Overpriced nc gun shops

Ruger said:

Much of the pricing differential has to do with dealers' volume of orders. When a new shop opened in High Point a couple years ago I noticed that their pricing was noticeably higher than a few stores that have been around for much longer. They were unable to price match. A store like The Gun Rack in Kernersville does a lot in volume with manufacturer X, so they get better pricing than the upstart business, and they can sell a $400-$500 handgun for $50-60 less than the upstart business without hurting their gross margin. This mainly applies to the local gun stores as opposed to...

The exception to this rule is the big box stores like Gander Mtn. that rape everyone on pricing because ignorant people don't shop around & just whip out their Visa. No doubt that their purchasing volume enables them to get the best pricing available, yet they do not even make an attempt at competitive pricing (Glock handguns for $649 new & $525-$549 used!).

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I agree with you on Gander Mountain. To top it off, they're more willing to talk to an idiot at the counter who knows NOTHING about firearms and is going to purchse his first gun without even knowing how to operate the action! Yet, I simply ask to see a magnum research 1911 and get blown off! They won't even budge on used firearm pricing either, such a shame that idiots just buy guns there without discovering the better priced local stores

Businesses can price their items as they feel necessary. If their clientele are sustaining the business, more power to them. The customer base will go somewhere else as a whole if the prices are so far out of whack compared to others.

How some businesses remain above water with their crappy prices and service is beyond me, but it doesn't affect me at all. Let them continue, I say. Just do your homework and weigh the different choices to avoid being ripped off or jerked around. Personally, I like it when people come on here and alert others concerning businesses that are gouging the hell out of us. I can then research it myself to see if it's true in most cases or just that person's. If it's a standard practice and many people have been gypped at a specific place , hell with it- name names and put the word out so others can research or avoid the place.

I'm not talking about boycotts because that's not my thing. I'm talking about pure information so we can make a better decision. Boycotts usually entail little information but heavily rely on emotion- a truly stupid way to shop. Plus, even if someone was a true gouger and totally worthless, I wouldn't call for boycotts, I'd simply not shop there and let others decide if they want to.

It's one of the great things about forums. You can see other people's opinions about things and then help broaden your own knowledge with your own research on things you may not be aware of.

stores like Gander, Bass, & Cabela have the volume to buy their firearms, etc., directly from the manufacturer(s) verses the small retailers who must deal w/national distributors who tack their % plus shipping onto the product.

Historically, the mark-up for the small retailers is about < $150 +/- which in some cases includes shipping and could be upwards to $15/firearm until the retailer gets to 5 units.

understand the economic concepts...and shop around to find the best return on my investment monies.

wabbit

the thing that i do like about gander mountain is their selection...anytime that i am thinking about purchasing a new firearm, i will head there first to check it out and then go elsewhere and purchase it, even if i have to order it and wait a few days...

You know if I owned a gun shop (I do not), and it happened to conduct concealed carry classes as one of its "profit centers," I might be opposed to having OC pamphlets in the shop as well. One has a responsibility to feed, house and clothe their family. Perhaps I wouldn't throw them away but, instead, keep them behind the counter where I could give them to customers that asked about OC in NC. I suppose you can file that under the concept of "life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness." Do you know that they got rid of them, or perhaps simply put them out of sight?

You, the consumer, have the ability to vote with your dollars. If you disagree with the policies of a particular business, by all means, take your business elsewhere. There is an old and often applicable saying when it comes to retail businesses: "great service, quality products, low prices... pick any two." It costs money to have a knowledgeable staff, to have a large enough staff on hand to ensure customers don't have to wait to be served and to stock a reasonably large inventory of quality merchandise. Those are simply the facts of running a business. All that said, I'm not inclined to shop where the prices are the highest... I vote with my dollars. I don't mind, however, paying a bit more if the combination of service, comfort, and convenience justifies doing so.

I just don't think some folks have a very realistic point of view when they start spouting-off about shops "ripping people off." When you open your business you're more than welcome to set your prices as you see fit. There are a large number of variables involved in opening a brick and mortar business. The cost of a lease can vary widely from one location to another. Where one proprietor may have the cash to fund the business without the need of a loan, another may have to borrow money and factor in making that payment as a cost of business. Displays and fixtures are anything but cheap. Insurance, alarm systems, utility costs all have to be paid. Perhaps the "cheap" shop is paying its staff minimum wage while the "rip-off" shop is trying to pay employees a "living wage." And seriously, are we really going to fault someone for maximizing their income? Isn't that part of capitalism and the American way?

When store "A" is selling candy bars for a dollar and store "B" is selling them for $2.50, I'll go to store "A". When Timmy's Ford is selling that cool new Mustang for $42,000 and Johnny's Ford is selling the same thing for $36,500, I'm hitting up Johnny. If Billy Bob's fishing supply is selling a boat for $400 and Rocko's Marina is selling the same thing for $739, me and Billy Bob got a deal.

When Gun's Plus in Spring Lake was selling a NIB Springfield Range Officer for $980 and Minuteman Tactical was selling the same thing for $750, guess who sold me the gun that day? It works the same as any other retail business no matter what they are selling. That was a savings of $230 for the same exact gun. Tell me again why I should give a mini-bike's breath about someone's overhead or maximizing their profits.

Tell me again why I should give a mini-bike's breath about someone's overhead or maximizing their profits.

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Sure thing, as soon as you tell me which part of "vote with your dollars" and "take your business elsewhere" that you didn't get.

My entire point was it's not necessarily a matter of the shop owner trying to rip-off/gouge their customers. Their pricing MAY be a reflection of what then need to do in order to cover their costs. Or it could be a matter of pricing to reflect what the market will bear in their market area. Either way it's just business.

Being a FFL and a SOT it's called supply and demand. Demand went up and supply went down. We pay more from the wholesales and that gets passed along to you. Your more then welcome to look elsewhere if you feel it's high.

NCBobD said:

Sure thing, as soon as you tell me which part of "vote with your dollars" and "take your business elsewhere" that you didn't get.

My entire point was it's not necessarily a matter of the shop owner trying to rip-off/gouge their customers. Their pricing MAY be a reflection of what then need to do in order to cover their costs. Or it could be a matter of pricing to reflect what the market will bear in their market area. Either way it's just business.

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Hah!

I gotcha man. You brought up some great points, don't get me wrong. That last line was pure humor, not made insultingly. Just the way I talk, that's all.

There's many things that drive pricing, that's for sure. I don't have anything against people doing what they do in an honest effort to stay afloat and even making a great life for themselves while trying to remain affordable for their customers. The only reservations I have are for stores or people that raise their pricing so high and provide such crappy customer service, yet feel that their *** doesn't stink- thinking people are stupid and act as much when you talk with them. How those places stay in business is a mystery to me but they do. I dunno.

Yes, I do take my business elsewhere when I get that impression from some places. Not just with gun shops but also with any retail environment. Gun shop people- do your thing. Most of us here will weigh you out and decide whether or not we'll support you or not. Don't let anything you read here influence your version of the American Dream.

WTFOVER said:

Being a FFL and a SOT it's called supply and demand. Demand went up and supply went down. We pay more from the wholesales and that gets passed along to you. Your more then welcome to look elsewhere if you feel it's high.

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mate your a drunkard? shame as you seemed such a nice bloke...tho they say public admission is one of the first steps towards personal recovery...

wabbit

ps: is it the SOT's turn to buy a round?

This is the business and sometimes the prices are high and sometimes the prices are low.
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