This is very true. I have no idea how mom and pop shops stay open without online sales (I know we wouldn't make it in our location).
C4
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It seems as if very few people value the local store and will prefer to buy online. Which I can say half the time I do myself if Im for sure I know what I want offline. However there's something nice about being able to fondle the gear and see it in the flesh. Sometimes I pay a bit more knowingly just to support the local guy, not going to get killed but a few extra bucks you know.
my buddy in Fresno owns a pretty big shop and they stock alot of quality leather holsters. Stuff like Galco, Bianchi, CrossBreed, Fobus, BladeTech, etc. Im sure they do have a ton of money tied up in that stuff but you always know where to go. I hate buying IWB's with out fitting them or seeing them in person. So for me I really appreciate that kind of service. I make it a habit to buy stuff there whenever I go home. Not only because its a friend but because the service they have provided our community over the years is excellent.
Most of this thread only tells one side of the story. Stores had to pay inflated prices for their stock during The Panic and their retail prices reflect that. When it was over, they were stuck with a pile of over-priced stuff. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that internet suppliers were able to react to the drop in market price faster than the brick & mortar stores. There are B&Ms still stuck with over price firearms, parts, ammo & accessories.
When THCDDM4 asked for MK 318 MOD 0 and was told "thats not even a real caliber of a weapon, you have some learning to do SON...", the dealer was right. It's not a caliber, it's a stock number. It's the same as walking in and asking for a box of Q3130, R3006AF or X3085. Sure the tone was condescending but no worse than he would have gotten from m4carbine for asking which OlyMaster carbine has the best features.
There are good gunshops, bad gunshops and gunshops that fall somewhere in between. That's half the fun, sorting them out. No matter where you go, Folks are folks
Storys like these are going to make me miss Virginia Arms Co very much when I move this summer. They are a very good store with a so-so armorer!!!:D
Prices are crazy at the stores now. When I was about to order my Troy Ind rail (7") I found one at a CVolorado springs store...for $250. The guy working the counter told me if I wanted the best I would have to pay for it hahaha. Sorry but a $100 mark up is a little crazy to me
Why pay for the expensive hooker for a BJ, get the cheaper one. You aren't going to see her face anyways!:D That is my analogy of most B&M gunstores as of late, with the exception of a few. I will buy from Grant, Paul, SKD, Rainer, etc w/o ever seeing their "face".
Most of the gun shops around Atlanta are pretty bad. "The brands are the same, a Bushmaster or DPMS is just as good as a Colt, you're just paying for the name, etc".
Being 63, I remember how it was from the late 60s on - in Arizona and Idaho. Even then you'd come across good gun shops and smiths but it always changed and you'd start over. And it was much harder to stay on top of models and prices so the deals that were out there were trickier to find. But it did seem to be more fun to stop in, look around and compare prices. One shop here in Idaho I used to frequent has gotten so bad I doubt I'll ever give them a chance again due to poor selection and high prices.
Anyway, it's so much better for the buyer today, online comparison/purchasing has shifted the power to the consumer with any smarts. Sad for B&M businesses that haven't evolved but we have to use all the resources available to us.