Firearm sales declining?

[eustace_stelio]

When did minimum wage become a living wage?
Back when coffee hit 5 bucks a cup?

That has always been the philosophy behind minimum wage. Though not always appreciated.

Why shouldn't someone working full time in the richest country in the world be able to at the very least be able to afford shelter and food? Sure not every convenience/luxury of modern society but at least the minimum necessities.

 

[solv3nt]

That has always been the philosophy behind minimum wage. Though not always appreciated.

Why shouldn't someone working full time in the richest country in the world be able to at the very least be able to afford shelter and food? Sure not every convenience/luxury of modern society but at least the minimum necessities.

I haven't made minimum wage since I was 16. I always thought it was a starting salary.

 

[MikeGMU108]

I haven't made minimum wage since I was 16. I always thought it was a starting salary.

we agree
minimum wage is entry in job market. Never has been living wage, at least not since I started working- 1963

 

[eustace_stelio]

A lot of people work in retail, restaurants, hospitality and numerous other sectors of the economy that are pretty much making minimum wage, most likely not the federal rate of $7.25, but more likely their state min which is usually considerably higher.

My point was just if you work 40+ hours a week and only make minimum wage you should at least be able to rent a 1 bedroom/studio apt, eat 3 meals a day and be able to keep the lights on.

Not that you should be able to buy a house, buy a brand new car, buy atvs, tvs, cell phones etc... That's just not reality.

Hell honestly I don't know how anyone out here on west coast can afford to live making less than $20 per hour unless they're living with several roommates/family.

 

[TTSX]

A lot of people work in retail, restaurants, hospitality and numerous other sectors of the economy that are pretty much making minimum wage, most likely not the federal rate of $7.25, but more likely their state min which is usually considerably higher.

My point was just if you work 40+ hours a week and only make minimum wage you should at least be able to rent a 1 bedroom/studio apt, eat 3 meals a day and be able to keep the lights on.

Not that you should be able to buy a house, buy a brand new car, buy atvs, tvs, cell phones etc... That's just not reality.

Hell honestly I don't know how anyone out here on west coast can afford to live making less than $20 per hour unless they're living with several roommates/family.

Well, I have the largest cardboard box on the block and when my Amazon order gets here, I'm thinking about finish that addition... Only costs $1000/month

 

[MikeGMU108]

A lot of people work in retail, restaurants, hospitality and numerous other sectors of the economy that are pretty much making minimum wage, most likely not the federal rate of $7.25, but more likely their state min which is usually considerably higher.

My point was just if you work 40+ hours a week and only make minimum wage you should at least be able to rent a 1 bedroom/studio apt, eat 3 meals a day and be able to keep the lights on.

Not that you should be able to buy a house, buy a brand new car, buy atvs, tvs, cell phones etc... That's just not reality.

Hell honestly I don't know how anyone out here on west coast can afford to live making less than $20 per hour unless they're living with several roommates/family.

Not disagreeing but you could not live on minimum wage in 1970- why should it be different now???

 

[Dozer99]

My first job in 1986, I made $3.35 an hour which was minimum wage, which has nothing to do with this thread.

I did however buy a new Weatherby 25-06 yesterday, which does have to do with this thread. First gun I've bought in the last year and a half, so for me, gun sales are increasing.

 

[Jay Walk]

That has always been the philosophy behind minimum wage. Though not always appreciated.

Why shouldn't someone working full time in the richest country in the world be able to at the very least be able to afford shelter and food? Sure not every convenience/luxury of modern society but at least the minimum necessities.

I respectfully disagree. My first W2 job was $3.35 per hour back in high school. Nobody I knew thought to stay in a minimum wage job, it was a steppingstone to build a resume and improve skills to better your life.

 

[arakboss]

That has always been the philosophy behind minimum wage. Though not always appreciated.

Why shouldn't someone working full time in the richest country in the world be able to at the very least be able to afford shelter and food? Sure not every convenience/luxury of modern society but at least the minimum necessities.

For me that raises this question. Why should someone not working at all get food and shelter on the backs of those who are working full time?

I am working two jobs (one full time and one part time, paying minimum wage). It greatly bothers me that I am helping support and house those who don't want to work.

 

[ktgee]

I spend about $10k per year, out of pocket after insurance, on medical, mostly for my wife, and have for years. She can finally walk ok now, with a new ankle and a new hip, but she's not really getting better; she's effectively disabled. She'll have one good day and then two bad ones, a couple decent days, then a day in bed with a migraine. We're too young for this. Such is life I guess.

I'd held out hope after hope, year after year, surgery after surgery, that eventually we'd get back to some semblance of normalcy, but that hope is dying; this is our life. Yeah, I'm done buying toys. The thrill is gone.

Sorry to be a downer, but that's why I'm not contributing to the "gun economy" any more, that and needing a new roof this year, another car, teenagers to feed, kids in college, etc..

ADDED: Sorry, I didn't realize that this post came across so whiny. It's just life; I know a lot of you all have been through tough times, or tougher. Please excuse my little pity-party. I talked to a good friend last night and he was talking about some real hard times he's been through. It's good to bring life into a little perspective now and then.

Many people are like you, money is tight. Life is where it takes you.
Guns are not the only thing that is important or a priority in life. Usually, one or two firearms and a couple of ammo boxes are enough to protect yourself and your family. There is a good percentage of gun owners and one-time buyers, that do not support the gun economy. Many don't even shoot their guns at all.
Regular gunners are the ones supporting the gun economy. They are the ones buying a lot of ammo, more new guns, and accessories. They are shrinking in numbers as the younger generation is not getting into firearms as much.

