Well said bigbore.
Wtb SP101, 357, 4", No dealer with an offer??
- Thread starter roylt
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ACRYLICTNK
Buckeye
I stock hundreds of thousands of dollars in new guns, but I only make real money on nice used guns. I've sold several on Gunbroker lately, ranging from $4700 to over $12,000. If the profit margin continues to decline on new guns at this rate, customers aren't going to be able to hit the gun show, play with the guns and then buy it online. I put signs on all of my guns that simply say "please ask permission before handling the guns". People will pick up the sign, play with the guns, put it down and replace the sign. The kicker was the guy that dropped a $5000 Barrett 50 caliber on the floor and bitched at the dealer for not displaying it more securely. Now when they ask to play with my $4000 Uzi, I simply say "if you are interested in buying it". The last response I got concerning a DP-12 shotgun was "I just bought one online and I wanted to check it out". I told him he could play with his own when he gets it. Unbelievable.
Thanks for the opportunity to vent here because I'm getting seriously fed up. If the guys on the Forum aren't buying here, I hope they are supporting the local dealers and not the online low-ballers that are fronts for some distributors.
Thanks for the opportunity to vent here because I'm getting seriously fed up. If the guys on the Forum aren't buying here, I hope they are supporting the local dealers and not the online low-ballers that are fronts for some distributors.
NikA
Buckeye
Question for dealers here: does the distribution network really distribute guns at a uniform price to all takers?
I see prices from dealers here, many times excellent prices at which I would buy were I in the market for the particular items offered. On the items I desire most, many times I miss out by not paying attention when they are offered here, after which I am forced to seek them out elsewhere.
However, on things like distributor exclusives, I see a pretty large gap between the prices offered here and the "bottom dollar price" offered elsewhere. For instance, the .41M Redhawk offered by ACRYLICTNK here is 100$ over what I paid, presumably a price that someone could have made a profit on. Locally, I have seen the Lipsey's .44S FT on sale for 500$, which is about 50$ less than it's offered here. I don't know your profit margins or how hard you have to work to secure distributor exclusives, but it seems to me, the uninformed internet shopper, that these things might be more available elsewhere, and given your statements, I can only imagine that it has something to do with the distribution network.
I see prices from dealers here, many times excellent prices at which I would buy were I in the market for the particular items offered. On the items I desire most, many times I miss out by not paying attention when they are offered here, after which I am forced to seek them out elsewhere.
However, on things like distributor exclusives, I see a pretty large gap between the prices offered here and the "bottom dollar price" offered elsewhere. For instance, the .41M Redhawk offered by ACRYLICTNK here is 100$ over what I paid, presumably a price that someone could have made a profit on. Locally, I have seen the Lipsey's .44S FT on sale for 500$, which is about 50$ less than it's offered here. I don't know your profit margins or how hard you have to work to secure distributor exclusives, but it seems to me, the uninformed internet shopper, that these things might be more available elsewhere, and given your statements, I can only imagine that it has something to do with the distribution network.
NikA
Buckeye
I will also say that I am partial to lightly used guns, because if I'm going to be involved in the finishing operations on a firearm (which I tend to want to be), I figure the 50$ worth of wear the previous owner put on it make absolutely no difference. The exception to this for me is things I cannot find locally, which tend to be the exact sort of things where the larger price differences exist. Hence my question.
ACRYLICTNK
Buckeye
Distributor exclusives are a separate ballgame. I buy Ruger cataloged items at the Ruger minimum price and some dealers pay more - nobody buy for less. Ruger sometimes offers package promotions, but they are available to everyone. New offerings and allocated guns are often much more due to demand. If I have to fight to buy a new offering, it will cost you more due to market demand. If a brand new revolver is listed at $899, it may sell later for maybe $829 if they are sitting at the distributor. You can't blame a guy for taking a lttle profit once in a while. Some guns are available one time and then gone. I had 44 special flattops in stainless for a very brief period, but they are all gone. The same with 327 Federal Blackhawks. It's sometimes a crap shoot and that's just supply and demand. I have the .480 and .454 Super Blackhawks from Lipseys in stock - hot when they came out and I had a list of people waiting on them. When the market finally settled down, I notified several people on the list. Not one taker so I gave up. (If I failed anyone here, I apologize). I'm in my 8th rear as a licensed dealer and I tell everyone - when you figure out the gun business, let me know.
NikA
Buckeye
It sounds like the bigger problem is market saturation, which really isn't surprising given the monumental increase in gun sales under the Obama administration. Not that it was predictable, or that any dealer (or set of dealers) is to blame.
In my recent searches, I have found the same guns offered for essentially the same price from several small dealers. The only difference is who has the item in stock at the moment I go to purchase. To me, the buyer, short of not supporting the big guys that are killing local dealers, an order from a dealer in another state is more or less equivalent. I'm sure that is frustrating but it's the nature of the current consumer economy.
In my recent searches, I have found the same guns offered for essentially the same price from several small dealers. The only difference is who has the item in stock at the moment I go to purchase. To me, the buyer, short of not supporting the big guys that are killing local dealers, an order from a dealer in another state is more or less equivalent. I'm sure that is frustrating but it's the nature of the current consumer economy.
bigbore45colt
Hunter
NikA said:
I don't disagree with you here at all. The result, though, is what happened on this post...very little interest from dealers to even quote a price for a new gun. it just becomes not worth it. I know that I am personally not interested in spending time, energy, resources, and money to make maybe $20 on selling this new gun, when I can dedicate my time, energy, resources, and money selling that used gun.
Just my $0.02
BB45C
This thread is multi-faceted.
I'm buying as many guns as ever. I'm selling fewer guns than ever. Just can't sell 'em.
My local dealers will not carry the neat stuff that I buy. Nor do they know the product lines that interest me. They have little creativity in ordering guns. Most of them do not deal with the big distributors, so I'm unable to order distributor exclusives.
So when I need something that isn't available locally, I watch for that item being advertised here, or I contact the guys here, directly, to see if they can get the item I want. Or I go without.
It's not always just about the money.
Then my local gun shop gets his thirty-dollar cut anyway. Pretty smart business.
WAYNO.
I'm buying as many guns as ever. I'm selling fewer guns than ever. Just can't sell 'em.
My local dealers will not carry the neat stuff that I buy. Nor do they know the product lines that interest me. They have little creativity in ordering guns. Most of them do not deal with the big distributors, so I'm unable to order distributor exclusives.
So when I need something that isn't available locally, I watch for that item being advertised here, or I contact the guys here, directly, to see if they can get the item I want. Or I go without.
It's not always just about the money.
Then my local gun shop gets his thirty-dollar cut anyway. Pretty smart business.
WAYNO.
SK
Single-Sixer
I have bought a few guns from him--great deals and great service--I can tell you that its tax time and I am getting crushed under this administration--we need a change--a non establishment President--Trump or Cruz Pick one
