IT IS NOT GOUGING!

[eldbillbo]

I cap my auctions on Gunbroker with Buy It Now prices, so...

Then why not post them here , or other non auction sight? Why use a auction sight ?

 

[1stklass]

I didnt realize on GB my reserve price is always lower than my buy it now price. Once the reserve has been met the buy it now goes away... So say i have a 350 dollar reserve on 500 rounds of 223 but a buy it now price of 410, once the bidding goes over 350 the buy it now goes away and you may only get 350 or the bidding could actually exceed your original buy it now and sell for somewhere close to 500 dollars... The reason you put it on an auction site is you get a much much MUCH larger audience, potentially securing you more buyers. I guess everyone here can complain about gouging, I look at it the other way around. If i know that someone could get 2k dollars for their rifle, then i would feel like an @$$ if i tried to guilt them, by calling them a gouger, into selling me their 2k dollar rifle for less than they could get for it on the FAIR MARKET. You may not like the fair market, I dont mind it i just wish i had purchased when the fair market was lower. I purchased a PTR a week after the supposed school shooting in CT. I paid 1000.00. Now i have matching PTRs. For some weird unknown reason i now want another one and then another one. I am looking for deals but now i will feel like i got a good deal if i can get one under 1600.00

 

[flyingSM]

Russ i will bet you $1,000 an assault weapons ban won't be passed in the next year. Harry Reid already said he won't even try unless he can secure at least 60 votes and with many dems in southern gun friendly states up for reelection soon i don't see that happening. And if it does get by it will never and repeat never get though the house with a republican majority.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Is it gouging? I don't know what you want to call it, but when your paying twice the $ for a .223 than a .30-06 the old Forest Gump saying comes to mind, stupid is as stupid does.

With sage rat season coming up there are going to be a bunch of alfalfa farmers crying for shooters this year boys. If you got em, smoke em, but if your willing to pay a buck and a half for a rat, target whatever, I got a bridge for sale you may be interested in.

 

[pokerace]

If the manufacturer isn't raising the price and the retailer or individual is - THEN IT IS GOUGING! Thanks for the rant junior.

$600 for a 380 and $800 for another 380 THAT IS GOUGING................

 

[SensibleHeat]

Reading the 8 pages of reply's to this post has been a waste of my time.

The bottom line is that owning certain types of firearms has instantly become a privilege rather than a right by the simple fact that the market value has gotten beyond a lot of peoples reach.

 

[mattdomes]

I have started to see a lot of Ar's in the Marketplace going down in price from $2k to $1800 to $1600 and lower.

The prices are starting to drop because those that freaked out and had the money to purchase a $2000 AR have done it. The rest that have some interest are not $2000 interested in an AR. They might be $1000 interested or $1500 interested though.

The prices will go down until a bill passes the Senate and goes to the House, wait till then to see how crazy prices will go..... until the House denies the bill and then you will see the $650 home builds up for sale again.

Enjoy the ride everyone

 

[MountainBear]

Then why not post them here , or other non auction sight? Why use a auction sight ?

On occasion, I run across odd items that I want to expose to a larger audience. Most of what I sell on Gunbroker are odd old parts...

 

[John Gault]

XM193 - 20 round boxes listed for $ 37.00 on "cheaper than dirt" just makes me laugh. If anyone actually buys them at that price I'm going to laugh till I cry. Get it "cheaper than dirt"???? Having said this nobody is forcing a sale but I'll remember if things get better who took care of customers and who "took" their customers.

Same story here with a local vendor selling one of the 100 round BETA mags for $ 550.00. All I can say is whatever........

I Did a barter yesterday. Guy wanted $25.00 for an item that was worth every penny and more. I offered him 100 rounds of Wolf .223 or I'd cash him out if he preferred. He took the 100 rounds and was happy with the trade. We shook hands and I know that I can sleep tonight. Today he may sell it for twice that and that's his business not mine. Call me Forrest if you must.

 

[jdubl]

Reading the 8 pages of reply's to this post has been a waste of my time.

The bottom line is that owning certain types of firearms has instantly become a privilege rather than a right by the simple fact that the market value has gotten beyond a lot of peoples reach.

