Unchecked insanity!

lrrifleman

lrrifleman

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I was just perusing a popular auction site to get an idea of how desperate people may be during the current drought on reloading components. I am quite happy that I was sitting down, but I hope that this particular auction is a fraud. Eight pound keg of Varget is up to $4600 after 3 bids. Starting bid was $3500!
 
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Sounds like a shill auction to me. I recently saw a 2000 BMW 740iL for sale on eBay for ~$72,000, which is more than it cost new. It was low mileage to be sure, but on a good day at a live auction, it might have fetched $30,000 tops.
 
How many times have you read on this Forum and others that people are bragging about having 10,000 plus primers or 25 pounds of this or that reloading powder, but are still buying all they can get their hands on. One guy had 20,000 primers and was mad because his local store restocked and only let him buy one brick at a time so he had to go back several times to buy more until they ran out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

STOP THE BUYING INSANITY! This is a BIG part of the shortage.
 
This ammo pricing insanity reminds of Harley-Davidson in the mid-90s. Now THAT was insane!

I purchased a 1995 Softail Custom from Daytona Harley, but here were the conditions:
1. $500 non-refundable deposit;
2. 18-month waiting list (shortest wait was for a Sportster at 12-months, longest for a Dynaglide at 24-months);
3. You can only pick your model but not the color. Whatever color the bike was on arrival was what you got; and...
4. You had to already own a Harley for a trade-in!

Harleys were so popular back then a used bike went for more than a new one. As I waited on the list and got closer and closer to delivery, I kept getting offers for my place in line. By the time I got within a week of delivery the offers were up to $2000. When I took delivery, the salesman met me in the parking lot and offered me $3000 over what I just paid for it.

I kept and rode that bike for 14 years through one major accident, three paint jobs, two drive train rebuilds, and an ungodly number of custom and performance parts.

The take-home lesson (for me, at least) is to Have Patience, and don't succumb to anyone else's desire to keep up with a fad. With that in mind I've decided to remain patient during this current round of retail madness.
 
growr said:
Am re-thinking my position on this and might sell off a bunch of stuff for that kind of money.....

Randy

PS. The old saying about a fool and his money comes to mind.
Click to expand...

"A fool and his money makes a great date!" :D
 
Someone is trying to get $100/lb locally for Varget and I thought that was insane, but nearly $600/lb?....Dang! I'm thinking shill bidder too, but who knows? I'm not familiar with Varget; is it some sort of pixie dust for the magic bullet?


Now my wife is thinking I was really on to something when I started "investing" in all those reloading components a few years ago:D
 
I went to G. Broker site and on the front page of site, I saw a pound of 4064 that is currently bid up to 96$. Son, that is just ---- up. My small stash of powder is probably now insurable for over 1000$. How can I bear to reload when powder is gold dust? As for my stash of primers, I will trade primers one for one for silver dollars, any takers?
 
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I had to go on the G/B auction site just to check things out, and about fell out of of my chair !!
Primers selling for $250-$350 per 1000, certain powders going for $125. and more a pound. Not to mention the high amounts some of these sellers are charging for shipping as well !!
The craziest thing is that there are multiple bids on almost all of this stuff....and people are nuts enough to pay it !! More money than brains, I guess !!
 
I went to a LGS Sunday to check on the reload stuff, no powder that I wanted, no bullets I wanted, but they did have some primers. They were limiting sales of primers to 2 sleeves, they are doing this so that some schmuck wouldn't buy up bricks then resell them. They decided not to play that game, since they didn't have a lot left I decided to leave them for the next guy. I have enough to load what I can and the limiting factor for this weekend will be my 50 cal bullets, I am 8 shy of making the 250 cases I have primed.
 
rays44 said:
Also shows the dark side of human nature. As for the really greedy *******s, I hope they all choke on it.
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I would not consider selling my components. I'd feel really guilty for selling them for way more than I paid and on the other hand, I'm not going to be a sucker and sell them cheaper than everyone else just to have some greedy so and so flip them for a hefty profit.
 
glowe said:
How many times have you read on this Forum and others that people are bragging about having 10,000 plus primers or 25 pounds of this or that reloading powder, but are still buying all they can get their hands on. One guy had 20,000 primers and was mad because his local store restocked and only let him buy one brick at a time so he had to go back several times to buy more until they ran out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

STOP THE BUYING INSANITY! This is a BIG part of the shortage.
Click to expand...

I don't understand why they sold a 2nd box to him, in the 1st place.
There should be a 30 day waiting list before you can buy a "Case" of anything, at these times..........
and that includes 1,000 primers !!
 
tlawler said:
That's exactly why I would not consider selling my components. I'd feel really guilty for selling them for way more than I paid and on the other hand, I'm not going to be a sucker and sell them cheaper than everyone else just to have some greedy so and so flip them for a hefty profit.
Click to expand...

If I had way more than I needed, I'd sell to personal friends and local friends on this forum (no shipping) who really needed them. That way, no one is re-selling at gouge prices and they get what they need. I wouldn't sell for a penny over my cost to a friend. Problem is, I don't hoard and typically only buy enough to last a year or so.
 
Bought a pound of HP-38 (Win 231) at a LGS yesterday for $30 including tax. They had quite a selection, but no Unique, but 231 does pretty good, and that will last me a long time.
 
I am speaking from an undisclosed location. I am beginning to fear for my life, I have an 8 pound canister of Varget unopened and another half of one.

I thought I was just being prudent in stocking up, I didn't know mobs of people would throw money at you for your stash of powder!

If they get a whiff of how many primers I have, I am sure I'll trampeled to death!

Ivan

Maybe I should publish a full inventory and say it is at Rusty's house!
 
It's simple. If you don't have the supplies. But you have the money and belief it wont get better anytime soon.

I'm not in that situation, but if I was..as they say "Do what 'ya gotta do"

Edit: I could stop at my LGS and find rifle powder about $30 a pound. Was just there the other day. Didn't do inventory but the shelves were not bare..
 
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I wandered through a Bass Pro Shop store last weekend. It must be the epicenter of foolishness. None a single cartridge or shell of any caliber or gauge available for sale, but dozens of firearms. They had roped off queues for people to line up and wait their turn to fondle a firearm. Are they the ones paying outrageous prices when they discover their is no ammunition for their new weapon?? Madness.
 
We are not having any reloading component shortages here in Australia. As an example, I just done some quick internet checks on my go to primers; Federal Small Pistol. Prices are around $79-89 per 1000 round box and $10-11 per 100 round box. That's about $61 to $69 USD for the 1000 round box.

It's usually us in Australia that pays much higher prices for gun supplies that are much cheaper in the USA.
 
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I wonder what kind of 20 gauge shotgun I could get for a brick of SSP's? (Just a rhetorical question.)
 
tlawler said:
That's exactly why I would not consider selling my components. I'd feel really guilty for selling them for way more than I paid and on the other hand, I'm not going to be a sucker and sell them cheaper than everyone else just to have some greedy so and so flip them for a hefty profit.
Click to expand...
...OR to find yourself without if this situation goes on for years.
I don't expect it to last that long, but that isn't a gamble I'm ready to take.
Its like trying to "time" the market. Most people who try, fail...
 
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