LGS Ripoff!

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t45

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I stopped in a south/eastern Tennessee gun store today and was completely disgusted with what I saw on their price gouging and lack of disregard for their customers. This was a well stocked small town store that seemed to have plenty of items that we all have been looking for. It appeared that their gouging was centered around just the popular pistol calibers and the AR platforms. I will never buy a thing from this store if this is how they do business. A few examples of the gouging below.
1000 small pistol primers $52
1lb of Universal Clays powder $50
20rds of PMC 223 FMJ $22
100rds of CCI 22LR $22
Used 20rd G.I. AR mags $30
AR 30rd Pmags $45
525rd carton of Remington 22LR $89
50rds of U.M.C 45acp FMJ $45
All their AR platforms were from $500 to almost a $1000 higher than normal.

It was very evident that they were taking full advantage of the crazynes going on. Large rifle primers were $32/1000. Medium and large caliber rifle powders were $29/1lb. Loaded factory rifle ammo was in line also.

I hope the locals remember how they were cheated when prices and availability start to improve.
 
It's called capitalism. Supply-demand will eventually find an equilibrium. In the meantime don't by anything when you find that the prices are too high. That's how you deal with that scenario.

I picked up 8 boxes of Independence 5.56 tonight for $10.97 each at Bass Pro, but at least it was there and not $1.00 a round. I hold out until I find something I can live with.
 
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If you plan on waiting until prices drop back to what they were pre-Sandy Hook -- I hope you're really good at holding your breath, 'cause it ain't gonna happen. Those prices aren't gouging. Those are the new normal.
 
If you plan on waiting until prices drop back to what they were pre-Sandy Hook -- I hope you're really good at holding your breath, 'cause it ain't gonna happen. Those prices aren't gouging. Those are the new normal.
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$22/100 for .22lr? $1+ each for PMC .223? Small pistol primers at $52/1000? I agree that prices won't get all the way back down to pre- Sandy Hook levels, but even in my most-fevered nightmares, I really don't believe those are going to be the baseline prices from now on.
 
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Supply is increasing. Eventually the demand will return to normal. At some point people will wake up and realize that there are no widespread attempts to ban or heavily tax ammunition. When the stockpiling and panic buying ends people will not be buying ammunition. Demand will, when the panic is over, be lower than before last December and the production will be higher than before last December. When that happens, prices will be lower than before last December.

Supply and demand works both ways.
 
Those prices aren't gouging. Those are the new normal.
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I'm not so sure. There's always an online outfit undercutting everyone else, and many consumers consider price their primary factor. Prices will most likely come down.

The new normal? Probably a 5% or so increase over pre-December levels.
 
If you plan on waiting until prices drop back to what they were pre-Sandy Hook -- I hope you're really good at holding your breath, 'cause it ain't gonna happen. Those prices aren't gouging. Those are the new normal.
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NOPE. I dont believe this one bit. Its simply panic, and greed, that has caused this situation. It might take a year, but I see no reason why things wont go back to normal. They did after the last panic.
 
If your LGS had maintained old prices, the shelves would have been bare when you walked in.

Would that have made you happier?

At least he has stock for those willing to pay the price.
 
Nobody gets cheated when a gunstore lists exorbitant prices. It takes a foolish, spell unprepared and uneducated customer, for a perfect symbiosis.

By the way, do you know how that gunstore will be able to restock its inventory and get by during the rest of this uncertain time if he sells out at pre-panic prices?

Will you donate money for their electrical bill when they cannot restock, pay their rent?
 
I went to Cabelas yesterday they had abarrel full of Ar mags for $25.All Ammo wiped out .22s limt 1 brick per person that didn't last long had aline of at least 100 people in line for those.than went to Gander Mountain American Eagel .44 mag $65 for a box of 50.I paid $35 for the same thing back in Nov.
 
Prices will come down as demand will eventually decline. Let's face it, this shortage is brought on buy panic buying and at some point the panic will ease.
 
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Anytime someone says "this is the new normal" I interpret that as someone justifying ripping someone off or justifying buying something they should've waited on. The sales model will return to costs of supplies plus small profit margin. Unless the cost of brass, steel, etc doubled at the same time that assembly costs doubled, then prices will come back down. It will return to someone having more than they can sell and then lowering the price to move inventory.
 
OK, I guess I missed the rip-of part.

The LGS has high prices. So doesn't Southerby's Auction House.
- The large Gun Store has already purchased the items for resale.
- Southerby's Auction House runs on commission, usually 28% from the seller and also charges the buyers a 10% buyers fee. (They have not purchased anything for inventory.)

Who runs the biggest risk of losing money? The LGS who has money tied up in inventory or the Auction house who has no capital at risk?

The market (Buyers) determine the price. When the sellers can no longer get what they are asking, the price comes down.

I bought an AR platform from a friend for $500.00. The going prices where $800.00 + at the time. If I decide to resell the rifle now, should I only be allowed to ask $650.00 for it? (A 30% markup?)
 
On the other side of the coin....

Do you think there will be all kinds of ammo, weaponry and gear on the market when the bubble bursts?

Will those who aren't into shooting as a hobby be dumping product into the market when they realize the AR they bought is only in the closet collecting dust?
 
Non-shooters who overpaid for ARs won't be in a big hurry to take a loss, that's for sure. A few things have to happen before all those new gun owners start putting their shiny new EBRs back on the market: (1) The legislative push to outlaw EBRs has to pass; (2) those folks have to realize that ARs aren't actually going to be impossible to get; and (3) as to each one individually, something has to happen so that a particular new owner needs the cash more than they need the gun.
 
I marvel how, when a dealer wants $1000 for an item that the buyer thinks is worth $500, it's a "ripoff" and "gouging" but that same buyer walks into the same store and the seller has a gun that the buyer thinks is worth $1000 and it's marked at $500, he seems to have no moral objection to paying a lot less than it's worth.

Curious
 
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