Discussion ie: price gouging in classified forums

[RVTECH]

Are they short term fundamentals or things that will alter prices long term?

Well like I posted earlier there was a pretty good stack of Federal 9mm in Sportsman's today at about 2 PM - and not moving too quickly!

 

[bzltyr]

Don't buy it. Let the person sit on it. We all know what true cost is. I'm waiting,

 

[Mikej]

I hope our fellow members don't destroy our NWFA economy.

The great majority of NWFA members are top quality people. There's no way, in my mind, there are enough fellow members here that could destroy the site. The larger worry for me would be a money issue that could hurt this site. Heck, even the guys that are bordering, in my opinion, on gouging, maybe, aren't bad guys. Just misguided? Besides, if their price is too high THEY'LL end up with the ammo in the end.

 

[AMT]

It is sickening to see this, BUT if you were to sell it in these times, what would you ask?

Lets pick something small like 22LR. Bi-Mart had it on sale for as low as $0.03 per round just a few months ago. There are people asking upwards of $0.07 -$0.10 per round. 9mm, 223 same inflated pricing.

What if it were truly horrible times? What would your MRE's, bandages, water, fuel (gas/diesel/propane), et al be worth? If you were to sell any of those items that you stockpiled, what would you sell, or trade, for? Certainly not what you paid for it. If so, a buddy of mine is looking for some 9mm (brass cased, new - not reman) for no more than $0.14 per round. You know, like it was a couple months ago. If he can't find it, he told me that he'll just wait until prices go back down.

So, right now in these times, yeah there are people gouging. It is what it is. Let them try and sell what they have. If they sell it, good for them. That just means someone wanted it more than you did.

I don't agree with it, but why complain and "stew" about it?

 

[The Heretic]

The thing is, this is totally behavior driven, not supply driven.

There is no rioting in the streets, no real looting, no zombies wandering around looking for brains to eat.

Everyone I saw at the grocery store yesterday was well behaved and very few had full baskets - many, including myself, didn't even cover the bottom of their baskets. Most of the shelves were full - only one aisle (TP and paper products) was empty, and one other (ramen/et. al. noodles) had mostly been replenished. The prices on products were about the same as in the past.

What are people afraid of?

I've got sufficient ammo - not going to pay inflated prices when the prices will come back down later when the supply goes back up.

 

[WAYNO]

Playing the devils advocate here...

And, I don't think highly of scalpers.

But a little history...When ammo is in short supply, it is not uncommon for folks to come running to old WAYNO for ammo, and expect bargain prices. And I'm a sucker. I've helped a lot of folks and not made a nickel. Some folks even try lowballing me even when I'm selling at the same bargain price I paid. As if I was the local used car dealer out to cheat somebody. I'm not in the ammo business. I'm only trying to offer a favor when somebody needs help.

But when does it stop? Anybody could have been buying ammo just like me, all along during the Trump era for less money, relatively, than it's been for many years. So I keep some ammo at hand. I paid for it, and I store it. But when I sell it, folks would be offended if I made any money on my investment. It's much like the Grasshopper and the Ant parable.

So, if a feller buys ammo as an investment, both for his own use and for selling or bartering, maybe he should be entitled to a return on his investment. So although I don't sell for profit, if somebody else does, I'm not gonna be overly critical.

 

[2A2Dend]

And the Politicians REJOICE exponentially.
THEIR stocks INCREASE in value, DUE TOO the panic again.

 

[Helocat]

Playing the devils advocate here...

And, I don't think highly of scalpers.

But a little history...When ammo is in short supply, it is not uncommon for folks to come running to old WAYNO for ammo, and expect bargain prices. And I'm a sucker. I've helped a lot of folks and not made a nickel. Some folks even try lowballing me even when I'm selling at the same bargain price I paid. As if I was the local used car dealer out to cheat somebody. I'm not in the ammo business. I'm only trying to offer a favor when somebody needs help.

But when does it stop? Anybody could have been buying ammo just like me, all along during the Trump era for less money, relatively, than it's been for many years. So I keep some ammo at hand. I paid for it, and I store it. But when I sell it, folks would be offended if I made any money on my investment. It's much like the Grasshopper and the Ant parable.

So, if a feller buys ammo as an investment, both for his own use and for selling or bartering, maybe he should be entitled to a return on his investment. So although I don't sell for profit, if somebody else does, I'm not gonna be overly critical.

WAYNO, same boat here. My stocks are now eyeballed by others as "hay how about selling me a 10 boxes of 9mm Blaser for $8 box". I will GIVE by friends a box to keep them shooting.

BUT at a point, if I want to sell more, it will be at $15+ for that same box. I don't have to sell it, its not the business I am in. But if someone wants to buy 10 boxes for $15+ each great.

 

[CLT65]

WAYNO, same boat here. My stocks are now eyeballed by others as "hay how about selling me a 10 boxes of 9mm Blaser for $8 box". I will GIVE by friends a box to keep them shooting.

BUT at a point, if I want to sell more, it will be at $15+ for that same box. I don't have to sell it, its not the business I am in. But if someone wants to buy 10 boxes for $15+ each great.

