Supporting your LGS vs $$$$$

[Trigger Time]

If my LGS didnt openly gouge its customer base every time the political winds blow, I may be more tempted. But they take advantage of the un schooled so I buy online and pay my FFL 25.00. saves me $$ instead of paying off his boat, whatever...

Damn $25?
i don't know where you live but in central Indy area 2
stores offer $15 transfers. USDS in greenwood and
Indy Trading Post in Indy $15 transfers for INGO site supporters

 

[crispy]

I'm curious what gun is $330 online vs. $450 at a LGS?

We never had that much markup in any handgun in that price range.

On the surface, it seems like the LGS is grossly overpriced.

For example:

Point Blank M&P (Gen 1) 9mm normal price - $459
Point Blank M&P (Gen 1) 9mm sale price - $399
Bud's Guns Retail - $442
Bud's Guns Cash - $429

If you are finding something $120 than one of the local gun store's price, please let me know what it is and where you're getting it, I want one.

 

[jasonh31]

I order my AR parts and uppers online, however my local store in Manchester is where I have bought my last few guns.

 

[TheMachine]

Crispy, I intentionally left things vague so as not to start any flame wars. But mostly I've been watching reddit's r/gundeals

For this post I did a search for something I've been looking for, and looked at a month or 2 of sales on it. One of the posts (2 or 3 weeks old) claim to still have some in stock but I didn't try ordering so I'm not sure if that's true.

 

[tcecil88]

I have only bought one gun online and even then it was a Armslist deal that went from his LGS to mine. I have bought handguns from local stores in Ohio and Kentucky and had them transferred to my LGS. The vast majority of my gun buying is done face to face at the counter. Ammo is bought at the LGS or Wally World, whomever has the best deal.
No one around here carries many parts and accessories, so I get those almost exclusively online.

 

[42769vette]

Something to keep in mind. I cant tell you how many people have come to me as shows and said "I just bought that scope 200 dollars cheaper online". We talk for a few minutes, and find out (well, they find out, I knew what happened at the beginning of the conversation) the scope i have is not what they bought, and i have what they bought at the same money or cheaper.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I'll support shops that support me. Within reason. I don't ask the shop to take a $150 loss to sell me a gun. They shouldn't ask me to take a $150 loss to buy from them. If you are not competitive with the market as a whole, I'm not going to subsidize you. If you're an a-hole, alienate me, etc I won't buy from you, period.

Local retail, no matter if it's guns or boots or jet skis, needs to find a niche and/or establish relationships to survive. If you treat me like just a customer, I'll treat you like just a store and you'll end up competing solely on price and convenience. Built a relationship, and I'll (consciously or not) add that value into my decision of whom to purchase from.

 

[DIRTROAD]

My rule of thumb is $50 I like to buy local as long as they have what I want

 

[Winamac]

I make every attempt to support my LGS because they are a small family owned business and been in the area for 40+ years. I usually check with them first when buying and if they cannot get what I want I then go on line and have them do any transfers so they still make some $$. Ammo and accssesories I always buy from them.

 

[edporch]

No problem for me buying my firearms from my LGS.
He charges good prices most of the time, and I'd just be paying more to go someplace else.

 

[churchmouse]

I have only bought one gun online and even then it was a Armslist deal that went from his LGS to mine. I have bought handguns from local stores in Ohio and Kentucky and had them transferred to my LGS. The vast majority of my gun buying is done face to face at the counter. Ammo is bought at the LGS or Wally World, whomever has the best deal.
No one around here carries many parts and accessories, so I get those almost exclusively online.

Parts and accessory's are an on line thing as LGS can not begin to compete here. If you know what you are buying inspection is not needed like a gun purchase.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

This. If you do regular business in the same shops you will find that most will welcome you and deal.
Unless you are a butt head

I stopped in today and told my local addiction fixer that I was stressed and needed to spend some time with my friends (gesturing towards the guns). He looked hurt and said "Gee, I thought we were more like brothers. "
That pretty much sums it up.
I've got zero complaints about my lgs, and they know I'll always look there first.

 

[jd4320t]

I'm all for supporting a local shop. The problem is that good ones are few and far between. Prices and customer service are very important.

 

[WebSnyper]

I'll support shops that support me. Within reason. I don't ask the shop to take a $150 loss to sell me a gun. They shouldn't ask me to take a $150 loss to buy from them. If you are not competitive with the market as a whole, I'm not going to subsidize you. If you're an a-hole, alienate me, etc I won't buy from you, period.

Local retail, no matter if it's guns or boots or jet skis, needs to find a niche and/or establish relationships to survive. If you treat me like just a customer, I'll treat you like just a store and you'll end up competing solely on price and convenience. Built a relationship, and I'll (consciously or not) add that value into my decision of whom to purchase from.

I'm all for supporting a local shop. The problem is that good ones are few and far between. Prices and customer service are very important.

Agreed with both of these. I have so far only purchased 1 gun online, because my LGS usually has outstanding prices, and actually provides great trade values (pretty much what I could sell for on INGO once I consider the tax savings on the trade value). Other things such as accessories and ammo get bought where pricing is the best and/or service is included and good (such as installing night sights).

 

[MarkC]

Although there is a closer LGS, I drive to one in Martinsville. The owner is a friend and former co-worker, and he's always been good to me. However, he can be cantankerous and strongly opinionated and I'm not sure that everyone would get the same experience.

Like so many other things, it is all about relationships.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Like so many other things, it is all about relationships.

Indeed.

 

[88E30M50]

I prefer to buy locally. I'll buy locally if the price is within $100. I've never actually seen a price difference larger than that with the two LGS's I use, so it's never been an issue. They support me and I try to support them as much as I can. But, there are times when I see something that I cannot get locally and at those times, I hope that they don't have an issue with my buying locally.

The only time I've really had misgivings is when I saw a pistol I wanted at one of my preferred LGS's for a decent price, but a price that was out of reach for me. Later on, I saw the same pistol, but in a color combo that I liked better offered online for a price difference of well over $300 off. With tax, the difference after transfer fees would be $458 between the one I liked online and the one offered locally. The difference to me is that I could afford the cheaper version where as the higher priced version is still out of reach. If I buy the gun online, the shop gets the $15 transfer fee. If I don't buy that, the shop gets nothing because I can't afford their version of the pistol.

 

[Sniper 79]

I order everything I can in life on line.

 

[Gabriel]

I order everything I can in life on line.

I do also. Mostly because I'm picky and most things I want to buy ( reference just about anything from shop tools, motorcycle parts and gear, or work related gear ) are not available locally with a few exceptions. I get tired of running into town to buy something just to have to go back home empty handed and order online anyway.

 

[gregkl]

I do also. Mostly because I'm picky and most things I want to buy ( reference just about anything from shop tools, motorcycle parts and gear, or work related gear ) are not available locally with a few exceptions. I get tired of running into town to buy something just to have to go back home empty handed and order online anyway.

This is me 80% of the time. I must be particular in what I want because I just don't find it at brick and mortar. And this goes for most everything, including the zero heel drop shoes I have switched to!