Are dealers gouging?

[ladder13]

Seems like everything is going up in price daily, especially ammo prices. How is is that the Waltons have had a small increase in their ammo prices(when they actually have ammo) while the rest of the retailers have seen almost 100%(if not more) increases since late 08?
Dealers are starting to look like the oil companies of 2006, 2007 and 2008.
At the last gun show I saw a beat up box of 45LC, that has been sitting in that particular dealers box for at least a year. The price has increased some 50+% in the last 3 months. Why so, if he bought that ammo some 2 years ago?

 

[ladder13]

Seems like everything is going up in price daily, especially ammo prices. How is is that the Waltons have had a small increase in their ammo prices(when they actually have ammo) while the rest of the retailers have seen almost 100%(if not more) increases since late 08?
Dealers are starting to look like the oil companies of 2006, 2007 and 2008.
At the last gun show I saw a beat up box of 45LC, that has been sitting in that particular dealers box for at least a year. The price has increased some 50+% in the last 3 months. Why so, if he bought that ammo some 2 years ago?

 

[BobsSmith]

Here is a deal! Cheaper then Dirt -

One Brick of Winchester Super X .22 LR - For only $79.95!!!! Hurry while supplies last! I am not kidding! What a joke.

Bob

 

[godlessgael]

the free market at work my friend. the price of anything is exactly what you are willing to pay for it. it's value on the other hand..........

 

[BobsSmith]

Yep! I should be in the ammo business!

Some moron will pay it.

Bob

 

[NFrameFred]

simple supply and demand. Yes, huge profits are being made by some, but what's the alternative ? Government control and price fixing ? Worked real well in the 70's as I recall

Limited amount of product - demand outstrips supply and capacity to restock - price goes up to slow demand so there is still product to buy - but panicked people pay ever increasing price and deplete supply .

Now, given that the supply is far outpaced by the demand, should all the available product be sold at a price as if there's plenty to go around ? Those who think with their emotions would likely say "yes!", without thinking it out that customer # 1 who can afford it will buy everything available, leaving customer # 2 the choice between buying some from customer # 1 at an inflated price or doing without. Oh, I know - let's all be "fair" and take only what we need. Who is the arbiter of what his neighbor "needs" ? Unless you happen to live in a socialist society, of course, and they have an answer for everything. Let Big Brother control it all.

Simple supply and demand. Unless you WANT the government to mandate that everyone gets only two boxes of 38 specials every six months for $10 a box. That ought to take care of the 'gougers', shouldn't it ? Plus I guarantee you'll see the guy who doesn't even have a 38 availing himself of his "quota", so I'm sure he'll offer to sell them to you for what he paid for them . . . right ?

 

[perrazi]

at dsm gunshow last weekend and regular displayer at the show was selling primers for $75.00/1000. he did sell some at that price. i offered to sell him as many as he wanted for $50/1000 and he declined.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Here's what gets me...

Firearm enthusiasts as a whole usually always champion conservative causes such as free enterprise.

When it affects us though, it's "price gouging" or "hoarding." The only people that are hollering this are the "have-nots," while the "haves" sit back and laugh a bit.

I don't feel sorry for someone that is willing to pay $50+ per thousand primers, I just know he has to be making a lot more money that I do. I don't feel bad in the least, and come next gun show...I'll haul a case of primers or two down there for an terribly exorbitant price and see if I get any takers.

There is no national emergency- so it isn't like a crippling snowstorm or hurricane. It's more like the beanie baby craze from several years ago.

The answer is, just hold on tight and the market will level off, and if you have or know people that will pay for primers at the rates they are going for right now, you can have a great time laughing at them and pointing fingers.

That is...if the market does indeed level off.

Where's my tin helmet?!?!?

In lieu of the shortage of primers...buy a flintlock!
*Arrrgh!*
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!

"..What happens when they make us register our flints, Capt'n!?!?!?"

Ok...now everyone not go crazy buying matchlock fuse at one time!

 

[David LaPell]

Good old economics, the law of supply and demand in full effect.

 

[Bullseye Smith]

People are funny, remember when the 5-7 hand gun came out, we got ammo for 16 to 18 dollars per box and sold it from 22 to 25 dollars per box of 50. Ammo dealers were buying it up and had a price of 30 to 50 dollars per box. That is a rip off just like stuff is today. Federal may have a 5% increase, but the dealers are having a 50% increase.

