Haggling at Gun Shows .... .... .... .... .... ....

[Carbide]

How successful have you been at haggling at the gun shows?

AR parts and accessories are usually way higher than I can get online so I never bothered with them, but have for knick knacks here and there ... ... .... ..... ...... .......

[ghost]

you can sometimes,remember "money talks"
cash in hand gives you a little leverage imo

[EricCartmann]

Haggling is an art form. Not everyone can do it, and those that do, few do it effectively.

whatever.

it all depends on how bad the seller wants to sell it. you have to pick your targets.

first day is good to go just to scope and to get a price what everyone is selling stuff for. Lots of stuff will be unmarked just because they want you to ask.

go back the last 4 hours of the show, and if you see a lot of the stuff still in stock, then you know you can negotiate (or maybe not, sometimes the vendors will be happy just taking their stuff to the next show)

and cash means you don't pay tax and even have more room to negotiate.

ofcourse if you wait till the end then you take chances because it might sell out, but if this happens it is not too bad because next month there will be another show.

[Spiggy]

Haggling; it's not so much an artform more than a martial artform! when used correctly can be quite deadly against high prices.

I've been known to haggle at shows and get away with it... but it never works against the established tables with the credit card machines

[Digighost112]

good pointers

[U2BassAce]

You can always haggle. I have even doen it at retail shops. For those of you into guitars never pay retail for a guitar at Guitar Center. That is just one example. All they can say is no.

[BONECUTTER]

I always haggle and most of the time it works. I have been in sales so a few tips:

1. Never say anyone has it cheaper. Thats just annoys sales people and now we want to charge more then listed now.

2. Them you only have xx dollars.....if your paying by credit tell them you only have xx available. Even for well know companies sometimes they can give a little to keep a customer happy.

3. Be polite and walk away. Say you understand and smile. And never try to go over there head and ask someone else there. If you really want it come back before you leave and give it a good eyeball. This is where I have seen the best results and sometimes they tell you they can give you a "special deal".

4. Is all about timing. For gun shows its best to go early for those limited things that you don't care about price, but if you want deals you go late on the last day. Everyone want to boost some sales and everything they sell just means less stuff to pack up and load.

Lots of these work at places other then gun shows like guitar center as pointed out. I don't even think I have paid list price so a set of strings there.

Hope this helps out some of you guys.

[PIRATE14]

You can always haggle but........if you do don't try it w/ a CC...

CASH is king.........

Don't try and tell me the price of things......I know how much they cost....

Don't compare a NOVESKE upper to a M1S upper.......

If I tell you it's a good deal.......take it...... Don't tell me you'll look around the show for a lower price......I already did.

If I tell you don't hesitate.....take it, It won't be there when you come back......

Don't ask for a volume discount for two items...........I stock and sell by the thousands.....

Don't ask Michelle......you'll only make her mad and she'll charge you more when you come back...

Above all else.....have fun.....

[The Professional]

What's the booth number where we could find you? I'll be going there immediately when I get in.

You can always haggle but........if you do don't try it w/ a CC...

CASH is king.........

Don't try and tell me the price of things......I know how much they cost....

Don't compare a NOVESKE upper to a M1S upper.......

If I tell you it's a good deal.......take it...... Don't tell me you'll look around the show for a lower price......I already did.

If I tell you don't hesitate.....take it, It won't be there when you come back......

Don't ask for a volume discount for two items...........I stock and sell by the thousands.....

Don't ask Michelle......you'll only make her mad and she'll charge you more when you come back...

Above all else.....have fun.....

[PIRATE14]

We'll be in Glendale this wkend......

[tenpercentfirearms]

My favorite is the classic, "Well I can get it from so and so for X amount." That is the stupidest line ever. My automatic response is, "Well go get it there." If you can get something cheaper somewhere else, then why would you be bothering me? Because you can't!

Once I had a guy looking at a Stoeger Coach gun. I pay about $260 for these things and sell them for $350. He says, "I will give you $200 cash for that right now." LOL. Yeah, cash means that much to me. What a tool.

The main thing is just be nice. And repeat customers and customers who bring their friends will often get good deals.

[Hoop]

One thing I've found as far as haggling at a show is that you have to pick out the people who are actually there to sell from the people who go for the fun of it. Some of these old timers just do it to show off whatever they have & aren't there because they actually need to sell anything.

I LOVE to haggle. I ALWAYS have cash. If I see that the other guy doesn't want to budge, that's fine. There's always another vendor with a same or similar thing for sale.

[The Professional]

We'll be in Glendale this wkend......

I see...I thought you guys will be @ Cow Palace this weekend... Oh well...

[SigShooter]

We'll be in Glendale this wkend......

AWWW DAMN...

I have to go just to stick it to Newsom, but was still hoping to pickup a BB or two. Will there be any "Coldwar" representation at all? If not, maybe I'll save a few bucks, I haven't been able to walk away from your table for less than $50 yet.

[EricCartmann]

My favorite is the classic, "Well I can get it from so and so for X amount." .....

That one is the worst, and as a bystander, I hear that one all the time.