Aplause!

[moooose102]

i was @ Jay's sporting goods yesterday. i went for a couple of things, of which they had about 1/2. anyway, when i got to the ammo counter, there was one guy ahead of me. he was asking about 223 ammo. he asked what kind of deal they could make him on 1000 rounds. when the dept. manager told him he could not sell him 1000 rounds, that the owner impimented a policy of only selling 5 boxes to any one customer, he got irate! i mean this guy turned red, and was spewing obsenities! hte manager tried to explain to him that it was because some customers were coming in, and buying every thing the store had in stock and then they had to turn away lots of other customers. when he was done, the manager turned to me and asked me if he could help me, and i stuck my hand out and told him i thought what they were doing was great! the other guy turned around, looked at me, and if looks could kill, i would have been gutted anf field dressed on the spot. anyway, the manager told me that several stores had done the same thing in their area, so that as many people could still shoot. in this day, i think this is a great policy. there are many people who like to shoot, but do not need to have a stockpile laying around just to have it. until the paranoia subsides, in my opinion, this would be a good policy for everyone to follow.

 

[TX1911fan]

I'm fine either way. If a store wants to take the risk that it will upset big order customers to satisfy small order customers, that is their right. There are not many customers who want to buy 1000 rounds at a time, but the ones who do are often very good customers, and alienating them could be bad for future business. If that guy decides Jay's is not for him, and takes his business across the street, Jay's just lost a customer, and a potentially good one at that.

On the other hand, it's nice to be able to find ammo.

 

[thunder173]

I do most of my gun related buying at Jay's as well. Have found their service great, and their pricing fair. Everytime we roll up or down US 127 it usually requires a stop at what we refer to as "the holy waters",.....we're over on the east side near Alpena

 

[Colorado Luckydog]

All the Walmart's in Denver are allowing four boxes per customer.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

ISTM that if a seller only caters to the big volume buyers during a shortage then he better hope that they remember and reward him AFTER the shortage is over. When ammo becomes plentiful again, they just MAY be his ONLY customers. I applaude Jay's for doing the right thing,IMO!

 

[rfurtkamp]

I can see being limited to a case at a time or in a reasonble period of time.

But any shop who limited to 5 boxes at this point, when it's not a national emergency, just got on my 'why bother stopping in' list.

Especially if they're selling those individual boxes at typical markup.

I don't mind paying a convenience fee when I buy things at a shop...but I do expect that things are in fact there to be sold in enough quantity to be useful.

100 rounds of .223 would just irrate me and the old lady when we went out.

 

[SASS#23149]

Thrity years in retail tell me that 'cusotmer loyalty' is far over rated.If you have the goods at the price they like,they'll buy.If somebody else has it for a nickel less,theyr'e going there to buy.
I like what that store is doing myself.

 

[ants]

When any item goes on sale, it is common to limit purchases.
"Only two per customer at this price," or whatever the limit.
We see that all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

At least somebody is doing something rational in the face of widespread ammo panic, fear, idiocy and hoarding.

I think Mooooose did right to mention his approval to the manager.

 

[jnyork]

If Jay's had a store in my town, I would make it a point to shop there, and tell them why.

 

[Rockwell1]

I wonder how many of you would be this supportive if the Government were imposing the limit.

 

[Zach S]

Thrity years in retail tell me that 'cusotmer loyalty' is far over rated.If you have the goods at the price they like,they'll buy.If somebody else has it for a nickel less,theyr'e going there to buy.

Yup, but some of us factor in time and gas as well. I go through this a lot with my (high mileage) cars. Autozone is normally a buck or two cheaper, but advance is only 15 minutes away.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Rockwell1,Would YOU be as supportive of the high volume buyers if they turned out to be scalpers buying up the ammo to sell at an inflated price. The government may well impose limits but by then most of the ammo will be in the hands of the few who gobbled it up today.

 

[Rockwell1]

Rockwell1,Would YOU be as supportive of the high volume buyers if they turned out to be scalpers buying up the ammo to sell at an inflated price.

So you're asking me ,essentially , do I support a free market economy even if it means I personally have to pay more for what I want ?

Yup.

Some of us saw this coming and started stocking up well before the panic hit. Lack of preperation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine

 

[Hikingman]

Taking anger out at someone for sharing store policy is ridiculous. It's like doing your job well, and having a stranger coming up and telling you that you're incompetent, or an idiot. First fear driving the market, and now anger at the register. Hmmm.
What a world...

 

[Hawk]

A limit of "x" per customer has been a part of retail as long as I can remember on both loss-leader and high demand product. Cabbage Patch dolls, coffee, game consoles, Randall knives, Milt Sparks and now ammo.

It's voluntary on the store's part and just screams "free market economy".

