Okay, here's a side to the story from someone who once owned a gunshop.
I had a good business. I had my regular customers, and a hell of a lot of walk-ins.
My standard was that if you were a first time buyer, you paid "list price" for a firearm. On your second purchase, and all purchases after, you paid 15% over my actual cost.
Gunsmithing fees and custom work was fixed and everyone paid the same fee. All repairs and modifications were performed on a "first-come-first-serve" basis. If you came into the shop the day before hunting season, you were crap out of luck if you needed the gun for hunting season, regardless of the bribe you offered.
Regular customers also paid 15% over my cost for all reloading components and supplies, except Red Dot powder. If you brought your own 3-pound coffee can, it was $8. If you didn't, it was $9.
Once-fired AA hulls were 2-cents each.
I had a good business. The 15% covered my operational costs, paid for my firearms hobby, my hunting trips and my shooting.
Then two things happened.
First was GCA'68, and the second was that a Walmart opened around 2 blocks away.
Walmart was using ammunition and firearms as "loss leaders". In other words, they were selling them lower than their cost, just to bring customers into their store. They were selling way below what I was paying my distributors and jobbers! So I did the natural thing. When I needed to replenish my stock, I went to Walmart.
Soon my jobbers and distributors started questioning why my orders were becoming smaller and smaller. I told them that I could go a couple of blocks down the street and buy at 10% to 15% cheaper than they could supply the very same items.
(I still only charged my customers 15% over my Walmart purchase price.)
Soon the jobbers and distributors started playing games with me. If I wanted a "select" S&W, Ruger, Remington, Winchester or Browning, I had to buy at least three pieces of crap with the same brand name on the barrel. In other words, if I wanted a Smith 60 I would have to buy 3 Model 19's, etc.
In addition, a hell of a lot of the "wholesalers" started opening "retail". So they soon became my competition instead of my supplier!!
Soon "customers" (not any of my regulars) started coming in and wanting to know the price of a rifle and a scope. (My standard deal is that I would mount the scope and bore-site it for free.) I was informed by one customer that Walmart was selling the same Ruger 77 for $5 less than I wanted, and the Redfield scope was $10 less. I had a simple reply...
"Then get your ass to Walmart and buy it!"
(Yes, I was as "cranky" then as I am now.)
Soon the customer would come prancing back into my shop, with rifle and scope in hand. What did he want? He wanted me to mount and boresite the scope for him.
I did, and I charged him $35. So, maybe he saved $15 by buying at Walmart, but he ended up paying $20 more, because that simple little 17-year-old school gal behind the gun counter at Walmart had no idea how to mount a scope, and "boresite" wasn't even in her vocabulary.
Well, eventually I had to raise my profit margin from 15% to 20%. Why? Because the price of coffee went through the ceiling (yes, there was always a fresh pot of coffee on the stove for all to drink, for free). The electric rates almost doubled, as did the gas. My insurance tripled, and I had to put steel bars in all my windows and install a burglar alarm system and a special phone line for it. Not to mention tax increases!
My "loyal" customers started bitching and complaining about the increase. And they started going to Walmart to buy their firearms and ammo and components and equipment.
Were they ever surprised when Walmart told them that they could not special order anything. They bought what was on the shelf or they go without. (And Walmart never offered free coffee or a place to paly cards.)
Finally the aggravation became more than I cared for, so I shut the doors. No, I didn't have a going out of business sale. I just transferred all the firearms to me personally, and kept all the other stuff for my own use.
Soon after Walmart decided they would no longer sell firearms.
That was when I started receiving phone calls ... "Hey, Steve. when are you going to re-open the shop?"
My answer? You guessed it ... NEVER!
Yes, I still keep my FFL active, mainly for my own use. I do order some firearms for friends, as well as reloading supplies and equipment. But the days of 15% over cost are long gone. It is now 20%, plus shipping, plus hazmat (if applicable). And I want payment in full before I place the order.
Oh, and I still do transfers. But what I used to do for $5 is now $25.
So I guess it is as I have preached in all the forums. It really wasn't the big stores, or the internet that caused the disappearance of the locally owned gun shop ... it was the tight-assed customers who thought they were saving $1 or $2!
Do I miss the shop? Sure do!
Would I open another one? NO WAY! (Unless of course I only handled $5000 and up firearms, which would only be sold at "full list".) I am not going to be bothered about a stinking $400 or $500 rifle or a $300 shotgun or a $100 handgun.
You guys decided that saving a dollar or two was more important than maintaining a regular relationship with your local shop owners. I decided that I didn't need you ... as have many other shop owners.
So quit your bitching about paying hazmat fees, paying transfer fees, and not having a gunshop close with a decent inventory.
YOU are the reason for all of this...
