Dealers? Are prices rising or dealer gouging?

[baddarryl]

I am seeing stripped lowers I've $200, just saw a range sell 50 rounds of loose likely reloaded 9mm to a lady for $35. What give? I know there are shortages but dang. Garden variety Glocks nesting $800. Just wow.

[Road_Clam]

Wake up to the typical gun panic norm. No such thing as price gouging, and it's a free market when the masses of panic stricken buyers are willing to pay whatever the asking price is for a "non-necessity" type item.

[recoil junky]

The best way to avoid gouging is to not buy from the gougers and rip off people and make them keep their wares until such time as they lose money on transactions. There are still honest retailers out there that have stood the test of time and elections with fair prices when they have supply.

RJ

[TXAZ]

Originally Posted by recoil junky

The best way to avoid gouging is to not buy from the gougers and rip off people and make them keep their wares until such time as they lose money on transactions. There are still honest retailers out there that have stood the test of time and elections with fair prices when they have supply.

RJ

This^^^
(Congrats Recoil Junkie, you’ve been awarded the coveted

“Post of the Year” award!

[Sharkbite]

My LGS just sold out of stripped lowers @$49.99. 20round boxes of 5.56 are $8.99.

As their cost of goods rises, they raise prices to keep the same margins. Cant ask for more then that in these times.

[FITASC]

No gouging; you either agree to the price asked or you don't; no matter which, there is no gouging. With the advent of possible new laws disallowing ANY internet sales of anything gun related; I would venture some of these small time guys are trying to make as much as they can because their business model of using the internet is about to go away.

[Chipperman]

I am not a dealer but I know one at a large store. When I spoke with him a couple of months ago, he told me his cost of 9mm and 223 had gone up over 300% since last year.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Originally Posted by Road_Clam

Wake up to the typical gun panic norm. No such thing as price gouging, and it's a free market when the masses of panic stricken buyers are willing to pay whatever the asking price is for a "non-necessity" type item.

This is hardly the norm. 300 cities in lock down last summer, 2 Billion in damages across the US, business's destroyed, people killed, Police cars torched and on and on, not to mention 25,000 national guard at a Presidential inauguration. And the next 4 years do not look like a gala Party coming for the 2A. This is NOT a panic, this is reality. Ammunition manufacturer's working 24/7 and cannot even come close to catching up.
This Country is divided now more than any time in US History.

[Logs]

Had the day off today so I went window shopping. One dealer has a pretty good sized shop, but only had about 12 handguns. They were logging in about 2 dozen Anderson Stripped lowers. They had over dozen AR's on the way and a bunch of upper and small parts.

Next shop had maybe 6 AR's and a good selection of ammo for $1 per round. He said their supplier doubled their prices last week.

I notices that some .22 Bricks are going for over $100 for 500 rds. I am afraid that ammo prices are going to keep climbing.

KYgunco still has pretty good prices on AR's.

[FITASC]

Manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer have gone up a little. retailer to end user have gone up a LOT. All of the panic, new gun owners, worries what the new administration will do is fueling demands like they had in WWII without the capability of meeting the demand. IF political things remain unchanged, it should take 6 months to a year before things settle down.

[KEYBEAR]

I check the bigger online sites most every day yes prices keep going up . But i see a trend a lot of firearms are not being bided on anymore . I think it is to things new buyers have already bought a firearm . And the people that have years in the sport they already have firearms and will not pay the high prices .

[Pahoo]

Wake up to the typical gun panic norm. No such thing as price gouging, and it's a free market when the masses of panic stricken buyers are willing to pay whatever the asking price is for a "non-necessity" type item.

Spot on and I would add that these days exceed the norm and not typical for the panic buying. These days are the worst that I have ever seen and can only pray that we all will see better days on all fronts. .....

Keep the faith and;
Be Safe !!!

[44 AMP]

We've been getting "gouged" since McDonalds burger went over $.20 and a gallon of gas passed $.40 (in other words, since the price rose from what it was when I first started buying them).

What's your point?

[Road_Clam]

Reading another "why is everything so expensive ?" thread makes me just want to go hug my comfortable stash of primers...

[TXAZ]

Originally Posted by 44 AMP

We've been getting "gouged" since McDonalds burger went over $.20 and a gallon of gas passed $.40 (in other words, since the price rose from what it was when I first started buying them).

What's your point?

You are but a youngster 44Amp.
How about 13 cent gasoline and 7 cent hamburgers?

On the other hand, when I look at the numbers of (net-after-tax) hours of work that it takes to buy 50 rounds of XXX ammo then vs. now, it's a bargain now compared to 50+ years ago.

But I won't do business with graber of guns or an ammo/optics websites at any price now or in the future, both who have business practices I don't believe (IMHO) are ethical.

[rc]

We will soon find out who made a prudent purchase with the new admin, who wasted money on something that will be taken away and who just got gouged caught up in the panic mentality.....

