Confessions of a gouger

[Brian41]

I saw it coming and stocked up with what I could afford. I wish I'd bought more now and had some to sell at a profit too. I don't hold it against those that did just that and now are making some money for their efforts.
For those that got caught short you'll know next time. Last time around I got caught short on .380 and bought some a buddy found out of state. I paid well for that and learned to stock up when ammo became available again.

 

[blujax01]

...
For those that got caught short you'll know next time. ....

Wanna bet?

 

[old bear]

I got caught semi-short in 2008, and decided it would not happen again. For several years for every round I shot I bought two rounds to replace it. I also made friends with a gentleman who is a very experienced reloader, so I'm in good shape, for several years of my normal ammo usage. As I don't need the money, I have no intention of selling any ammo to anyone at any price. I do have a few friends I would GIVE ammo to if push came to shove.

As for current pricing I'm afraid that prices may never return to November 2012 prices. So my advise to anyone who cares to listen to it. Stock up as you can and hang onto what ammo you have.

 

[handejector]

Class, can anyone tell me who said:
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"
?????
WHICH way do you want it?

That would be Marx, I presume? (But I am beginning to see similarities in many public figures on this side of the Atlantic. )

Yep, it was ol' Karl.
Be glad we have a free market system. It beats bread lines every day.

As for current pricing I'm afraid that prices may never return to November 2012 prices. So my advise to anyone who cares to listen to it. Stock up as you can and hang onto what ammo you have.

I would advise waiting as long as you can to buy ammo at the moment.
Supply and Demand will dictate pricing.
The major manufacturers have the ability to load BILLIONS of rounds per month. I'm not sure if they all still use Manurhin machines or not, but if not, it would likely be to use something better. I can't remember the hourly rate for Manurhins, but it was a staggering figure.
They have BIG bucks tied up in machinery, buildings, trained personnel, components, etc, etc.
They don't make any money if the machines don't run and the people get sent home.
If the shelves fill up, the prices will go down.
If they STAY full, the prices will go down further.
If they reach the point of turning the machines off and sending people home, you will see prices reflect a reasonable profit above cost of production. They will be HOPING you want to buy ammo.
Running too fast and too hard causes 'minor' problems like quality control and higher maintenance.
Running too little will kill a factory dead. You have huge capital invested that does nothing but cost you more in taxes, maintenance, and security, and your good people drift away if they don't get enough hours on the clock.
Witness the Rust Belt.

There is also foreign competition from China and eastern Europe.
What we DON'T want to see is the decline and death of the US ammo industry and the following total dependance on foreign imports!

 

[sw44spl]

I have a friend who has been wanting another M1A1 for a few years.I told him for the past 3 years he better get it now. well january this year he finally wants one. now he is cussing about the high prices on everything.and refuses to pay for anything. I laugh and say didnt I tell you to get one for 3 years now before something comes down. I agree with the guy who Is getting more cast lead bullet friendly guns.I cast about all my handgun bullets.and havent slowed down yet.

 

[SR9man]

If gougers want to gouge let them. I was unprepared but I've done well for myself. In the course of about a month and a half I've gone from having zilch to having plenty. I've bought several handguns and rifles all at good prices ?for before the craziness. I've also bought hundreds of rounds of 9mm, about 3 thousand of 22 and about 100 of 308 all at normal retail prices. If I can do it so can anyone else. Don't like gougers? Don't buy from them. A little patience and hardwork and you'll end up with positive results without crying about gougers!

I was just getting to post very similar comments. The good prices have always been around, it just takes hard work and time to find them. Those whining about the gougers are not willing to put in the time or money.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

The difference between fool and prophet can be very thin. I know several, people who prepared extensively - for Y2K. Afterwards, many were "stuck" with food, supplies and equipment (such as generators) they couldnt (or didn't) want to use, had decreaesd in value where they were "upsdie down", and/or couldn't give away. Many laugh now at at the Y2K scare, but I remember being in a number of planning sessions where we learned from experts about how serious Y2K could have been. Most people fail to appreciate that tragedy was averted because of the hard work and talents of a small number of good people. Think of the position the "planners" would have been in if Y2K had occured.

I would have loved to have stocked up prior to this recent shortage, but I have two teenaged kids and an almost non-existent "guns and gear" budget.

Regards,

Dave

 

[novalty]

Hello my name is Novalty, and I'm a gouger
...at least I think that is how this type of meeting works.

On a funnier note, I recently posted for sale 3 boxes of primers locally for $40 a box. On of the first people that contacted me informed me my price was a little much (while others in same swap/sell ad are asking $50 or $60 a box). He told me that $100 sounded more fair, and if I wanted he would trade me a 525 brick of Winchester 22's and $25 for the primers.

Shame on me for asking a "little much" for primers. Should follow his shining example of asking 5 times the retail price for 22's.

Separate note: primers just sold for asking price.

 

[jkc]

I am, once again, confused... Some of us were recently scolded by a forum member for "hoarding" --- the example presented was having stocks of .22 rimfire ammo exceeding 10,000 rounds, as if this constituted an act of moral turpitude (rather than a panic point of diminished reserves for many of us...). But, "gouging" implies the sale of some commodity at unconscionably exorbitant prices, at a time, or in circumstances, when the buyer is extremely disadvantaged by his demand, and the seller obversely advantaged by having a precious commodity. In any event, having had the foresight to stock up on ammo and components was wise, not sinful. And, even offering to sell surplus supplies at current market rates, isn't sinful, either. So, what's the beef about "gouging" ???

