Price gouging , yes they can but .........

[Tenifer17]

I was at a gun shop the other day where I have bought a few guns over the last 18 yrs . Nice place and people. I understand that if you have a product then you can sell it for whatever you would like. Dont get me wrong , I believe that to the fullest , but this gun shop had Glock magazines for $55 and the bulk pack of 500 rds of .22LR for $55 too :stunned: . What a shame ! My favorite shop is still selling Glock magazines at $25 and the bulk pack of .22LR for $15 .

 I just happened to be out near this area and figured I'd stop in to this shop. They also had lots of Ar type rifles and such but when I saw the ammo prices and the magazines prices , I just left .

 Pretty crappy but like I said, they can charge whatever they like. I just chose not to pay it .

Edited March 25, 2013 by Tenifer17

[runco]

Classic supply and demand, if someone has something in short supply and high demand, the market is what the market is.  Every retailer wants to find that equalibrium where both supply and demand meet.  Where is that point post Sandy Hook, its anyone's guess.  I would assume if inventory is not moving, then they are priced too high.  If the inventory is moving on pace of say one year ago, jackpot! 

[atlas3025]

They should keep prices low, like Walmart.  Of course then they would be cleaned out too. 

 

Its a pickle.  But if Walmart (and other big box retailers) had raised their prices, the bulk buying wouldn't have occured that has led to the shortages.  There shouldn't be room for a post-retail reseller to make enough profit for it to be worth their time.  Of course, if they had raised their prices to stop this, we would have whined about retailers "gouging".

 

I would rather pay the retailer $55 a box for 22 than the guy cleaning out Walmart. 

[runco]

The difference between Walmart and the local gun store is thier business model principal. Walmart probably has long term contracts with its supply base, and the local mom and pop gun store does not. Walmart probably has a standard markup of 15-20% and it is making the targeted margin on the ammo. Likely the local mom and pop is either paying alot more at the wholesale level, or is trying to follow the supply and demand principals. Both are in the business to buy low and sell high.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Tennessee Gun Country hasn't been gouging, that I can tell. I'll bet their wholesalers are holding down like they

told me they are at the store level. It's not everyone doing this crap.

When people slow down on the panic buying this stuff will settle down. May not ever get back to what we have seen

in the past, but it will settle down.

 

A retailer can do just fine holding his own without crapping on everyone's parade and cranking up prices. Even if

the blip lasts a year, it is still a blip. The ones gouging will more than likely get stuck with some inventory they don't

want and can't sell. Hang in there. It'll be okay.

 

I'll walk out if I see it, too.

[Guest RedLights&Sirens]

I wont give names out of respect for people running their business as they see fit. But down the road from me a local gun store is selling reloads (from a company one county over) for $30-$36 for a box of 50 in .40. I can go the opposite direction and same distance down the road to an Army surplus store and buy the exact same box for $19 and they always have it in stock.

I have nothing against capitalism but that wont stop me from shopping for a better price. I still support small business first if I can which both of these places are and the employees are great at both locations. But for practical purposes, Ill pay the lesser price.

[JAB]

A retailer can do just fine holding his own without crapping on everyone's parade and cranking up prices.

 

That is kind of the way I see it, too.  To me, there is a difference in 'capitalism at work' and taking advantage of customers just as there is a difference in honest lending and usury.  I understand that, in these times, a LGS might have to raise prices a little just to make the same profit margin because their suppliers have upped the wholesale price.  Heck, I even understand raising prices a dollar or two or even a few dollars beyond that to maximize profits and benefit from supply and demand.  Doubling or even tripling prices just because they think they might find a 'sucker' to pay those prices, IMO, reflects an intent to take advantage of the potential buyer and shows poor business ethics on the part of the seller.  As previously stated, they can put whatever price they want on their stuff.  For my part, however, not only will I not pay that price, now but I will also remember which business owners thought so little of customer relationships when the crunch was on - meaning I won't be as likely to shop with them in the future even when prices return to 'normal'.

Edited March 25, 2013 by JAB

[atlas3025]

I have nothing against capitalism but that wont stop me from shopping for a better price. I still support small business first if I can which both of these places are and the employees are great at both locations. But for practical purposes, Ill pay the lesser price.

 

Indeed, as a consumer in a capitalist system it is your responsibility to look for the best deal.  If you don't The Invisible Hand vanishes...or would if you could see it.  In this case the effect of The Invisible Hand vanishes...yeah.