 

[arakboss]

Many people are like you, money is tight. Life is where it takes you.
Guns are not the only thing that is important or a priority in life. Usually, one or two firearms and a couple of ammo boxes are enough to protect yourself and your family. There is a good percentage of gun owners and one-time buyers, that do not support the gun economy. Many don't even shoot their guns at all.
Regular gunners are the ones supporting the gun economy. They are the ones buying a lot of ammo, more new guns, and accessories. They are shrinking in numbers as the younger generation is not getting into firearms as much.

We need more regular gunners

 

[ma96782]

Aloha, Mark

 

[eustace_stelio]

For me that raises this question. Why should someone not working at all get food and shelter on the backs of those who are working full time?

I am working two jobs (one full time and one part time, paying minimum wage). It greatly bothers me that I am helping support and house those who don't want to work.

I don't like paying for other people either. I'm not advocating raising minimum wage or adding to subsidies. I'd prefer people work full time if able body and that those wages provided enough so my tax dollars didn't have to chip in.

 

[Jay Walk]

I don't like paying for other people either. I'm not advocating raising minimum wage or adding to subsidies. I'd prefer people work full time if able body and that those wages provided enough so my tax dollars didn't have to chip in.

Those that do the most, get the least.

Equity... it's very progressive.

 

[arakboss]

Thought I did good today selling two used rifles, a used revolver and a new lower totaling over 3k worth of revenue but got reamed again by the boss. Can't seem to catch a break these days. I am crawling back into my safety zone.

 

[TTSX]

Thought I did good today selling two used rifles, a used revolver and a new lower totaling over 3k worth of revenue but got reamed again by the boss. Can't seem to catch a break these days. I am crawling back into my safety zone.

How dare you make him money!!

 

[arakboss]

How dare you make him money!!

I learned my lesson today.

 

[uberguy]

So, let me see if I understand.

- You went around talking to all of your neighbors
- You had many civil conversations
- You still don't know why or where their beliefs come from, to the point of strawmanning/adHoms

I am pretty certain you don't.

 

[CLT65]

Many people are like you, money is tight. Life is where it takes you.
Guns are not the only thing that is important or a priority in life. Usually, one or two firearms and a couple of ammo boxes are enough to protect yourself and your family. There is a good percentage of gun owners and one-time buyers, that do not support the gun economy. Many don't even shoot their guns at all.
Regular gunners are the ones supporting the gun economy. They are the ones buying a lot of ammo, more new guns, and accessories. They are shrinking in numbers as the younger generation is not getting into firearms as much.

True. How many guns does a person actually need? The rest are just a hobby, like any other.

My grandfather liked metal detecting. He always bought the treasure hunting/metal detector magazines, had stacks of them around that I read when we visited. He had a couple metal detectors and would occasionally use them. I don't recall him ever finding anything of value, but he enjoyed the hobby. It struck me one day, that though the industry magazines obviously couldn't survive without the metal detector manufacturers, the opposite was also true; the manufacturers couldn't survive without the magazines! They make you want more, and the manufacturers supply it, then you buy more magazines as your hobby grows.

I just had this talk with my teenagers recently. They're just starting their lives, and have cars and jobs (and school still). They have a terrible time saving any money, which disappoints me. It hit me recently that we've raised them in this materialistic, consumerist culture; how is it surprising? As much as we like to think we don't live that way, our house is full of junk! We're in the process of digging out, and there are stacks and stacks of junk that we don't need, stuff we've bought because we wanted it. We don't have nice cars, expensive furniture or electronics, but we sure have plenty of toys, crafts, junk from garage sales and Goodwill that the kids dragged home because it looked cool and was cheap. Now that they have part-time jobs and a little money, they spend it on more bigger and better toys.

I'm just as bad; I have a safe full of guns and gun stuff, most of which I don't need. I have enough guns and projects to keep me busy shooting and tinkering for the rest of my life. I work my butt off as much overtime as I can get, and frankly get a little resentful that it all goes into the family budget to pay for groceries and medical bills, so when I get a little ahead I have a tendency to buy a new toy. I should get to enjoy a little of that OT money, right?!

Retail therapy. A new toy will make me happy, until I'm bored with it, then another new toy will make me happy again. It's an ultimately empty and unfulfilling way to live. Like I said, we're in the process of digging out to try to regain some footing and live life a better way. Boxes and boxes of junk are leaving our house, destined for either the dumpster or Goodwill. I haven't got around to thinning out the guns yet, but that will come eventually.

 

[Certaindeaf]

A lot of people work in retail, restaurants, hospitality and numerous other sectors of the economy that are pretty much making minimum wage, most likely not the federal rate of $7.25, but more likely their state min which is usually considerably higher.

My point was just if you work 40+ hours a week and only make minimum wage you should at least be able to rent a 1 bedroom/studio apt, eat 3 meals a day and be able to keep the lights on.

Not that you should be able to buy a house, buy a brand new car, buy atvs, tvs, cell phones etc... That's just not reality.

Hell honestly I don't know how anyone out here on west coast can afford to live making less than $20 per hour unless they're living with several roommates/family.

Heard on the radio they're wanting to hire people to drive school busses for $25/hr ffs.
Probably can't smoke dope though so that rules out 95% of people these days.