I don't think my local gun store gets it.

[milrifle]

I live outside a small town a good distance from a city of any size. We have a couple of local gun stores. One doesn't cater too much to the reloader. The other has some reloading stuff, but he is just not realistic on his prices. He seems to still be stuck in the Sandy Hook prices of two years ago on some of his stuff. It's not all of it, but some. His gun prices are not too far out of line and some reloading stuff is OK. His dies and things like that are priced OK. Some of his powder is ridiculous. He has some IMR 4198 on the shelf for $52! There are some other lesser used powders down there for $30 some odd, but $52 for IMR 4198! CCI LR primers are $69! This stuff is not hard to find anymore. Not really. Sometimes other stores in other towns are out of things, but it's not like it was a couple of years ago. I can get CCI primers for way less than $40 in most any other store I walk into and some are much closer to $30. Think I paid $32 for the last ones I bought about 40-50 miles away. I don't understand what his deal is. I wonder if he's had this stuff for two years and won't lower his price because he has too much in it or what? Some (Assumingly) once fired 7.62 x 39 brass is $44 for a small bag of what I assume to be 50 rnds. It doesn't give the qty. But I just got two 50 rnd bags at a gun show a month ago for $14/bag. I don't want to offend the owner or piss him off, but sometimes I just want to ask him what the "L" he's thinking? Maybe I should stock up at retail price at some of these other places and try to sell to him for a profit. I am truly baffled at why he is so high on some items. He's not gouging across the board, so I don't think it is that. Is his supplier still sticking it to him even after 2 years? I believe I'd find another supplier. I'd like to do business with him, and I'm not above paying a little extra for the convenience of having stuff right there in town, but not 2-3 times what others are charging. I just don't understand.

[Tatume]

I think you answered your own question. He paid too much and he's not willing to take a loss now that the price has come down on those items. Some people just don't realize that in business you need to make a net gain at the end of the day, even if you take a loss on some items along the way.

[dakotashooter2]

I suspect he may have bought at a high price. Regardless, at some point you have to bow to the market and possibly take the loss. You can sit on an overpriced item for several years and not make any sales on it or take the loss then order replacement stock which can be sold at market price and try to pick up enough sales to recover from that loss. Honestly in today's market any item that sits on your shelf for more than a year or 2 should be discounted and sold to keep the cash flowing. If you are sitting on a small ticket item for a couple years you have already lost any profit on it.

Heck for what he is asking for primers you could buy them online and even with the hazmat and shipping still get them cheaper. Maybe that's where he got them and why he is so high !!!

[milrifle]

I'm not a business man, but like you mentioned above, I can't help but think that he would long since have recouped his loss if he just lowered the price, sold the stuff, got some more in and began selling in quantity again.

I've thought about maybe saying something to the owner. I don't know him. I've made a comment or two to some of the sales staff, but I don't think they care. Like I say, I don't want to make him mad or offend him, but I really do think he is out of touch.

[Harter66]

Wow , I thought Fallon was rough.
I wouldn't risk the rebound for saying anything . Lots of the little town guys are like so spend the 50 bucks in gas to save 10 bucks on primers,because I'd go on the other 70 miles just to buy primers. I know too well the little town blues . I about fell over when I saw a cabinet full of pistol primers at 27/100 after not seeing a box at all for 3 yrs . Now it's the LRP that's hard to get . In the pits of things our little town guy has stayed in the market groove even if it cost him money to do it which I suspect that it did . He said 1 day when I was in all I can keep rotated is Walmart stock that's all anybody wants is the Walmart shopping list. So I bought 2 19.00 boxes of 222 for the brass and to see what it was doing with ammo less than 30 yr old . Age and health have him practically closed down now . So when I make the 140 mile 1 way Reno trips I check out the planes to find what I need.

I'm still not paying $40 for a 500 bulk pack of 22LR when the 222 will shoot for $6 / 100.

[IraqVet1982]

Have you tried negotiating with him? Maybe he'll move the stuff at a fairer price if asked.