 

[perrazi]

ammo and reloading will not return to their former pricing. since the newtown debacle, the factories have raised their prices twice, per normal business. these raises were from 7-12% depending on the item, not an across the board increase like years ago.it will continue the way as the newer more high tech bullets require different manufacturing techniques and they are more expensive to produce. by the time things return to some normalcy, there will have been another if not two more factory increases. plan on the bulk pack 22rounds to be between $25-30,depending on who is doing the selling. this is my fourth time to go through this and after the first I said never again.

 

[DR505]

I misread the title of this thread...thought it said, "Confessions of a Cougar." I expected it to be a bit more racy.

 

[Straightshooter2]

There is a gun and ammo auction this weekend in Macon. Looking at some of the early bids online, 500 round .22 bricks have current bids ranging from $55 for Federal Lightening to $80 for Remington Thunderbolts. Of course whoever buys them will probably sell them for $25 or more per 50 round box. I've got six 525 round boxes of Federal 36gr hollow points in my stash of around 8-9000 .22s (Yes I'm a hoarder). Y'all reckon I could get $100 or more per 525 round box for those Federals so I can be a gouger instead of a hoarder?

No, I'm not really selling them. The grandkids need something to shoot when they come to visit.

CW

 

[Comrad]

Gouger? No. Entrepreneur? Yes.

Like you the past couple of years I've been stocking up on magazines and ammunition. I'm slowly selling a bit of it, but mostly I did it to avoid a situation such as we are in now. I have enough ammunition to hold me over until prices return to sane levels and I don't know if there is such a thing as "too many magazines."

Smart, yes

 

[rwsmith]

I missed the other shortages

You have a perfect right to stock up on anything that you think might be in short supply and never got any lip (fingers?) from me. Besides missing the last two shortage periods (I was not reloading during those times) I only had a .38 revolver, a bolt rifle and a 1929 shotgun. No hi cap or 'black' guns. I had stocked items, enough to last a while if a problem arose, so I haven't had to pay any ridiculous prices, it was just a matter of finding it. Since the shortages are so lengthy and severe, I'm starting to lay in stocks for the next time. I'm getting into hard cast bullets instead of jacketed because they are cheaper and easy to buy in bulk so I can afford, even on my meager income to stock up. I''m going to lay in plenty of primers, brass and powder. I have a long list of reloading tools that I need and I'm just going to have to acquire that over time. I hope I can get this done before the next crisis.

I'm also adding a few calibers while the getting is good so I need materials for those, too. And BTW, I'm not planning on selling or flipping anything, this is just to watch out for me.

 

[PWJones0]

If you are ammo aware then you will find affordable ammo, and your stock will grow. Slowly may be just like a garden. You don't wait until you are hungry to plant.
Wait until you are ready to go the range, or God forbid ready to go hunting, to buy ammo and you deserve what you find! Remember "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part".

 

[H Richard]

I still have plenty, not excessive, but at my current rate of consumption several years worth of ammo for every firearm I own. I do not plan to sell anything. I plan to continue t acquire more reloading supplies as they become available. The only way the current shortage has affected me is I am practicing less. I now only shoot maybe 25-50 rounds of 12 ga for trap and skeet per week, and 50-100 rounds of .22RF for bullseye practice, and maybe 100 rounds of Centerfire handgun ammo for self defense practice. When the market loosens up enough to replace more components I plan to return to a more active schedule.

I don't sell it, I use it, and plan to use the supplies for quite some time.

 

[the ringo kid]

I know a lot of you got caught with low ammo supplies and hi cap magazines shortges when the run on all things gun got started. But there is a flip side to all this. Since 2008 I stocked up on ammo and some hi cap magazines and have made a nice profit on the sale of those items on gunbroker. Back in 08 I knew what happened at that time would happed again, so I invested time and money to prepare for the next time.

So here we are at next time, and I read the post of you who were caught short and remember I was you in 08. I hope you learn as I did their will always be a next time, and the next time may not just be gun related items,so pay attention, next time may be sooner then you think.

You did it the correct way which is the way im doing it now. The ones that I see tick people off are the ones paying people to stand in line to buy it all up then resell.

 

[the ringo kid]

A local survivalist/gun store--thats been in operation since May 2012 is one I went to back in May this year. I saw he had a good supply of ammo and some fairly decent selection of long guns and remotely decent prices for them. I saw a box of 550 22 lr that still had the WalMart tag on it saying he paid under $19 bucks for it. His new price for same brick--was $160. He also bragged about paying a few people to stand in lines for him to buy the stuff. His GS is the only one in town with that much ammo-long guns etc.

I made no complaints on what his prices were having silently already decided ill not be doing business with him. Ive not seen a real steady flow of ammo at any WM in my area but on occasion--I do get lucky and get what I can. Academy gets more in and I find most of the time-what I want there.

Having said that--I dont know exactly how much ammo I have as I dont keep a constant count. I have enough 9 MM and 22 combined-to fill up one of those wooden Wild Life Boxes you get at Academy or WM.

I vote on spending money at places either with an open wallet--or my shoes. That survivalist store was with my shoes. WM and Academy I have an open wallet for--when they have what I want?

One thing ill not do--is get up super early to go stand in line--at any place. Sometimes I can go to WM and Academy at noon-or even early afternoon--and still see the goodies I want on their shelves. No probs and such and sometimes because of the lack of ammo--I simply save more money for the day when they have what I want-thus more money to spend.

 

[Lost Lake]

Class, please repeat after me:

The BUYER is the only person who determines the price an item sells for.

An item priced too high will not sell. If it does sell it wasn't priced too high now was it? Someone was willing to pay the set price.

And besides, this is another old thread resurrected by a new guy....

.

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
I was also a Boy Scout and believe in "Be Prepared".
However I do not advertise this as when things become scarce I do not want strangers coming to my house to beg, borrow, or steal.