I always do my best to keep a small cache of ammo for PD purposes, but i will say, this "inflation" has really effected shooting as a hobby (pretty broke with horde of small kids and 1 income). This past summer, i was going out two to three times a week and shooting with various calibers from 22lr to 45lc to 7.62x54. Now I can't even find 22lr to plink with anymore, i have a box and 1/2 i'm afraid to shoot through because its all i have and i can't find more locally. I'm hopefully waiting for the people who bought all this ammo and all these parts, can't find buyers and will be stuck with inventory that has no profit margin any longer, and are forced to sell at a loss. Is that cruel? :huh: But good luck to the guys with the $2000 Curts$600AR15's for sale.

All above is fairly unimportant to me in the long run, but i will say this has made it really difficult to get new shooters into the hobby. I can't find ammo for ANYTHING locally, so the ever-lengthening list of people who want to try their hand with firearms are out of luck, i'm not paying $1/bullet and waiting for some margin-working-schmuck on ebay to ship ammo, so they can shoot an AR. I'll just keep going to walmart/bimart/big5/etc daily, and buying their 3 box limit (regardless of caliber or shell count:huh whenever their shelves aren't bare.

 

[2ndtimer]

I have read this entire thread, and I appreciate the diversity of posts. I have to admit to having a minor in economics, so I am definitely in the free market camp on this issue. I don't blame the seller when the buyer sets the market. And if I didn't have any ammo for my .223 when varmint season opens up, I might be happy to find someone willing to sell me a 50 round box of Fiocchi V-Max 40 gr ammo for $40. Was it available a year ago for $20 to $25? Yes. Is the current MSRP about $30? Yes. Is any available at that price from conventional sellers? No. So as a consumer, I have the choice of paying $40 for the product or waiting in the hope of acquiring it for a lower price later. No guarantee as to when that will be, or what the price will be in the future. If I buy now for $40, does this make the seller a gouger? An opportunist? Maybe, but if I don't buy, I won't have the ammo. So as a buyer, it is my choice. IF I think the price is too high, and I pass, and the product becomes available at a lower price, then I made the right choice and the seller will have to lower his price to compete. Also, if the seller bought a bunch of it at $30 a box hoping to "gouge" his way to a profit, he will be disappointed. For the seller, this is the risk he assumes when he buys to resell in a volatile market. But what about if the seller purchased the ammo long ago and has an ample supply and decides to share his supply with his fellow shooters, isn't he still entitled to ask for the "market price" for the product? Maybe he needs to make the extra money to purchase .22 lr ammo that has also increased dramatically in demand and price.
Another example: what about a pristine Colt Diamondback 6" .22lr revolver? The MSRP on this fine revolver, was, I believe, $405 when Colt ceased production of it the late '70's or early 80's. I believe samples in excellent condition are going for around $1200 at this time. Is this "gouging"?
And if there is a drought in Russia, and wheat prices climb from $7 a bushel to $9 a bushel, are the farmers guilty of "gouging".
Bottom line, I agree with the camp that says there is no such thing as gouging. There is simply supply and demand and the markets set the price based on those facts. The only exception I see to that is for life sustaining products during natural disasters.
Caveat Emptor, and if you don't like the price, don't pay it!

 

[PX4WA]

Caveat Emptor, and if you don't like the price, don't pay it!

and that folks, is the lesson of the day... nicely said by the way...

now stop GOUGING... Hehehehe... and start selling at fair market value... (remember the market value is determined by the buyer/market, and not the producers/manufacturers or the retailers)

 

[MountainBear]

Everyone would do well to remember the differences in the following statements.

1. Gun owners should stick together.
2. Gun owners should stick it to each other.

People seem to be confusing those two lately...

 

[2ndtimer]

Everyone would do well to remember the differences in the following statements.

1. Gun owners should stick together. Agreed!
2. Gun owners should stick it to each other. :huh:

People seem to be confusing those two lately...

Your remark confuses me. If I offer some of my ammunition up for sale at .70 per round (for quality factory ammo with V-Max bullets) am I "sticking it" to my fellow gun owners who desire to buy it? At what price would I not be "sticking it to them"? similar ammo by Hornady or Federal was retailing for .80 per round before Obama's re-election. I really am curious as to MountainBear's view. If I still had some of the old Winchester USA .223 55 gr FMJ ammo that White Elephant used to sell for $2.99 a box decades ago, and wanted to sell it, would I only be able to charge $3 for it today? I am curious, as I am considering putting some of my ammo up for sale in case someone wants it for what I feel is a fair price. If no one wants it, then I am only too happy to keep it, as I don't believe I will ever be able to replace it at my current investment level.

