Is Price Haggling Gone from Gun Buying

Well, I haven't been on here that long but the few transactions that I have completed were very positive.The prices were good right from the start and the actual interaction with the personnel was fabulous. Very knowledgeable sponsors on this site. If you look , do your research and have a little patience you will be awarded with some great buys.

Bashing isn't exactly the right thing on a public forum when we are here for a common theme,IMO, maybe a PM to them asking if they can move the price or why is it less expensive at this place would probably be more appropriate. Ultimately it is the seller that looses out if they don't want to move the product.

In the end the one doing the shouting and complaining makes themselves look less than intelligent.
 
I am naive enough to look for deals on the EE and other online portals prior to buying a new firearm or equipment, but much like a few previous posters, used equipment is going for 90-95% new retail pricing, rather then the 75-80% you would come to expect of a used product depending on condition.

But 9.9/10 I always find myself buying new as a result. I will not cave in to pay full retail face value (minus taxes for private deal) for a firearm without knowing the variables.

I see way too many posts saying 5 down the tube, but its difficult to imagine someone wouldn't put at least a 20 round box through a new toy -- and thus asking for 100% face value minus the tax for private deal.

Or if it was 500 rounds down the tube, very difficult to determine the difference between 500 and a couple thousand rounds if maintained adequately to even the above average buyer. Also seems far fetched that so many would keep high round counts through there firearms. When I go out I bring every thing that shoots with me, and lose track after the first couple rounds. Too much unknown. And yet it goes for 95% face value

Bullocks.
 
If you want the gun, buy it. If you can buy it somewhere else cheaper, then go there and buy it. If you cannot find that gun elsewhere, or cannot find it cheaper, then buy it.

Either you want it or you don't. Its not that hard to figure out.
 
It seems odd to me that people get so offended that someone would discuss customer service and pricing on the net. Maybe its time that our little Canadian firearms dealers figured out that "word of mouth" now includes "typed on net" and live with it. Who would have thought that the old local word of mouth about a shop would have in 2010 gone on the web?? :eek:

I say get over it and start to give good customer service. I can go on ebay request a quote on used running shoes with shipping and they get back to me within a day, I go to the local shop to talk about ordering a $1500 rifle and get the run around, I actually asked once a week for a month and got nothing but a "I will have to call tomorrow" or "I am waiting to hear back..." Time for stores to learn that this is a new era, and word gets out faster and further than ever.

I have gotten some very good service from board sponsors here, likely because of the format I contacted them (pm here or at least mentioned that I found them here) and they are men of their word. Most stores would do well to do the same.
 
Having been a sales manager in vehicle sales for 10 years, I'm somewhat reluctant to even get started here.

Frankly, I've never understood why so many seem to think they're the only ones entitled to make a good living.

Nobody is getting rich selling sporting rifles and shotguns.

10% markup isn't worth opening the doors to the shop you've got half a million worth of your own jake on line for, only to make an income that most union workers wouldn't even consider starting wages.

Just sayin'...
 
This thread reminds me of an add that was placed in the EE a while back.It went along the lines of $1000 firm,or $1500 for those wishing to haggle over the price.I found that add quite amusing.:D
 
Frontier Firearms said:
Dealers do not dicker anymore because they do not inflate prices. If you ask any dealer to put a 40% margin one a gun and give you "deal" or something for free, they would be happy to. However they are at around 15-20%. As far as dealers making such a killing on certian items, the answer is yes, sometimes they do make alot of money. To those who take offence to dealers making a good living, I would like to ask you a question.

If I was to offer you a job that had about twice the stress as any goverment job, no benifits, plenty of risk , would you take the job for 30-40K a year? Theres another catch too, you would need to tie up between half and a million dollars of your own money to get this job. Does it seem unreasonable that a gun dealer will make a good living at this job?
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But you guys are doing one hell of a job up there! I appreciate all of your help and would rather deal with you and pay a little extra just because you have something most other "big box boys" don't. Service, knowledge, and passion. w:h:

On a side note, Long & McQuade marks up their guitars 5-10%. The real money is made on strings and picks, which are marked up about 70% or thereabouts. I can't remember the exact numbers, but I could ask my brother in law and find out.
 
