Gun Shop Guys, What Kind Of Discount Do You Get At Your Store?

[Joe_Pike]

I work at a pawn shop and never really buy anything just because I like to leave the cool stuff for the customers. However, there was a gun come out today that I have kind of wanted for a while but they are generally more than I can pay for a gun. So, I asked what it would take for me to buy it hoping for a sreamin' deal because they didn't loan a large amount on it and the price they quoted me was about 85% over what they had in it which put it up to not such a good deal. I passed.

I also wanted to buy a Glock 43, but would have had to pay retail so I passed on that too.

So, do you people that work at pawn shops and gun shops get good deals or are you like me and get treated like a relative that nobody likes?

 

[Snyper]

I got most things at 10% above cost, with an occasional "freebie" on ammo or targets

 

[bungiex88]

I dont work at one but i only get my guns off one guy about $5 above cost on guns

 

[Tom Servo]

I got most things at 10% above cost

The way margins are these days, that's pretty much shelf price.

 

[dakota.potts]

At a big box store, I used to get 20% off all items except weekly sales. Big box stores can probably afford to do this more than small ones

 

[4runnerman]

I get no discount, but I sure do get service, They get me ( Scheels) for about $ 300.00 a month. I donate Plasma for $280.00 a month. All proceeds to go the Bruce component charity

 

[jmr40]

I don't work in a gun shop, but have a couple of guys I went to HS with that own separate shops. In a small pawn shop there isn't much room to work with on new guns. Very few shops charge more than 10% above their cost to anyone.

On a gun that has been pawned, especially hunting guns at this time of year there should be plenty of room. I've had my friends sell me guns $200-$300 off the price on the tag in February-April on a recently pawned gun. As long as they made a small profit over their actual costs it was better for them to have a few hundred extra dollars available to pawn in May, than to sell the gun for $200 more in September. They would easily make more on interest on the cash in hand rather than have a gun sit on the shelves for 6-8 months. Small shops often have cash flow problems too. I've seen my friends have to turn down pawns simply because they were short of cash that day.

Bigger stores that buy in bulk often get freebies. Ordering 6 new Benelli Super Blackhawks and get 2 few Benelli Nova's is a common type of deal. I've seen shop owners give them to employees free as a bonus or sell at a deep discount. Sometimes they just put em on the shelf at the standard price for more profit.

Manufacturers often offer salesmen incentives. I had a salesman at Sportsmans Warehouse tell me that he built up "points" based on his sales of certain brands. Once he reached a certain level he qualified for discounts straight from the manufacturer.

 

[Theohazard]

I've worked at two different shops and helped a friend out at a third. Two of the shops give employees all new un-allocated products at cost, and the third added a 3% charge to that. Each shop had different rules regarding used guns; none were sold to employees at cost unless they had been sitting in the case for a while. Oh, and these are all non-chain shops.

 

[natman]

When I worked at a gun shop it was cost + 10%.

Which on a low markup item like a new gun was not all that much different than retail, but on a used gun worked out well.

 

[Tony Z]

What prices do used guns get at a gun shop, as a % of guidebook graded values?

 

[johnwilliamson062]

I don;t think anyone uses guidebook values anymore. maybe things have calmed down enough recently to where they are relevant, but I doubt it.

 

[Ozzieman]

IN the 80's and 90's as long as it wasn't a hot sale item I could have it for cost with the normal charge for a transfer 10$. But where I really made out was used guns that came in. If the owner wasn't interested or already had one I could buy it.