 

[RGAmos]

Interesting reference to the oil companies. I worked with one in international exploration operations for many years. If those complaining about these companies would take the time to inform themselves instead of repeating the drivel put out by those who simply want to sew discontent for political purposes, they would find that these companies have been investigated repeatedly by the morons now serving in the the US House/Senate, and, guess what, the investigations found no improper actions by these companies. I can't recount the number of seminars I had to attend and in which the specifics and consequences for violation of the Sherman Anti-trust Act were hammered into all present. The attitude that for some reason a person should have gasoline, ammunition, or anthing else at the price the person wants to pay, regardless of market forces,is absurd on its face.

 

[ladder13]

Originally posted by Bullseye Smith: Federal may have a 5% increase, but the dealers are having a 50% increase.

Oh, that's just old fashioned supply and demand.

 

[ladder13]

Originally posted by BobsSmith:
Here is a deal! Cheaper then Dirt -

One Brick of Winchester Super X .22 LR - For only $79.95!!!! Hurry while supplies last! I am not kidding! What a joke.

Bob

CMP has 5000 rds of Aguila for $229+ shipping.

 

[Douglas Haig]

In the next few years when BO gets around to gun/ammo control you'll wish you could pay these prices.

 

[doc540]

local Gander Mountain has Remington .38 Spl +P, JSHP, box of 50, $49.95.

Yes, boys and girls, you read that right.

 

[Smokester653]

Why is it that most posts have something about The Government in it when it comes to limiting the sales of ammo in stores? Isn't it the individual stores choice?

 

[Guest]

At the last gun show I saw a beat up box of 45LC, that has been sitting in that particular dealers box for at least a year. The price has increased some 50+% in the last 3 months. Why so, if he bought that ammo some 2 years ago?

This is a simple answer. If he wants to replace that box it is going to cost him lots more than it did 2+ Years ago. Costs from all of my Distributors are going up on nearly everything I order on a regular basis and ammo in some cases simply has doubled or more and some is simply not currently available at ANY price. The real CRAZY ammo is .380 but I think this is somewhat being caused by the number of new .380 automatics that have been coming out from the different Companies. I know several Dealers who are selling all the .380s that they can get but don't have any ammo to go with them. I also know several Dealers who have recently gotten shipments of ammo but all of them are saying the same thing. They are NOT getting .380, .38 Special and .357 Magnum. All the rest do seem to be coming in but the prices have gone up more than just a little bit.

Primers and other components have also gone up more than a little bit.

 

[CordWood]

If you think these prices are high now, wait until the hyper-inflation kicks in sometime in the next 9 to 15 months. All this money that is being printed will insure that the price on everything will skyrocket. I am afraid this will make the Jimma Carter years look like the "good old days".
Butch

 

[Stevens]

This afternoon I stopped by a gun shop which is usually pretty well stocked. They had about 30% of the usual supply. I asked for some .38 ball ammo none, they did have a box of .38 hollow point for $36.00 I passed on that, I then asked for some .22 he said they might have a box of 500 in back he did come back with that.
I asked them if they were donating to Obamas next election he said "he is our best salesman".
The nearby Academy Sports did have .38 and 9MM among other cals but no .22 except some CCI stingers.
Steve

 

[dixiedawg119]

A "Change in expected future price or availability" shifted the demand curve up. The natural consequence is a higher price and a higher number of items sold. "Price gouging" is not an economic term. The reason that everyone is sold out is that the supply side hasn't caught up yet. Manufacturers are selling more ammo than they can make. This can be corrected several ways. One way is charging even higher prices, until the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. Another way it could be corrected is a downward shift in the demand curve. Eventually people will stop trying to hoard because you can only hoard so much. Buying more ammo than you really want or need or have ever used can only last so long. If people are finally satisfied that they have stockpiled enough, the demand curve will shift back down. Or, if people determine that ammo won't be outlawed(or whatever), the demand curve will shift back down. When the demand curve shifts back down, expect prices to fall and the quantity demanded to fall. This means lower prices and warehouses full of ammo due to production surplus. Then suppliers reduce production or lower price to get rid of the excess. So there is a possibility that the price of ammo could fall through the floor in the future, but that assumes all things other things affecting demand and supply remain equal(which they won't). It happens all the time. Why are we paying half what we were for gas a little while ago? Ask anyone who has tried to cash in some copper or aluminum lately. At one point a year or so ago they were ripping the wiring off light poles to get the copper to sell. Couldn't hardly get the stuff without paying outrageous prices. Prices have fallen off about 75%, it's hardly worth driving to cash in aluminum unless you got a good truck full now.