The craziness is getting...crazier!

[GKC]

I went to my LGS today to get the gunsmith there to help me resolve a problem I was having, and while I was there, the owner showed me a beautiful SIG 1911 Texas edition he had just gotten in. (1911s are my weakness...and he knows it.) I really liked the gun, but I didn't have the $1K with me to buy it...so, I asked him about putting it on layaway (they have had a 90 day layaway plan since I started going there several years ago, and they have put several guns on layaway for me without a deposit, since I have bought many guns there.) He told me that he had eliminated the layaway plan because it was too hard to get guns now, and they were selling everything they could get in (and they aren't gouging prices, either, which maybe adds to their sales volume.)

I guess he did me a favor, since I really don't need another 1911 or to spend $1K on one right now anyway...but then, when has "need" really been the issue? I did like the gun, but I just don't need to spend that kind of money now...and while I may be just trying to rationalize my disappointment, I do think that, on reflection, it is kind of odd for SIG to have a Texas edition. S&W or Ruger, yes...but not SIG.

SO, I wonder what other changes this craziness is going to bring: first no guns, then no ammo, crazy magazine prices or none available at all, and now no layaway.

 

[bobelk99]

I suspect the next craziness will be the zillion folks trying to unload the ten zillion Glock mags they ordered at the beginning of the panic and then realize they have no need for them. Price on such has generally dropped from 50 to 35$ in the past 3 weeks.

 

[GKC]

I suspect the next craziness will be the zillion folks trying to unload the ten zillion Glock mags they ordered at the beginning of the panic and then realize they have no need for them. Price on such has generally dropped from 50 to 35$ in the past 3 weeks.

A few days ago, I saw two 10-round M&P9 magazines on eBay, and the current bid on them was $217! I don't know how much they ended up selling for...but these were 10-round magazines, not 17-rounders! That is just insane.

 

[mc5aw]

Ebay has been pretty strict about enforcing a "no high capacity" rule the past month +. Auctions with hi cap mags have been routinely taken down, but standard mags can be sold.

BTW Ken, have you seen the SIG Scorpion 1911? First one I've gotten to hold and go over up close came into the LGS this week. Beautiful gun ... but $1049 is too rich for my blood on anything not deemed a necessity or that doesn't sit in the Top 3 of the firearms want list.

 

[Sprefix]

I'm glad I got guns, ammo, and mags while others were investing with Bernie Madoff......

 

[chud333]

I'm glad I got guns, ammo, and mags while others were investing with Bernie Madoff......

Me too Spree,
Here's a Sig i just traded last month, just to rub salt
in the wound a little Ken.... No hard feelings.....
Sig C3

Chuck

 

[Delos]

Apocalypse soon

SO, I wonder what other changes this craziness is going to bring: first no guns, then no ammo, crazy magazine prices or none available at all, and now no layaway.

Only California Surfers ride the high part of the wave. Supposed to buy low and sell high - in stock market, art and rare items sales.

The tide will go out soon enough. Right now I am looking at scuba diving spear guns (attempt at humor). If thing get really goofy the price on spear guns and flare guns will jump.

I might go clean out Wal Mart's CO2 powerlet's.

Does anyone know the chamber pressure on 38 special nail gun amo. What size buckshot would fit in the cylinder in front of one of those.
(Gotta sound desperate here to stimulate the anti-guners imagination). (It will be a long time before the drug gangs are fighting with swords in the dark of the nights).

Like in the very long "Age of Flint" that is usually passed off as "pre pottery man". No one was dopy enough to try to oulaw flint. The same "flint hand axe" is found on all continents.

If they cannot seal our borders from drugs - handguns will always be available. Really big prisons that cost 30 to 40,000 dollars per man cannot be afforded for all the new law breakers. Chain gangs are not profitable since the invention of diesel tractors.

Worst of all the wimpy anti gun people will have no one to respond to their screams in the night. That will get more frequent after guns outlawed by them, who do not know history.

In the real world people quietly become good at fighting with common tools. Read the history of Okinawa after it was conquered by japanese. Numchucks were wheat thrashers. Every tool had more uses.

Read how many thousand men Napoleon lost in the Dominican Republic. Maybe if our schools taught real history?

 

[tork'd]

Me too Spree,
Here's a Sig i just traded last month, just to rub salt
in the wound a little Ken.... No hard feelings.....
Sig C3

Chuck

now that's just mean...

 

[jimmyj]

Jimmy's rule: If I can't buy it outright-I can't afford it-let someone else enjoy purchasing and using it.

 

[GKC]

Ebay has been pretty strict about enforcing a "no high capacity" rule the past month +. Auctions with hi cap mags have been routinely taken down, but standard mags can be sold.

BTW Ken, have you seen the SIG Scorpion 1911? First one I've gotten to hold and go over up close came into the LGS this week. Beautiful gun ... but $1049 is too rich for my blood on anything not deemed a necessity or that doesn't sit in the Top 3 of the firearms want list.

Yeah, I found out about that when I tried to list a couple of SR9 17-round magazines. I sold them on the Ruger forum for $80 shipped for the pair, though. I paid $70 for them, and it cost me $5 to ship them, so I made $5 profit. Well, not really...it cost me about a gallon of gas to drive to the post office, and then there was the supplies to box them up. So I may have gone in the hole. But then, that is my business motto: buy high and sell low.

