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I have never ordered a firearm online with the exception of a Muzzle Loader but that does not fall into this discussion as it was mailed directly to me. I am currently looking at a specific revolver and I have contacted a few local shops to get pricing info and each have been in the $600 to $650 range. However when searching online I can find the same revolver for $475-$500.

How exactly does this work? A local shop is not willing to match the price because they wont make any money on it. If that is the case how is the online shop making any money on it? The local shop would rather not match the price or even comes down a bit and have the customer order it online and the just get the $25 (or so) fee they charge to process the transfer? Is it just not worth their time at this point? I do understand physical stores have expenses, overhead, ect. But flat out refusal for any negation on pricing doesn't seem to help much at all. Why tell the customer to just order it online and have it shipped to in for a transfer if they want the lower price?

Just curious. I want to support my local businesses but when I can save $100+ by ordering the same thing online its hard to turn that down. Am I missing something? Not looking to start a war on pricing or supporting local businesses. Honestly just curious on why a local shop would have such higher prices and refusal to negotiate on pricing and prefer the customer just order online if they want a better deal?
 
Your LGS has a lot of fixed costs and their going to be higher. If I've seen a lower price I'll advise my LGS what price I've seen and ask if he can sharpen his pencil a little. I'm willing to pay a bit more to keep my LGS in business as I'd hate to think I'd be forced to buy online when there gone. It's worth it to me.
 
Your LGS has a lot of fixed costs and their going to be higher. If I've seen a lower price I'll advise my LGS what price I've seen and ask if he can sharpen his pencil a little. I'm willing to pay a bit more to keep my LGS in business as I'd hate to think I'd be forced to buy online when there gone. It's worth it to me.

I completely understand the aspect of business expenses, but being told just order it online and have it shipped here and we can process the transfer just makes no sense to me.

I have no idea on what mark up on pistols is for retail so just to throw out some random numbers.
Online cost is $500 with free shipping and they are making a profit
LGS cost is $630 and they are making a profit.

LGS must be making at least $130 profit on the sale, correct?

So why tell customer if you want a lower price just order online and we will process the transfer. If they only process the transfer they are only making $25 vs they could of dropped the price for $50 just to be able to say here we are trying and they still make $80 off the deal.

If the transfer fee is $25, then anything they can make over that $25 would be additional revenue correct? Or so shops just not want to get the reputation of being the cheapest in town?
 
I'd assume they are trying to get your transfer business because it's easier than trying to convince you why you'd pay more buying from them...just a guess. Also, the larger on-line sources would get better bulk pricing so maybe they can be like Walmart and make a lot less per item as they sell a lot more...but I'm spitballing here.
 
As a former gun shop manager this was something we dealt with almost hourly. I personally was in the business of gaining new customers, however most online stores buy in bulk which drives the price down. For example stocking deals, we would buy 200 Glocks for example at one price and sell those at what would seem like 25$ over cost, but due to the bulk by we would be making approximately 75$ on that single Glock. There is a lot of behind the scenes for a gun shop when buying from the wholesale distributors. There is always the you want this and I need to sell you that.

It's a give and take, and more often than not once a shop buys an item at one price they can't or shouldn't lose money on that deal. The shop will never stay in business if they are always discounting there items to sell.

A great way to get a good deal is to always think of a bundle. The gun shop wants your business or should, if not find another shop. Ask the shop if they would come down on the price of the gun say 50$, if you purchased say 100 rds of defense ammo as well as 100 rounds of target ammo. While the price of the gun may go down on the gun itself, your still paying full price for the ammo which will have a higher profit margin. The gun store wins, you win everyone is happy.

Pandemic buying is in full effect, so even if you get something online the online FICS process is 3-5 days behind. Another thought is most distributors are 2 weeks behind in shipping orders.

Hope that helps.
 
I completely understand the aspect of business expenses, but being told just order it online and have it shipped here and we can process the transfer just makes no sense to me.

I have no idea on what mark up on pistols is for retail so just to throw out some random numbers.
Online cost is $500 with free shipping and they are making a profit
LGS cost is $630 and they are making a profit.

LGS must be making at least $130 profit on the sale, correct?

So why tell customer if you want a lower price just order online and we will process the transfer. If they only process the transfer they are only making $25 vs they could of dropped the price for $50 just to be able to say here we are trying and they still make $80 off the deal.

If the transfer fee is $25, then anything they can make over that $25 would be additional revenue correct? Or so shops just not want to get the reputation of being the cheapest in town?

You're assuming that the online retailer and your LGS are paying the same price for the firearms they get from the wholesalers. I can assure you, that is not the case. The large online retailers are getting a deeper discount on their firearms from the wholesaler, than your small LGS is.
 