[GLL]

I would not say anything !
There is little to be gained and possibly a lot to be lost !

Jerry

[trapper9260]

I say just get what you need from someone else when you make a trip in that area and let that person sit on what he have.In time you might see him drop the price on it if that is his problem not yours get them where you can for the price you want to pay and just stack up and then you will be ok after.Just make it worth the trip where you want to go for it .That is what I do.If the price is about right at the time I will get what I can to stock up and then will not worry about else where.Glad i did in the past because most of the things I would need are not there anymore on the shelf.I can just ride it out now for some time.

[Geezer in NH]

The internet is your friend at times buy there and let the dealer know. When he does not respond do not buy from him for supplies, guns maybe until he is out of business.

The shop I owned with partners became like that I sold out. They turned in their 07 FFL in November 2014 trying to get a dealers license. I do not see them re-opening anytime soon.

[flyingmonkey35]

Odds are he he's not shopping him self. So he has not done a inventory / price check in a awhile.

Next time you swing in talk about how much the price of gas dropped and that hey when I was at such and such place I picked up some powder.


Or leave a Add / print out on the counter

He shouldn't get offended. If he does oh well.

[bedbugbilly]

It may be two different things affecting it . . first, he bought high and wants to sell high in order to recover his investment and make a profit to pay his overhead and salary . . . . but . . . at some point, a businessman has to realize it isn't working. Sometimes a "half a loaf is better than no loaf at all". As the prices came down he's either going to have to adjust to meet it or the stuff will sit on his shelf . . interpreted in to no cash flow.

The second thing is that being smaller, he may not have the buying power to get decent prices from suppliers and vendors . . . happens all the time in any business. That's why you see so many walmarts, Lowes, Home Depot and Mennards and the smaller family owned lumberyards and hardware stores are drying up. A small store may only get 30 day billing where as a larger chain could be getting 90 or even 120 day billing . . . meaning they don't have to pay for the product as it sets on their shelves and moves out the door until the bill is due and payable 90 days later.

Our family was in business for many years and I was as well . . . and I really feel for the small guys. You'd like to see the be competitive and survive but the cards are stacked against them. Just take a look in any small town at all the empty store fronts.

I was buying primers here in MI last year for about $32/K. I looked out in AZ when I was there and even though the supply was fairly decent - most places wanted anywhere from $42/K to one place that had them at $60/K and these were fairly large "chain stores". The "smaller guy" has a lot of cards stacked against him/her . . . and unfortunately, there are still those who are trying to charge the shortage prices when many of those "costs" no longer exist . . . but if they can get away with it, their profit margin certainly improves.

I try to support the "small guy" whenever I can . . and sometimes, it may cost a couple of bucks more but I'd much rather do that than to have them "disappear" and have to travel a greater distance to get what I need. But, if the price is way out of line . . . as the customer, you have the option, buy it or walk out and get it somewhere cheaper. Nobody wants to "tick somebody off" but the only way a owner is going to know is if someone politely tells them. If they get mad . . well . . they get mad. But as a former business owner, it was part of my job in order to stay in business to do my "homework" and keep prices competitive. If being competitive doesn't keep the cash flow going and the overhead paid . . then it's time to either adjust your strategy or close the door and move on to something else.

[KCSO]

You guys have any idea what selling reloading (Dangerous) suppies adds to the insurance per year. Be lucky someone close even bothers. There is no way a small shop can even break even selling powder or primers.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

A small store may only get 30 day billing where as a larger chain could be getting 90 or even 120 day billing . . . meaning they don't have to pay for the product as it sets on their shelves and moves out the door until the bill is due and payable 90 days later.

Most big chains operate on PBS. Pay By Scan. The supplier doesn't get paid until their product is sold in the store. It is basically consignment. I feel for the small guys too.

[shoot-n-lead]

You guys have any idea what selling reloading (Dangerous) suppies adds to the insurance per year. Be lucky someone close even bothers. There is no way a small shop can even break even selling powder or primers.

