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Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:11 am
by bridge
LarryH wrote:I agree with the last sentence.

Bill is the owner; Jim is the gunsmith.
oops, my bad. After spending 14 hours in his CHL class you'd think I'd remember his name :tiphat:

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:25 am
by ddcarter3
Just because you CAN take advantage of the uninformed, doesn't mean you SHOULD or that it is right!

I think the gun shops who are gouging, are really missing the boat here! We have the greatest opportunity to increase our numbers and inform a lot of the general public about our rights.
Now is the time to educate these first time buyers, NOT gouge them! Or us!

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:39 am
by flintknapper
ddcarter3 wrote:Just because you CAN take advantage of the uninformed, doesn't mean you SHOULD or that it is right!

I think the gun shops who are gouging, are really missing the boat here! We have the greatest opportunity to increase our numbers and inform a lot of the general public about our rights.
Now is the time to educate these first time buyers, NOT gouge them! Or us!
We are in complete agreement, but I still object to the use of the term "gouging". It seems that ANY increase in the price of goods gets labeled "gouging" (as in Price Gouging). "Price increase" and "Gouging" are NOT synonymous.

Not the official defintion (if there is one)... but "Price Gouging" is: Setting a price on goods that is above the market when no other alternate retailer is available. I go further than this and consider it to apply only to "essential items" during a time of emergency. Essential items...of course, depends upon the circumstance.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:49 am
by bridge
I think it's best to let the market dictate the prices...and right now, thanks to Obama, the market is calling for higher prices. Put yourself in the shoes of the gun shop owners. They are concerned (as well they should be) that their operations and income could be restricted and impacted. As a consumer, the decision to purchase a firearm usually doesn't impact your ability to earn a living. As a gun shop keeper, it does. Remember, if prices go up across the board, the owners need to make enough money to afford the increased wholesale prices as well (manufacturers will raise prices as well). If it were me, I'd be trying make and put as much $$$ away as possible in preparation to "weather the storm".

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 11:57 am
by boomerang
ddcarter3 wrote:I think the gun shops who are gouging, are really missing the boat here! We have the greatest opportunity to increase our numbers and inform a lot of the general public about our rights.
Now is the time to educate these first time buyers, NOT gouge them! Or us!
Here's a golden opportunity for you to open your own gun shop and charge 10% markup for NRA members and 50% markup for people who aren't members.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:27 pm
by 03Lightningrocks
Most of the time gun dealers have trouble making any kind of living. Making ten percent on a gun sale is a joke when it comes to trying to run a business.

While I am in agreement that paying 500 dollars more than retail for an AR is not real bright, I am American enough to say...good for you if you can sell it for that price.

I don't see this as gouging at all. Simple supply and demand at work. The free market will determine the price. Makes me want to sing the National Anthem.

I would like to Jap slap the morons running around driving the prices up by panic buying everything in sight. A poster brought up a good point earlier in this thread. If they don't raise the price, clowns will buy everything in stock and hoard it. A perfect example was the sale of Monarch 7.62x39 ammo at Academy last month. The sale was originally slated to go through December 1st. they had to end it early because hoarders were buying it up as quick as it came in. They ran out of the stock they could afford to sell at that price in less than two weeks. The same thing would happen if the dealers leave prices on anything guns as is. Heck, everything guns would have already been wiped out and the gun dealers would be sitting with no replacement inventory.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:14 pm
by flintknapper
03Lightningrocks wrote:Most of the time gun dealers have trouble making any kind of living. Making ten percent on a gun sale is a joke when it comes to trying to run a business.

While I am in agreement that paying 500 dollars more than retail for an AR is not real bright, I am American enough to say...good for you if you can sell it for that price.

I don't see this as gouging at all. Simple supply and demand at work. The free market will determine the price. Makes me want to sing the National Anthem.

I would like to Jap slap the morons running around driving the prices up by panic buying everything in sight. A poster brought up a good point earlier in this thread. If they don't raise the price, clowns will buy everything in stock and hoard it. A perfect example was the sale of Monarch 7.62x39 ammo at Academy last month. The sale was originally slated to go through December 1st. they had to end it early because hoarders were buying it up as quick as it came in. They ran out of the stock they could afford to sell at that price in less than two weeks. The same thing would happen if the dealers leave prices on anything guns as is. Heck, everything guns would have already been wiped out and the gun dealers would be sitting with no replacement inventory.

Well....if your intent is to suggest that retailers are raising prices for the sake of "availability" (or with everyones best interest in mind), I would like to argue that point.

