Orrr they are like me who gave up riding because every other car has their nose buried in a phone.. was dangerous enough prior to the advent of cell phones.
"Permanently Closed"
- Thread starter TarDevil
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Orrr they are like me who gave up riding because every other car has their nose buried in a phone.. was dangerous enough prior to the advent of cell phones.
Their next visit would be a proctologist.
While I do understand the dynamics of distributor pricing schemes. I do support my FFL with 90% of my new gun purchases. (Some stuff he just cannot get. i.e. high end stuff that's not in networks)
Folks need to keep in mind that without a FFL willing to do transfers it really doesn't matter how cheap you can buy it online.
CharliesHammer
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- Aug 26, 2019
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Here in California, we have seen it all. Had a friend who was a local owner , Central Valley FFL in the late 80's was constantly harassed by the ATF. Show up repeatedly at his home, middle of the night doing "inspections".
He was broken into repeatedly, with acetylene torches. He actually made the news and did time for "booby trapping" his safes. Out of business and a lifetime of honest dealing.
Move on to the 90's in Southern Ca. watching many 50-70 year old business shutting down to regulation both state and federal.
Made friends with a small shop owner in Pasadena. He did not know me from Adam and would stick a pallet of ammo in the back of my truck to take up to the central valley gun shows on a handshake. Obviously did all my business there. He shut down and moved to Arizona because of all the state regulations.
Where I live now in So. Cal there are only a few local shops without corporate ties. I do most of my business there to keep them around. The shop I do most of my purchases just had their 10 year anniversary. I think they just get by on a thread. The bigger corporate stores may have a little better prices and soak up a lot of retail space at local gun shows but they are soul less in my experience. I have made many decades long friendships at small local gun shops and private FFL's at gun shows, only once through a mid size corporate seller.
He was broken into repeatedly, with acetylene torches. He actually made the news and did time for "booby trapping" his safes. Out of business and a lifetime of honest dealing.
Move on to the 90's in Southern Ca. watching many 50-70 year old business shutting down to regulation both state and federal.
Made friends with a small shop owner in Pasadena. He did not know me from Adam and would stick a pallet of ammo in the back of my truck to take up to the central valley gun shows on a handshake. Obviously did all my business there. He shut down and moved to Arizona because of all the state regulations.
Where I live now in So. Cal there are only a few local shops without corporate ties. I do most of my business there to keep them around. The shop I do most of my purchases just had their 10 year anniversary. I think they just get by on a thread. The bigger corporate stores may have a little better prices and soak up a lot of retail space at local gun shows but they are soul less in my experience. I have made many decades long friendships at small local gun shops and private FFL's at gun shows, only once through a mid size corporate seller.
kmw1954
Member
I am located in western Kenosha Co. Wisconsin and the nearest gun shop is 20mi away and that is in Illinois. PITA to try and buy a handgun across state lines.
From my house the closest LGS is located in McHenry Illinois where there are now 4 shops. 2 have indoor ranges the other 2 do not. Of the two that do have a range I only go to the one that has been there forever and I first shot there in 1980. The other shop is new within a few years ago and has a State-of-the-Art range and ventilation system. Only the staff leaves much to be desired and could use personality classes.
The LGS that I use almost closed a few years ago because the owner was getting on and lost interest and was looking to retire. He had already announced his closing when out of the blue he found a buyer for the business. Younger guy from the North Suburbs of Chicago that already had a small shop with classrooms but no range. Since he came in the place has completely turned around. A friend and I went there SuperBowl Sunday morning right after open and we were the only ones there. By the time we were done an hour later there were people waiting for an open lane.
So other than this shop the closest alternative for me is over an hour away. Though there are 4 different Gun Clubs with outdoor ranges within an hours drive I'm not going out when it's below freezing, heck, below 45* with the sun shining.
From my house the closest LGS is located in McHenry Illinois where there are now 4 shops. 2 have indoor ranges the other 2 do not. Of the two that do have a range I only go to the one that has been there forever and I first shot there in 1980. The other shop is new within a few years ago and has a State-of-the-Art range and ventilation system. Only the staff leaves much to be desired and could use personality classes.
The LGS that I use almost closed a few years ago because the owner was getting on and lost interest and was looking to retire. He had already announced his closing when out of the blue he found a buyer for the business. Younger guy from the North Suburbs of Chicago that already had a small shop with classrooms but no range. Since he came in the place has completely turned around. A friend and I went there SuperBowl Sunday morning right after open and we were the only ones there. By the time we were done an hour later there were people waiting for an open lane.
So other than this shop the closest alternative for me is over an hour away. Though there are 4 different Gun Clubs with outdoor ranges within an hours drive I'm not going out when it's below freezing, heck, below 45* with the sun shining.
