Im fed up with the price gouging

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carbine85

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Southwest, Ohio
I decided not to play in the panic buying market. This includes buying anything from the vendors that are sticking it to us.
I told 3 vendors today to remove me from there email list.
I won't mention names, but when I get an email for $35 mags that sold for $10 last month it's time for me to say bye bye.
I did the same thing for upper receivers and ammo.
 
I understand frustrations, but it is exactly like the price of gasoline. I am afraid prices will never again be pre panic. I expect magazines to hover at $25 for PMAGS and $20ish for GI mags. I bet that 5.56 will be $.50 a round at the least. I hope I am wrong, but once people pay higher prices, they usually stay slightly higher.
 
There is a flip side to the price hike from panic demand. At some point when this exaggerated demand falls flat,there are going to be a lot of shops full of product in which they paid a higher wholesale price on, and are going to end up taking a huge hit on in order to move. The initial raise in price is more like an off set for what's to come.
 
What goes around comes around. If this was an emergency situation and I tried to charge $6.00 for gas the feds would be up my tail end. When gas goes up .35 gallon we complain and say the gas companies are screwing us. When it comes to our guns we simply say it's the free market and supply vs demand.
It's just my way of vented however I won't forget.
A local gun shop that i use to go to up until today has 1000 rounds of 5.56 for the special price of $880.00, $2300.00 AR15 and a WASR AK for $1600.00
 
Price gouging should be punishable by public caning.

$1600 for a WASR?

$800+ for a 1k rd case of ammo? If it's not .50 BMG or 40mm grenades, that's absurd.
 
Price gouging should be punishable by public caning.

$1600 for a WASR?

$800+ for a 1k rd case of ammo? If it's not .50 BMG or 40mm grenades, that's absurd.
Part of the "plan" is to price this stuff out of the reach of the average Joe...and panic buying just plays right into their plan. Wait, the sin tax shoe hasn't dropped yet.
 
Perhaps I should specify, It's not to say that needless gouging is not occurring. I have seen that side of it myself too. But for the rest of it we can dislike it all we won't, and I've done my share of complaining, but it is what it is. Once the shelves are empty,prices go up when they refill.
I think I'll just steer clear for the moment. But there is a silver lining.
The prices on revolvers right now are excellent. With all the attention on high cap mags and AR style rifles everything else is coming pretty cheap.
 
So you are the owner of THR Gun Supply. The market is going nuts, and your ammo suppliers are all 90+ days from being able to give you ANY.223/5.56. You have 20k rounds on hand. Your phone won't stop ringing, EVERYONE wants .223. You've got 1000 30-rd PMAGs, no more for 6 months.

1) Sell .223 at .45/rd, total income $9k, sell out in a couple of days. Sell all the PMAGs for $10k in the same time. You grossed $19k. Close the doors for 3 months, the shelves are bare. Lay off all employees. Take a vacation.

2) Raise prices to 80% of the highest market price you've seen. The .223 now sell for $16k and takes a month to sell. The PMAGs gross $35k, sell out in 6 weeks. Total gross: $51k (an increase of $32k). Keep the employees on, use the opportunity to clean and paint the bare fixtures, answer the phones, teach safety classes in the local schools, whatever.

OK, owner - which way do you go?
 
At least you CAN still buy things if you're willing to pay the high prices (so maybe you buy one box of ammo instead of a whole carton, and there will be a little for the next guy.)

Put price controls on, and everything sells out immediately and is quickly not available at any price.

So "gouging" sucks, but the alternative is worse.
 
There are really only 3 things that a retailer can do.

Keep the prices the same, and a few customers buy out everything. Denying even the -chance- of others of obtaining even a single item.

Raise prices till supply and demand equalize, so people can still obtain the item if they find the value per cost acceptable.

Implement rationing.

Any shop who gets PMAGS in which they sell at the 'regular price' would be out of stock within minutes probably.
 
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