For a new gun I shop the internet to find the best practical price. Then I take that number to my LGS and ask if he can get within $100 of it... if he can, I'll buy it (takes into account shipping+transfer+OSP/NICS fees).

Each time he tells me that it's at or below his wholesale cost.

I know the outcome, but I want to give him a shot at the sale vs just the transfer.
 
If you build a relationship with your LGS, I'm convinced the higher price will pale with the ability to handle, touch and feel the gun in your own hand. That goes away when he's gone...something to consider.
 
You're assuming that the online retailer and your LGS are paying the same price for the firearms they get from the wholesalers. I can assure you, that is not the case. The large online retailers are getting a deeper discount on their firearms from the wholesaler, than your small LGS is.

That I did not take into consideration, makes more sense now.

Just to be clear, I am not knocking the LGS at all and am happy to support them. It was the flat out refusal for negation and being told just order it online and we can transfer it for you that completely threw me off.
 
I have never ordered a firearm online with the exception of a Muzzle Loader but that does not fall into this discussion as it was mailed directly to me. I am currently looking at a specific revolver and I have contacted a few local shops to get pricing info and each have been in the $600 to $650 range. However when searching online I can find the same revolver for $475-$500.

How exactly does this work? A local shop is not willing to match the price because they wont make any money on it. If that is the case how is the online shop making any money on it? The local shop would rather not match the price or even comes down a bit and have the customer order it online and the just get the $25 (or so) fee they charge to process the transfer? Is it just not worth their time at this point? I do understand physical stores have expenses, overhead, ect. But flat out refusal for any negation on pricing doesn't seem to help much at all. Why tell the customer to just order it online and have it shipped to in for a transfer if they want the lower price?

Just curious. I want to support my local businesses but when I can save $100+ by ordering the same thing online its hard to turn that down. Am I missing something? Not looking to start a war on pricing or supporting local businesses. Honestly just curious on why a local shop would have such higher prices and refusal to negotiate on pricing and prefer the customer just order online if they want a better deal?
If the shop is efficient about their process, they can make a lot of money on transfers. Tigard Pawn does but they have the process down to a science.
 
A lot of small shops clear more profit on a transfer than they do on a sale.

Other than the time to do the paperwork there are essentially no other costs on a transfer.

To sell from inventory there are the costs associated with ordering, shipping, stocking, inventorying / storing, accounting, insuring plus the cost of capital tied up in the purchase. All of this on top of the higher beginning price they pay for the item. This list does not include the fixed costs of building, utilities, taxes etc.
 
One other thing, some online dealers don't even have inventory they just drop ship to your FFL to do the paperwork. With the way things are these days you might not get the firearm until the distributor gets his shipment and parcels it out. With the LGS you can fondle then purchase right now, well after the paper work anyway.
 
One other thing, some online dealers don't even have inventory they just drop ship to your FFL to do the paperwork. With the way things are these days you might not get the firearm until the distributor gets his shipment and parcels it out. With the LGS you can fondle then purchase right now, well after the paper work anyway.

The revolver have been thinking about has not been in stock at any shop I have contacted, its a less popular model so I would need to order it and have it shipped regardless, either from an online shop or the LGS ordering it themself. Which is also a blind purchase on my end because I could end up hating it once I handle it.

In the good old days of being able to handle it and walk out with it the same day never made me even look at the prices as I would typically impulse but. So I get to do my research before hand knowing I wont get it anytime soon haha!
 
If added in shipping and transfer plus credit card fees ect it closes the gap up close. Ive ordered guns on line that ended up costing me more in the long run. For even the 100.00 differance it might be worth being able to hold and .inspect what your buying before you go pay for it and shipping ect and going through the ffl process ,to later realize something is wrong with the gun or you just dont like the way it feels in your hand then you have to go through the bs of sending it back.
 
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The revolver have been thinking about has not been in stock at any shop I have contacted, its a less popular model so I would need to order it and have it shipped regardless, either from an online shop or the LGS ordering it themself. Which is also a blind purchase on my end because I could end up hating it once I handle it.

In the good old days of being able to handle it and walk out with it the same day never made me even look at the prices as I would typically impulse but. So I get to do my research before hand knowing I wont get it anytime soon haha!
So what is the revolver? Maybe a member has it and is willing to let you try it out, I have done so in the past. There are a bunch of us oddball old farts that don't really care for belly button guns ya know.......
 
Because they cant compete with their pricing or for other reasons?

Not being able to compete with their prices is probably one facet of it. On the other hand, Bud's can't compete with the service of your LGS (transferring your firearm to you). And I'm sure there's some animosity there when a person buys a firearm from Bud's, then goes to their LGS for the transfer and the LGS has the same firearm for sale in their shop.
 

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