The last time I was in there that rock river was on consignment. But, I could be wrong. Maybe the owner of it wanted to drop the price?
If that's the case, then that's a whole different scenario.
So anybody who didn't sacrifice themselves on an altar by charging way under the price that the market would bear, and thereby ensuring that they immediately sell out as soon as shipments come in, that they stay perpetually out of stock, and that the lucky flippers who show up first when a shipment comes in get to make all the profit, is persona non grata to you? It's your business who you choose to deal with, but I just don't understand the mindset that says you are a bad person for charging the going market rate.
This was sent to me by a buddy who runs a gun shop:
Who wants to work at a Starbucks, after all?
This was sent to me by a buddy who runs a gun shop:
Who wants to work at a Starbucks, after all?
Case in point: went to a local shop to see about mags for a particular gun. Was told that they had a couple, but even though they were selling for "around $80 a few weeks ago, they're now selling for $400 online", and that if they decided to sell them to me, they would be "well over $300 each". I promptly left, found two left in stock at an online retailer, and paid almost half of what they wanted for one of their gold-plated sumbitches, shipping and all. That's what I'm talking about. And all this after the guy said he "didn't want to bend anyone over". Christ almighty.
LGS where I live hasn't charged panic prices on anything. He has been selling out fast but that's how it goes. He has also refused to sell consignment items for panic pricing.
What you are calling the market rate isn't really what those items are worth. Some people chose to take advantage of the situation and that's what we all consider gouging.
To me it's like a flood coming through town and wiping out a neighborhood. The demand for hotel rooms skyrockets. Some hotels raise their prices from $100 to $1000. Is that hotel room really worth $1000 per night? I consider that gouging.
So why shouldn't the licensed dealers be able to charge to going rate for their merchandise? Is it because it cut the flippers out of the game?
You're expectations that dealers keep prices below the going rate is asinine. The flippers can find a legitimate way to make a living.
There is still some huge shortages in the supply chain that is going to keep prices above pre-panic levels for awhile. Finding upper & lower receivers and bolt carrier groups is next to impossible and the manufacturers aren't going to release individual parts before they get caught up on complete rifles.
You're expectations that dealers keep prices below the going rate is asinine. The flippers can find a legitimate way to make a living.
There is still some huge shortages in the supply chain that is going to keep prices above pre-panic levels for awhile. Finding upper & lower receivers and bolt carrier groups is next to impossible and the manufacturers aren't going to release individual parts before they get caught up on complete rifles.
^^^This
Here's my take - it's already difficult to compete with online sales when you're a local brick/mortar gun shop. When you need to make a buck, you rely on the local gun crowd to support your shop even if you and they both know that your prices/selection aren't the best.
They're not acting on the free-market by doing this - they're acting on the fact that they're attempting to be loyal to your store to ensure you survive long enough so that "the gun community" has one more local gun shop and the community as a whole is better off for it.
Plenty of local places as well as online shops maintained prices and just got creative so that they didn't run out of product to sell. Bravo Company is one - random selling times with limited quantities or time-periods of selling and even a slightly elevated price to handle extra staff is understandable. They didn't price-hike and I will absolutely be buying a BCM carbine as soon as all this AWB crap calms down just to support them for being good to the community).
For those that just decided to get greedy and turn on the gun community to make a buck... that constantly whined about the free market...
That free market is going to be a ***** when prices come down and folks have the choice to shop at those places that gouged or say F@#$ those guys, I'm going with the shop that kept prices reasonable. I know there are plenty of folks who noticed that some gouged and some didn't and a lot of us are keeping a list (I personally added folks to my "friend list" instead of ignore list so I could still see what was going on in the gougers' posts).
Ironically, I would bet that those who did gouge and said "there's no such thing" are going to be whining about "lowball offers" in about a month or so when the going rate drops to panic-selling prices (credit card bills are coming due, and some of us who have been through this a time or two saved up for just such a time as this).
The market rate is EXACTLY what something is worth. An item is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay. I have been to places where hotels have different rates for different times of the year. I was in a room for $30 per night in a horse racing town that charged five times that or more during race season. When demand is high and supply is low prices increase. There were people there who would move out of their homes and them out for a month for what their mortgage cost for a year. Supply and demand determines worth.
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