Why try and support the LGS?

[Mongo59]

I am blessed to have the LGS's that I have. They are all different and have strengths and weaknesses but great in their own rights.

My "home away from home" gun shop is just that because you would not believe what just comes walking through the door.
You want to be there all day every day just to be able to pounce on the new offerings.

His ammo is as cheap or cheaper than the internet sites but no shipping.

I hope everyone has the chance to experience what I must have foolishly been taking for granted all these years. If you don't find a place where you are to experience it, come on down to the river end of the state and I will share mine with ya...

 

[Clay Pigeon]

My guess is the store in question wont make it, yeah it would be nice to have a place close that valued your business. But for me I will drive the 45 minutes each way to support a non chain store, that has a good selection, fair prices and courtesy for customers.

I get your point, we had a gun store in Alexandria, Madison County Guns. He was a horrible business man, He was a retired GM factory worker that opened up a gun store to supplement his own hobby. After four or five years he didnt have any more on the shelf for sale than he did when he opened plus he was an ahole to deal with.
I do most of my business with Bass & Bucks when we shoot there or Buckshot in Anderson. I did most of my business for 20 years with Crackshot in Anderson but Mike sold his business a couple of years ago and the new owners dont have much on the shelfs to sell.
The only time I hit a big chain is when Noblesville has S&B primers on sale for 19.99 a thou, And then I stack deep.

 

[halfmileharry]

I get your point, we had a gun store in Alexandria, Madison County Guns. He was a horrible business man, He was a retired GM factory worker that opened up a gun store to supplement his own hobby. After four or five years he didnt have any more on the shelf for sale than he did when he opened plus he was an ahole to deal with.
I do most of my business with Bass & Bucks when we shoot there or Buckshot in Anderson. I did most of my business for 20 years with Crackshot in Anderson but Mike sold his business a couple of years ago and the new owners dont have much on the shelfs to sell.
The only time I hit a big chain is when Noblesville has S&B primers on sale for 19.99 a thou, And then I stack deep.

Wasn't there a Quality Guns in Anderson?

 

[Hookeye]

Remember, quite a bit of special order guns/parts ends up collecting dust on the LGS.
Customers often demand a certain part, and it be wrong. Or they just refuse to come in and pay for the damn thing.
So the shop usually sits on it forever, or loses money by eventually dumping it below cost.

Because if the truth was told the "customer" would go on a forum and lie his/her arse off about what really happened.

Just sayin'.

The LGS can't stock everything and their customer service is often abused.

 

[churchmouse]

Remember, quite a bit of special order guns/parts ends up collecting dust on the LGS.
Customers often demand a certain part, and it be wrong. Or they just refuse to come in and pay for the damn thing.
So the shop usually sits on it forever, or loses money by eventually dumping it below cost.

Because if the truth was told the "customer" would go on a forum and lie his/her arse off about what really happened.

Just sayin'.

The LGS can't stock everything and their customer service is often abused.

More than we know. I have seen this at the 3 LGS I still frequent.

 

[WebSnyper]

Remember, quite a bit of special order guns/parts ends up collecting dust on the LGS.
Customers often demand a certain part, and it be wrong. Or they just refuse to come in and pay for the damn thing.
So the shop usually sits on it forever, or loses money by eventually dumping it below cost.

Because if the truth was told the "customer" would go on a forum and lie his/her arse off about what really happened.

Just sayin'.

The LGS can't stock everything and their customer service is often abused.

I get it, and have no issues with the LGS and their choices, however, I do have issues with the attitude of one must support their local (whatever store). I will if they offer something above and beyond what I can get elsewhere. That something can be customer service, great inventory, good prices, or any combination of those things. The store that has none of those things just won't get my business.

Honestly with me it is the same with big box. I'm not interested in doing business there unless they offer something needed that others don't. I pretty much stopped going to Walmart, Best Buy, etc. There's just no reason to put up with their drawbacks, when others offer what they do without those drawbacks (poor customer service, etc).

 

[Clay Pigeon]

Wasn't there a Quality Guns in Anderson?

That goes years back,, John something on the north end of Anderson on the east side of Rt9 in a fenced in lot., Tall skinny drink of water that always wanted to talk about fishing. He went out of business and worked for Mike Clevenger at Crackshot for a few years and left for parts unknown to me. Then Mark who at the time was a Anderson beat cop worked for Mike PT and then he opened Buckshot in downtown Anderson on Meridian St. He now is an Asst Chief at APD and has a nice small store next to Croakerheads ( good Irish lunchs and for the bestie she can get a Guiness on draft ) on Meridian. It is a nice small store, I bought two P250's from him a year or so back when Sig dropped the wholesale price a 100 bucks on them.
And I will say it again, Its a nice clean small store. And he stocks some Sigs, and thats a plus for me anyway. When I go there i try to get there in the later afternoon so I can deal with Mark, all transactions have been easy and smooth with him.

 

[Hookeye]

There are many folks that think price is all that matters.
When they lose a spring the night before the deer season opener, they can call Buds LOL.

 

[churchmouse]

There are many folks that think price is all that matters.
When they lose a spring the night before the deer season opener, they can call Buds LOL.

