Beware: Cabela’s/Bass Pro shops gun buy

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MarkHayden

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Hayden, Idaho
I received an e-mail this morning announcing that the above stores were interested in purchasing your guns (pistols, rifles, etc.) for cash, gift card, credit, etc. I’ve got a pre-Model 10 4 screw that is in excellent condition, which I recently replaced with an equally nice 5 screw.

Intrigued, I decided to try them on and went to a store in Post Falls near my home. The whole experience took more than 45 minutes (I was told that there was one seller ahead of me). When I finally got to the employee responsible for making offers, he offered me less than I paid for it, telling me that C/BPS would probably ask $349.00 for it. Sorry, no sale.

My supervisor (my wife) heard the same apparaiser tell a potential seller that “We can’t even sell those”.

I really like these stores, but I’ll never sell them anything.
 

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Any retail store will never offer a decent price on a firearm.

They have to turn a profit on anything they purchase and most items will sit on the shelf for a while. Especially most revolvers in today's gun market.
 
Its a game...and Pawn Stars helped make the blueprint....and they all follow it. pawn shops,flippers,kitchen table dealers, private sellers in gun shows.... I once offered a PRIVATE seller in a PUBLIC gun show a pistol once.the seller had NO liscense, paying NO Income tax, NO nothing. and their offer was an insult...BUT,they cried because of a table fee....give me a break!
 
It's unfortunate but true about Cabela's. Not only are their offers low their prices are out of line as well. The folks I have dealt with on a couple of occasions were less than knowledgeable. I used to enjoy going in and looking t the Gun Library but it has gone downhill and I very rarely even look anymore.
 
AudieMurphy said:
Its a game...and Pawn Stars helped make the blueprint....and they all follow it. pawn shops,flippers,kitchen table dealers, private sellers in gun shows.... I once offered a PRIVATE seller in a PUBLIC gun show a pistol once.the seller had NO liscense, paying NO Income tax, NO nothing. and their offer was an insult...BUT,they cried because of a table fee....give me a break!
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I'm curious what percentage of the guaranteed resale should be offered. That's right there is no guaranteed resale amount. That's why the offers are such.
Now if you came in with something like a Registered Magnum offers would increase to not loose it.
 
I've never even considered trying to sell a gun to Cabelas.
I've found a couple of decent deals and made a couple of purchases there.
But since they are in the business of making a profit, I always figured they would need to buy low and sell high, and I'm not interested in selling my guns for a bargain-basement price.
 
About this time last year Louisville Cabelas must have scammed a major collector because several of my National Gun Day buddies had found some amazing bargains on misidentified or poorly appraised revolvers. The clerks don't care and many carry a grudge because they resent having to pack and unpack the displays every am/pm. I find market soft on common shooters but 6" mod 10s are cool. If you walked that around NGD $450-500 is my best estimate.
 
I was told by one of their employees that generally speaking they “value” the gun at 70% of blue book price, offer 40% below that to give them wiggle room for profit if it sits unsold and it will be listed at blue book values. After 30-days the managers can incrementally lower the price until they hit 70% of blue book value. So for simple math let’s say your gun has a blue book used value of $1000… they will value it at $700, and offer you $420. It will be “checked” for soundness by whatever inexperienced moron filled out an application for an entry level position at the store and be relisted in the gun library for $1000. After 30 days of no offers on it, they may or may not let it slowly creep down in price to $700 but no lower in hopes that someone can’t resist the good deal of a gun “on clearance.”
 
I've bought from Cabela's (now officially a Bass Pro in my local store) for over a decade, but stopped when Bass took over, and the shirts and jeans became junk quality. Took a little longer for the Gun Library to deteriorate. The sales people turned into sales clerks behind the gun counter, so unless it's something I find they have on line, and I go there to pick it up, I never visit the store.
 
gdpolk said:
I was told by one of their employees that generally speaking they “value” the gun at 70% of blue book price, offer 40% below that to give them wiggle room for profit if it sits unsold and it will be listed at blue book values. After 30-days the managers can incrementally lower the price until they hit 70% of blue book value. So for simple math let’s say your gun has a blue book used value of $1000… they will value it at $700, and offer you $420. It will be “checked” for soundness by whatever inexperienced moron filled out an application for an entry level position at the store and be relisted in the gun library for $1000. After 30 days of no offers on it, they may or may not let it slowly creep down in price to $700 but no lower in hopes that someone can’t resist the good deal of a gun “on clearance.”
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They are in the business to make money.

Gotta be able to mark something up to make a profit.

If I have a gun that I think is worth $1000 and they offer me $420, its my choice to say yes or no. If I say yes thats on me, I would not call that a scam.
 
375hh1973 said:
They are in the business to make money.

Gotta be able to mark something up to make a profit.

If I have a gun that I think is worth $1000 and they offer me $420, its my choice to say yes or no. If I say yes thats on me, I would not call that a scam.
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Agreed!

