View Full Version : when does it become "gouging" vs supply & demand?
68Charger
04-27-2009, 10:59
Saw this in an ad, and now I've pulled out the soap box:[Rant1]
It is NOT gouging if an auction has bid up to a point that you personally think is high.
That my friend is supply and demand.
First off, my hats off to Stoneheart who lowered his price, rather than just listing his primers on GB where he maybe could have gotten the original price he was looking for- I realized that continuing this argument in his sale thread may do him a disservice, so as a courtesy I moved it to a new thread in this topic..
I keep seeing this defense (supply & demand) for charging 2-10x as much as you paid for an item...
I understand the idea of a free market economy- supply & demand determine price... so do you let a man die in the desert because he can't afford to pay the $100 that you're asking for the last bottle of water?
Factors that are not considered part of the "supply & demand" equation include concepts of:
1) "Price fixing" where all the suppliers of a commodity agree to raise their price -together- so none of that commodity are available at a lower price... in a true free market, this is only temporary- unless the commodity has a regulatory factor (the gov't has outlawed any other suppliers).. which leads to:
2) "regulatory" basically any government or authority control on the price of a commodity. By requiring that all ammo manufacturers be 06 FFL holders, then you've affected the price, because in a pure supply & demand economy, there's competition to drive the price down- and you've regulated "the little guy" out of the picture...
3) "Market manipulation"- this includes a number of tactics, including fear mongering, rumors (of bans, taxes, etc on the item), bashing of competition, "cornering" the market, etc... This I believe is the biggest problem with the firearms industry today- many dealers, suppliers & owners participate in it... there are enough people buying more ammo & supplies than they need, either to cache it away (nothing wrong with that, but it affects market price) or to sell it in another market at a profit... that is where gouging comes in...
if ONE group, company or person were to go and buy every single round of ammo in the state of Colorado, then demand 2-3x the price they paid for it "just because they can"- does that make it right?
what we're seeing too much of lately is this going on in a larger, unorganized scale...
Individuals buy any primers, ammo, magazines or other accessories that they see available, knowing they can profit from them... enough individuals do this, and it has the same effect on the market as if one entity "cornered" the market...
it's usually a temporary bubble that will eventually burst... when the fear & rumors die down- or the supply is increased to the point that there's not enough capital available for the market to be "cornered" anymore... but if regulatory or price fixing issues come into the picture, then it can be sustained longer...
these principles apply to many more items than just firearms & ammunition... anyone remember the "cabbage patch kids" craze? or the more recent Xbox/Playstation shortages?
particpating in the practice of buying these items when you see them available, then selling them at a profit- makes you part of the problem, IMHO.... [Poke]
there's risk involved with these practices... if you're holding onto 250,000 primers that you paid $40/1000 for, hoping to get $70/1000 for them... and the bubble bursts- and supply is then greater than demand, and the price drops to $20/1000.... well, you get the picture...
but for the most part, it's "opportunistic profiteering"
it may be within your rights to do it, but I'm within my rights to scorn you for it as well...
>rant off<
ryanek9freak
04-27-2009, 11:17
I agree 110%. It's rediculous that people are doing this, and it's affecting my shooting hobby tremendously. It infuriates me to have to pay .50 cents a round for .223 ammo, if I can even find it.
Never in my life have I had to ration my ammo. I think this is a conspiracy by the administration. They anticipated this would happen, and are all now probably dancing, because normal folks have limited access to what they need.
I don't understand the point of your supposed "rant" here. Are you a fledgling economics student, looking to test out your knowledge with a real world example?
I only call your "rant" into question, because it's not really a rant. You are just pointing out what is happening. I actually HOPE that people are buying up everything, trying to sell it. Your example of buying at $40/1000, hoping to sell at $70/1000, but in reality, being forced to sell at $20/1000 IS going to happen, it's just a matter of time. You bring up great points about how the government influence on manufacturing helps to elongate this whole mess.