The guy who bought Virginia Arms from Bernie appears to be going under. They are cutting the size of the store in half and I have read of complaints in other threads about people not being able to get their money from consignment sales. Also Proven Arms (Quantical Tactical) closed their store in Woodbridge in December
I was about to add Virginia Arms in Manassas, VA to that list (my cousin told me last Fall[?] that they had closed) but decided to check online, just in case ...
... and saw that they RE-opened under the original ownership on January 4th.
Labguy47
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- May 13, 2018
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My local gun shop that I frequent, there are 3 within 5 miles of me and 8 within 20 miles, knows that I prefer to use them and keep them in business by frequenting their business. While other shops are at MSRP +20%, my shop is charging mast. Occasionally when there is a product they cant get from their suppliers I will order it and have it shipped directly to them. They approve of this because it lets them see new products and can steer their business model to accommodate growing trends, like a few years back when everyone was buying .380 compacts.
Labguy47
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- May 13, 2018
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- 863
Prime example, Marlin Model 60 $450+tax. He is way too high on this particular rifle, not even in the realm of competitive.
Zaydok Allen
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Exactamundo! ^^^^^^^
I buy online and in person, with my preference being in person. But if I don't have a good FFL holder to deal with I'm forced to drive to a city and pay a chain store for the transfer. In my somewhat limited experience with buying online and shipping guns to FFLs chain stores charge you more, have poorer customer service, are more of a cluster to work with, and in my case I have to burn a considerable amount of gas to get there.
When I had an FFL by my home, I paid $25 per transfer and had a pleasant conversation each tiome. If I have to go to a chain store, I believe it's now $35, plus about $20 worth of gas, and they expect me to accept the gun sight unseen.
When you establish a good relationship with your LGS, it can often lead to better deals down the road as well on guns you want, and trades you'd like to make. I think people who shove a phone in someone's face and say "Look, it's $25 cheaper online!" aren't keeping in mind what results from being a good customer and establishing a good track record. The customer is always right, but when you are reasonable and a consistently good customer, small LGS owners seem to take notice, and they treat you well and deal fairly with you overall. Not all of course. Some are D-bags no matter what you do. But that's true of all businesses.
Support your local LGS. It's an investment in your hobby and in your community.
$450 for a Marlin 60? Really? That's a $210 dollar gun.
david58
Member
Typical transfer fee here in NM, that I see, is $20. If face-to-face, then the FFL charges us $10 each. But...I have yet to find a gun shop that isn't all Tacti-Cool, or talks down to me, or prices guns far above a reasonable price. If the gun is a bit high, I'll usually buy it no haggle. Higher than, that, we can talk. 2X? I don't waste my breath, particularly if I am treated as though I haven't a clue (57 years hunting, and I'm only 61-1/2). Just like any restaurant, grocery, shoe shop, or bird-seed store, the proprietor is not entitled to my money. It has to be earned with both service and price, and the better the service (you know, a smile for starters) the higher the price I will pay. Would much prefer to buy local, but I have found an online shop I will go to immediately if the local won't play nice (again, just a smile, maybe?).
I miss Lengel's gun shop in Wabash Indiana.
Proly the best I'd been to (Don and Mary nice people- as were their kids).
Liked Norms and Schultz Bros too. But that was before.
All are gone now.
Todays gun shops/market..............the avg customer.............I dunno if I caught the end of an era or am just nostalgic.
But it sure seems like those were the good ol days.
Whole culture has changed.
Recently visited a diff shop, and they asked about the one in my home town.
Not in the nicest way either (tone).
I get it being tough for brick and mortar now, but attitude might be part of some shops' problem.
Don't need the best deal. Just like a good deal, and will spend a bit extra to deal w good people.
Kinda nice to build a relationship w a business.
Proly the best I'd been to (Don and Mary nice people- as were their kids).
Liked Norms and Schultz Bros too. But that was before.
All are gone now.
Todays gun shops/market..............the avg customer.............I dunno if I caught the end of an era or am just nostalgic.
But it sure seems like those were the good ol days.
Whole culture has changed.
Recently visited a diff shop, and they asked about the one in my home town.
Not in the nicest way either (tone).
I get it being tough for brick and mortar now, but attitude might be part of some shops' problem.
Don't need the best deal. Just like a good deal, and will spend a bit extra to deal w good people.
Kinda nice to build a relationship w a business.
I'm 55 and have long hair, but look like I'm under 40 (by most accounts).
Am old school (pops was in the gun circles) so I know what's what, am comfy.
But I don't look old school.
The tacticool and high pressure nonsense, doesn't work on me.
I do get how lots of today's customers want hand held.
Its a strange world these days.
That's why IMHO a shop needs diff salesmen personalities.
People will gravitate to those similar.
Proly need at least three.......a hipster, a hunter and a hillbilly,
Am old school (pops was in the gun circles) so I know what's what, am comfy.