 

[Clay Pigeon]

I get it, and have no issues with the LGS and their choices, however, I do have issues with the attitude of one must support their local (whatever store). I will if they offer something above and beyond what I can get elsewhere. That something can be customer service, great inventory, good prices, or any combination of those things. The store that has none of those things just won't get my business.

Honestly with me it is the same with big box. I'm not interested in doing business there unless they offer something needed that others don't. I pretty much stopped going to Walmart, Best Buy, etc. There's just no reason to put up with their drawbacks, when others offer what they do without those drawbacks (poor customer service, etc).

If I came across that under no circumstance you should not stay local I will say 'i'm sorry but thats not what I fully meant. I tried many times to deal with the owner of Madison co Guns when his business was open, but he would even balk at I'll pay for the gun now and you just order it and call me when it comes in. He rarely had any ammo on the shelfs much less any firearms that I was interested in. It was like everything someone wanted was just drudgery for him or his wife to do. Sometimes he would have a good deal but it always was a consignment firearm and not something he himself owned, the last firearm I bought from him was a Canadian Para Ordnance P18 Limited with 6 extra factory mags that was unfired.

 

[cmann250]

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not the target customer at the LGS. I own 0 (that’s zero) double stack pistols and zero factory built AR15’s. The firearms I seem to be interested in are odd balls or somewhat higher end, I guess.

There’s no money catering to me. I’m an oddball. It’s disappointing, but such is life. I’m good to go as long as Kimball keeps coming to the 1500.




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[Clay Pigeon]

There are many folks that think price is all that matters.
When they lose a spring the night before the deer season opener, they can call Buds LOL.

Or they drive 1:35 minutes to save 35 bucks and then get put on hold and have to drive back. Or have a problem with the firearm and have to drive back to have it shipped by the shop they bought it from. My YaaYaa's have been using the small gun store in Frankton that one of the local cops own, They are saying nice things about him. He has gotten whatever they have needed so far. He was in a small house the only time I was there and that was about three years ago, he has since moved across the street? into a larger building. I'll have to slip in soon and see what the hub bub is with it.

 

[Wheel Gunner]

My LGS caters to those who buy on price alone, not quality. Therefore, he only stocks low end and a very few medium quality guns.

 

[Wheel Gunner]

What's amusing is hanging around a LGS and listening to customers wanting to special order some mundane part or accessory that's readily available online for a much lower price, without state sales tax and with a much quicker delivery time direct to their own home.

 

[Hookeye]

My LGS stocks the "latest and greatest" and also gets some cool older rigs in.
Nice balance.
But they get a lot of traffic...........so neat stuff doesn't last long.

 

[MCgrease08]

There are a lot of reasons to shop online these days, including convenience and price, but still plenty of reasons to visit the local LGS.

Here are just two LGS stories I experienced recently. The first was a trip to Primary Arms in Carmel. It was their grand opening and I just popped in to see what they had. A 4" 686-6 caught my eye. I had been looking for a good price on a 686 for a while and this fit the bill.

I coon fingered it for a bit and even though it was listed for well under market value, I hadn't planned to spend the money. The sales guy could tell I was interested. He asked me what price it would take for me to be unable to refuse. I told him the price was already fair, I just want ready to spend the money that day. I was "just browsing."

Not only did he offer to take an extra $25 off the gun, but he offered a free hat and a free box of .357 mag ammo so I could shoot it that day. Needless to say I was sold.

A few weeks later I took my lids to Fort Liberty in Avon for an NRA Day/open house. I needed a new charging handle, buffer and spring for an AR build. Not only did they have the stuff in stock for less than what I would have paid online, but as we were checking out, the owner tried to give my kids two free youth fishing poles. No other reason other than the fact that they were in the store and he had them. They already have fishing poles so I declined, but you won't find that online.

 

[Areoflyer09]

Remember, quite a bit of special order guns/parts ends up collecting dust on the LGS.
Customers often demand a certain part, and it be wrong. Or they just refuse to come in and pay for the damn thing.
So the shop usually sits on it forever, or loses money by eventually dumping it below cost.

Because if the truth was told the "customer" would go on a forum and lie his/her arse off about what really happened.

Just sayin'.

The LGS can't stock everything and their customer service is often abused.

This is how we came across the wife’s TacSol. Guy special ordered and then refused to buy it. We took it home at a fair price, probably could have pushed for a lower price given the circumstances, but I like that shop and they’ve treated the wife far better than most shops do. I’m willing to reward them for that behavior. Sadly they aren’t local so we don’t get to stop by very often.

 

[Route 45]

There are many folks that think price is all that matters.
When they lose a spring the night before the deer season opener, they can call Buds LOL.

I wonder if there is a correlation between people who lose springs screwing with their guns the night before opening day and people who feel some kind of weird sense of honor in wasting their hard-earned money.

 

[jy951]

Very soon you'll be paying sales tax on firearms purchases online from your bigger dealers. Even though you're suppose to pay it now, few do. Buds will be required to collect sales tax next year I believe.

 

[Areoflyer09]

Very soon you'll be paying sales tax on firearms purchases online from your bigger dealers. Even though you're suppose to pay it now, few do. Buds will be required to collect sales tax next year I believe.

There are milestones that a business has to reach before they are required to charge sales tax. Larger businesses will get there first, smaller one may not do enough business in state to reach them.