Gun shop loyalty

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ebell46

New member
Does anyone else feel guilty about buying from a gunshop that is in competiton with another shop they feel loyal to? I know it sounds silly but everyone holds brand loyalty, coke-pepsi, chevy-ford, gun shop A gun shop B? I recently had this experience after buying a .22 as a restoration project from one gun shop and having the owner be perticularly interisted in the project and a generally nice guy (something that is a rarity it seems in the gun sales industry). Later I bought a mauser, again for a restore, from another shop, and again the owner was interisted in the project and a generally nice guy.
Today I went back to the first shop to browse and pick up a few things and I was hesitant to mention the mauser project because I didnt want to admit using another store. Granted the first shop does not do much with surplus firearms. I have been shoping at both stores for a few years each. Maybe it's just me.:)
 
Yes and no.

I dont feel guilty because price and selection are important to me and if one pawn/gun shop has somethingI want that the other doesn't then i go there.

I did run into an issue recently where i felt guilty. I shop at two pawn shops mainly: interstate pawn and gun, and jacks super pawn. I was literally driving to jacks to pickup a 10/22. I get a call from interstate saying they got a walther p22 in and can sell it to me for 150. I immediatly go to interstate and pick that sucker up. I did feel guilty afterwards though because I had sort of led jacks on that I was gonna buy the 10/22. Oh well. Yay p22!!!
 
+1 for the p22, love those.
Price and selection are important, but around me, as far as price goes, there are so many private gun shops within 30 min, not to mention a cebalas and about 5 dicks sporting goods that prices stay very competitive. Some shops near me specialize in certian markets, for instance one has in stock high end shotguns, another has more surplus. I know both shops are suffering in todays economy, but I supose thats not my fault, and I will try and share the love so to speak between both stores.
 
I don't feel guilty. I probably do at least 75% of my business at one particular gun shop. And a very good friend of mine even works there. But I don't think it hurts if they know that they must continue to give me excellent customer service (and all that entails of which price is only one factor) to keep my business.

I feel this is a case of competition improving the brand.
 
I figure if I keep going to my closest LGS the owner will give me a break on his prices. Well, he has not, yet. Reckon it takes time to build a relationship. The guys working there are nice enough and that's important because they are willing to share their knowledge and not talk down to me.
 
I know it's been discussed before but " not talking down", sharing knowledge, and customer service, to me, are probably the most important aspects of local gun shops. I have shoped around in many local shops and big box stores and of all of them I found just the two where the owners and employees show respect, share experiences with perticular products and dont talk down. I am a younger guy (20's) and I dont claim to know everything about firearms, reloading and shooting in general, but I know enough to know when someone is talking nonsence, and get very frustrated when people see me as some kid who they can 1. pull the wool over my eyes or 2.Talk to me like I am not worthy of their time. sorry for the rant :)
 
I definitely don't feel guilty. I go where the price and selection suits me best. Most of the guys treat me about the same. The one place I have been to a couple times, but I have never bought anything, nor do I intend on buying anything from them. They are always just talking amongst themselves and most if not all their stuff is old used stuff that is overpriced. Nice enough guys but their service, selection and price have made it so I wont be buying from them.
I think I have bought the most guns from Big 5. I go there all the time on lunch break because they have a lot of good sales on guns and knives. But, I definitely don't feel guilty buying from somewhere else. They are a big box store and have no loyalty to me so I will not reciprocate.
 
I am as loyal to a gun shop as they are to me. I feel no need to be loyal to a business if they treat me like one of one thousand. If they give me polite, helpful service then I take that into consideration. I do not window shop locally and buy online. If someone has something I like in stock and being able to see and handle it seals my decision then I will buy from them.

If they are rude/neglect me as a customer, or treat me as a commodity then I return the favor and treat them as a price point competitor for my money.

Only one shop in town has gone out of their way to treat me square and they are the first place I check to see if they have anything I want.
 
I am particularly fond of Shooters Station in Conroe, TX. However I also visit other shops too. But before I buy elsewhere, I generally step outside and place a call to my "favorite" to see if they can match (or nearly match) the price on the gun I am looking at.

