Stop the damn panic ammo buying people!

[Boboclown]

I'd like let you all know...

Now is the best time to avoid dysentery due to lack of TP from people panic buying.

 

[sobo]

...
Here's a great six-minute video that explains why raising prices during periods of high demand is the right thing to do. Seriously, it's worth six minutes of your life:

The Myth of Price Gouging

And if that one isn't exciting enough for you, here's a slightly shorter video echoing the same point:

Is Price Gouging Bad?

Absolutely LOVE that you used the Mises Institute and John Stossel as your back-ups.
Only thing that woulda made it better would be if you had included Tom Woods and any in his orbit in your list.

 

[Knobgoblin]

I extend you the courtesy of assuming you are not among those who are out there buying product of any kind, from actual retail stores for immediate resale.
Some retailers will definitely raise prices if this trend continues. Once again I restate that people who are doing this are just irritating,and I would rather they didn't share my favorite pastime.
In fact, I wonder how many ammo flippers actually enjoy shooting. I have plenty of mags and ammo right now, but if this nonsense snowballs again I will have to pause every time I want to burn up a case of 9mm with my kids.
Enjoy your time however you see fit , if it's feasible.
My enjoyment of this coming weekend is mildly diminished.

 

[deadeye]

"My problem stems from my 2A brothers overcharging each other for blaster grade pistol ammo every time they get a chance.

And I love getting lectures on free market economics from anyone who thinks bringing in an extra $50 a day makes them a baller. Get a job already."

---------

That's just it. Selling ammo (or anything else) to you at the current market rate is not "overcharging". It's simply "charging". It can only be "overcharging" if - for some strange reason - you wish to ignore the change in market conditions and think you are entitled to yesterday's price. And why on Earth would anyone just ignore economic reality and think that, unless that person suffered from entitlement mentality??

Quote clipped for size not specific part.....

Just think gas prices during summer, nuff said........

 

[Xaevian]

"My problem stems from my 2A brothers overcharging each other for blaster grade pistol ammo every time they get a chance.

And I love getting lectures on free market economics from anyone who thinks bringing in an extra $50 a day makes them a baller. Get a job already."

---------

That's just it. Selling ammo (or anything else) to you at the current market rate is not "overcharging". It's simply "charging". It can only be "overcharging" if - for some strange reason - you wish to ignore the change in market conditions and think you are entitled to yesterday's price. And why on Earth would anyone just ignore economic reality and think that, unless that person suffered from entitlement mentality??

Unfortunately, many people do need a lecture on free market economics because they don't actually understand how free market economics works. Prices send important signals to the market. In the case of ammo, high prices send this message to producers: "Produce and ship MORE ammo to meet increased market demand." But if retailers instead wish to be "good guys" and don't raise prices, those retailers aren't actually helping. Ironically, they're contributing to and prolonging the shortage! Because in that case everyone will continue to buy ammo whether they need it or not simply because it's still "cheap". (That's just human nature, whether we like it or not.) That creates a shortage to where NO ONE can buy ammo at ANY PRICE!

But when you raise prices sufficiently, people like me who already have enough ammo will instead think twice before buying more. The result? There is actually ammo to buy for people who really need it. And you achieve market equilibrium, and thus lower prices, far more quickly.

In other words: Raising prices during times of high demand is not selfish. Ultimately, not raising prices during high demand is actually more unintentionally selfish and more harmful! But good luck getting the 'Average Joe' to understand this simple economic concept. After all, it's much easier and in a way far more satisfying to think with our emotions rather than logic and reason. (Some of my friends often say, "The problem with liberals is that they think with their emotions rather than logic and reason." To which I always reply, "Oh yeah? Well, just jump on any gun forum when panic buying is occurring. There you will quickly discover that thinking with emotions rather than logic and reason is definitely not the sole province of liberals!")

Here's a great six-minute video that explains why raising prices during periods of high demand is the right thing to do. Seriously, it's worth six minutes of your life:

The Myth of Price Gouging

And if that one isn't exciting enough for you, here's a slightly shorter video echoing the same point:

Is Price Gouging Bad?

Yeah, in a normal market that is how it works. You aren't accounting that the demand is artificially inflated by pirate plundering. This is more like the deboers family and their diamond monopoly than actual supply and demand. There isn't a real supply problem - of ammo or toilet paper.

Don't misunderatand me, I don't really care that this is happening. The scalpers gonna scalp, the fools gonna pay. If people just wait, it will be all back on the shelf and the opportunists will be stuck with too much inventoery, just like after the last "shortage", all the pirates were steamed thier AR hoards weren't selling for over 1k anymore and they were going to lose so much money.

 

[deadeye]

I have more than enough store bought and reloading components to go a long while but I learned over 20yrs ago that this kind of stuff happens. I have built up/ replenished my rimfire (cant reload that stuff) over the last year so I can help out friends that end up needing it again this time around, some people never learn. I gave away thousands of rounds last time and sold some at what I paid for it as well. I grew up learning to have stuff on the shelf some people call it prepping but I call it living in the country and being able to go long periods of time without making the trip to town.

Edit: Yep I know some were trying to reload rimfire last time but not with great success.......

 

[Bushman]

I wasn't expecting this until closer to or after the elections, but come on.

All I wanted was some ammo to actually SHOOT, and not hoard. Thankfully I have plenty hoarded, however I like buying ammo as I shoot it.

Sure was enjoying cheap ammo. Guess it was inevitable, I don't see prices dropping between now and Nov.

So buy it ahead of time?

 

[Knobgoblin]

Quote clipped for size not specific part.....

