How Much Are You Willing to Pay to Support a Local Gun Store?

I've gone to my local (well stocked ) gun store a few times to buy something and walked out because the price was 30-40% higher than I could buy it on-line, including shipping. I've bought one gun from them because the price was less than 15% higher than I could get it on-line, including shipping and FFL fees. I've also passed on a couple of guns and purchased them on-line because their mark-up was just too high. The don't have a price match policy, but they will dicker a little at times.

Now, I'm looking at a Savage rifle that has an MSRP of $869. I can find it on-line for $619, and my local gun store has it in stock and wants $799. Tax is a wash and shipping is free -- so the only additional costs is the $40 FFL. The difference in price is 23% plus the $40 FFL fee. They are telling me that is as low as they can go because bolt guns don't have a high mark-up.

I can also buy it from Grab-a-Gun on-line for $647 and drive a couple hours to pick it up in Coppell.

I want to support the local business and will pay a little extra, but I don't feel its my job to keep them in business if their prices aren't competitive.

What do you think?

It just depends on your druthers. "Locally" we have several FFL's, but the only folks I do business with, are those that I'm on a first name basis with. The others are simply box stores, with generally clueless employees. Undoubtedly nice people, but not how I choose to spend my money.

Cheers

Stores have overhead. Rent, Electricity, employee wages, medical and smaller stores don't get a huge break on the guns.

How many loafers are they supporting?

Gun shop, Hardware store, Car dealer.. if your not in the ball park I'm not a frequent customer. Cabalas was a weekly stop, now after there sale to BP, couple times a year if I'm bored and have time when I pass.

No person is obligated to keep them business by spending more! Trust me on this… you think these businesses give a DAMN about you, anymore than online shops do? Of course not! They do it to make money. Unfortunately, (for them), the game has changed. But prices have come way down for we, the consumers. I’d like to know where it’s written that certain people are entitled to have people pay more to support them? I deal with this in the knife world as a custom knife maker. There are some (mostly older) knifesmiths who charge an arm & leg for one of their blades. I am not a knife “smith”. I’m a Knife Maker. I make truly high performance blades from High speed/High Alloy steel which can NOT be forged. It must be machined, & is done so by hand. This is called Stock Removal & makes much better performing knives than forging with the cheep Junk, simple carbon forging steels these guys use. Their 1060, 1084, W2… or their FAKE Damascus… rather, Pattern Welded steel from folding 1084 & 15N20 Nickel. It’s JUNK! The only way these guys can remain in business is to sell their knives for $1000, $1500, $2000… whatever people will pay. And it’s masked behind the lie that their knives are the best performing. When the truth is any day of the week, one of my CPM3V knives that I’ve sold in the past for $250 MAX, will far outperform these $1000+++ wall hangers! Just because a person does something they love well, doesn’t mean others are responsible to fund that person’s business by overpaying.

Don’t EVER feel responsible to pay more! They won’t!

Support Your local FFL !

For me it depends. I've paid extra to a local shop (of any type) when they offer good service. I've been in too many where they don't seem to care if I am there or not. Those I don't go to again unless they have a spectacular deal on something.

Unfortunately most of the ones I've done business with for years have closed. Most of the ones who closed were due to retirement but a couple just could not survive the internet world (aggravated by COVID). I did get some insight into one of them since they were also a customer of mine. They had too many people come in, ask for advice on products, use up about an hour of time, then walk out and order online cause it was 10% less. They retired. At least two others transitioned to internet business only. Sucked for all the staff they let go, but, the business is still going.

We also ran an internet based business. It was a 'supplemental' job. But, it was OK most of the time. We manufactured and sold stuff you just couldn't buy in stores. That was the basis of the business model. But, business models change as the technology and public interest change. If a business doesn't change then you can get left behind and end up with not much market. That's what current brick and mortar stores need to do. Figure out what their customers want and provide it. If not, either in service, price or product, they will go belly up.

I try to support my local shops as much as I can, but I won't buy something from them if I can get it way cheaper online. Normally I don't sweat the price difference on small stuff like cleaning supplies, targets, etc., but if I'm looking to spend a couple hundred dollars on smalls and the difference for everything is more than $30-40 I'll order it online.

Guns themselves are a different ballgame as you're often talking much larger sums of money and differences in prices. I've found that most of my local dealers will push to get as close to MSRP as they can, but we all know that MSRP stands for "Manufacturers Stupidly Ridiculous Price" and nobody should ever pay anywhere close to MSRP for anything. Of course some products the dealer/reseller can justify it - such as on limited production or special edition items, or those items that are in high demand with limited supply (ammo's a perfect example we can all easily relate to).