If you have surplus that you are enticed to sell, that is completely different from scalping, in my opinion. It's yours, you didn't buy it for resale, and if someone else wants it bad enough, they're going to have to make it worth your while. By doing that, you'd actually be taking business away from scalpers.

 

[WAYNO]

WAYNO, same boat here. My stocks are now eyeballed by others as "hay how about selling me a 10 boxes of 9mm Blaser for $8 box". I will GIVE by friends a box to keep them shooting.

BUT at a point, if I want to sell more, it will be at $15+ for that same box. I don't have to sell it, its not the business I am in. But if someone wants to buy 10 boxes for $15+ each great.

I had a cousin, just today, out of the clear blue, ask if I'd sell him a thousand rounds. Really? Regardless of price, I wont sell him a thousand rounds. That defeats the purpose of me having some ammo on hand for myself. But I also wont let him be without ammo. I'd give him a box to keep himself going.

 

[The Heretic]

I understand when people don't want to sell below what they paid for something.

OTOH, when I can go online and order the very same ammo for 20-30% less, delivered to my doorstep, in an untouched box, why should I buy their ammo for more?

Up until very recently both guns and ammo were a buyers market, but I kept seeing ads that said "I paid X" for this. Doesn't matter to me when I can get it for less somewhere else. Either keep it, or realize that you will need to take a loss on it. I did that last week on a handgun I paid too much for.

Prices go up and down.

 

[The Heretic]

I had a cousin, just today, out of the clear blue, ask if I'd sell him a thousand rounds. Really? Regardless of market price, I wont sell him a thousand rounds. That defeats the purpose of me having some ammo on hand for myself. But I also wont let him be without ammo. I'd give him a box to keep himself going.

If you gave him 1K rounds it would just be enabling him and he wouldn't learn that he needs to prepare for times of scarcity. If there is one thing my kids learned from this recent panic, it was what I have been telling them for some time; that they could not count on getting supplies at the local store if there should be some incident that causes everybody to panic and buy up stuff.

 

[Kruel J]

Selling TP at 50$ a brick (30pack) is gouging and should be turned into local leo.
Selling Blazer .22lr at 50$ a brick is capitalization at its best .

Yeah. I'm sure LEO has nothing better to do than chase after TP scalpers.

 

[Helocat]

I had a cousin, just today, out of the clear blue, ask if I'd sell him a thousand rounds. Really? Regardless of price, I wont sell him a thousand rounds. That defeats the purpose of me having some ammo on hand for myself. But I also wont let him be without ammo. I'd give him a box to keep himself going.

Exactly. "here buddy have a box of ammo, no charge". But not my stockpile.

Me all my Commerical ammo I might as well sell. I have all the components to just load what I shoot each month, for a few yrs.

Too many grasshoppers out there complaining about prices when they chose not to plan.

 

[Helocat]

Yeah. I'm sure LEO has nothing better to do than chase after TP scalpers.

TP scalpers are getting what they deserve already getting stuck with garages full of TP now that Costco has it back in stock at normal prices. Best yet none of the stores are allowing them to return their horde.

 

[Kruel J]

TP scalpers are getting what they deserve already getting stuck with garages full of TP now that Costco has it back in stock at normal prices. Best yet none of the stores are allowing them to return their horde.

Yup. Supply was never a problem. Now they can sit around and stare at their mountain of arse wipe and their empty bank accounts.

 

[AMT]

And the Politicians REJOICE exponentially.
THEIR stocks INCREASE in value, DUE TOO the panic again.

They sold their stocks before "the crash".....

Lawmakers could face legal scrutiny for stock selloffs before virus-driven market crash, analysts say

Four senators, who have denied misconduct, could face legal scrutiny for stock selloffs before virus-driven market crash

www.usatoday.com

 

[2A2Dend]

Our Politicians are Crooks - For $500, Alex

 

[sealine]

Yeah. I'm sure LEO has nothing better to do than chase after TP scalpers.

Yeah...they're not doing that. Most of the calls for service they're getting, they're trying to do over the phone.

If you look at WCSO arrest log for the past 24 hours, only 5 people have went to jail. And all 5 of those were people who had warrants, probation violations, and domestic assault. All things where it's mandatory for the police to lodge them. I wonder if crime has gone down or less people are being arrested for committing crimes?

 

[CLT65]

Up until very recently both guns and ammo were a buyers market, but I kept seeing ads that said "I paid X" for this. Doesn't matter to me when I can get it for less somewhere else. Either keep it, or realize that you will need to take a loss on it. I did that last week on a handgun I paid too much for.

This is a common mindset for a lot of people, whether they buy and sell guns, old cars, horses, etc.. I don't know how many times I've heard people complain that they can't sell something that low, because it's less than they "have into it". I learned a long time ago that what you have into something is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is what's it worth now, and how badly do you want to sell it?

That applies both ways. If current value is less than you paid, then tough. Sell it for what you can get, or keep it. Nobody is obligated to pay you more just because you overpaid.

By the same token, just because you paid less for something, you're under no ethical obligation to sell it for less than it's currently worth, if you decide to sell. If you want to be a nice guy and pass on a good deal to someone else, that's great, but I don't see where you're obligated to in any way.