Gun store acceptable etiquette?

TFLeader

TFLeader

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The story usually goes like this:

You stop in a local GS and behind the counter is an interesting firearm. When you ask "I that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet".

When you come back the next day the gun is gone, however it shows up on Gunbroker which a stiff reserve and usually a somewhat inflated description.

I have nothing against making a store owner making a decent profit, but do the local customers deserve a shot at it?

There are several MA GS's that make this a usual practice.
 
Their shop, their rules. Don't go there again. Totally acceptable and if they found some one to buy it at an inflated price so much the better for them...
 
TFLeader said:
You stop in a local GS and behind the counter is an interesting firearm. When you ask "I that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet"..
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The shop is poorly managed if they are putting out merchandise that is not yet available for sale.
 
My way of thinking, if the item is out for public view and the clerk on duty doesn't know the price, I would ask him to call someone that could put a price on it if I wanted it. But I would have done my homework knowing what the price should be and if they came back a lot higher, say no thanks and leave. If this happens a few times that they are pricing their guns or items higher than it should be I stop going there.
 
Playing devil's advocate...maybe took a non-compliant MA gun and can only sell it out of state? Still bad form to put it in open view to temp us but just a thought.
 
preacher4573 said:
Playing devil's advocate...maybe took a non-compliant MA gun and can only sell it out of state? Still bad form to put it in open view to temp us but just a thought.
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I've had that happen a few times at shops in MA near the NH border. The store owner was pretty clear I couldn't buy it once I asked (and having already seen my MA LTC) so maybe he's waiting for a NH resident to walk in the door.
 
Snora said:
I've had that happen a few times at shops in MA near the NH border. The store owner was pretty clear I couldn't buy it once I asked (and having already seen my MA LTC) so maybe he's waiting for a NH resident to walk in the door.
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He's going to be waiting a long, long time if that's the case.
 
TFLeader said:
The story usually goes like this:

You stop in a local GS and behind the counter is an interesting firearm. When you ask "I that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet".

When you come back the next day the gun is gone, however it shows up on Gunbroker which a stiff reserve and usually a somewhat inflated description.

I have nothing against making a store owner making a decent profit, but do the local customers deserve a shot at it?

There are several MA GS's that make this a usual practice.
Click to expand...
Call the owner, tell him the story, see if there is a good explanation, give them a chance to make it right.
I've had an 2 separate issues at 2 well known shops. At one shop, turns out they had a bad seed, and the owner made it right.
Another shop, the owner was more of a ****tard than the sales guy, and I won't shop there anymore.

Maybe the kid didn't know, maybe it was put out by mistake, follow up with it, we need all the gun shops we can get.
 
TFLeader said:
The story usually goes like this:

You stop in a local GS and behind the counter is an interesting firearm. When you ask "I that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet".

When you come back the next day the gun is gone, however it shows up on Gunbroker which a stiff reserve and usually a somewhat inflated description.

I have nothing against making a store owner making a decent profit, but do the local customers deserve a shot at it?

There are several MA GS's that make this a usual practice.
Click to expand...

I have a different take on this....."and behind the counter is an interesting firearm". When you ask "Is that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet". = this means that the firearms is not for sale period.

Trades come in to GS's at all times and a lot of times the worker has to talk to the owner to decided what to do with the firearm.

The local customer doesn't have any "right" to that gun, its the property of the owner and he/she decides what is to be done.

"The shop is poorly managed if they are putting out merchandise that is not yet available for sale." If it was behind the counter it was NOT merchandise out in the case and available to sale!

"leave it out of sight until it is cleared by owner to sell" == so your telling the owner how run the business ? So they have to "Hide" the guns so you don't get offended? Ya like you would do that it if you owns the shop!

I've seen demanding customers pester gun owners about trade in's no numerous occasions.....

Gun store etiquette????.... if its displayed in the case its fair game. It its not in the case and not marked, leave the employee alone,, the gun is not for sale...period!
 
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Easy - "How about you take my number for when you get a price?"
Store knows you're not kicking tires that way
 
I don't mind seeing guns out that aren't for sale in gun stores. A big part of why I go to gun stores is to look at guns, so I'd rather see more than less
 
Tracer1951 said:
I have a different take on this....."and behind the counter is an interesting firearm". When you ask "Is that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet". = this means that the firearms is not for sale period.

Trades come in to GS's at all times and a lot of times the worker has to talk to the owner to decided what to do with the firearm.

The local customer doesn't have any "right" to that gun, its the property of the owner and he/she decides what is to be done.
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Yeah, pretty much this.

I've been in similar situations, quite often in fact. It may be frustrating, but when I'm told it's not for sale (for any of a variety of good or sometimes not-so-good reasons), it's simply not for sale. I might ask them to call me if and when it does become available for sale, but it isn't something to get terribly butthurt about. Their business, their risk, their reasons, their rules.
 
TFLeader said:
The story usually goes like this:

You stop in a local GS and behind the counter is an interesting firearm. When you ask "I that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet".

When you come back the next day the gun is gone, however it shows up on Gunbroker which a stiff reserve and usually a somewhat inflated description.

