View Full Version : How Much to Pay FFL Friend?
I have a friend thats an FFL and a business owner.
I was wondering what you guys think is a "fair" price to pay for his service? In the particular case where its a new firearm he gets from a distributor (not like a transfer from say a gunbroker.com sale). I ask as he as asks me what I think is a fair price.
Of course taking into consideration his time to order/pay for/pick up/paperwork...
I guess I'm talking his "mark-up". Since we're friends, it would be his "cost" (his offer) plus some amount. I want to be fair...
TIA
BPTactical
10-01-2010, 17:49
Prevailing practice as far as transfers go is $25.00ish give or take a touch.
The FFL has to recieve the firearm, verify the SN and check it against the invoice, log the firearm in as an "Aquisition", conduct the 4473 and ensuing paperwork and log the firearm out as a "Disposal".
That is going to take some time and his time is not free to him.
When it comes to his profit on a sale of a stock item to you that is his call. He should know what he needs to operate on. Generally if a dealer is making 10% on a firearm sale they are doing good. Some dealers do a flat X% over cost.
I guess the most fair to him and to you is you need to know going into it what an average retail on that particular firearm is.
My brother has an FFL and store front and I pay him the same as everyone else. It's business, and he's in it for a profit just like everyone else. Although he has offered a discount.
If the man's charging a reasonable rate, as a friend you shouldn't be giving another ffl your $$$. Just being his pal doesn't entitle you to a discount - I'm just sayin.
I guess I forgot to mention, I don't ask or didn't ask for a discount. He offered.
He's the one when I'm looking online at firearms that says; "I can get that for you cheaper". He's the one that always says to check with him first before I buy any firearm.
Since he's had his FFL, I've purchased one firearm from him at a competitive price and have purchased 5 other firearms from other sources because their prices were less...
I don't want you guys to get that idea that I go around bugging him about getting me this or that at his cost or a price less than this place or that....
Don't go reading into this that I "expect" to get a discount because we are friends.
I know what thats like as I have my own side business....
My brother has an FFL and store front and I pay him the same as everyone else. It's business, and he's in it for a profit just like everyone else. Although he has offered a discount.
theGinsue
10-01-2010, 19:05
I'd probably have to go with paying him his standard rate. As others have stated, this is how he earns his income so by bringing your business to him you'd be helping him to that goal, but if you took a reduced rate you'd be cutting into his livelihood.
I honestly believe that my best friend wouldn't accept anything from me if we were in this situation, but I'd still find a way to pay him his usual rate.
I guess I forgot to mention, I don't ask or didn't ask for a discount. He offered.
He's the one when I'm looking online at firearms that says; "I can get that for you cheaper". He's the one that always says to check with him first before I buy any firearm.
Since he's had his FFL, I've purchased one firearm from him at a competitive price and have purchased 5 other firearms from other sources because their prices were less...
I don't want you guys to get that idea that I go around bugging him about getting me this or that at his cost or a price less than this place or that....
Don't go reading into this that I "expect" to get a discount because we are friends.
I know what thats like as I have my own side business....
I understand this. I'm in the same situation. I'm not implying that you "expect" a discount. I dont pay "too much" for a firearm from anyone else. I just pay him what anyone else would pay. If the shoe were on the other foot, I wouldnt ask my friends or family for the full rate either. [Beer]
I'm gonna change my avatar. I think people get pissy when they see it.
As stated above, definately prevailing rate.
BPTactical
10-01-2010, 19:27
Maybe the most equitable way to approach this after reading the comments posted. If he is a friend talk to him. Let him know that you realize it is his business and you don't expect any favors. If he offers to cut you a deal maybe a fixed percentage over his cost.
But OTH- If he says he can get it cheaper than X, he must have a number in mind for the item.
Nothing aside from a woman will come between friends quicker than ill will over money.
I'm gonna change my avatar. I think people get pissy when they see it.
Assy man...I get assy... But yeah...I hated that face man... [LOL]
If he says dont worry about it, leave a $20 behind or maybe get him a case of suds.
Thanks for the responses, you guys make some good points...
The flipside issue I see is if I tell him to charge me what he charges any other customer, I'd feel like I was saying something but not acting on what I'm telling him. Meaning at his current prices, I'm shopping elsewhere.
As stated earlier, of the 6 recent firearm purchases, only 1 was from him as his prices, IMO, aren't all that competitive. Just below what you'd pay at Gander Mtn (very high IMO), and not as low as Sportsman's Warehouse (in general).