Back when I played World of Warcraft, I decided to try this very thing you are talking about. I would go to the auction house, and buy up ALL of one commodity that I could (I think it was some cloth). Then, I would put it back on the auction for more money. I tried to control the market all by myself. The problem was that I was only ONE guy, there were thousands on the server, and I didn't want to, nor could I, hang around at the auction house all day. The other issue, was that there were few restictions to obtain the cloth, so there was no realistic way to control the market. While I was sleeping, people would sell the same thing for WAY less than what I would put it up for, and there was nothing I could do about it. Plus, no one was willing to pay my price, so I was eventually forced to sell at a huge loss.
This IS what is going to happen in the firearms and ammo market, it is only a matter of time. Look around you, and all you see is people bitching about prices. People don't want to pay it, so they won't.
68Charger
04-27-2009, 12:01
This IS what is going to happen in the firearms and ammo market, it is only a matter of time. Look around you, and all you see is people bitching about prices. People don't want to pay it, so they won't.
I wish that's all I saw... but I see some grumbling & paying it... which supports the higher prices...partially because they believe rumors of bans or 500% taxes on ammo...
if people stopped paying it, then the market price would have a "correction"...
Saw this in an ad, and now I've pulled out the soap box:[Rant1]
First off, my hats off to Stoneheart who lowered his price, rather than just listing his primers on GB where he maybe could have gotten the original price he was looking for- I realized that continuing this argument in his sale thread may do him a disservice, so as a courtesy I moved it to a new thread in this topic..
I keep seeing this defense (supply & demand) for charging 2-10x as much as you paid for an item...
I understand the idea of a free market economy- supply & demand determine price... so do you let a man die in the desert because he can't afford to pay the $100 that you're asking for the last bottle of water?
Factors that are not considered part of the "supply & demand" equation include concepts of:
1) "Price fixing" where all the suppliers of a commodity agree to raise their price -together- so none of that commodity are available at a lower price... in a true free market, this is only temporary- unless the commodity has a regulatory factor (the gov't has outlawed any other suppliers).. which leads to:
2) "regulatory" basically any government or authority control on the price of a commodity. By requiring that all ammo manufacturers be 06 FFL holders, then you've affected the price, because in a pure supply & demand economy, there's competition to drive the price down- and you've regulated "the little guy" out of the picture...
3) "Market manipulation"- this includes a number of tactics, including fear mongering, rumors (of bans, taxes, etc on the item), bashing of competition, "cornering" the market, etc... This I believe is the biggest problem with the firearms industry today- many dealers, suppliers & owners participate in it... there are enough people buying more ammo & supplies than they need, either to cache it away (nothing wrong with that, but it affects market price) or to sell it in another market at a profit... that is where gouging comes in...
if ONE group, company or person were to go and buy every single round of ammo in the state of Colorado, then demand 2-3x the price they paid for it "just because they can"- does that make it right?
what we're seeing too much of lately is this going on in a larger, unorganized scale...
Individuals buy any primers, ammo, magazines or other accessories that they see available, knowing they can profit from them... enough individuals do this, and it has the same effect on the market as if one entity "cornered" the market...
it's usually a temporary bubble that will eventually burst... when the fear & rumors die down- or the supply is increased to the point that there's not enough capital available for the market to be "cornered" anymore... but if regulatory or price fixing issues come into the picture, then it can be sustained longer...
these principles apply to many more items than just firearms & ammunition... anyone remember the "cabbage patch kids" craze? or the more recent Xbox/Playstation shortages?
particpating in the practice of buying these items when you see them available, then selling them at a profit- makes you part of the problem, IMHO.... [Poke]
there's risk involved with these practices... if you're holding onto 250,000 primers that you paid $40/1000 for, hoping to get $70/1000 for them... and the bubble bursts- and supply is then greater than demand, and the price drops to $20/1000.... well, you get the picture...
but for the most part, it's "opportunistic profiteering"
it may be within your rights to do it, but I'm within my rights to scorn you for it as well...
>rant off<
A few questions for you. When does poor planning on your part, cause an emergency on my part? Quite simply, NEVER. You don't have ammo, to bad. You don't like someone's price, don't buy it and go find it cheaper some place else. You can't find it some place else cheaper, you should have planned better when you could have.
What you have is the mindset of a LIBERAL. Someone else takes a risk and buys a quantity of a product to sell for a profit, and you're mad that you have to pay the profit.