I was just commenting on the business model, as I was told by one of their employees a few years ago at our local shop. I have no issue with it ethically as that's just how businesses operate to make profit and pay employees and overhead. I have bought 2 from the local shop and strongly considered many others. I just personally won't sell to them at effectively 42% of fair market value for the convenience of not waiting for the right buyer to come along. I would rather list at an honest 90% of value and not haggle myself down from there. I've never had too much trouble locally moving stuff at a bit below market value.
 
I think it’s a scam in instances where a good piece is brought in and severely undervalued. They’re a big box store practically and an unsuspecting heir of a collection wouldn’t know better and think they were getting an honest evaluation.

Honest business model would be to buy 10% under value, sell 10% over value. They make enough money on ammo sales alone to be able to make honorable deals.
 
gdpolk said:
Agreed!

I was just commenting on the business model, as I was told by one of their employees a few years ago at our local shop. I have no issue with it ethically as that's just how businesses operate to make profit and pay employees and overhead. I have bought 2 from the local shop and strongly considered many others. I just personally won't sell to them at effectively 42% of fair market value for the convenience of not waiting for the right buyer to come along. I would rather list at an honest 90% of value and not haggle myself down from there. I've never had too much trouble locally moving stuff at a bit below market value.
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That's a great attitude. Wish more folks would see how the world works.
 
here's an angle..Cabelas or any other retail establishment has to pay taxes on profit and other bills. elec bill,property rent and so on...BUT these flippers and private sellers dont pay ANYTHING no overhead,except a table fee..yet they base their prices on what sold last at an auction or internet site.
 
375hh1973 said:
They are in the business to make money.

Gotta be able to mark something up to make a profit.

If I have a gun that I think is worth $1000 and they offer me $420, its my choice to say yes or no. If I say yes thats on me, I would not call that a scam.
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Exactly! They are a business, and they have to make money to exist. The beautiful thing about the free market and the buyer - seller relationship is the buyer doesn't have to buy, and the seller doesn't have to sell. Though the offer may have sounded like an insult, the bottom line is no one is forcing you to sell anything to them, and if you were buying something from someone, you too would try to buy at the lowest price possible. You can't blame them for trying to get the best deal for them, just as no one would blame you for offering a seller a lowball price. If both the buyer and seller are happy with a transaction, it's a good deal for both.

All that said, I do agree that Cabelas went way downhill, with significantly diminished overall product selection and quality once Bass Pro bought them out. I no longer go there unless I have no other options.
 
Why wouldn’t a private seller ask what a retail establishment does if that is what a buyer is willing to pay. The market for collectible items doesn’t operate on a “cost plus” model. The gun will sell for what the market thinks it is worth regardless of what the seller has invested.
Personally, I have yet to find a Cabela’s price lower than what I’ve paid in a GB penny auction.
 
gdpolk said:
Agreed!

I was just commenting on the business model, as I was told by one of their employees a few years ago at our local shop. I have no issue with it ethically as that's just how businesses operate to make profit and pay employees and overhead. I have bought 2 from the local shop and strongly considered many others. I just personally won't sell to them at effectively 42% of fair market value for the convenience of not waiting for the right buyer to come along. I would rather list at an honest 90% of value and not haggle myself down from there. I've never had too much trouble locally moving stuff at a bit below market value.
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This is the trade off. When you sell the gun yourself, you take out the middleman. When you sell it to an LGS they become the middleman and have to make a profit. I also find it funny that owners of guns think they are FAR more valuable than they really are.
 
WolvesFan said:
This is the trade off. When you sell the gun yourself, you take out the middleman. When you sell it to an LGS they become the middleman and have to make a profit. I also find it funny that owners of guns think they are FAR more valuable than they really are.
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One man's trash is another man's treasure.
 
pasound said:
I've bought from Cabela's (now officially a Bass Pro in my local store) for over a decade, but stopped when Bass took over, and the shirts and jeans became junk quality. Took a little longer for the Gun Library to deteriorate. The sales people turned into sales clerks behind the gun counter, so unless it's something I find they have on line, and I go there to pick it up, I never visit the store.
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This exactly describes how I feel about the Greenville, SC store.
Very disappointing!
Their retail inventory is a pathetic shadow of its former self.

The Gun Library is just sad.
Even if you find something remotely decent, it always has major issues that degrade the condition. Yet, they’ll price it like it’s in mint condition.

And, of course, they have those stupid trigger locks, so you don’t know what you’re buying until it’s too late.

I miss the old (pre-Bass Pro Shop…YUCK!) days of Cabela’s!
 
pasound said:
Almost sounds like a scam. They solicited you without you prompting an inquiry?
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Probably every Club member got the email, I did. If you're going by Cabelas/BP anyway it is sometimes worth your while to let them make an offer. Occasionally their buyers are as confused as their people who price used guns and it is possible to get a reasonable offer, unlikely, but happens.
 
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