lower prices dropping

[poak]

I can't speak for YHM from a distributor/retailer POV, but I have ordered many bits and pieces from them in the past and they've never ceased to amaze me in how they deliver great quality at a consistently good price. In a word, VALUE.

[Guest Mugster]

*One thing to remember; some manufacturers jacked their lower prices to the dealers last winter.

I can tell you that Spikes Tactical jacked their price 50 bucks per unit.

So yeah, im sitting on around 300 of just their lowers (we have more from other manufacturers as well) that were purchased at the "new and not improved" price of old cost +50 bucks.

Its a crazy market right now, and like Phil said; there were manufacturers (Spikes for example) distributors (Lew Horton for example) and dealers (many...) that jacked their prices to take advantage of the hysteria.

I sucked it up and paid the extra premium for 500 Spikes lowers, but I will tell you that I doubt I will be reordering large quantities from them in the future.

I no longer do business with a couple of distributors because of the same thing Phil mentioned; gouging to dealers.

I also think that those dealers that tried to take advantage of their customers during uncertain times should be made very aware of their sins.

I just spent an hour on the phone talking with a buddy who works at the largest distributor in the industry.

He said that he as dealers in free fall right now, and many that will not make it.

They overpaid and overcommited and their markers have been called.

Scary stuff for sure!

Another indication that this industry is clueless and retarded:

I had a manufacturer call me on Monday to let me know my SHOT Show order was ready to ship.

I said great, how much of it?

His response? ALL of it!

Huh? So let me get this straight; You are calling me in JULY to tell me you are shipping 50k worth of ARs that I ordered in Jan, and you are shipping the order COMPLETE.

They could have certainly shipped partials for the last 6 months like most of the other manufacturers, but no....you guys let rifles sit on a shelf until you had the entire order ready to go.

Really smart! Great way to screw your dealers. lol

I'd guess the 154 dealers in line in front of you defaulted and you got their order instead. I'd also guess that in a year you'll have 50% less competition.

That the gun industry in general is clueless and retarded is a given. Its also completely unregulated as to pricing and availability, which personally I like. I don't know how big the backlash off this thing is going to be...but I think it could rival and exceed the housing bubble in some markets.

[Metalhead]

I'd guess the 154 dealers in line in front of you defaulted and you got their order instead. I'd also guess that in a year you'll have 50% less competition.

That the gun industry in general is clueless and retarded is a given. Its also completely unregulated as to pricing and availability, which personally I like. I don't know how big the backlash off this thing is going to be...but I think it could rival and exceed the housing bubble in some markets.

I agree with this, and not just on a dealer level either. All these companies that ramped up production by 100% to fill all the orders now have half of those orders canceled more than likely. Now they will have this product sitting around in a now oversaturated market that isnt moving well, and they still have to pay their employees and suppliers for the material to build said product.

I don't think the fallout is quite here yet, but I expect some places across the country will be streched beyond their financial limits because of this and bad planning - just like the housing markets.

However, this makes for a good time to be a consumer.