What happened to Cabelas?

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Good point, but the trouble I've found is that low overhead on internet companies just means more profit margin for the proprietors (I'm not knocking it, hey they're in business to make money, I've no beef with that....)

The trouble I've found is that while things are simpler to locate via the internet, but I've ended up being able to get better deals at bricks and mortar stores. Shipping (for now) usually ends up about the same as sales tax on local purchases, so the cheaper apparent price ends up similar or more when I buy on the internet from "stores". Walmart realized this and responded to their market with a "free shipping to the store" offer on things your local store doesn't stock.

The best deals I have found were more like private purchases from regular folk just wanting to dump some things.....

In my small experience, Cabelas, Sportsman's Guide, Cheaper than Dirt, and other we sites are all cool, but you just have to keep your eyes out for special deals and/or free shipping offers to really even bother with purchases on the net based on what I've seen available today...
 
In my experience their reloading equipment is competitively priced.

I got a good deal on a bow that was on clearance after the season a few years ago.

Their prices on hunting stuff is high on most things, but you can usually find stuff on clearance if you are patient and the quality is pretty good. Even if almost all of it is made in Asia.

I don't buy optics or guns there. I can always find a better deal elsewhere.

The customer service is great.
 
i just ordered everything for my new bow from cabelas. i found some good stuff for cheap on there. i compared everything to a couple of other sites. but i also had a couple of gift certificates. delivery was awesome as well. everything was supposed to get here on wednesday, i got it on monday :D
 
I just bought some small reloading supplies there, because they had it and I didn't want to wait. I also wanted to see the place, even though it was an hour drive north up 35. I was impressed with the reloading supplies, but the prices were about average. If I'm ever in the area again, I'll go back.
 
They are not competitive anymore...at all. The last time I went into a Cabela's
is the LAST time I will walk into a Cabela's. Their prices are outrageous.
 
I have a brand new Cabela's in Olympia, WA and a Sportsman's Warehouse just about right next door. Both are fun to look around, prices seem to be comparable, somethings less at one store, others less at the other store. What gets me is the customer service a Cabela's. I have yet to wait less than 15 minutes just to speak to someone at the gun counter. You would think that expecting to draw about 4 million visitors a year (11,000 a day) would mean that they would have sufficient staff, not trying to complain, this is just what I see. But more staff would mean higher prices for us so that the profit margin stayed the same. The staff I do see seem to be over worked especially at the gun counter. Just my 0.02.
 
Cabela's attitude toward 2A and milsurp is totally Fudd-centric. I was back and forth over the purchase of an FN-49, and the guy that runs their local Gun Library had the nerve to tell me, while we were dickering, that he didn't understand why anyone needed anything like that anyway, and that such rifles made him uncomfortable.

When I go these days, it's pretty much right to the back to the Bargain Cave. There's generally very little in their otherwise overpriced inventory that concerns me, except the odd sale. If they weren't a slight detour off of my route to the range, I probably wouldn't go at all.
 
I've been to the "Home store" in Sydney, Nebraska a couple of times. Mainly to do my "capital expense" purchases for hunting season. It's a 3/4 tank of diesel roundtrip, and that ain't cheap, not to mention my time. I didn't know it at the time, but Sportsmans Warehouse carried the "almost" exact same stuff, just without the extra 20% markup because of the Cabella stamp on it. And there's 2 of them within a 1/2 roundtrip drive. So, you shop where you want and can. Cabella's does have a bigger selection, but of what? Expensive dress shirts and sweaters? A bunch of high dollar s..t that I don't need. I'll take my money to Sp. Warehouse. Their sales staff seems to be more interested in my needs anyway. It was pulling teeth to get ANY kind of help in Cabellas, and that was their WORLD HQ. You'd think if anybody would have enough staff, it would be the mothership of the Corp. Oh well, my rant is over. I bought my "Capital Expense" merchandise, now I'm done. Next, it'll just be the Major Maintenance stuff:)!!!!!
 
I like going to Cabela's because of the size, displays, and amount of product. I have purchased some sutff from there but generally they are a bit expensive. Gander Mountain is even worse when it comes to prices. I shop at Gander Mountain often and i'll buy fishing stuff from them, but their gun prices are too high. I don't like Sportmans Warehouse because the people who work behind the gun counter in the Coon Rapids, MN store are very unhelpful and can be rude. That's just my personal experiences at that particular Sportsmans Warehouse. I like doing my serious purchasing at a few mom and pop gun shops in the area, and the gun shop at the range i shoot at.

Edit to Add: There are no Bass Pro Shops in MN so I'm not familiar with their prices, however they are building a big store sometime soon at the Mall of America.
 
Like others posted, I have bought a lot of stuff from Calelas via the web. They opened up a store in East Hartford (also posted above), but I haven't made the trek up to look it over.

I'm planning on going either Friday or Saturday. My wife's away for the week and I got money to burn! Yahoooo! :D I'll find out what the prices are like.
 
Cabelas, Sportmans Warehouse, Bass Pro, even the new Gander Mountain in Fayetteville, are all too far away from me.

None of them offer a discount on-line to C&R FFL holders the way Midway USA does.
 
