Bouncing a passing thought on CalGunners - open a 2A store?

[NoJoke]

Crazy idea?
Is there enough non-gun yet pro-2A support AND trinkets/shirts/books in the world to support a store of the sort?

Maybe reloading stuff (pending regulation required to sell)?

Of course I'd carry CGF stuff pending approval. :-)

Location: near camp Pendleton in Oceanside.

[zhyla]

What ever would make you think such a thing would be profitable?

[d4v0s]

People like me who travel all over the state and get tired of buying t shirts with a wolf printed on it.

My family all enjoy and exclusively use the calguns mugs i bought them. My mom frequents many stores with her calguns grocery bags.

Maybe a pro2a,no nonsense non gimmicky store offering real green and sustainable solutions to every day products???

[lilro]

Make it like a politics store. Sell t-shirts, bumper stickers, pocket constitutions, american flags, gun magazines (the kind you read), NRA memberships, etc. Maybe a "Buying a Firearm in California" book with all the relevant laws, explanation of SSE and OLLs, history of carry laws, etc. Open up in partnership with an FFL. You'd have to carry Obummer stuff too though in CA

[NoJoke]

What ever would make you think such a thing would be profitable?

That wouldn't be the primary motivation. Secondary at best.

Don't want a flop tho.

[Kyle1886]

I doubt if you would get enough return business, even if you were in a prime location. You would need to sell more than "trinkets" and such. The two ex-SEALs that are opening a "tactical" type store in Carlsbad, even if catering to LEA and military types are going to have a rough start, in my opinion.

As far as reloading equipment, if you could stock enough type powders etc. and still compete with mail order, maybe. Then I thank you are getting into the Hazmat stuff. We had businesses in Vista and Fallbrook for over twenty-five years. Dealing with the EPA, BofE, Workers Comp and on and on.. If I had it to do over---I wouldn't---not in CA.

Just my opinion--

Respectfully
Kyle

[Baconator]

brick and mortar stores are ridiculously expensive to run and keep in compliance (especially in this **** hole of a state). Web stores are the future!

[Harrison_Bergeron]

Brick and mortar would be a terrible idea IMO, it is a niche market, the amount of sales you would need to stay in the black would over saturate the geographically limited market. You'd either get a a strong start and then nothing, or just get a steady but unsustainable trickle.

Online has been done, http://www.gadsdenandculpeper.com/ is the first that comes to mind, but there is still some room for originality and competition if you go the online route.

[zhyla]

That wouldn't be the primary motivation. Secondary at best.

Don't want a flop tho.

Not profitable is the same thing as a flop. Unless you're planning on subsidizing my tshirt purchases indefinitely.

[sanjosebmx]

just open a gun shop...they are super busy right now.

[fighterpilot562]

just open a gun shop...they are super busy right now.

+1 and on the side sell the rest.

[blakdawg]

.. or do this as an online store. I would probably buy some stickers or whatever, but I'm not gonna drive to San Diego to do it - probably wouldn't even drive across town unless I knew there was something I really wanted. Retail space rent is expensive.

[NoJoke]

just open a gun shop...they are super busy right now.

+1 and on the side sell the rest.

Love to.
But I've read that you need a million to start one with pennies for profit.

Who's the last person to start a brick and mortar gun store from scratch?

[blakdawg]

Love to.
But I've read that you need a million to start one with pennies for profit.

Who's the last person to start a brick and mortar gun store from scratch?

Several new ones in the San Jose area lately - Gun Vault, US Firearms, Valkyrie Arms, Metal Dog Tactical, Eddy's is an old name but it sounds like a new business.

[Merc1138]

Plenty of people start gun stores from scratch, that's not hard.

But if you're looking to start a 2a item shop for just shirts, mugs, etc... I definitely wouldn't bother with a brick and mortar store. Most of that stuff is typically side items carried by shops with a much broader range of gun related items. If you were to make such a shop a brick and mortar not only are you only serving a very niche market(not every gun owner is into t-shirts, mugs, patches, etc.) but an extremely limited geographic area on top of that. With a web store you'd be able to sell nationwide, not have to maintain a storefront with employees at the counter during business hours, and so on.