About 10-12 years ago I was in the market for a special edition shotgun that had come out. If I remember right, the MSRP on that shotgun was just right around $1100. I checked with all my local dealers and every one of them quoted me prices of $1300 to $1400 and couldn't even guarantee that they could get their hands on one from their distributors. Then I started looking online and found that Bud's down in Kentucky had them in-stock for just over $900. Wouldn't take a genius to figure out where I ended up buying it from.

Unfortunately this whole thing is a catch-22 situation for both the dealers and the customers. How much revenue have LGS's lost in sales to all these big online resellers in the last 20 years? When their volume of sales goes down they have to raise their prices to make enough profit on those reduced sales to keep the doors open. As they raise their prices, customers are further enticed to buy online because the price difference is now even greater. It's a perpetual cycle that only the customer can break.

Dealers however do have the means to recoup some of this lost business by doing transfers for those choosing to buy online, and they've raised their prices accordingly on transfers because they know they've got you over a barrel because to get that gun you bought online it has to go through a local FFL. In area's where FFL's are few and far between they can really crank up the transfer fee and hold you over a barrel, and I don't blame them for doing so because they have every right to make their profit for providing you a good or service one way or another. To argue otherwise is nonsensical. I guess the alternative would be for the dealers to lower their prices to match internet prices and then charge you a separate fee for doing the transfer on it (which they presently do at no cost to you when buy from them). Like I said, they're going to make their money one way or another if they want to keep the doors open.

The other big legitimate gripe LGS's have is all these people buying their guns online and then coming to them for help if there's a problem with it and expecting the LGS to bend over backwards to accommodate them. I know more than one small LGS that won't tough a gun or help you file a warranty claim with the manufacturer if you didn't buy it from them, and I don't blame them one bit for that. Customers today want all the benefits, perks and services afforded to them by a LGS, but a LGS can only offer those IF they're making enough money from sales to keep the doors open. And the more you buy online, the fewer local FFL's you're going to have to do the transfers on those guns you choose to buy online.

I will also note that if you develop a good relationship and repour with a (good) LGS by regularly doing business with them they will often do you much better on the price than what's marked on the hang tag. They'll also generally treat you a little better if/when you're selling or looking to trade-in a gun if you have that relationship with them.

My philosophy is to buy at the best price for the time frame needed. If I need something now
and can't wait for shipping, I have 6 FFL'a and a Sportsmans Warehouse just a few miles in any
direction. In most cases my money goes to the cheaper Sportsmans Warehouse.

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

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Originally Posted by J.Baker

.....I will also note that if you develop a good relationship and repour with a (good) LGS by regularly doing business with them they will often do you much better on the price than what's marked on the hang tag. They'll also generally treat you a little better if/when you're selling or looking to trade-in a gun if you have that relationship with them.

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I have had this experience as well, which is why I value and reward good service as much as decent prices. One dealer (who has since gone to online only) would routinely search better deals for me online and then transfer the gun if they knew I would buy it. They would also take care of things if something was wrong with the gun when it arrived. I was really sorry to see their 'counter service' go away.

Forgot. To answer the title of the thread, I don't mind paying 20% more for most items if I can get them off the shelf rather than wait for a mail order. Especially since it means I can inspect the actual item I am purchasing before turning over my money.

Don’t have the luxury where I am. There is a FFL but really doesn’t stock much at all. Gladly does transfers. There’s no way for him to compete on pricing with Buds, etc. Generally the price for something at Sportsman’s in the big town is less than what he can get it wholesale. They have a huge shipping advantage.

One major complaint I have is there was a “local”retailer (50 air miles away) for decades. Now he ran into some ATF problems of his own makings, however he did stock a lot of reloading and other shooting supplies. Ammo, etc. Sportmans pulled in with a pretty decent stock of competing products for less, and wiped him out. He’s gone. This was before the COVID. Now, Sportmans has nothing for reloading. NOTHING. Oh there’s plenty of $30/box 9mm practice ammo. Who the heck needs that here? The stores in the lower 48 are starting to get more stuff every day, this one must be the last in line. In a small town, if you take someone out of business, that’s life. However, you have a moral obligation to carry on offering product and or service. This is the Alaska way. These corporate so-and-so’s don’t get it. Consequently their store is void of customers, always more minimum wage staff in there (from elsewhere on some
sort of corporate TDY) than patrons. I loathe them.

I used to support my local FFL's a great deal. Most of the time their prices were within a few dollars of what it would cost me online / shipped / transfer fees, etc.. In todays market, it all depends on who has what I need In Stock, and not price gouging for it.
I will not do business with anyone that is ripping people off just because they can. Luckily, I've always stocked up on stuff that I need for reloading, and haven't needed to buy anything in todays market.

You have to spend your money where it makes the most sense. Supporting local shops isn't always the smart choice.

You could lay it out on a sheet of paper and ask them if they want to “earn” your business.

I think the ones that are so far off, really just don’t know!