There is a local retailer here who greatly inflates the value of his guns in his shop, he could do this becasue he was the only one around for quite some time. Unfortunately, he still sells guns to people but only once. I dropped in the other day (he sometimes gets some rare stuff on trade) to hear him lament to a customer how hard it is to sell even used stuff these days. Fewer and fewer people are buying guns today. I told him that it was actually that fewer and fewer people are buying guns from him today because there are better places nearby now to do it. He asked me to leave.

This has to happened in Medicine Hat at the Outdoors Man.
 
And thats not so much anything against the dealer himself, there has been a large increase in internet purchasing that has hurt the local dealers. Also years ago if you wanted to sell, you had a better chance putting it up for consignment at your local shop, trading in/up, or if you were lucky a person you know would pay you a good buck, but now a lot of the trading is done in a place like this on the EE, so that effects the retail market too. Unfortunetly lots of folks walk into a retail environment to feel things out (I do this for electronics at WorstBuy and PastShop, then hop on the internet and buy it 20% cheaper online tax in). This is an emerging trend in all other sectors

shootist22-250 said:
There is a local retailer here who greatly inflates the value of his guns in his shop, he could do this becasue he was the only one around for quite some time. Unfortunately, he still sells guns to people but only once. I dropped in the other day (he sometimes gets some rare stuff on trade) to hear him lament to a customer how hard it is to sell even used stuff these days. Fewer and fewer people are buying guns today. I told him that it was actually that fewer and fewer people are buying guns from him today because there are better places nearby now to do it. He asked me to leave.

This has to happened in Medicine Hat at the Outdoors Man.
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Unfortunetly lots of folks walk into a retail environment to feel things out (I do this for electronics at WorstBuy and PastShop, then hop on the internet and buy it 20% cheaper online tax in). This is an emerging trend in all other sectors
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But that currently isn't the case where optics and firearms are concerned in Canada.Although they have websites that advertise some of their merchandise,the places that I can get by far the best prices,actually have retail stores where you can handle the merchandise.
 
Avalonthas said:
And thats not so much anything against the dealer himself, there has been a large increase in internet purchasing that has hurt the local dealers.
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If your local shop doesn't have internet access, its time to step into 1999...The smart dealers figured that out long ago, and if people are resisting it, they might as well close shop.
 
rookie wildcat said:
On the NEW side of the house, let me tell you that it is a simply matter of economics. As a dealer, you MUST stock X number of dollars of manufacturer M's product. Same as X, Y, and Z's. That is a fair bit of overhead to carry. Then wages, then rent, other types of overhead. Usually the price asked is a fair price based on what the dealer is paying. When it isn't, go elsewhere. I have never haggled on any new purchase. I usually know the price from several other places first. I ask the price, if I don't like it I say thank you and leave. If it is far more than any other place I have checked, i will let the seller know that that same thing is available at BBB outfitters for $$$. Often times the seller gets upset and I have gathered valuable info...don't go back there and soon someone else will be renting that building.
I never could understand haggling. I don't do it. If I ask a price for anything, it is because I feel it is a fair price and the item is worth it. If you don't want to pay that for it go away! Shipping costs money.
However, I must agree with you on the used items comment. The posts here in the EE are often inflated beyond new! If a person hasn't done their shopping around and research, then they can get rooked. See, when I buy used, it is used. NOT new. Same as a car...buy it new, drive it off the lot and you just lost 25% of the value of the car. It is no longer a virgin. Not worth as much. Most times, I can buy the same rifle through Cabela's, shipped to my door, for the same of less cost than buying "used, never been fired" (hah!) on the EE. I don't care if it is still in the sealed box with the postman delivering it as I sign the deal. IT IS USED, better lower the price. There is a local retailer here who greatly inflates the value of his guns in his shop, he could do this becasue he was the only one around for quite some time. Unfortunately, he still sells guns to people but only once. I dropped in the other day (he sometimes gets some rare stuff on trade) to hear him lament to a customer how hard it is to sell even used stuff these days. Fewer and fewer people are buying guns today. I told him that it was actually that fewer and fewer people are buying guns from him today because there are better places nearby now to do it. He asked me to leave.
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I agree to you. If you don't find an item worth what it is asked for, than don't low ball someone about it.
You can NEVER buy a SAKO 85 Finlight for $1000 bucks new. You can only if the dealer decided to LOSE money and blow off some over stock, but NOT from a typical bargain.

