Do they think we're idiots?!

[ElKabong]

Was working an hour from the house today, so I had to find a gun shop at lunch time to browse around.

I was close to a newer, pretty good size store that I had been in once before.

My first experience there wasn't great. Noticed a nice 622 in the display and asked to look at it. It was exactly what I was looking for, but was marked $459. Seemed a little heavy price-wise to me, so I thought I would make an offer. Asked the clerk (turned out to be the owner) if he would consider $400, and that I had cash so there would be no CC surcharge.

You would think I had asked to do illegal things to his daughter by the look on his face and reaction! I had been very polite, and thought the offer wasn't insulting, so I just chalked it up to maybe he was having a bad day.

Fast forward to today, thought i would try again since they seemed to have some nice stuff.
Nothing interested me until I saw a 686 2.5" with wood combat finger grooves, firing pin on the hammer, no lock....now we're talking.
It was priced at $600, not a deal but if you really wanted one it would be hard to walk away from.

The clerk was a middle aged woman this time (prolly owners wife).
Remenbering my last offers reception, I just asked her if there was any wiggle room, basically what will it take to buy it. Being a used gun, 99% of dealers will be ready to negotiate a little.
She thought a second, and said that since it was a NEW gun she could only discount it $25.
I was actually thinking of buying it, but mentioned it was actually a used gun since it was at least 10 years old.
She got kinda indignant, and re-stated that it was a NEW gun because it was in such good shape (true, not the point though).

I thought about schooling her on the finer points of Smith revolver lineages, but reconsidered and just walked out empty handed.

Walked in there with pockets full of money, and they convinced me to NOT spend any of it.

Between the aggro owner, and the condescending female, I kinda doubt they'll prosper in the long run.

 

[Dragon88]

Some people seem to be running a gun collection these days, instead of a gun business. Lots of crazy prices out there, especially at beef jerky shows...I mean gun shows.

I'm sure you'll find some other good use for the money burning a hole in your pocket.

 

[jspick]

LOL, we have a guy here that runs a junk shop. Used items including tools, etc. I was looking for 7/16" deep craftsman socket, 3/8" dr. I found one and asked him how much.,most used sockets like that around here go for .50 to $1. He said $5! I just stood there with my mouth open!!

He said if you don't like my price go buy a new one. So I did go to the sears store and don't you know it! they are $2.99 new!

There are people like that everywhere! I just learned to laugh and walk out. It's not my problem they have a "my stuff is gold" attitude.

If you read the Bible. Read Proverbs. Somewhere in that book there is a verse that says something like "bad, bad says the buyer, but when he walks away he boasts"

That attitude has been around for a loooooong time. LOL

John

 

[fyimo]

There are people in the gun selling business that have no place being there as everyone knows that on used guns like used cars the buyer is always going to ask for a discount on the price and they should have priced it where they had some wiggle room also and both parties could have reached an agreement. In the end you walk away frustrated and you will probably stop visiting the store and they lost a potential long term customer.

I have a favorite local dealer and we always come to an agreement on price. My last purchase from him was a mint 10-5 with 4 inch tappered barrel and he had it marked $375. I asked him if that was his best price and he smiled and said I wish I could for you but I just don't get them in this kind of shape anymore. I smiled and said I'll take it and we did the deal because on the next one if he can he will do me a favor and I'll get a little bit of a deal. He also does transfers on guns for me for $10 when I have one shipped in and he ships guns that I sell for actual cost plus $10 so he's my guy.

 

[Oldsoul]

It's just business. I wouldn't take it personal. Look at this and other gun forums. People here want top dollar for their new/like new/used/ guns. make an offer they might come down 25.00-50.00 That's with no over head.
But people seem to just assume they can walk into a gun/pawn store with 300.00 and get a 500.00 gun without being told no.
Look I'm no champion of the well to do, just a working dope who can see a little bit of both sides.
They have worked hard to open a store, find nice pieces they can sell, and make a living. If they just gave away everything they'de go bust

 

[Tyrod]

Seems like gun dealers have no problem insulting customers when it's trade in time. There's no rule in the gun business that you have to make your entire weekly income on one used gun.