When was the last time your boss came to you and asked you to pay back some of your wages because a product he bought didn't make a profit and he had to sell it at a loss? If this happened to you, you would probably quit your job, or file a law suit, or walk a picket line in front of the business. But you think nothing of demanding others do this for you.
Go try to buy a house from someone and tell them you want the same price they paid for the house twenty years ago, "because it's only fair you get the same price as they did".
The next time you buy a pack of cigarettes, or a case of beer, or go out to dinner or whatever you spend your money on. someone else used their same disposable money and bought the ammo you're crying about not having.
You want something, save for it, sacrifice for it, work for it, but don't complain that others have planned for it while you didn't, it's YOUR responsibility, not theirs/ours. GROW UP.
M2MG
the only time I really feel it is gouging is when the exact same item if for sale at a much lower price and it is available. (like the guy trying to sell the AMD for $900 when they are $549 and in stock at AIM surplus.)
other than that, I really don't care. For those that were fortunate enough to go and get the items and the lower prices and then found the people that would pay the higher price, good for them. in the end the buyer gets what they want, the seller gets what they want and everyone is happy.
Eventually, it will come down. I am guessing not for a while, but if you go to cogunmarket, here, ar15.com, you will see more and more things starting to be available. not so much on the ammo part, but on the gun side, I am seeing a lot more ARs available and the prices have come down a tad. they have yet to tank, but eventually, they will drop down to more reasonable levels.
at that time, with all the money the sellers made off the things they sold, they will be able to buy more for less.[Flower]
68Charger is not complaining about legitimate business, he's complaining about a bunch of people buying up a product, thinking that they can resell it for profit. Such is not the case. All these yahoos have the same idea, but they're all going to lose big money in the end. People think they can buy up stuff, and they'll be the only ones with the idea and have no competition. I don't mind waiting for the bubble to burst and dipshits to unload their ammo at reasonable prices.
Using a house is a terrible (at best) example because land is fixed and depleting. Houses generally increase in value, while virtually every other commodity in the world goes down in value. It is PERFECTLY reasonable to expect to pay USED prices for USED goods.
Also, this has nothing to do with being prepared. Ammo is like gasoline, electricity, or water. Sure, you can buy some ahead of time while prices are low, but it generally doesn't work that way. Would you tell people that they were "unprepared" when the cost of natural gas goes up? "Too bad you're stupid and didn't stock up on natural gas back in the 80's when it was so cheap." Sure, ammo can be stored more easily than natural gas, but in general it is a commodity that is consumed on an "as needed" basis. Calling people "unprepared" when they are legitimately complaining about paying more than something is worth is just down right stupid.
What you have is the mindset of a LIBERAL. Someone else takes a risk and buys a quantity of a product to sell for a profit, and you're mad that you have to pay the profit.
There are a few of us who actually have no problem finding reasonable prices on these "Hard to Find" products and when we see these prices we cant help to say WTF?!!?! I guess that's why it doesn't make me "mad" enough to make a whole new thread to vent on the issue.
68Charger, I totally understand where youre coming from on this. I wouldn't worry about what the sheeple have to say on the issue, if they have no problem bending on over for a box of ammo, or AR parts because they NEED it right then and there, then hey to each their own. I'll keep my own pockets lined by not falling into that and just spend a little extra time finding what I want.
the only time I really feel it is gouging is when the exact same item if for sale at a much lower price and it is available. (like the guy trying to sell the AMD for $900 when they are $549 and in stock at AIM surplus.)
I think this is what he's getting at, too much of this going on. To me it's funny when you personally know where to find the item for much less than the sellers asking price at the time, it is a bit disheartening, and somewhat hard to keep your comments to yourself. Kind of like when you spend $9 and change per box of 50 on BB 9mm and stroll next door to see another retailer (you guys know who Im talking about) selling the steel cased version (generally cheaper) for almost double<---you cant help but to say WTF?
ryanek9freak
04-27-2009, 14:07
I'm not so necessarily concerned about the price, as I am availability. It does suck that every time I fire my AR, I piss away .25-.50 cents, but at the moment, I need to practice badly, so i wouldn't mind paying that, If I could at least find a decent quantity.