I have nothing against making a store owner making a decent profit, but do the local customers deserve a shot at it?

There are several MA GS's that make this a usual practice.
Click to expand...

TFLeader is exactly right. What we need is for the government to come down to his local GS and set a fair price.
 
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Honestly, there seems to be a run on bad etiquette and not just with shops. What ever happened with integrity?
 
boilermaker said:
It is on GB, why don't you have a shot at it?
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Ding ding ding! You beat me to it.

I just find it amazing how many threads come into this sight with guys complaining about how a shop runs its business. Like there are some rules the shop has to go by........I've asked to see rifles that don't have a tag on it and the clerk told me.......sorry it just came in and im not sure what the boss wants to do with it yet.......and I have no problem with that.....completely understand. As far as putting it on gun buyer goes......dude.....why do you think you should have "first dibs" on it when the owner can put it up on GB for auction and get an even better price.........if you want the gun......BID on it. Or you could just go out.....become an FFL.....find a good store front and lease it.......advertise......pay insurance........and start acquiring your own inventory..........and then put up with guys whining about how you run your business.
 
TFLeader said:
The story usually goes like this:

You stop in a local GS and behind the counter is an interesting firearm. When you ask "I that gun for sale?" the response is "No, it came in this morning and the owner has not put a price on it yet".

When you come back the next day the gun is gone, however it shows up on Gunbroker which a stiff reserve and usually a somewhat inflated description.

I have nothing against making a store owner making a decent profit, but do the local customers deserve a shot at it?

There are several MA GS's that make this a usual practice.
Click to expand...

Seriously?

You want to do this, then BUY A GUN SHOP. You will have the right to bitch about how someone sells something once you absorb all the BS in running a business.

It's a gun shop not a preschool toy box. Nobody has to share anything with you. Ever.
I've seen shops do this right in front of me... and you know what? I don't care. It's THEIR BUSINESS! OMGZ a novel concept! [rofl]

-Mike
 
boilermaker said:
It is on GB, why don't you have a shot at it?
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He's not entitled to any shot. Period, end, full stop! Ever! The gun shop owner has the right to say "**** you guys im taking this home and putting it in my collection" or "I just got this python for $100 now I'm going to make my $1900 so I can pay the goddam bills in my shop."

ETA: I'll also mention that even "that gun shop you like" (whoever they are) does this. I don't care who you are. Some of them are just a lot more coy about it than others are, in terms of not torturing customers. Gun gets intaked into book and disappears in a safe somewhere never to
be seen again. [laugh]

-Mike
 
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When I worked close to a gun store I went in often. 99% of all the guns I had any interest in where usually 30% higher than I would bother to pay.
one day he barked at me, "do you think this is a museum or something. You been in and out of this shop for 2 years" I kindly said that his prices reflect museum quality and they are not. Never said a word to me again the last 10 or so times I went in.....fast forward to last year 6 of the 10 guns I liked are still there..... so we are talking 15 years these guns have been sitting.....price is about 15% high now than then.....
I dont care what Owners do, their shop and policies if you can get more on GB then so be it. I actually found out there is a FFL not far from me that does 0 walk in. 100% on line or auctions. Says he sells up in NH often at a auctin house??? He wont even do a simple transfer into the state.
Donr fret it, kkep checking they might have what you want someday for the price you want to pay.
 
mac1911 said:
When I worked close to a gun store I went in often. 99% of all the guns I had any interest in where usually 30% higher than I would bother to pay.
one day he barked at me, "do you think this is a museum or something. You been in and out of this shop for 2 years" I kindly said that his prices reflect museum quality and they are not. Never said a word to me again the last 10 or so times I went in.....fast forward to last year 6 of the 10 guns I liked are still there..... so we are talking 15 years these guns have been sitting.....price is about 15% high now than then.....
I dont care what Owners do, their shop and policies if you can get more on GB then so be it. I actually found out there is a FFL not far from me that does 0 walk in. 100% on line or auctions. Says he sells up in NH often at a auctin house??? He wont even do a simple transfer into the state.
Donr fret it, kkep checking they might have what you want someday for the price you want to pay.
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Why didn't you ever make an offer on the guns you wanted? Especially after all this time! If they've been sitting around this long, he would probably be happy to move them. I don't ever buy a used gun without making an offer for what I want to pay and I can't remember the last time anyone said no.
 
jpm said:
Why didn't you ever make an offer on the guns you wanted? Especially after all this time! If they've been sitting around this long, he would probably be happy to move them. I don't ever buy a used gun without making an offer for what I want to pay and I can't remember the last time anyone said no.
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simply because they where so over priced I didnt want to bother. I had a interest in them but not a want......... I went in to kill my lunch break on fridays. I have better luck buying from private party on quality and price.
I bought plenty of cleaning supplies and targets and a small amount of ammo. Plus If he wanted to move them why keep raising the prices.

I see a lot of old inventory in several shops around my area.
 
Oh I didn't know he was raising the prices on that stuff. I thought you meant the prices were the same as they were years ago and are finally getting close to the real price due to inflation lol
 

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