As the used market goes, alot of the stuff is hit and miss as people are trying so hard to take advantage of another person.

Someone today offered me a NIB norinco M14 + $150 for my Beretta 92 INOX.
Realistically, a pre-owned M14 worth about $350 or $400 max if someone is desperate. It cracks me open for a second, nice try.
 
self employment

Frontier Firearms said:
Dealers do not dicker anymore because they do not inflate prices. If you ask any dealer to put a 40% margin one a gun and give you "deal" or something for free, they would be happy to. However they are at around 15-20%. As far as dealers making such a killing on certian items, the answer is yes, sometimes they do make alot of money. To those who take offence to dealers making a good living, I would like to ask you a question.

If I was to offer you a job that had about twice the stress as any goverment job, no benifits, plenty of risk , would you take the job for 30-40K a year? Theres another catch too, you would need to tie up between half and a million dollars of your own money to get this job. Does it seem unreasonable that a gun dealer will make a good living at this job?
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Don't forget the extra hours you have to put in as a shop owner? How many weeks do you get 2 days off? FS
 
Frontier Firearms said:
You narrow minded view of this industry is clearly demonstrated. I clearly explained price highs and lows in my post about the Thompson Center rifles earlier. Sometimes a dealer gets a excellent and buy passes it on to the customer (either buying direct or buys thru a clearout). Its pointless to try to explain this because your view does not take into account anything other then price.

Lower price then most = Good

Higher price then some = Evil

If I buy a foreclosed house on your block worth $250K for $200K and sell it for 220K, can house buyers point fingers at you as a scrooge when you sell your house (worth $250K) for $250K?

Its amazing how a gun store can be a hero and a villain all in one because they have the cheapest price on one items and are 10% over on the next. If thats all you can look for thats all you will ever see. Yes there are places that over charge based on their margin, but they are few and far between.
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Frontier Firearms is a wonderful business to deal with. :) Marlin is fantastic, as are his staff. Three thumbs up!!!
 
Avalonthas said:
And thats not so much anything against the dealer himself, there has been a large increase in internet purchasing that has hurt the local dealers.
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Almost every dealer who does business online is an independent dealer with a storefront somewhere. The dealers who do well are the ones that understand that their potential market is national given an adequate web presence.
 
It's bad enough to race against the next buyer to get an item for the asking price. You can't even ask questions without the item being sold from under you.

Haggling will get you a reply that the item has already been sold. Things move very quickly around here. Especially with reasonably priced items.

This causes a new problem because members say they'll take it to secure the item to ask questions and back out when they don't want it. Not cool.

The tire kicking days are over if you really want the item. The member list is growing exponentially.
 
easy said:
It's bad enough to race against the next buyer to get an item for the asking price. You can't even ask questions without the item being sold from under you.

Haggling will get you a reply that the item has already been sold. Things move very quickly around here. Especially with reasonably priced items.

The tire kicking days are over if you really want the item. The member list is growing exponentially.
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Aint that the truth!

The last three items I tried to buy on the EE were all sold within minutes of being posted. I had responded to all three of those in under 5 minutes of when they were listed. Gotta be faster I guess...
 
easy said:
It's bad enough to race against the next buyer to get an item for the asking price. You can't even ask questions without the item being sold from under you.

Haggling will get you a reply that the item has already been sold. Things move very quickly around here. Especially with reasonably priced items.

This causes a new problem because members say they'll take it to secure the item to ask questions and back out when they don't want it. Not cool.

The tire kicking days are over if you really want the item. The member list is growing exponentially.
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I always go through the pm's in chronological order and confirm whether or not the first person wants the item before I accept an offer from the next one down the list.
 
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