me - "I'll take it. Can you hold it for a couple days?"

Gunstore Guy - "Sure"

Me - " Oh BTW how much is it going to cost me?"

Does that count as haggling.

In all seriousness the place I buy 90% or my firearms that's how it goes. I've bought enough off of them and did some early haggling when I first started dealing with them so I now know they are going to take 10 to 25% off the listed price for me.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

I never think it hurts to politely ask, "Is that your best cash price?"

Oftentimes, sellers build in plenty of haggle room -- they expect to dicker. In that case, paying the price on the sticker without negotiation would make me quite a rube, wouldn't it?

For other dealers, the price is the price. If that's the case, decide whether you want the item at that price, and buy it, or don't.

It's not too hard to figure out which type of dealer you're talking to. And it's just fine to dicker with the one, and there's no sense in annoying the other.

 

[sturmruger]

I am another one of those guys that shops like crazy. My mother is a very frugal woman if there is one thing I learned from her it is how to shop around. I will often watch a specific model and see what the average price it is going for online then I will check the gunshows if I find it within $25 of the online price I buy it. The last couple of guns I bought I got very good deals on. You just have to be informed and know what a good price is. On occasion I have asked if they will sell it for a differant price, but if they say "No" then I just move on.

 

[GigaBuist]

I never haggle. Not on guns, not on my car.

Shop #1 wanted sticker price for the car. Moved on.
Shop #2 took some money off. Shop #2 got the sale.

For guns, whoever's got it within arm's reach the cheapest.

 

[EghtySx]

Gun Prices

I know a pawn shop in Irving, TX that orderes new guns from a wholesaler in Grand Prairie and charges me their cost + 10%. This is usually the cheapest price I find anywhere besides 'sales' or 'specials'. I get the gun the next day after ordering.

 

[Nazirite]

There’s a gun store about a half mile from my apartment and they usually have good prices. They can do that because the store is part of a national chain. I will usually check on the price of the gun in question in other areas and the suggested retail price of a gun before I buy it. New Albany Ohio has a really nice gun store but their prices are anywhere from 10 to 20 percent higher than Gander Mountain. I don’t consider myself cheep but if I can get the same gun at a lower price, I take it.

 

[priv8ter]

Not really.

I have been known to ask the question about a 'Cash Discount', but my heart has never really been into haggling.

My last 4 gun purchases have been made online through Davidsons. The guy that runs the little gun shop I used to go through told me I could save 5% if I went online and did the ordering myself, so, I'm all good for saving 5%.

greg

 

[Werewolf]

My last 4 gun purchases have been made online through Davidsons. The guy that runs the little gun shop I used to go through told me I could save 5% if I went online and did the ordering myself, so, I'm all good for saving 5%.

WhoooaaaHHH!

I'm betting you live in a small town. I'll scout Davidsons and then knock 20% to 30% off the prices they show and that's what I'll end up paying at a gun dealer here in OKC. For example Davidsons lists a BM XM15E2S with 20" barrel for $990. I bought it from a local dealer NIB for $803. A Sig P220 lists for $800 without night sights. Add another $100 bucks for those and from Davidsons you're paying $900. I got a P220 with night sights from a local dealer for $729. Go with Davidson's only if you can't get it any other way.

If you're close enough I'd strongly suggest driving to the nearest big city and finding a large gun store there. It'd probably be worth your time.

 

[hksw]

I don't like dickering at all, and am terrible at it

I'm in the same mindset as treeprof. I hate wheeling and dealing and am also terrible at it.

What's interesting is watching a new collector friend of mine who does it all the time. I think, though, that it is his business sense taking over as he is a VP (one of the founders) of a moderate size rubber compounding company. He's well accustomed to hammering vendors for a lower price and buying guns is just another money exchanging deal. It's a real eye opener for me who only one time wheel and dealed and that was for 3 HK P7 mags. (Got $5 off the whole deal.) That was only after I bought a police turn-in P7M8 and had him order a new one for me (I've also always hated buying used ).

My friend's method of dealing is to try to purchase more than one item, whether guns, mags, ammo, etc. He can ALWAYS beat the dealers down. Sometimes it makes me laugh because it's something I should have been doing all these years. I do wish I had him with me when I bought my guns in the past. Personally, though, I don't think I'll change. Just wish I had his mindset.

 

[Rockrivr1]

I only haggle some with online sellers. It's easier for some reason and most of the time the owner of a gun I want is trying to sell it to get the cash in a hurry. I usually figure they are putting the price up some because they know there could be some haggling involved.