Just think gas prices during summer, nuff said........

Unrelated
Has anyone else heard bizarre stories about gas dropping under $2/gallon in New York?

 

[sobo]

Saw where gas went to $0.99/gallon in ... Kansas, I think it was...?
Article indicated that it was likely to drop to $1.90 nationwide before too long.
The Russkis and the Saudis are going at it pretty hard....

 

[RVTECH]

What am I missing here? Seems to me that the OP is trying to divide by zero.

I THINK the OP is trying to make a distinction between ammo he wants to 'hoard' and that of which he wants to shoot.

The 'missing' part here is the OP has not clarified what exactly he means by 'hoard'.

Is this ammo that will never be shot? Is it being 'hoarded' to be used for trade or sold for some ridiculously high price in the event of some eventually that might allow for it? Or if it ever goes from 'hoarded' to actually being shot what will be the go/no go reason that will take it out of the 'hoarded' category to being shot?

Whipping a dead horse again but for those who REALLY want to 'hoard' ammo reloading is one of the few options that REALLY allows the freedom to control how much you want to hoard, and not have to rely on buying it during panic scenarios, such as we are seeing now.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Saw where gas went to $0.99/gallon in ... Kansas, I think it was...?
Article indicated that it was likely to drop to $1.90 nationwide before too long.
The Russkis and the Saudis are going at it pretty hard....

Maybe I should just go for some homemade napalm and forget about shooting for a couple months. BOOOSH!

 

[sobo]

It was Kentucky, at a station long known for cheap gas prices. I knew it started with a "K"...

Another source was quoted as saying that "...the national average price will drop to $1.25 to $1.50 in the next few months."

 

[Xrperry]

This is my opinion on the ammo shortage.IF someone ownes a gun or guns, they should have ammo for them.
I am not saying they need 20k of 22, or whatever, but they should have some.if they don't have any ammo and this crap happens and they end up spending double or more than usual on a box of 9mm, lesson learned, and remembered.
IF it happens again they will have at least a little ammo for their guns.sometimes lessons are expensive

 

[CLT65]

So, just to be clear, is it an ammo hoard (the stash you've got squirreled away), an ammo horde (a bunch of guys who like ammo), or ammo whored (desperately trading favors for bullets)?

 

[sobo]

Yay! Just got the email that says my latest replacement order of 1,000 rds has shipped.

This will bump me to over 18,000 rds of various calibers for the coming Zombiepocalypse...

For those that are curious, it was $222 ($211 plus $11 S&H) for .40 S&W 180 gr RNFP remans.
Before anyone flames me for it, it's what I use for practice and USPSA comps. I have enough PD rounds to last me a lifetime. Or two...

ETA: The 1,000 rds arrived safely last night (Monday the 23rd), the final delivery of the day for my UPS lady...

 

[whiskeybill]

So a few days ago I drove by the Sportsmans Warehouse, just to see what they had sold out of. There was a line out the door, and the place was open. Decided right there I didn't need to wait in line to look at empty shelves. To those of you who do not reload ammunition, consider it seriously. You may think it's expensive to start and keep up, but when you have lots of components on hand (yes, don't let yourself run short there either) you won't regret it. The days of being able to trot on down to the store and get whatever you want, (be it life essentials or guns and ammo) whenever you want, are slowly slipping away. Hoarders are typically people that gather things that really have no intrinsic value, but in their own minds it's valuable. Preppers are those that are prepared. Nothing wrong with being a "Prepper". Sounds demeaning today, but if I recall my Boy Scout days, their motto was "Be Prepared". If gun shows were allowed to happen right now, I would bet there would be $100 bricks of 22 ammo for sale. And there would be people willing to pay the money for it.

 

[nwslopoke]

Whatever shtf scenario I figured would cause the next ammo run was wrong. It came early and during a work week. These things are never convenient.

While I have a respectable stash, I was lucky to start focusing on 5.56 recently. Way better off than last time. I was planning on starting on reloading equipment for next year. Just shows there's no time like now.

 

[cigars]

As others have stated here recently, if you haven't learned from the last ammo shortage......

 

[Pete F]

Rule of thumb, plan on spending at least an equal amount on ammo as you paid for your gun. $700 for an AR-15, buy that much in ammo and then think about accessories. It is not quite an exact science, but a gun is a club or rock without ammo. You need to keep those supplies replenished as you shoot the ammo. Don't forget magazines

 

[whiskeybill]

Old habits die hard. Ever since I was a kid, when I started reloading, it just seemed I never had enough ammo or components. I used to head out to public land north of Billings where I grew up, and pick up empty cases. It was particularly fruitful right before hunting season when folks would go out to "sight in" their hunting rifles. Tons of once fired brass for the picking. My older brother passed away last December, and I inherited his M1A and his Colt Gold Cup. I have plenty of 45 Auto, but have never owned a .308 of any kind. Along with the rifle was a dozen 20 round mags and the ten round that came with the rifle. Also a bulk box of LC ammo, about 1000 rounds. I ordered some more Mil Spec ammo (700 rounds), along with a bunch of bullets and once fired brass, along with dies. I wasn't even anticipating a SHTF scenario, but for the upcoming elections (always a dicey proposition). Granted, part of that drive was the Washington legislature and the hijinks they were up to with draconian gun laws. Magazine bans, background checks for ammunition, no online orders for ammo, and other assorted fantasy laws.

Right now I won't even waste the gas to drive to Sportsmans or Cabelas. I looked at several well known web sites last night (Midway, Mid South, Graf & Sons). They are effectively cleaned out already. I don't have that worry on my mind. And we have plenty of toilet paper.