Bull....Plenty of them sell primers and powder...they just have very little selection.

[fredj338]

Not a lot of stores around SoCal, the ones that do stock reloading stuff charge like it's cancer medication! So I still order online for most of my stuff.

[Digger]

With what everyone has been chatting about here , I guess we are very lucky to have a "reloading" specific store here in Gardnerville , just south of Carson city , Nevada .
Ian has been here just over a year now and is looking forward to a growing clientele in the area .....
He definitely does not over price and tries his best to have the items in stock at a reasonable rate.
Check out the thread from over in the "our town" forums ...
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...oe-area-Nevada

[RogerDat]

Telling him the prices have changed is the decent thing to do. Along with telling him the same thing you told folks here. That you appreciate him having the supplies locally and doing business with his shop. And just ask him did he know the prices on those items have dropped significantly in the market since he priced them originally.

Maybe he does not know and will appreciate the information, maybe he will offer an explanation. Maybe you will have a discussion on the changing market and running a small business. Doubt he will be offended.

[TNsailorman]

Now let me see if I've got this right. He was trying to stock primers and having to pay ridiculous prices just to get them(supply was really short for a while and prices were way up) and you wouldn't buy because of the high prices. Now prices have come down and you want to again buy primers therefore you expect him to loose money to sell you primers at a much lower price than he paid for them. And all because you didn't want to pay a higher price when he had them. Hmm, Who is being unreasonable here? Try buying a 100,00 primers to get a price break so you can sell them at a decent cost in a small town where you are lucky to sell 10 to 20 thousand primers a year. See how long you stay in business with your money tied up in inventory constantly and paying tax on the same inventory at the end of the year. You will find out that your profit margin is razor thin or none existent. I've seen more people gouging on this board than I've seen out of my local gun shops. Gun shows are another matter. I've quite going to them because of the high prices vendors charge and the fact that most gun shows around my neighborhood charge more for entry fees than the local pro baseball team charges. I suspect that conditions vary greatly from area to area but my local gun shops sell pretty reasonable, most of the time there is very little difference between their prices and Midway and sometimes even cheaper when you add the shipping fees into the price. The day may come when the local gun shops are forced out of business by the WalMarts of the world, and when that happens, reloading will end as we now know it. The fact is that we reloaders are spoiled because of the availability of good reloading items and only occasionally do shortages occur. I can remember when I started reloading back in the 50's and reloading items were few and far between and they had to be ordered from places hundreds of miles away and the wait to get your items were counted in weeks--not days. You also had to pay retail, there being very few discount suppliers back then. I remember being tickled to death when Bruce Hodgden started selling WW II military powders at really decent prices. Sorry if I sound too strong on this issue, but I remember the old days and they were not the "good ol days" for reloaders . Those "good ol days" are now, enjoy them while you can. Between the Federal gov. and state gov. regulation, the days of the reloader may be coming to an end. It will start in the big cities but will eventually come to the "country boys" as well. my opinion anyway. james

[hickfu]

Not a lot of stores around SoCal, the ones that do stock reloading stuff charge like it's cancer medication! So I still order online for most of my stuff.

I go to Camarillo shooting supply, I just picked up some titegroup, long shot and clay dot for about 25.00 a pound... I wish he would get in some bluedot and reddot though..

[starmac]

I guess I don't see the problem. It sounds as most of his inventory is priced competitive, which is hard to do with a small shop, because they just don't sell in the quantities they really need to, due to folks buying off the net. I don't think it would be my place or really anyones place to tell him he is two high on a couple of items. He probably bought them at inflated prices just to provide a service to his customers when they were basically unobtainable. He gambled and got stuck. I would still buy what he has priced right and just pick up primers and the 4198 somewhere else, and be glad there is a shop there to deal with.

This is the second largest town in Alaska, and we have two places to buy any reloading supplies or equipment at all. They did not gouge us even though we can not order through the net, but we have to buy it in limited quantities WHEN they get it in, and I'm talking, the day they get it in.