GunTroll
04-27-2009, 15:05
My turn to chime in....I'll bitch about primers. I know for a fact that primers have not not gone up what some would think from the factory. They are selling to retailers for a bit more but that is just good business. If the supply is high sell for more. CCI sells to someone I know personally. He owned a shop some time ago and co-owns an ammo reloading company or at least is a player in that business. I can't get more specific than that. I bought my primers for $25/1000 a few weeks ago. Now the same primers cost me $30/1000. Not that bad of a price hike. Now when I see primers going for $70-80 at shows and on the net I laugh. Either the seller bought them for retail ($30ish) and is gouging or he gets them from a distributor for not a good price to attempt to resell. Either way its gouging. The plant/company sells them for a set price and everyone else is going ape-shit and taking advantage of the current situation through jacking up the price.
If its priced high just pass and laugh! Let that person starve because unless he's selling food he's not eating primers to survive. He'll adjust his price sooner or later to pay the bills and eat.
ChunkyMonkey
04-27-2009, 16:21
If its priced high just pass and laugh! Let that person starve because unless he's selling food he's not eating primers to survive. He'll adjust his price sooner or later to pay the bills and eat.
+1 on the way people should respond.
if ONE group, company or person were to go and buy every single round of ammo in the state of Colorado, then demand 2-3x the price they paid for it "just because they can"- does that make it right?
No, but it's legal and being done all the time in other markets (communication infrastructure, cell phone towers, water rights etc).
There is no valid argument of PRICE GOUGING on the original post. As long as people buying, you cannot argue price gouging. Walk away and wait it out until you can afford the price. The market will correct itself as demand decreases. It's still a free market or what's left of it.
I am going through the 'shortage' as much as everyone else here, but you will never see me complaining to a vendor or seller about price gouging. It's his/her right to sell whatever price. It's my right to buy or not to buy. This country has the most billionaires/capita in the world thanks to a simple concept of price is not always the value, and value is not always the Price, hence stock bubble, housing bubble, and in turn the endless new opportunities for everyone on each market up and down etc etc etc.
I think many of us are taking 'FREE MARKET' for granted. Take this from a guy who grew up in a socialist country, where price fixing, quota buying are applied on everything.
whew... [Tooth]
Well, I wasn't going to even reply, until I saw the post where the fella says to "grow up". Oxymoron, that.
It's called being a decent human being and not raping people, like in the example of the AK. The same fellow has been trying to sell wolf ammo for $400.00 plus for months. Even when everyone else was selling at $300.00 and Cabela's at 264.00.
Greed has/is destroying this country. And I'm certainly no liberal.
Sorry, but I believe in an honest days' wage for an honest days' work. And that includes an honest price, on anything.
Truth is, people who "gouge" like that usually don't sell their stuff. And they make a bad name for themselves in the process.
Bad thing is, they really screw some people in the meantime.
And as far as finding a "better deal", well some of us don't have the time nor the resources. So that means we should get raped?
I guess what pisses me off the most is the internet toughies. They act so self-righteous and in control and tough on the web, but in real life they bitch up. Sorry to go off track, but it's the truth.
As for me personally, I don't nor ever will need to make 10,000% on anything. It's just not honest.
Tristan
Circuits
04-27-2009, 16:48
I'm not so necessarily concerned about the price, as I am availability. It does suck that every time I fire my AR, I piss away .25-.50 cents, but at the moment, I need to practice badly, so i wouldn't mind paying that, If I could at least find a decent quantity.
How much ya need? I've got a modest amount of Brown Bear 62gr FMJ I can supply to local shooters for $45/100 plus tax.
68Charger
04-27-2009, 17:14
wow, guess I touched a nerve with M2MG- we can guess what he's been up to..
A few questions for you. When does poor planning on your part, cause an emergency on my part? Quite simply, NEVER.
we agree on this point...
You don't have ammo, to bad. You don't like someone's price, don't buy it and go find it cheaper some place else. You can't find it some place else cheaper, you should have planned better when you could have.
still agreeing... I've got ammo- I don't like prices I see, so I don't buy it- sometimes I do find it cheaper somewhere else- otherwise, I just live with what I've got... planning for what? hindsight is 20/20, and it was a given that certain things were going to be scarce in the Obamanation- but you do what you can with the resources you have.. but I never mentioned messing up any plans...