But I don't look old school.
The tacticool and high pressure nonsense, doesn't work on me.
I do get how lots of today's customers want hand held.
Its a strange world these days.
That's why IMHO a shop needs diff salesmen personalities.
People will gravitate to those similar.
Proly need at least three.......a hipster, a hunter and a hillbilly,
Have seen reviews where people complain online that somebody didn't ask them if they needed help.
Sometimes complain that they were asked, but not within a minute of walking in.
Yeeesh.
Its a gun shop.
Have a question, want to see something...............ASK?
Maybe its too much to expect men to act like men.
But on the flip side, some shops hire their buddies that are pretty darn clueless.
So bad as to come across as rude.
Think there to be a happy medium somewhere.
Sometimes complain that they were asked, but not within a minute of walking in.
Yeeesh.
Its a gun shop.
Have a question, want to see something...............ASK?
Maybe its too much to expect men to act like men.
But on the flip side, some shops hire their buddies that are pretty darn clueless.
So bad as to come across as rude.
Think there to be a happy medium somewhere.
OneFreeTexan
Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2004
- Messages
- 454
Have a small gun shop, run by an older guy,,,about two miles, from the Meijers where we buy groceries weekly, He will get any oddball ammo I want, and I buy all my regular ammo from him,,,,stop by every week to buy.. He knows when I usually stop by, and is ready.
I like oddballs guns so find most of them on gunbroker. My guy who basically only does transfers,,, has been a friend for years. So no problems for me.
I like oddballs guns so find most of them on gunbroker. My guy who basically only does transfers,,, has been a friend for years. So no problems for me.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
Having to pay state sales tax for guns ordered online will boost the brick and mortar sales. No sales tax was the internet allure.
Trey Veston
Member
No such thing as a stand alone gun shop exists in my area.
I live in WA state on the border of Idaho. I'm in a little town of 1200 about 15 miles from two larger towns, each about 30k in population. One in Idaho and one in Washington.
When I moved back to the area from Arizona 6 years ago, there was large store in the Idaho town that was a sporting goods/hardware/gardening store that had a large firearms section with decent selection and prices. There was also a little gun shop that had awful prices.
In the Washington town, there was an ACE hardware store that had a small firearms section with very limited selection. There was also a small gun shop/golf store in another smaller town about 8 miles further to the West. Never even been there.
Today, the ACE store has been replaced by a Planet Fitness gym (my girlfriend goes there), and the Idaho sporting goods store is still there. The rest are gone.
In fact, there is only one FFL in my entire WA county in another small farm town 15 miles east of me. He is a county Deputy who built an addition onto his house a year ago and now has a dedicated shop. I buy most of my guns online and they all go through him. I usually try to buy something off the shelf when I do a transfer to show my support. He's a great guy.
But, ironically, there are now 5 marijuana shops in the Washington town, but no gun shops.
My dad ran a chain of gun shops starting in the 70's. Closed his last one in 2006 citing Walmart as the reason. I desperately wanted to take over the business, but he said I couldn't afford it.
I live in WA state on the border of Idaho. I'm in a little town of 1200 about 15 miles from two larger towns, each about 30k in population. One in Idaho and one in Washington.
When I moved back to the area from Arizona 6 years ago, there was large store in the Idaho town that was a sporting goods/hardware/gardening store that had a large firearms section with decent selection and prices. There was also a little gun shop that had awful prices.
In the Washington town, there was an ACE hardware store that had a small firearms section with very limited selection. There was also a small gun shop/golf store in another smaller town about 8 miles further to the West. Never even been there.
Today, the ACE store has been replaced by a Planet Fitness gym (my girlfriend goes there), and the Idaho sporting goods store is still there. The rest are gone.
In fact, there is only one FFL in my entire WA county in another small farm town 15 miles east of me. He is a county Deputy who built an addition onto his house a year ago and now has a dedicated shop. I buy most of my guns online and they all go through him. I usually try to buy something off the shelf when I do a transfer to show my support. He's a great guy.
But, ironically, there are now 5 marijuana shops in the Washington town, but no gun shops.
My dad ran a chain of gun shops starting in the 70's. Closed his last one in 2006 citing Walmart as the reason. I desperately wanted to take over the business, but he said I couldn't afford it.
SSN Vet
Member
One dimension to the discussion is that small shops can often be established solely on the labor/effort/knowledge/license of one individual. They may have employees, but without the "prime mover" the business won't float.
And unless there is a documented history of substantial sales over time, the business may have little value, apart from the value of the inventory and real estate. Hence, no one has any incentive to buy it, should the "prime mover" become ill, or decide to retire.
And unless there is a documented history of substantial sales over time, the business may have little value, apart from the value of the inventory and real estate. Hence, no one has any incentive to buy it, should the "prime mover" become ill, or decide to retire.
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