I haven't seen any other SIG 1911s lately, other than the one I just mentioned. SIGs are great pistols, but right now...I just don't have the money to spend on a new gun. I need to have money available in case I come across any ammo!

Me too Spree,
Here's a Sig i just traded last month, just to rub salt
in the wound a little Ken.... No hard feelings.....
Sig C3

Chuck

That's beautiful...and you are mean!

 

[GKC]

I might go clean out Wal Mart's CO2 powerlet's.

I actually found myself looking at some of the CO2 pistols online last night...Tangfolio makes a pretty realistic 1911. At least I could plink with it in the back yard.

What a sad thing...here I am at 62, thinking about buying a toy gun. At least I could buy BBs and CO2 for it when I went to Wal-Mart to get my Depends and Ensure.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I went to my LGS today to get the gunsmith there to help me resolve a problem I was having, and while I was there, the owner showed me a beautiful SIG 1911 Texas edition he had just gotten in. (1911s are my weakness...and he knows it.) I really liked the gun, but I didn't have the $1K with me to buy it...so, I asked him about putting it on layaway (they have had a 90 day layaway plan since I started going there several years ago, and they have put several guns on layaway for me without a deposit, since I have bought many guns there.) He told me that he had eliminated the layaway plan because it was too hard to get guns now, and they were selling everything they could get in (and they aren't gouging prices, either, which maybe adds to their sales volume.)

I guess he did me a favor, since I really don't need another 1911 or to spend $1K on one right now anyway...but then, when has "need" really been the issue? I did like the gun, but I just don't need to spend that kind of money now...and while I may be just trying to rationalize my disappointment, I do think that, on reflection, it is kind of odd for SIG to have a Texas edition. S&W or Ruger, yes...but not SIG.

SO, I wonder what other changes this craziness is going to bring: first no guns, then no ammo, crazy magazine prices or none available at all, and now no layaway.

For the record, I understand that shops are slowing/stopping layaways for several reasons. Here are some of my personal observations being a frequenter on many LGS and friend of three shop owners.
1) While these shops made a butt ton of money in the last few months, they now are struggling to get ANY kind of inventory. No inventory means No cash in the door. No cash flow means can't pay the rent, payrole etc.
2) Any shop that has significant inventory and can afford to lay things away for possible payment in 60/90 days, is likely charging too much anyway.
3) Gun and accessory prices have gone up. Even the "good shops" that are trying to hold prices have raised prices somewhat. If the bubble pops , or even deflates as we see it doing now, they could be left holding that $750 Glock for an unhappy customer that thinks he got spanked 30 dyas latter on what should be a $600 handgun. Reputation is a hard thing to earn and even harder to gain back.
4)Layaway's only work when cost and availability of replacement stock is predictable.


All that said, I REALLY miss the collecting part of being a gun enthusiast. One of the great aspects of this hobby has always been the "find " in the corner of a gun shop, gun show , etc. There are no "finds" any more. The guns are either non existent or over priced. in fact, i've even stopped looking. I refuse to go to gun shows or strange shops and watch panicked mobs compete for everything at 200% pricing. It's like a scene from a sifi flick. Can you imagine if there was a food or fuel shortage??
I can't wait for the "Wolf Blitzer told me I wasn't going to be able to buy a gun so I figured I'd better get everything I can this week " hoopleheads go back to golf and leave us to our passion.

 

[jaykellogg]

Last Sig 1911 I had in my hands was used but you couldn't tell. It was $880 otd and had a rail. It felt really great in my hand. I have heard some disturbing things about Sig 1911's. Nothing firsthand and may be sour grapes. I didn't really need another 1911.

 

[Arik]

My LGSs are like all others, they dont have a significant inventory but they all allow layaways. No extra fees, no added %, no overcharging. Why? Because they would quickly loose all business if they stopped doing layaways. Not everyone has $500 or more on the spot and not everyone want to use a credit card.

In my area gun prices have not changed. M&Ps are $500-$600 depending on accessories, Glocks $515-$550. There is a used G17 at one LGS yesterday for $375. Cz are about $499. Only price change was on ammo.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[GKC]

For the record, I understand that shops are slowing/stopping layaways for several reasons. Here are some of my personal observations being a frequenter on many LGS and friend of three shop owners.
1) While these shops made a butt ton of money in the last few months, they now are struggling to get ANY kind of inventory. No inventory means No cash in the door. No cash flow means can't pay the rent, payrole etc.
2) Any shop that has significant inventory and can afford to lay things away for possible payment in 60/90 days, is likely charging too much anyway.
3) Gun and accessory prices have gone up. Even the "good shops" that are trying to hold prices have raised prices somewhat. If the bubble pops , or even deflates as we see it doing now, they could be left holding that $750 Glock for an unhappy customer that thinks he got spanked 30 dyas latter on what should be a $600 handgun. Reputation is a hard thing to earn and even harder to gain back.
4)Layaway's only work when cost and availability of replacement stock is predictable.

Those are some good points...and to the credit of the shop I was in, they haven't raised their prices. They are as disgusted with people who do that, as we are. While I was disappointed, I can understand their decision...and in fact, it worked out to the best for me, since I really didn't need to buy that gun. I do like SIGs in general, but I really prefer 1911s without a FPS...and SIGs do have an FPS. That is just my personal preference.