Non-gouging gun stores in Bay Area

[Rob Roy]

I wonder if there are gun stores in Bay Area, which are not gouging during these rough times for 2A? I would personally support those with my wallet.

[TZL]

Eddy's shooting sports isn't gouging on the inventory the store owns...there are some ARs that are on consignment that are asking high prices, but the store's inventory is legit

[cantcme]

What is a fair mark up for a store with higher replacement cost

[Sicarius]

What is considered gouging?
Kevin

[MarkDP]

prices are going up due to supply vs. demand

It starts at the top...
For example, a shop in Brentwood (Brentwood Armory, East Bay area) is honest and fair but their prices are going up also...

as Kevin said above, define gouging

[Jackson_DKMG]

it's not gouging, it's just market value. gouging would be for a necessity like water being hiked up by a utility. paying more money for a toy/hobby/sport is not gouging. and if you're complaining about higher prices for guns, where were you a month ago? you snooze, you lose.

[MichaelM]

So if demand exponentially rises, higher prices are gouging? If a person owns gold and sells it at market level ($1647) is that gauging because 3 years ago gold was going for $1185.

Come on guys lets not go down that road as we know where it leads too. Respect the market, if the price is too high then don't buy it, if people stopped buying the price would come down right away.

Why would anyone be willing to sell anything at october 2012 prices when it is 2013?

[Vepr 54R]

The other thing to keep in mind is that these stores aren't getting their inventory replaced, because the manufacturers are so backed up with orders. They NEED to make more money to hold them over until things calm down (which I believe they will)

[newcitizen]

This says it all!

What is a fair mark up for a store with higher replacement cost

SEE ABOVE QUOTE

The current costs of ammo, parts, and guns has gone up. Lets face it, this happens with many products. The stores are not gouging they are keeping up. I was at a store, which shall remain nameless, that I frequent. This store usually has great prices on ammo etc. The owner of the store was talking with his supplier who actually comes into the store to make the order and they were discussing prices and what's available. The prices on ammo which were low are now higher because the dealer buying price went up on everything.
If you want to say "gouging" fine but I think call down to Federal and the rest of the manufacturers and vent to them. Either way they are just doing what savvy businesses should, and that's respond to the market! Oh and BTW I am not poking or prodding you just trying to give my explanation that I know of. Good luck with your search! Try the gun shows too there is one in SF next weekend at the Cow Palace. Get there early!

[MichaelM]

The term price gouging is one of the worst propaganda terms against the free market system.

Every time a disaster happens resources will naturally rise in cost because of the intense demand and lower supply. Governments place or threaten to, put in price controls to stop the rising prices, in turn do to the higher cost of resupplying in a disaster area, major shortages in supplies and resources follow. If prices rise, business men will have an incentive to resupply at a larger profit and the people who need the resourse the most will have it. The people that need major help the most will pay higher prices than before and the people who are ok will not pay a higher price. When prices do not rise, the people who do not need help continue to buy creating massive lines and force the people who actually need help to wait and potentially not get what they need because of the massive shortages due to price controls.

Rising prices are very important in economics. Same is true in every economic situation that you can think of.

[cantcme]

So what is the cut off that allows calgun members to attack other calgun members and call them gougers or accuse them of causing the shortage?

[dust feeder]

Everyone's very sensitive about he use of the word "gouging" here on CG. Maybe try using the term "extreme mark-ups" and people might actually answer the post instead of arguing the true definition of your verbage or why stores are raising their prices

[LMTluvr]

I'm more impressed that so many think its simply the end retailer "gouging" and there's no possibility whatsoever the LGS is paying more. People need to educate themselves before labeling the LGS as gougers. Many around here still have the same percentage markup they always have. But now instead of paying 1000$ for a colt and marking it up to 1200$ they're paying 1900$ and marking it up to 2100$ . It's not their fault.

[Iskra]

Its not a shop for everyone, but Old West hasn't changed any prices. Bob doesn't sell "black rifles" but has plenty of shotguns, bolt guns, Glocks, Sigs, S&W's (pistols and revolvers) and a rack full of Mosins. Picked up his last brick of 22LR and a couple boxes of trap loads last week, prices were same as ever. Saw a nice little Marlin 40 (precursor to the 60) in the used rack for $175.

[gemoose23]

What is a fair mark up for a store with higher replacement cost

I see this argument a lot, but I am wondering why companies like brownells/midwayusa are not worried about "higher replacement costs". I am using Magpul AR15 30 round magazines as an example of commodity since both sell them, take back orders on them, LGS sell them as well, etc.

Brownells sold 3+ years worth of magazines in the last few weeks, as a business owner if I sold 3 years worth of product in 4 weeks. Wouldn't that just put me ahead of my sales predictions?

When you purchase product to resale I would maintain a "cost of goods sold" account where the purchase price of the goods I owned are maintained. When I sell the magazines I deduct their value from "cost of goods sold" the result is gross profit.

To all the gun stores that have to increase prices, because the future is scary, they all don't mention that they too happen to sell every single last Magpul AR magazine in their stores which could be their 3,6,9,12 month magazine allotment resulting in more Gross Profit in one month than they expected.

If replacement value is going to be higher on Magpul AR15 Magazines, why do some places allow backorders at the prehype pricing?
If as a business I cannot sell Magpul Magazines anymore, it is time to recognize it, adjust my business, adjust my expenses and continue making Profits. If sounds nice when LGS says they need to plan for the future rent and their employees, but they just sold 6+ months worth of merchandise in 4 weeks, if they do not have profits now, they might want to keep their prices high even after the hype/scare.