 

[MountainBear]

Your remark confuses me. If I offer some of my ammunition up for sale at .70 per round (for quality factory ammo with V-Max bullets) am I "sticking it" to my fellow gun owners who desire to buy it? At what price would I not be "sticking it to them"? similar ammo by Hornady or Federal was retailing for .80 per round before Obama's re-election. I really am curious as to MountainBear's view. If I still had some of the old Winchester USA .223 55 gr FMJ ammo that White Elephant used to sell for $2.99 a box decades ago, and wanted to sell it, would I only be able to charge $3 for it today? I am curious, as I am considering putting some of my ammo up for sale in case someone wants it for what I feel is a fair price. If no one wants it, then I am only too happy to keep it, as I don't believe I will ever be able to replace it at my current investment level.

Its sad that I have to explain this. There is a fine difference between owning something, deciding to sell it, and selling it for the market value versus buying something with the only purpose of immediately listing it at an obscene profit to your fellow gun-owners. I don't need another lecture about capitalism. It is my opinion that the speculators are artificially adding to the product shortage by purchasing items simply for resale at the prices that they are keeping inflated.

By the way, thanks for actually posting outside the classifieds. There seems to be a large number of people who have only showed up here to sell items and not contribute to the site in general. It's funny (and I know this has been said before), I have recently ignored a couple dozen people but I don't see any ignored posts anywhere but the classifieds. Hopefully once this artificially created crisis is over, the bubblegum johnny come lately will disappear...

 

[salmonriverjohn]

And to those that are purely fishing to find some 'sucker' who will bite on over a buck and a half a round for .223, and you know your out there, we will remember you.

There are some rather convincing debates here about what some consider the free market value of their gold, but if and when the market stabilizes one can only hope that those of us here remember those among us that swore they were not trying trying to screw others that were not as prepared as some and that they were only driven to such extreme prices because the little man behind the curtain told them so. Call it what ever makes you feel good.

 

[davemata]

Oh - emm - gee! GOUGING!

Simple, don't like the price, don't buy it. I don't get why people feel the entitlement to vent their spleen over the most banal things. It's a price of something on the private market. If it doesn't work for you, buy retail. Oh, you can't find it retail? Then wait until it's available.

Next time you'll learn to buy what you need before you need it.

I just ran a group buy on lowers for the spokane gun board. We're almost a week after the buy is closed, and someone posts that they NEED two lowers and has $240 in hand!!!

Yeah, well... guess what bro. You'll be lucky to get 70% of one lower for $240. Shoulda bought it when it was available. I mean, honestly I feel for him, but he shoulda got on it. Now to get those two he "needs" he's going to be in for $750+ these days.

 

[Norm0931]

I have seen recently, on gunbroker, a shop in Texas selling VLTOR MUR-1a uppers for $450. However, they are listed as out of stock on their actual shop page where they are priced at MSRP of $206.96.

Update: this shop has a "Lowest Price Guarantee"

Alamo Tactical makes every effort to give you, our customer, the lowest possible prices. We sell almost all of our products for well below the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Prices and, in most cases, we actually sell our merchandise for the Minimum Advertised Price allowed by our suppliers. While we spend a considerable amount of time researching competitor's prices we do occasionally miss one. Please contact us and allow us the opportunity to beat any lower prices that you happen to find on the internet.
E-mail or Call us to find something not listed, and we will take an additional 10% off of our already low price for your trouble.

I called and asked if their guarantee applied to inventory sold on gunbroker at double the listed price that was not available to be purchased through their website, which was still 7 bucks more than MSRP.

 

[davemata]

I have seen recently, on gunbroker, a shop in Texas selling VLTOR MUR-1a uppers for $450. However, they are listed as out of stock on their actual shop page where they are priced at MSRP of $199.

I find that in and of itself repugnant. Take the damn thing off your shop page at least, please. I mean, it's no different from going into a shop and seeing a $350 price tag on one. For a shop though, I understand it. Lot of shops out there are waiting months to get their shipments, and their bills still have to be paid. Which in turn increases the price they have to ask for.

We may view it as "gouging" when in reality it may just be that is their new normal price to charge in order to keep in business. Unless you have access to their books, inventory lists, and outstanding order sheets, you don't know. You just look at it and go... what a wanker.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Hmm, I am thinking about selling some 30-06 black tip with the enblock clips at $1.50 a pop

Since it's AP and no longer available except via personal sale, is that gouging?