I don't know if they appreciate the call or consider me rude for buying elsewhere when their price is too high, but I hope they consider it a form of loyalty. I certainly do.
 
Does anyone else feel guilty about buying from a gunshop that is in competiton with another shop they feel loyal to?
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Given that I can't say that any shop has actually showed loyalty to me, the answer is NO. There have been particular clerks at places with whom I have preferred doing my business, but the shop is just where the clerk is. If the clerk leaves, the shop changes, IMO.

I guess I have never really purchased enough often enough to really be high on a local shop's radar.
 
I try to be loyal to a business yet at the same time I am not going to spend 100 dollars more for the same product because I have more of a history there. Generally I look to the local places first to buy then if they don't have what I am looking for I go to a corporate place, then the internet. I am willing to spend a little more to support a local business but not 80-100 more for the exact same gun.
 
No, not really.

I suppose the real question is "does any gun shop feel guilty because I had to buy a gun off of gunbroker because they couldn't match or beat the prices on gunbroker?"
 
Not really. I let them know I shop at both places. Sometimes they try to out-do each other on prices.

Either way, I spend enough money in both shops that they have told me I am a valued customer and they appreciate my business. One goes so far as to call me when they think they have something I like.

Central Pawn usually has guns listed on gunbroker.com and they will call. They are a fairly new shop and I use to work with the owners father. I am very happy to say the son has the same level of integrity as his father. If he gives you his word, you can trust him. They are primarily a pawnshop that has guns, but can special some items, depending on what their supplier has.

The second shop, Osage Thrift Shop, Sedalia Missouri, is where I get my reloading supplies and they will special order stuff for me. They are primarily a gunshop, with pawn items.
 
I have been loyal to the local gun shop for several years now. In return he does me favors such as special ordering me stuff. Normal to most customers what he has in stock is it. But I do him personal favors and in return he faxes copies of his ffl to ever odd ball website that has something I want :) so for me it worth paying a little extra for my stuff :)
 
Loyalty to the Evil Pawn Shop,,,

I always give the Evil Pawn Shop Guy first chance to order any gun I see on-line.

Sometimes he can match the price,,,
Sometimes he can only come close to it.

For example, when I wanted to buy my two CZ pistols,,,
I looked the price up at Buds Gun Shop,,,
I added 3% for their credit fee,,,
and 2 x $20 for FFL fee.

Then I said, "Can you match that?",,,
He punched some calculator buttons and said "Yes, I can."

One time on another pistol he said,,,
"I can't match it but I can do this price.",,,
It was less than $20.00 difference so I said, "Go ahead."

Anything more than $20.00 and I might have to go with Buds,,,
But then again it will depend on the mood of the day.

If it's GunBroker purchase,,,
He said he's happy to get the $20.00 transfer fee.

He does give me very good prices on used handguns,,,
I want him to stay in business so I buy from him whenever I can.

Aarond
 
Only 20 for a transfer? WOW, the shops near me charge 75. I have a friend who holds an FFL that does them for 30 though so I use him, I would use him more often but he specializes in class 3 which I'm not really into.For better or worse the internet seems to be making gun shops more competitive but also makes them struggle to keep the doors open. I don't think any shop can survive on transfers alone.
 
Kind of.

I like being known and respected as a serious collector at shops. When I was a kid, even though I had many guns, places still wouldn't take me seriously. I've grown up at one shop near me.

That said, they charge $60 for a transfer- not including shipping. I have friends that'll do it for less or even free, so I can't afford to go there much. I also find much better deals online.

So, no. Most places aren't kind enough to make me feel very loyal.
 
I don't feel guilty, but I don't really have any shops I'm THAT loyal to. There are a few that I like a lot, but if they don't have what I want, then I check other places and will buy it there. I haven't done a lot of looking for any NIB guns, so whatever shop or gunshow table that actually has what I'm looking for at a price I can afford gets my business. I just check the shops I'm "loyal" to first.
 
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