What you have is the mindset of a LIBERAL. Someone else takes a risk and buys a quantity of a product to sell for a profit, and you're mad that you have to pay the profit.
you've missed the point of my post if you think I have the mindset of a LIBERAL... (and you've resorted to namecalling [LOL])
I don't have a problem with profit- especially for those that are running a business, or supply & demand economics... until the point of market manipulation... can you honestly say that you'd be just fine if Bill Gates decided to buy every last >fill in the blank< that's on the shelves in the US... and then said "come to me, I've got all of them, but the price has just tripled"? you'd be fine with that? REALLY?
and I'm saying that we're seeing the same effect, but instead of one person/company being behind it, it's a mindset & actions of a number of people influencing the market..
When was the last time your boss came to you and asked you to pay back some of your wages because a product he bought didn't make a profit and he had to sell it at a loss? If this happened to you, you would probably quit your job, or file a law suit, or walk a picket line in front of the business. But you think nothing of demanding others do this for you.
I understand the idea of entrepreneurial risk- again, not what I'm talking about- and you're applying that ideal to a "job"- (when you have no idea what I do for a living)... but ultimately, it's a bad analogy... if that same boss made A LOT more money than he expected, would he double or triple my salary? I doubt it- because I didn't bear the risk... someone takes a job that pays "wages" because of the stability (less risk), someone in business for themselves can stand to lose money, or could make many times their original investment...
Go try to buy a house from someone and tell them you want the same price they paid for the house twenty years ago, "because it's only fair you get the same price as they did".
another lousy analogy... real estate is NOT a commodity market, and inflation over 20 years alone would raise the price.. I'm talking about people that buy one week and sell the next for double the price, and they've done NOTHING to add to the value..
The next time you buy a pack of cigarettes, or a case of beer, or go out to dinner or whatever you spend your money on. someone else used their same disposable money and bought the ammo you're crying about not having.
It's my disposable income, and I WON'T spend it with somebody that's not providing any value to the economy other than just profiting from holding something for a week... you can justify it by saying you're "providing a service"... and I'll say that's Bovine Scatology, you're profiteering...I'll spend it with the good folks that refuse to sell to the gougers, and would rather put product in the hands of loyal customers... I'll spend it with the guy that's feeding his family with his little 1000 Sq. ft shop that he makes a modest living on, and his prices are higher than the big boxes, but he isn't gouging either... I WON'T spend it with the guy who's buying the last 5 boxes of primers at $30/1000, and then re-selling them the next day, without providing any value- he's just making $$ for himself while driving the price up...
And that wasn't the case with the post I was reading at the time- he mentioned that he buys estates- so he researched market value, and I tip my hat to him for coming down to a reasonable price, he did not have to... I just saw someone ELSE saying "it's just supply & demand"
You want something, save for it, sacrifice for it, work for it, but don't complain that others have planned for it while you didn't, it's YOUR responsibility, not theirs/ours. GROW UP.
M2MG
you seem much more upset about this than I am... to me it's not much more than an annoyance... it's not an emergency on anyone's part- some people seem to THINK it's an emergency... I'm covered, I am not "worried" at all- and I'm not looking for anyone to GIVE me anything... I take responsibility for those things I'm responsible for, but I don't have to just accept the behavior of others that I don't agree with... I even recognized that they have the 'right' to do it... I'm not taking any issues with those that "planned" for it... just those that "profit" by it without adding value...
Maybe I'm just tired of hearing that it's "just supply & demand".. when that's not ALL that's at work here... if you take away the regulations (and rumors of more), the market manipulation (fear mongering leading to panic buying, the 'cornering' of the market by a segment of buyers, etc...) then things would be much more palatable.... I believe prices would be lower...
so I stick by my statement that if you're participating in that kind of activity (buying things you know are scarce not because you need them or want them, but just to resell at a profit without providing any value), you're PART OF THE PROBLEM... if you don't like being that, then STOP DOING IT... if you can live with that, fine.... but I won't stop saying it...
I don't have any solution- that doesn't create more of a problem... I'll just be patient and work through it...