[LagerHead]

I was at a gun shop the other day where I have bought a few guns over the last 18 yrs . Nice place and people. I understand that if you have a product then you can sell it for whatever you would like. Dont get me wrong , I believe that to the fullest , but this gun shop had Glock magazines for $55 and the bulk pack of 500 rds of .22LR for $55 too :stunned: . What a shame ! My favorite shop is still selling Glock magazines at $25 and the bulk pack of .22LR for $15 .

 I just happened to be out near this area and figured I'd stop in to this shop. They also had lots of Ar type rifles and such but when I saw the ammo prices and the magazines prices , I just left .

 Pretty crappy but like I said, they can charge whatever they like. I just chose not to pay it .

 

The free market at work. Ain't it a beautiful thing? 

[Sam1]

They should keep prices low, like Walmart.  Of course then they would be cleaned out too. 

 

So you're suggesting that someone force a regulation on them because you don't like their prices? Well, I don't like paying $50 for blue jeans, so I just don't buy them. Problem solved!

[Major Kong]

The free market at work. Ain't it a beautiful thing? 

 

Oh, so that's the free market. I hadn't seen it defined in a while so I wasn't sure :D

[atlas3025]

So you're suggesting that someone force a regulation on them because you don't like their prices? Well, I don't like paying $50 for blue jeans, so I just don't buy them. Problem solved!

Lord no. I just mean that the ammo flipping would stop if the big box stores upped their prices a bit to get the speculators out of the equation.

[ShamGlock]

Awesome! Our millionth lesson on the free market and supply and demand since all this craziness started!!!!!!!!!!

[runco]

Bobby Denton says its best, "pay these prices and pay no more"!

 

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[frankmako]

free market and i don't have to buy.  at this time i am not buying.  i will wait for it to come back down then i will buy.

[Electric B]

I have no problem with the free market, supply and demand.

 

But I will not be guilted into "doing business locally" or " support your local brick and mortar" gun shop after what I have witnessed over the last several months.

 

If I can save a buck buying online then good for me! More cash in my pocket.

 

If the local brick and mortar can make higher profit on  a tragedy then good for them. As a rule of thumb I handle a snake by the head.

Edited March 26, 2013 by The One

[JAB]

I have no problem with the free market, supply and demand.

 

But I will not be guilted into "doing business locally" or " support your local brick and mortar" gun shop after what I have witnessed over the last several months.

 

If I can save a buck buying online then good for me! More cash in my pocket.

 

If the local brick and mortar can make higher profit on  a tragedy then good for them. As a rule of thumb I handle a snake by the head.

 

Yep.  Don't try to take advantage of me by jacking up your prices when the rush is on and expect me to feel any 'loyalty' to your business.

 

I will still support my favorite LGS (Farnsworth's) because, while their prices have gone up some during this fiasco, I really believe those increases were of necessity and haven't seen anything that makes me think they are being ridiculous about it.  The same was true during the last crunch.  There are other gun stores that did jack prices sky high during the last crunch - and consequently I rarely visit those stores, anymore.  I imagine they are probably doing the same thing now, however.

Edited March 26, 2013 by JAB

[Smith]

I have no problem with the free market, supply and demand.

 

But I will not be guilted into "doing business locally" or " support your local brick and mortar" gun shop after what I have witnessed over the last several months.

 

If I can save a buck buying online then good for me! More cash in my pocket.

 

If the local brick and mortar can make higher profit on  a tragedy then good for them. As a rule of thumb I handle a snake by the head.

Keep in mind Brick and mortar stores have to shop around just like the consumer and tun into the same dilemma's and issues the consumer does except they also have the added burden of trying to keep the consumer happy with supply AND cost on the backside of buying. Sometimes prices reflect that same difficulty you find on the retail level that they find on the distributor level. Local stores aren't usually dealing in high volume so prices reflect that. However, local stores do provide you with the convenience of handling guns, helping with warranty and minor gunsmithing issues, and answering MANY questions just to have a gun transfered in so the consumer can save TN sales tax.

 

Are some places taking advantage of an temporary artificial supply/demand issue ... absolutely, but the free market has a way of dealing with them when the "real" market returns. There will be a needed thinning of the gun store world when this settles by late summer. Those who were fair and worked hard to keep the supply and cost normalized will survive. Those who made a quick buck will be looking at other ways to generate money.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Smith