If I can't find what I want online, I'll look around the area gun shops. I don't usually haggle with the owner as I have a good idea which shop has the best prices. Actually one place in particular gets my business all the time and he's been a great guy when buying from him.

As to the cash thing, most places add 2%-4% to the price as most people buy using credit cards and that's the charge the owners get assecced from the credit companies. I'll usually ask if there is a price break if paying in cash. The place I usually frequent, Four Seasons in Woburn, MA, always discounts on prices if you pay with cash.

 

[priv8ter]

Well

A Sig P220 lists for $800 without night sights. Add another $100 bucks for those and from Davidsons you're paying $900. I got a P220 with night sights from a local dealer for $729. Go with Davidson's only if you can't get it any other way.

Well, there is a difference between the MSRP on Davidson's, and the actual price you pay ordering it through a dealer. For instance the SIG P220 is actually only $688 if you order it through the dealer I deal with. Add on Night Sights, and it's about the same price as you pay.

The Bushmaster XM-15E2S sells for $795 on Davidson's...Man, I could have saved you 8 dollars!


Davidson's isn't really that bad of a deal.

greg

 

[Braz]

I always try to haggle,

Sometimes the dealer will, sometimes, they won't. They rarely look happy about it, heh. I always payed sticker until I saw a guy hagglin' in a jewelery store. It went on for ten minutes, and he got a good knock off.

My eyes were opened and I never paid sticker for jewelery again.

 

[Ian]

I'll haggle a bit with private sellers (like, say, Dan Flory... ), but not with shops.

 

[Steve Smith]

I insult them with a price and then offer $10 more.


I usually get it

 

[AJ Dual]

Here's the way I estimate what I'm willing to pay:

I just mentally add up the average Internet/Shotgun News price + $12 for rifle shipping ground, OR $20 pistol shipping air, plus the most competitive FFL transfer price I know I can get in town.

If their price is under that total, I buy it at that price without complaint, if it's over that price, I ask for the price I added up in my head from the formula above. More often than not, they'll accept it, as they do a bit better than quantity one pricing from the wholesalers, and I'm letting them pocket the shipping and FFL transfer I'd be paying anyway if I went through "cheap" mail-order etc.

Seems like it's win-win to me, and gun delaers who recognize I'm "in the know" at least to SGN/Intenet pricing etc., they'll match that price.

 

[killermarmot]

When I bought my beretta they were talking up some new ammo and a bore snake I said I'd buy the bore snake if they threw in a brick of ammo (22) but unless it's used or I know the guys behind the counter I just pay what's listed.

 

[MaterDei]

I went to high school in Singapore and haggling is a way of life there.

Unless the item is at a store like Academy where I know there is no haggling I ALWAYS haggle. Well almost always, I bought a Molon Labe hat from Correia and paid full retail.

 

[P95Carry]

I don't actually enjoy haggling ...... but most times in a gun shop or show will make just one ''sub-label price'' offer ..... usually prefaced by ''Not to give offence, but - would you consider taking ... $xxx'' ........ and that usually is not too huge a down mark either.

Last piece I bought at a show .... I asked if there was ''any room for manouver''? ...... perhaps my most tactful approach. The guy didn't bring the price down literally but in a sense did because he ''absorbed'' the NICs fee and sales tax. I find that very fair.

My local guy always does me a good deal ... and so I will not insult him by trying for more .. besides ... he does transfers for a mere $10 .. I need him!!

Finally ... unless something is way silly and obviously severely over priced (and not forgetting my WANT quotient!) .. I reckon .. heck, the guy has to make a living, same as anyone else.

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Add me to the list of people that don't want a purchase to be a game of wits.

I shop for the best price so if someone wants to sell to me they better be either offering their best price or the price they are asking needs to be the best one around.

 

[Billmanweh]

I won't haggle in a gun shop, but I always ask for a lower price from an individual. Can't help it, it's just instinct.

 

[Hawkman]

I have shopped the same store for at least seven years. Early on in that period it became obvious that they had fair prices for all of their new guns, and they consistently gave fair trade-in values when I traded. Other shops tried to nickel and dime me, or lowballed my trades.

I developed a relationship of trust with the owner and his employees and now shop there exclusively, even if it means occasionally paying an extra $5 for a gun. I am perfectly comfortable walking in with a trade-in, picking out my new purchase, and saying "how much do I need to write a check for?"

I have caught the owner saying "thanks" in his own way by sometimes giving me EXTREMELY good values on a trade in, or knocking off sales tax.