 

[CajunBass]

I don't understand why people get so upset by this. It belongs to them. They can put any price on it they want to. If you don't want to pay that much, just say " No thank you" and move on.

 

[tgd31968]

I don't understand why people get so upset by this. It belongs to them. They can put any price on it they want to. If you don't want to pay that much, just say " No thank you" and move on.

I am not sure that anyone is upset. It is just one of those things that when you run into it, you just are surprised by it and sometimes come here to share just for the fun of it.

I always assumed that anyone in a business like this knows the game, and as was pointed out earlier, knows the real price, or at least their walk away price as a seller, and has room to deal.

I have seen scumbag car dealers pull the fake anger thing to bully someone into buying, and if they tried it on me, I would simply walk away and not shop there again. Same with a gun shop.

 

[Fishslayer]

I don't understand why people get so upset by this. It belongs to them. They can put any price on it they want to. If you don't want to pay that much, just say " No thank you" and move on.

And if they don't like a buyer's offer a simple "No" or "The price is firm" should suffice.

I haggle over NEW guns...

 

[snubbiefan]

Then...there are the cases where the dealer "gets it" from a stupid uninformed potential customer. I had a lady (who obviously had a severe hormone problem) come by my table recently practically shouting about how high the prices were and how she knew she could by these guns off the internet for less and how I was not going to be in business very long...and this went on-and-on. I eventually got tired of the insults and tried to politely explain to her that....yes, if you had an FFL and yes, if you did not have to pay the shipping or transfer fee....you could purchase these guns off the internet cheaper. At which point she shook her finger in my face and told me to shut-up....twice. It was all I could do to prevent myself from dragging her nagging butt across the table by the hair.......BUT, I just told her yes mam and she moved on. I expected to hear a gun-shot and a scream somewhere in the building when she worked her way to some other non-understanding dealer. I guess she got out of the building without being injured. I never heard a gun-shot or a scream.

 

[Stainz]

I am from the old school of 'If you don't like the price or service, take your money elsewhere!'. Seriously - even in the most sparsely populated parts of this country, a short drive will land you in another gunstore. Several months wait will bring up another gunshow, too.

Thursday at the range, a member showed us a 36 the young lady with him was 'offered' from a 'friend' at work. It was in 'great shape' - and 'all S&W revolver cylinders spin when closed!'. He only wanted $300 for it! A broken/worn finish beater. Folks like that really frost me. I told them the revolver was unsafe and not to shoot it. I showed them my 642 - suggested they check out several stores near them - they could land one for less than a C-note more - new - with a warranty. Overpriced firearms are everywhere!

Stainz

 

[getoff]

i have a couple local stores i go to. one is a straight up gun shop a friend of mine works at. the other is a pawn shop. 9 times out of ten the pawn shop guys will wiggle, the gun shop almost never does. the answer is simple. the pawn guy has more room in his pricing than the gun shop. the owner of the gun shop told me point blank, " i make $35 on a new gun sale, thats my end" the pawn guy told me " i try to make a buck or two on all sales, but if i have to break even or even loose a buck or two to get a loyal customer, i will" both guys were being honest. my soultion is to go to the pawn shop to browse, and maybe buy, or go to the gun shop for a specific item. some people are just jerky by nature, some are nice. we are all people, some days pissier than others...

 

[Camster]

Was working an hour from the house today, so I had to find a gun shop at lunch time to browse around.

I was close to a newer, pretty good size store that I had been in once before.

My first experience there wasn't great. Noticed a nice 622 in the display and asked to look at it. It was exactly what I was looking for, but was marked $459. Seemed a little heavy price-wise to me, so I thought I would make an offer. Asked the clerk (turned out to be the owner) if he would consider $400, and that I had cash so there would be no CC surcharge.

You would think I had asked to do illegal things to his daughter by the look on his face and reaction! I had been very polite, and thought the offer wasn't insulting, so I just chalked it up to maybe he was having a bad day.