The nearest Cabela's to me is 140 miles each way. I can have their stuff shipped to my front porch for a whole lot less than the $50 in gas (and 4 hours of driving to get there and back). Plus I'd have to let my wife spend the day gambling at Wheeling Island! For the price of a shopping trip to Cabela's (after my wife is done at the slot machines), I could probably buy me a new Jeep! :)
I did buy a couple of nice coats and some other stuff online from Cabela's last fall. I love their ranch coat for winter use. My S&W 6946 & holster fit nicely in it's right pocket. They do have good prices on some things still.
I normally buy ammo online from Natchez or Coles....or I wait for Vance's or one of our other great local gun shops to have ammo on sale and then stock up.
Okay, I will admit that sometimes on the way to the range I will stop at WalMart and pick up a couple boxes of shells if I am low on a type which they actually stock. I do buy their 100-packs of Remington .380 and 9mm HP's.
I do not buy ammo at either of my local Gander Mountains or any of the three Dick's around here...their ammunition prices are just silly. And the nearest Bass Pro is 120 miles in the opposite direction from Cabela's.
Jack
 
Nearest Bass Pro is less than 5 minutes away. Cabelas is 20 minutes away. I seem to get a lot better service from Bass Pro than I ever had at Cabelas. My only gripe is the bigger selection at Cabelas. Prices are cheaper on some items at one and higher on others. The personal service and friendliness make a difference, IMO. I get a lot of good, free information from the folks at Bass Pro, at Cabelas I get a long wait to even get someone that does not know any answers.

I have been to Gander Mountain in Brainerd, Minnesota when I visit once a year to go to summer camp. Nothing to brag about on customer service or prices. I really liked Reeds alot better (in Brainerd,also) great service and prices! Lou
 
I'm not against Cabelas! I simply asked did anyone else notice that when Cabelas started their big promo offers and Cabelas points the prices went up to the point that if you didn't have points built up or a discount offer in hand you probably purchased elsewhere. It seemed to me they went up 10% to give 10% off....
 
There is a GM about 2 minutes out of the way en route to/from work. I stop in now and then. The last few times I was disappointed by the lack of ammo on the shelves. have bought some ammo there. it was competitive with other places in the area, but no screaming bargain. Also bought a P1 there. Thought it was a good deal. Again, not a screaming bargain, but a fair price.

I got a cabelas gift card in the Xmas gift card exchange at work. There is a new one maybe an hour away from me. I hope to get there soon and spend my $25. maybe on an elk sandwich!
 
Not just Cabelas, Gander Mountain, Galyans (DICKS), and most of the rest of them are all trying to become clothing stores and higher priced Walmarts. I don't understand but I do notice the trend.
 
The closes Cabela's to me is about 3 hours away. I've been to it once because I was in the area on vacation but I won't make a special drive there just to look around. I have a Gander Mountan about 1 hour away also been there just once but may make a trip there to buy some bulk ammo. Everything else I go to my local gunshop and they will order for me and their prices are competive with either store and is only 20 minutes away but about 5 miles from my mother who I try to visit every week so I stop in either on my way to see her but usually on my way back home.
 
Cabela's may not have the greatest day to day prices, but they have the absolute best customer service, bar-none.
Click to expand...

The guys that work at the one I've been to either don't know anything(according to them its federal law that if your under 21 you can't buy any guns other then .22s and shotguns) Or just seem pissed off I would dare ask them a simple question.
 
Obviously, Cabelas hadn't seen the price increase yet.
Click to expand...
No, you just hadn't seen the 2008 Cabala's Shooters catalog yet that was being printed then!

Berry bullets went up 65% in the new catalog.
LaserCast went up 56%.
Everybody else's jacketed bullets about 20%.

1224.jpg
rcmodel
 
I live in a good spot. I'm within 5 miles of a Gander Mountain, Cabela's, and Sportsman's Warehouse. If I want to buy something related to shooting, I usually go to Sportsman's. Fishing or boating, I go to Cabela's. I really don't go to Gander anymore to tell the truth. I have a Cabela's card, which doesn't amount to much other than a free box of bullets every month or so, but its free and I'll take it.
 
I like quality...and I'll pay for atmosphere. Personally, I will never cast a shadow on Walmart's property. Cabelas just built a beautiful store in Hawks Prarie, Washington. It is the Nordstoms of Outdoor Gear. I will shop for reloading supplies there...at least the heavier materials. One can order from their catalog and go to the store to pick up, thus saving on shipping costs. Hmmm, I like Stetson's new La Mesa hat...and Stetson only stocks it at Cabelas.
 
I don't know if I would go to a Cabela's store if one was close. My interest in Cabela's is in their reloading catalog. They still are competitive on some items, and every now and then I place an order with them just to keep the catalogs coming. There is still a place for them in my consumer world.

What I love about Cabela's is those catalogs coming in the mail; I look through them just for the fun of it. Sometimes I find a great deal on a shirt, etc, and order. If you call them, they are always helpful and polite.

They are still a good mail order/ internet shopping resource. Reminds me of the old days when I was stationed in Europe (for 17 years) and ordered a lot of my shooting/reloading supplies through the mail.

I shop at Walmart for the deals, but that does not replace a mail order setup like Cabela's.
 
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