But I also feel that just because we are friends I shouldn't be expected to buy my firearms from him without shopping around. None of us can deny we all are looking for a "deal" or the best price, heck just read through the Gunshow Thread...
I do understand he is in a business to make money BUT at the same time he has to realize that there are competitors out there and to stay in business he needs to be competitive in his pricing.
In the end I think I'm just going to keep our relationship as "friends" as opposed to customer/business owner. As mentioned money can definitely come between friendships.
Keep in mind that just because he's an FFL and can order new guns for you, he's not likely going to get them at anywhere near the wholesale price that the big-volume dealers can get. Like Bud's, no tabletop FFL can get guns at the same price as Bud's. I recently asked PanamaDave about a pistol, and he said I could order it myself from Centerfire for a lot less than he could get it wholesale.
BPTactical
10-02-2010, 20:16
Keep in mind that just because he's an FFL and can order new guns for you, he's not likely going to get them at anywhere near the wholesale price that the big-volume dealers can get. Like Bud's, no tabletop FFL can get guns at the same price as Bud's. I recently asked PanamaDave about a pistol, and he said I could order it myself from Centerfire for a lot less than he could get it wholesale.
^^^^This
Volume dictates price.
Limited GM
10-03-2010, 09:27
If the man's charging a reasonable rate, as a friend you shouldn't be giving another ffl your $$$. Just being his pal doesn't entitle you to a discount - I'm just sayin.
Reminds me of an over heard conversation at a gunshow. A guy is dickering over some engraving work from a vendor when he see's the guy is wearing a Masonic ring. He comments as a "fellow brother" he should give him a better deal. The guy replied as a "fellow brother" you should pay me what its worth.
I always try to remember that.
funkfool
10-03-2010, 12:42
Reminds me of an over heard conversation at a gunshow. A guy is dickering over some engraving work from a vendor when he see's the guy is wearing a Masonic ring. He comments as a "fellow brother" he should give him a better deal. The guy replied as a "fellow brother" you should pay me what its worth.
I always try to remember that.
I've seen this too.
Mx'r: Thanks for the change of 'scenery'! :-)
As a gun dealer, I can tell you that volume effects price with some manufacturers and not others. Some give all dealers the same price and others have tier pricing. Some even require the dealer to make a very large minimum order in the range of a few thousand dollars or more. I sell a lot of guns to my friends and I discount them severely. I also become friends with my customers and discount future orders. Once I hear from the Mods, I will be offering some really good discounts to you guys as well. The bottom line is, pay what the dealer ask if it's a fair price. If the dealer ask what you think is fair, just say "FREE"[ROFL2] and I'm sure he'll come up with a price.
buckshotbarlow
10-28-2010, 13:03
i give the ffl guy a 20 spot every time, but at the same time, i'm always helping the ffl guy out with online gun prices. He's a good guy, and has gotten screwed by some of the "sale prices" that cdnn and other vendors offer to ffl holders. I always tell him that he'll loose clients to co-ar15 and rmgo verse the gun shows. Why buy a new glock with night sights for 600 (his actual cost) when i go to co-ar15 or rmgo, spend 450 on a glock, then 100 on the sights and get a better deal....Sigh, you can't beat websites like this, rmgo or riverofguns...
My thoughts and opinion. The fact that he's your friend should not play a part in your descision. It is his bussiness and his lively hood. Pay him what he charges others. If he offers an actual number (not something like "Whatever you think") then pay that number but give him something else (pack of beer, dinner for him and his wife, etc?) to show that you value your friendship over the fact that he can get you cheap guns...
Just my two cents.
I still owe Byte quite a bit for all his help puttng together my computer and helping with other technical issues... just don't have $$ and don't know him well enough to know what I could get him, which leads back to the don't have $$... vicious cycle it is. He says I don't, but I feel like I do and need to honor that, and I will eventually.
ChunkyMonkey
10-28-2010, 13:16
geez...the fact that you have to ask for something as simple as this. Pay the guy full price already!
Maybe simple for you, but not for me.
Simple for me is trying to determine whether to use indexing and/or partitioning on a non-normalized database in a multi-terabyte clustered system across multiple nodes...
ChunkyMonkey
10-28-2010, 13:38
[rofl1]
Maybe simple for you, but not for me.
Simple for me is trying to determine whether to use indexing and/or partitioning on a non-normalized database in a multi-terabyte clustered system across multiple nodes...
Go with partitioning...HAHA. [Beer]
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