Fast forward to today, thought i would try again since they seemed to have some nice stuff.
Nothing interested me until I saw a 686 2.5" with wood combat finger grooves, firing pin on the hammer, no lock....now we're talking.
It was priced at $600, not a deal but if you really wanted one it would be hard to walk away from.

The clerk was a middle aged woman this time (prolly owners wife).
Remenbering my last offers reception, I just asked her if there was any wiggle room, basically what will it take to buy it. Being a used gun, 99% of dealers will be ready to negotiate a little.
She thought a second, and said that since it was a NEW gun she could only discount it $25.
I was actually thinking of buying it, but mentioned it was actually a used gun since it was at least 10 years old.
She got kinda indignant, and re-stated that it was a NEW gun because it was in such good shape (true, not the point though).

I thought about schooling her on the finer points of Smith revolver lineages, but reconsidered and just walked out empty handed.

Walked in there with pockets full of money, and they convinced me to NOT spend any of it.

Between the aggro owner, and the condescending female, I kinda doubt they'll prosper in the long run.

No merchant should get p o'd by a reasonable offer(,and I emphasize "reasonable" as your offer was imo-no one likes someone coming around with an insulting offer or one that assumes you need the money for a fix or something.).It might be the only chance that he has that day to make a deal.
The dealers response should have only been one of three cordial ones: "yes" or "meet me half way" or "the price is firm".

 

[steamloco76]

I'm not fond of shops which refuse to haggle a little bit on used guns, but there are a growing number of them in PA.

The largest gun store in the state instituted a "The price on the tag is the PRICE!' policy two years ago. They have a massive inventory so they do not care how long it takes to sell a gun. I've had to pass by a few overpriced guns because they won't budge on price. However, many of the used guns are priced very fair and some even below market value. Cherry picked several S&W's and a Browning there over past couple years.

 

[FloridaFlier]

I think the point being made is that nobody likes to feel like he's being taken for a ride. Consumers expect a variance in prices for a dozen reasons, all legitimate.
To be fair, it also occasionally works the other way, too. An owner wants far too much on a trade or sale of his gun because he paid too much for it in the first place.
We're capitalists. If you don't want to buy or sell at the offered price, move on. No need for either party to be rude. If they are, I move on regardless because I don't want to do business with people I don't like.

 

[photoman]

When times are tough, idiots abound!

 

[1 old 0311]

This is EXACTLY why I haven't been in a LGS in 3-4 years.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

I think a bit of manners and respect on the parts of both buyer and seller go a long way in creating a pleasant transaction and even create a long term good relationship.

I really only frequent 1 LGS. I am a 3rd generation customer of his. It's just a small shop run by an older gentleman and his wife. When I see something in the case there I like, I just do a little looking around online and so far I have always found his prices to be right on the money as far as what others are asking for the same piece. I don't generally ask if there is wiggle room on his prices. His prices are fine. They always knock 20 or 30 bucks off for paying cash anyway. I don't get insulted at what he offers me for a trade value on something I'm trading in. I understand he is trying to make a living with his shop and understand that to stay in business, he must buy low and sell high. It's part of the game, and it's ALWAYS a pleasant experience to shop at his store.

To me, it seems that running a gunshop as your sole source of income has to be pretty tough. I wonder what's the percentage of customers who come in, handle weapons (sometimes irresponsibly), talk a big game like they know everything when they really don't, and end up walking out without spending a dime? I have seen the way some customers get with dealers and I feel for dealers/shop owners who have to deal with such "customers".

But yes, in the OP's case, I think THAT dealer needed a lesson in applying some manners.

 

[rbswede]

I will add a little to this topic I don't normally say much negative. I have talked with my wife many times on this subject. Most people this day and age think they have the national treasue not so.Granted they are there to make money not give it away. I had several years ago a shop that I had dealt with and made many good deals with the owner. Then enter a family member to the business and it went south in a hurry the shop started jacking the price to the point why bother when you can go else where. Some just take it to the other side and don,t realize it cost them business.

 

[tripledipper]

Allowing for the poor economy, how many guns did we all walk away from but really wanted over $25-50 price difference? Think about how we all piss away the same amount on nonsense. Flexibility is the answer.