Your average retailer (with increased pricing) is in it for "the money" and not some sense of duty to his/her customer base. They will readily sell as many as they have on hand to the first person who walks up with the cash, so lets not pretend this is some conscientious maneuver on their part to ensure everyone has access to the goods.

Higher prices (quite predictably), tends to temper "frenzy buying", that is true. It also provides retailers with added incentive to locate the goods that are selling so briskly. This is normal in a free market system and the market will bear their prices or not. But..really, you'd be hard pressed to find a retailer that was doing this just so he would have stock on his shelves for more people.

The answer of course is this: Be a smart shopper, compare prices, decide what the item is worth to YOU..and IF you purchase it... be satisfied with your decision.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:43 pm
by Rugrash
At my work our prices are based on wholesale prices. Some prices have gone up while others have not. I agree with other posters saying that gouging is going to cause some businesses to lose customers. Things have calmed down abit this week (phone rings every 5 minutes rather than ever 2 minutes). Hopefully nothing will happen AWB-wise during the first term as there are still things on my list to get before they're gone.

-Rug

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:04 pm
by Mike1951
03Lightnighrocks wrote:A perfect example was the sale of Monarch 7.62x39 ammo at Academy last month. The sale was originally slated to go through December 1st. they had to end it early because hoarders were buying it up as quick as it came in. They ran out of the stock they could afford to sell at that price in less than two weeks.
The kindest thing I can think of to say about those who did not take advantage of the $2.99 price is that they are short-sighted, at best.

I would have bought more than just 1,000 if I had the ready cash then.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:27 pm
by lrb111
Obama has mentioned a 500% excise tax on ammo. That makes a $400 case of .223, $2400. Oh yeah, I'll take a wait and see attitude on that. right..... /sarc

Since teh election I've run across no less than 6 folks in stores that were first time buyers. Two of them were buying a pistol a piece for themselves and spouse. Plus, a rifle and a shotgun.
I would not dare tell those folks to wait.
One thing I do recommend is getting a few ten round magazines, if all one has is hi-caps.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:04 pm
by 03Lightningrocks
Mike1951 wrote:
03Lightnighrocks wrote:A perfect example was the sale of Monarch 7.62x39 ammo at Academy last month. The sale was originally slated to go through December 1st. they had to end it early because hoarders were buying it up as quick as it came in. They ran out of the stock they could afford to sell at that price in less than two weeks.
The kindest thing I can think of to say about those who did not take advantage of the $2.99 price is that they are short-sighted, at best.

I would have bought more than just 1,000 if I had the ready cash then.
I didn't say anything was wrong with people hoarding the ammo...or taking advantage of a good price. Nothing wrong with it at all. Just like there is nothing wrong with charging what the market will bare. Just the facts. Facts are, if folks are afraid of a shortage in any commodity, they will begin to hoard it. I was just making the point that if the price remains low, the commodity in question will disappear quicker. Which it obviously does. Free markets work.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:10 pm
by 03Lightningrocks
[quote="flintknapper"]

Well....if your intent is to suggest that retailers are raising prices for the sake of "availability" (or with everyones best interest in mind), I would like to argue that point.

/[quote]

Not what I was saying at all. Retailers charge what the market will bare. I say, good for them. It's the American free market system at it's best.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:17 pm
by 03Lightningrocks
lrb111 wrote:Obama has mentioned a 500% excise tax on ammo. That makes a $400 case of .223, $2400. Oh yeah, I'll take a wait and see attitude on that. right..... /sarc

Since teh election I've run across no less than 6 folks in stores that were first time buyers. Two of them were buying a pistol a piece for themselves and spouse. Plus, a rifle and a shotgun.
I would not dare tell those folks to wait.
One thing I do recommend is getting a few ten round magazines, if all one has is hi-caps.
The other day a guy selling me ammo at Wally World told me he has been told by his superiors that they were expecting a 40% increase in ammo prices by early next year. I just shook my head and went on my way. I didn't ask if this was due to tax increases or if it was due to manufacturer increases.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:18 pm
by tarkus
Adam Smith's invisible hand at work. Much better than Obama's iron fist.

Re: Not the way I would do it

Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 10:59 pm
by Liberty
03Lightningrocks wrote:
The other day a guy selling me ammo at Wally World told me he has been told by his superiors that they were expecting a 40% increase in ammo prices by early next year. I just shook my head and went on my way. I didn't ask if this was due to tax increases or if it was due to manufacturer increases.
I've been hearing this exact same thing from people ....


at least once a month for the last 3 years.