[wizrd]

I can buy pistol "A" for $349.00 at a big box dealer. (This is MSRP) I can drive 12 miles, and find same pistol in a shop for $569.00 - would that be gouging? - But in NY, I can't blame them - they gotta make some money before Cuomo's taxing and over-regulation force everyone out of business. (Note - I bought 3 of 'pistol A' at the lower price - but if I couldn't find it - I MAY have went for the higher priced one.)

[vranasaurus]

The price of goods is usually set by supply and demand. When demand goes up with no increase in supply, the flow of goods will be regulated by: (1) a shortage because all available supplies were purchased likely by those without an actual need for the purchased amount of product (toilet paper anyone); government or private sector limits on the purchase (only allowing the purchase of a certain amount of a commodity); or (3) an increase in price so that consumption matches the actual need for the commodity.

As prices rise those without a perceived need to purchase a product won’t purchase more than is actually necessary thus maintaining a level of supply to meet needs. Guns and ammo are somewhat unique because most purchases aren’t made to meet an actual need. I don’t blame those with product for increasing prices. If you have only a certain amount of product and can sell it for more than normal why should you sell it at below market value?

[TBM900]

Always fascinating to see supposedly free-market advocates using words like "gouging" "rip-off" etc
You snooze you lose... and no I'm not the slightest bit sorry if my saying that hurts anyones feelings
Just a fact of life

Everyone has effectively had the same opportunity to buy when things were plentiful and "cheap"
If you chose not to buy or couldn't, say due to finances, thats not my or anyone else fault
I've been flipping stuff like crazy on various auction sites the last few months
Penny start and no reserve
Things like Maks I bought ages ago for under $100, selling today for $600+
WASR's that people were LOLing at when priced under $300, selling today for 3-4x
So am I gouging?
Am I ripping anyone off?

And I'm not a dealer trying to keep a business afloat or employees on the payroll
They have even more reason to raise list prices and I doubt most are making all that much "profit" given low supply

[vranasaurus]

Depending on how long ago you bought stuff, what you paid for it, and what you are selling it for you might not actually be making as much money as it appears because a dollar many years ago is worth more than a dollar today. You have to consider the time value of money.

If you took $100, invested it 20 years ago, and obtained a 10% return you would have about $670 today. You might ultimately be losing money on selling firearms. Now if you bought a rifle for $100 three years ago and sold it for $600 today you’ve made a considerable return on investment.

With few exceptions guns are a notoriously poor investment and the value of which can’t generally be counted on to keep up with inflation. They tend to fluctuate in price wildly depending on the legal and regulatory environment or the gun owners/purchasers perception of any potential changes to it.

[Ignition Override]

TBM900: That was very clear and to the point.

1,000 rds. of Tula 7.62x39 in September at JGSales (they have a website) was $380.

Now, the same case of fmj Tula is priced at $620!! Somehow demand pushed the price throttles a second time into afterburner (85% nozzle openings, min.).

So glad to have begun gradually storing the stuff months before the election in 2008, and ever since.
Sometimes good advice is Good Advice, whether viewed with indifferent disregard or not, as if risky medication of many kids had stopped, thereby preventing > the chance < of any more school shootings and the resulting panics?

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by Ignition Override

Now, the same case of fmj Tula is priced at $620!!

Right now I can get 1000 rounds of Hornady for 600 at my LGS. That may change next week or even tomorrow.

[baddarryl]

Originally Posted by FITASC

Manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer have gone up a little. retailer to end user have gone up a LOT. All of the panic, new gun owners, worries what the new administration will do is fueling demands like they had in WWII without the capability of meeting the demand. IF political things remain unchanged, it should take 6 months to a year before things settle down.

^ This is what I was looking for. Don't get me wrong guys. I understand economics and am in business myself. Prices of my supplies have risen dramatically so yes I have to pass that along. Ironically labor remains stagnant or I have even had to drop my labor rates a little to remain competitive. I guess what irked me was there are some LGS's locally that historically jack the prices while others do not or at least not to absurd levels. I live in Hurricane Alley so I see it when storms are on the march. Of course prices for plywood go up, but again there are some shops that pass it along and others that try to make a quick killing. Some are YES just flat ripping people off. I guess I am just not of that ilk.

Oh yes I apologize for not editing my initial post for clarity this making myself look like a dummy. Hat worn!!

[44 AMP]

With few exceptions guns are a notoriously poor investment and the value of which can’t generally be counted on to keep up with inflation.

I disagree, I think guns are a fairly good investment, they hold their value pretty well. However, they are not a good investment if your objective is to make a PROFIT.

[gaseousclay]

I haven’t purchased ammo in a couple of months. At $1/rd for.223/5.56 it’s an easy pass. I understand panic buying but dang, you’d have to have some serious disposable income to pay that kinda dough for ammo. My cutoff was around.75/rd