Gouging vs supply and demand

[btroj]

Run, how many Elmo dolls do you own? Creepy

Outside of monopolies gouging can't really exist. If people are willing to pay the price then it isn't gouging. The gougee is as much to blame as much as the gouger

[jonas302]

You can't be gouged on something that you don't require Don't like a price don't buy
Ebay is an auction there is no one gouging and no one stealing it sells for as little or as much as the buyer will pay even with peoples theories of the owner bidding on the item you do not have to place the next bid

The gun shop owners try to make a buck well they are in business to do that

[DrCaveman]

I'm still a little concerned that there is some portion of this situation that hopes for a (conspiracy theory to follow) consolidation of firearms and reloading components into the hands of the few outfits large enough to withstand 6-9 months of virtually no new stock entering the shelves.

Cabelas, sportsmans warehouse, I have absolutely no problem with, I have bought plenty of guns, ammo, targets, powder, primers, and bullets (before joining the enlightened ranks of our common hobby). They both offer very wide selection, and sportsman's offers pretty competitive pricing in my experience.

The pickle is that both these guys can get by selling their other gazillion products while the market stabilizes and supply returns to normal. So they will weather the storm regardless. And then be in the drivers seat when the storm settles, because they: kept their buildings, kept their employees, the owners kept their homes, kept their insurance plans, and have plenty of capital and industry clout to get large orders and priority for shipment of product due to proven track record of sales.

All this then allows any outfit wishing to control the availability of certain firearms or reloading components (use your imagination as to which outfit this might be) to do so much easier, by manipulating only 2, 3 or 4 companies and their national distribution network.

Divide and conquer, it is as basic as supply and demand.

Please please continue to patronize your Local Gun Shop! (as if I had to convince you guys). I think it is more important now than ever. Monopoly is the scourge of capitalism, it is where things get real real ugly...

[felix]

Suppliers want a 30 percent increase across the board, initiated by ATK. ... felix

[1Shirt]

Believe Felix is correct------unfortunately! If I don't have it now, and I can't find it reasonably (for the times) I will do without. Do wish I had more SP primers standard, and Unique however. But I can do without at current prices and availability.
1Shirt!

[dilly]

These responses have made sense to me mostly.

I have seen some people bearing ill will toward those who would profit from this. I find the prices to be discouraging at best but if I had to blame anyone it would be the tyrannical views of our Nanny state.

[Alley Cat]

I fear for our economic freedom every time I read people complaining about "gouging". If a seller can't increase his price in the face of unrelenting demand, then soon there will be none on the shelf anywhere. I, personally, would rather have the opportunity to buy a brick of 22 LR for $100 than for there to be none at all.

Capitalism (or simply, economic freedom) is the only system in the world that can ensure supply to everyone in a high demand environment, as long as they want it bad enough. But we have to be willing to let the system work...

[imashooter2]

Actually, price gouging does exist, specifically in the case where a monopoly exists, or a market has been "cornered". The 19th century railroads gouged the heck out of farmers, and they could do so because they were the only transport the farmers could access to get their grain to consumers. Ma Bell gouged us when by government fiat they were they only company allowed to provide phone service. Cable companies still gouge by getting local government to give them a monopoly in an area, although satellite services quickly came along and dampened that little game. Unions gouge consumers by preventing competition in the labor market. You want to know the worst price gouging today? Hospitals. You have to have a license to set up a hospital, and guess who runs the licensing boards? Yup, the other hospitals. 'Course the classic example is taxi medallions in NYC!

With regard to our ammo, powder and primers, you still have plenty of options if you don't like the price at the LGS. There's no monopoly there. How many companies manufacture ammo? How many make powder? How any distribution channels are there for you to access? As near a free market as we can get in this day and age.

You didn't have to use the railroad, have a phone, watch cable or even go to the hospital. If you chose or choose to use those services, you must have figured the price was or is worth it, therefore, you were not gouged. Don't like the price? Do without. Period.

[Bigslug]

There is a potential bright side to this:

Maybe it will "gouge" some of the ostriches out of the sand and flip them in the general direction of their local polling place.

[runfiverun]

heck brad i ain't got any elmo dolls that little dude creeps me out.
sometimes the need is fabricated.
if you sell the parents on the fact that everybody elses kid wants the doll then automatically your kid wants that doll too.
whether the kid cares or not it's getting one.
it's like the 10 dollar experiment where the two people can split ten dollars if they agree on a split.
one person makes the offer of the split and the other one agrees or declines.
if it's agreed on then they split the money that way.
if it's declined neither one gets any money.
either way both people would have more than they did to begin with.
however the lopsided offers were universally declined.
making the decliner a loser too.

MMMmmmmHHmmm.

[MtGun44]

+1 on uscra112. The key point is a market allocating scarce resources by the pricing
mechanism.

Only artificial monopolies can gouge. If there are multiple available sellers, then let the scarcity
of the item relative to the demand for it control the price.

Bill

[btroj]

Like fishing lures? Don't have to catch fish, just fishermen.

I can still get some primers locally for 34 per K. Powder is still reasonable. I recently bought 8 pounds of 2400 for 109 dollars.

Am I panic buying? Heck no. Are others that I know panic buying? Yep.

[rmark]

Higher prices also motivate private owners to pull unused ammo and components out of storage for sale.