I had a buddy that was looking at ordering a precision rifle at the local pawn/gun shop.
My friend said he could order it online for $900???? but didn't say from where.
The pawn guys told him$1200+ and said about how he should go thru them, that way if there was a problem he could get better warranty work with no problems.
He ordered from the pawn shop.
My friend had been looking at Palmetto or Osage guns online .

It took a week to come in, and when he picked the gun up, we started looking at the gun came from the same online store he was looking at.

He won't go back to that shop at all . Several people have had bad dealings with that shop.

There are no local gun shops left where I live. My definition of gun shop/store is/was a store that catered to guns and gun/shooting/reloading related industries - nothing else.

Have a small family run business that processes my transfers and would do business with if they had something of interest. Beyond that I don't do business with the "everything under one roof" retailers with gun counters, and none are close anyway.

Closest local retailer is an hour round trip and both Sportsman's stores are further away. "Bassela's" is just across the border in ID and 90mins round trip but I won't ever cross their threshhold again. There's an honest independent sporting goods store in Couer d'Alene, but it's 100mi round trip.

I'm happy to get what I want and have delivered to my door for same or less than "local" and not have to leave my driveway.

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Originally Posted by PhilC

There are no local gun shops left where I live. My definition of gun shop/store is/was a store that catered to guns and gun/shooting/reloading related industries - nothing else.

Have a small family run business that processes my transfers and would do business with if they had something of interest. Beyond that I don't do business with the "everything under one roof" retailers with gun counters, and none are close anyway.

Closest local retailer is an hour round trip and both Sportsman's stores are further away. "Bassela's" is just across the border in ID and 90mins round trip but I won't ever cross their threshhold again. There's an honest independent sporting goods store in Couer d'Alene, but it's 100mi round trip.

I'm happy to get what I want and have delivered to my door for same or less than "local" and not have to leave my driveway.

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I haven't stepped foot into or spent a penny with either BPS or Cabela's since BPS bought Cabela's. How that whole deal went down was a crock of crap - one greedy hedge fund manager by the name of Paul Singer basically killed the whole town of Sidney, NE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UatnTSwEUoc

Bad part is I used to buy a lot of clothes from Cabela's because they had proven time and time again to be good quality garments that lasted - something I could never say about BPS's "Redhead" branded stuff. To this day I still dread having to do any clothing shopping as I was so used to getting so much at Cabela's I don't even know where to look now. LL Bean's way too overpriced, Amazon's always a roll of the dice - surely there's a happy medium somewhere but I haven't found it yet. Until I do I guess I'll just keep hitting Rural King and Tractor Supply for Wranglers, long-sleeve Carhartt's and flannel shirts.

I learned about Cabela’s when I got stationed in Nebraska in the 1980s. They were my go to store for warm clothing until I got assigned to San Antonio and no longer had a need for winter clothes. I last stopped by the Sidney store in 2006.

We only have two LGS here. One is tiny, no real stock. He survives on transfer fees.

The 2nd is much larger and we'll stocked. But their prices are very high, over msrp. And their attitude is the worst I've seen. Only thing I will buy there is powder, only because of the cost to buy online with HAZMAT.

I like to support local people, it's just not always feasible (fees-able). When you want 20 boxes of ammo and the local guy is at 20 bucks a pop, online is 14.50, what are you supposed to do?
I spent a lifetime in business and I had to compete with everybody. If I could do that, why can't everyone ?

I guess the point is some are studying the market and figuring out how to move product for profit. Many are sitting on their butt paying rent. I hate to see the unprofitable type because I want to support them, but I don’t want to teach them how to run a business either. I think a lot of old men just like to stand somewhere surrounded by guns and bs.

Heck you can get some decent deals. Find those items they received in stock 10 years ago and buy it price as marked. It’s usually a couple bucks under current market value! Imagine how much more money they would make if they just focused on actually selling stuff at a fair price!

i never buy a rifle unless i get a good deal on it. My local shops are generally pretty reasonable prices, which is amazing for a far northern Minnesota isolated area. I buy other stuff that is 10% over without thinking about it... but i go to Grand Forks about once a month and rarely buy at Cabelas, and more often buy at Scheels... but i feel that Scheels is close to a home town store as i have frequently shopped at Scheel's hardware and the original Scheels sporting goods store.
I almost exclusively buy reloading stuff online because of availability, but sometimes the local stores have something i need and buy it there.


Short and sweet, i like to support local stores, but if they aren't even close, no dice.

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Originally Posted by want2ride

I almost exclusively buy reloading stuff online because of availability, but sometimes the local stores have something i need and buy it there.


Short and sweet, i like to support local stores, but if they aren't even close, no dice.

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Same here, a local pawn shop has the best prices on powder currently. I pick up most of my supplies there, plus they're just nice people.
I pretty much quit going to Cabela's since Bass pro took over, they never have anything in stock at the one local to me, and the prices are sky high.