ChunkyMonkey
04-27-2009, 17:44
68charger, it's just supply and demand! [Tooth]
j/k [Beer]
GunTroll
04-27-2009, 17:52
I WON'T spend it with the guy who's buying the last 5 boxes of primers at $30/1000, and then re-selling them the next day, without providing any value
Maybe I'm just tired of hearing that it's "just supply & demand".. when that's not ALL that's at work here... if you take away the regulations (and rumors of more), the market manipulation (fear mongering leading to panic buying, the 'cornering' of the market by a segment of buyers, etc...) then things would be much more palatable.... I believe prices would be lower...
so I stick by my statement that if you're participating in that kind of activity (buying things you know are scarce not because you need them or want them, but just to resell at a profit without providing any value), you're PART OF THE PROBLEM... if you don't like being that, then STOP DOING IT... if you can live with that, fine.... but I won't stop saying it...
I don't have any solution- that doesn't create more of a problem... I'll just be patient and work through it...
I'm with you on the above statements!! The market is definitely fear driven at the moment. Just think what the fools who bought the $80/1000 will think when (and I'll use primers again as an example) the prices drop due to over production of primers due to a lack of demand. At some point people will have enough primers or run out of money or get kicked out by their old lady and the demand will stabilize. There will be an abundance of primers and the price will drop to near or equal to the pre-OBAMA threat on the firearm industry.
Call me optimistic. I know it could go the other way and we are all screwed in that case. Back to bows and arrows or rock chucking to fight the tyranny!
When local shops go to cheaper places and buy out all the stock to sell at their higher prices, time and time again...
When the dick heads at Gunsmoke have a used, factory synthetic butt stock and forearm for a Remington 870 for sale for $98, when you can just order it new from Remington for $60. I often wonder how that place stays in business.
mrgreencom
04-28-2009, 14:58
I'm actually surprised the prices aren't higher! To me, if demand is so high (or supply so low), that you can't keep it in stock, raise the prices. It's amazing to me that I can still buy 30-06 at prices I was paying 5 years ago, it just takes me a LOT longer to find someone to hand my money to.
I see prices of "assault weapons" taking a dive when people realize Obama's not stupid enough to ban them in his first term. I don't think ammo will drop much, though. I see what you all are saying about people charging outrageous prices, but there's still plenty of deals out there, if you plan on buying a bit before that trip to the range.
I won't pretend to have read all the replies here... but here's my take:
It becomes "gouging" when you let your inner libtard out and become butt hurt over prices.
sure you can bitch, but you're under no obligation to buy. Once people realize this one little fact, prices will drop.
now, if the .gov is involved in some way, than the above is thrown out the window and all bets are off.
^^^^^^^
[rofl1][rofl1][rofl1]
68Charger
04-28-2009, 15:13
now, if the .gov is involved in some way, than the above is thrown out the window and all bets are off.
That's what I was eluding to with #2.. regulations... or threats of them...
as far as my "inner libtard", for the most part I'm not annoyed by the prices that are being asked - I'm amused by it...
I think I'm slightly annoyed by people paying them... instead of laughing as I do- but hey, it's a free country...
I KNOW I'm annoyed when somebody says "It's just supply & demand".. when it's obvious to me that there's more at work than S&D...
unless it's someone like MB888 just yank'n my chain...[Beer]
ChunkyMonkey
04-28-2009, 17:41
I am telling you.. its just supply and demand!
I am telling you.. its just supply and demand!
lol its called if youre paying $500 for a case of 9mm fmj (right now) youre a fucking idiot.
Last night our local Walmart finally got some ammo in. Found out because my son just happened to ask if they had any 9mm. To make a long story short I picked up 2 boxes of 9mm because I was out. It was 20.00 per 100 rounds. Walmart had a 5 box maximum purchase because one of the local gun shops had purchased that Walmarts entire stock and was reselling it for double what they paid for it. I will not be sending any business to that shop. My choice. Others may feel the need to spend more, but I don't.
jackmode9316
04-29-2009, 08:28
lol its called if youre paying $500 for a case of 9mm fmj (right now) youre a fucking idiot.
Pretty much sums it up.
Walmart had a 5 box maximum purchase because one of the local gun shops had purchased that Walmarts entire stock and was reselling it for double what they paid for it.
May I ask what part of Colorado that shop is in?