It wouldn't be if it was the .gov's idea but when it's the vendor's idea it's no different from any other business decision he makes.

 

[CoRoMo]

there are many people who... do not need to have a stockpile...

If you are going to determine what other people need or don't need, consider me the guy standing behind you with a not-so-friendly look on my face.

+1 Rockwell1

 

[Hk91-762mm]

Thrity years in retail tell me that 'cusotmer loyalty' is far over rated.If you have the goods at the price they like,they'll buy.If somebody else has it for a nickel less,theyr'e going there to buy.
I like what that store is doing myself.


I too work in retail ==A small mom and pop hardware store--Im always taking calls -DO you have a gitzo plummin stopper???
I say Have you tried the -insert box store name= OH yeaaa They dont have it -Well how about The hardware over at--==Yea tried them too--! Ok Ill check and see if I have it-- YEP I got it!![ My price just went up a bit hahahahah!!!!]]]

 

[jimmyraythomason]

There is no freemarket if the first guy in line buys it all. I too have enough ammo (except for a newly aquired .257 Roberts) to last for some time,so it matters little to me that the store shelves are bare. FWIW, I don't want the government limiting anything but themselves.

 

[CoRoMo]

There is no freemarket if the first guy in line [strike]buys[/strike] is free to buy it all.

I tried to fix it, but is doesn't seem to make sense.
It's not freedom when someone gets to exercise their freedom?

 

[fatelk]

A lot of the stores around here have done the same thing. I was at the sporting goods counter at Bi-Mart recently and they have a sign up limiting gunpowder to one pound per customer per day, and primers to two boxes, and they're still sold out.

I told the guy at the counter that I agreed with that policy during a time like this. I think it's simply a good business decision, and one I would make myself, if I owned a store. They are just trying to serve as many customers as they can with limited product.

Without this policy, you get a few guys waiting at the store with fat wallets and big credit cards so they can scoop up the whole shipment as it comes off the truck, then they either hoard it away or put it on their table at the next gun show with an outrageous markup. The average guy (sucker) will come along and buy that $60 brick of primers on his table because he can't find any at the local Bi-Mart. The guy who just wants to buy a box or two to do some reloading is just simply screwed.

I wonder how many of you would be this supportive if the Government were imposing the limit.

Very, very few, I'm sure, but it's not a government imposed restriction; it's simply a smart business decision at a time like this. Barring VERY unusual circumstances, production will catch up at some point and things will be back to relatively normal.

So kudos to you for giving that manager a little support.

The last couple gun shows I've been to, I've noticed this guy with a bunch of tables full of reloading tools and components. I tend to gravitate to those tables because often you can find interesting old stuff at good prices. As soon as I get a look at some of his prices, though, I feel like I somehow stepped over into the twilight zone. $25 for a bag of 100 once(?)fired 45 acp brass? $60 for a brick of 30+ year old CCI LR primers? $35 for a dog-eared box of 100 .30 cal Honrady bullets? Lots of folks at his tables, though.

I respect a person's right to do business how they want, as of course he will, but personally I think people like that are greedy jerks who laugh all the way to the bank after they've totally ripped off some poor suckers. That's not good business, in my opinion.

It's not freedom when someone gets to exercise their freedom.

You have no freedom to force me to sell you more ammo than I want to sell you.

 

[chris in va]

I got flamed on here for suggesting people not 'hoard' ammo and ruin it for the average joe's that just want to plink with their son at the range.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Thanks,CoRoMo. Nice try.

 

[Rockwell1]

There's nothing stopping anyone here from waiting at WM till the truck shows and doing the same thing is there?

If I can buy ( as an example) a box of 9mm Blazer for 9 bucks and I find someone willing to pay 18 for it because I did what they weren't williing to do (wait for the truck to show up), why shouldn't I sell it at that price?

I have no problem W/ businesses that make a retail decision to limit sales. My problem is with people here that say because they're not willing to wait for the truck I shouldn't be allowed to. Very Brady thinking IMO.


BTW I do NOT speculate in ammo

 

[CoRoMo]

My problem is with people here that say because they're not willing to wait for the truck I shouldn't be allowed to. Very Brady thinking IMO.

Well said. Couldn't agree more.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Guy 1 takes orders from his buddies,they pool their money. Guy 1 gets a call from his friend inside (a lowly associate)telling him when the next truck arrives. Guy 1 is on hand to taken every round that come off of the truck. Guy 2 has patiently waited daily for a truck guessing when it is going to show up. By the time guy 2 gets inside,lowly associate is already ringing up the sale to guy 1. Afterward Guy 1 takes his commission as does the associate. Everybody's happy except Guy2.. and Guy3.. and... Guy4... Free market indeed.