ChunkyMonkey
04-29-2009, 10:17
lol its called if youre paying $500 for a case of 9mm fmj (right now) youre a fucking idiot.
Have they really gone up that high???
jackmode9316
04-29-2009, 10:28
Have they really gone up that high???
No,which is why it would make you an idiot.
They would have to exploding projectiles before I would pay that price.
that would be Colorado Springs area
ChunkyMonkey
04-29-2009, 11:17
No,which is why it would make you an idiot.
They would have to exploding projectiles before I would pay that price.
Whew... BVAC better comes through. $170/1k looks so much better now.
jackmode9316
04-29-2009, 11:45
Well, if they hit your card already I would think they kind of have to.
I would buy reloading Equipment long before Ammo skyrocked to .50 cents a round for a bulk purchase.
May I ask what part of Colorado that shop is in?
now this I have a problem with. (oops, it didn't bring the other quote in,... but it's the one where the local shop is buying out walmart and reselling it at a steep markup. (That's not capitolism, thats fvcking over your customer base))
wanna know why a lot of gun stores go under?
because people remember shit like this and the other things they do to alienate the gun owners. Don't piss off your customer base ;)
WinterBoarder
04-29-2009, 15:05
Last night our local Walmart finally got some ammo in. Found out because my son just happened to ask if they had any 9mm. To make a long story short I picked up 2 boxes of 9mm because I was out. It was 20.00 per 100 rounds. Walmart had a 5 box maximum purchase because one of the local gun shops had purchased that Walmarts entire stock and was reselling it for double what they paid for it. I will not be sending any business to that shop. My choice. Others may feel the need to spend more, but I don't.
So I was in Wally World last week (the store on the corner of Colfax and Wadsworth in Lakewood) and noted they had a sign stating that they were limiting ammo purchases to 3 boxes per customer per day. I've heard about some stores with no restrictions and others with different #'s for their restrictions. So I sent an email to the Mother Ship (Corporate), and received a phone call today from the Manager of my local Wally World.
He stated that he just heard from Corporate that they are instituting a new ammo restriction policy across all of their stores. The new policy is a maximum of 6 boxes per customer per day for rifle and handgun ammunition. For example, 6 boxes of 9mm or 3 boxes of 9mm + 3 boxes of .45ACP. He had just printed a sign from Corporate to post on the display case.
He explained to me that he had personally seen local pawn shops, ranges, and gun shops that were coming in and buying everything they had, only to sell it at marked up prices in their own stores. He had instated the 3 box limit to try to prevent this. It looks like Corporate is now also trying to prevent this gouging with their new policy.
Have they really gone up that high???
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=128051081
[ROFL1][ROFL2][ROFL3][LOL]
Circuits
04-29-2009, 16:06
now this I have a problem with. (oops, it didn't bring the other quote in,... but it's the one where the local shop is buying out walmart and reselling it at a steep markup. (That's not capitolism, thats fvcking over your customer base))
wanna know why a lot of gun stores go under?
because people remember shit like this and the other things they do to alienate the gun owners. Don't piss off your customer base ;)
If they weren't buying out walmart, they'd have no ammo to sell at all. Things really are that bad at the distributor/wholesale level.
ChunkyMonkey
04-29-2009, 17:24
They are just 'capitalizing' on the situation. Capitalism...Supply and demand... supply and demand! [Bang]
GunTroll
04-29-2009, 18:30
If they weren't buying out walmart, they'd have no ammo to sell at all. Things really are that bad at the distributor/wholesale level.
I hope that at least one other person see's a problem with this. If the mark up isn't bad then I feel its acceptable. If its a total butt rape then shame on the the re-seller.
68Charger
04-29-2009, 23:48
I hope that at least one other person see's a problem with this. If the mark up isn't bad then I feel its acceptable. If its a total butt rape then shame on the the re-seller.
this is where my "slight annoyance" with people paying the crazy $$ comes from... if everybody laughed at the 2-3x price they're asking, it would have to come down... and they'd have to settle for making $1-2 per box when they clear the shelves at Wally world... but invariably there's someone desperate enough to pay thru the nose (or some other more painful part of their body)
it's not really rape if they willingly buy it.... does that make them gay?
GunTroll
05-10-2009, 17:37
Gay as hell!
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