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Monthly LGS Visit

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nmedge

Guest
Went to LGS that I used to work for today. I try to go at least once a month and wanted to go this week before he heads out to the shot show. Its a friendly store put prices have gone thru the roof there. The state minimum wage is now $12 a hour and he has raised prices on all of his guns. An example is an Sig P365 Macro, msrp $799, his price $949. All of his guns seem to be $75-$150 over msrp. He says he has to charge more to cover salaries. His business has slowed down and he can't understand why. He is the only full service gun store in the area and he also provides classes to get New Mexico CCW licenses, both new and renewal. Feel bad but I just can't afford to buy a gun there. I can get them $200-250 cheaper online with a $20 dollar transfer fee from another FFL. If you purchase a gun elsewhere and he can get it he charges a $100 transfer fee. I would love to keep a local business in business but this has become ridiculous. I just don't see me going there very often anymore. Has any of your LGS prices gone up?
 
Same thing at the gun shop close to me, they moved from a leased building into a huge building that was a church. their intentions was to put a shooting range in. i don't see it happening. he has gone wild on prices too. It's cheaper at other stores in the area.
 
Thats what he says. Nobody there is full time anymore and state wants to raise minimum to $15 next year. I stopped working there in 2019. I was making $8.20 an hour and he was complaining then. Maybe he is just cheap. Like me he is retired military and gets a pension. I don't see his place open in the future.
 
Thats what he says. Nobody there is full time anymore and state wants to raise minimum to $15 next year. I stopped working there in 2019. I was making $8.20 an hour and he was complaining then. Maybe he is just cheap. Like me he is retired military and gets a pension. I don't see his place open in the future.
$8.20/hr?

Seems to me like the guy is relying on people to work for pretty much free because they enjoy guns and being around them. What kind of employees do you think he will get for that kind of money ? Would you take any serious advice about guns from some dude making $8/hr. ?

I gotta tell you, no way Bassbob gets out of bed for $12/hr. I'd sooner move out into the woods and just take what I need.
 
Can see it from both sides yes his wage bill has gone up but to put gun prices up that much? Surely making $150 extra on 1 gun doesn't stack up to making $100 on 2 or 3 guns,it's not only gun sales its all the extras like ammo holsters etc and the word of mouth that they are good value that generates extra income over maybe an extra $50 on 1 gun sale.
 
I get you Edge...My closest indoor range/LGS where I prefer to shoot charges $25/hour....others closer to a large city charge $20/hour (an hour away, but I drive 80k miles/year for work so it's not a big deal). My local charges $598 for a P365 (standard model), others close to the big city charge $500-525. My local generally does not have exactly what I want in stock. I just ordered a trigger and paid $212...could have ordered it myself for $160 delivered. Other than range time, not sure how much more, if any, I'll spend on goods there...I'm lucky that one of the lowest-priced retailers in my travel-area has some of the lowest prices on new firearms (although their used inventory could be better).
 
I get you Edge...My closest indoor range/LGS where I prefer to shoot charges $25/hour....others closer to a large city charge $20/hour (an hour away, but I drive 80k miles/year for work so it's not a big deal). My local charges $598 for a P365 (standard model), others close to the big city charge $500-525. My local generally does not have exactly what I want in stock. I just ordered a trigger and paid $212...could have ordered it myself for $160 delivered. Other than range time, not sure how much more, if any, I'll spend on goods there...I'm lucky that one of the lowest-priced retailers in my travel-area has some of the lowest prices on new firearms (although their used inventory could be better).
I pay a little bit more for some stuff from my new favorite LGS because I want them to stay in business. They're not a regular store though. They have a lounge, with free coffee ( Black Rifle and Caliber) and they have tools and benches where you can bring your parts in and use their stuff to build or they will help you and show you.

Nevertheless, by pay a little more I mean a little more. I wouldn't pay $212 for something I can get for $160.

Last stuff I bought there was a couple Cobratech OTF for about $90 each, a black Kore belt for $60 and a Wilson Combat stripped lower for $99.
 
I pay a little bit more for some stuff from my new favorite LGS because I want them to stay in business. They're not a regular store though. They have a lounge, with free coffee ( Black Rifle and Caliber) and they have tools and benches where you can bring your parts in and use their stuff to build or they will help you and show you.

Nevertheless, by pay a little more I mean a little more. I wouldn't pay $212 for something I can get for $160.

Last stuff I bought there was a couple Cobratech OTF for about $90 each, a black Kore belt for $60 and a Wilson Combat stripped lower for $99.
I hear about the tools and benches for working on your own firearms and my liability-spider-sense get tingling. I can't imagine a shop around here allowing that. They don't let anyone take a firearm out of a holster or case inside the store for any reason (except on the firing line, at your booth, muzzle down-range always). And what if some doofus f's up his gun with the shop tools, then blames the shop?

Do they have a CNC mill, pre-programmed for milling 80% AR receivers? That would be handy!

"F's up" for the moderators means "fouls up", btw;).
 
I hear about the tools and benches for working on your own firearms and my liability-spider-sense get tingling. I can't imagine a shop around here allowing that. They don't let anyone take a firearm out of a holster or case inside the store for any reason (except on the firing line, at your booth, muzzle down-range always). And what if some doofus f's up his gun with the shop tools, then blames the shop?

Do they have a CNC mill, pre-programmed for milling 80% AR receivers? That would be handy!

"F's up" for the moderators means "fouls up", btw;).
No, that would be illegal.

These guys are ex-military and ex LEO. And half the local police departments do their personal shopping there.
 
I do my business at my LGS only, I don’t do online purchases, I want to actually handle the gun before I buy, online, once you place your order it’s yours, but to each there own, my shops prices are about the same, some guns that are in high demand may be somewhat higher, but my shop will match any online price.
 
I pay a little bit more for some stuff from my new favorite LGS because I want them to stay in business. They're not a regular store though. They have a lounge, with free coffee ( Black Rifle and Caliber) and they have tools and benches where you can bring your parts in and use their stuff to build or they will help you and show you.

Nevertheless, by pay a little more I mean a little more. I wouldn't pay $212 for something I can get for $160.

Last stuff I bought there was a couple Cobratech OTF for about $90 each, a black Kore belt for $60 and a Wilson Combat stripped lower for $
I do my business at my LGS only, I don’t do online purchases, I want to actually handle the gun before I buy, online, once you place your order it’s yours, but to each there own, my shops prices are about the same, some guns that are in high demand may be somewhat higher, but my shop will match any online price.
I am jealous anni I wish we had that here our lgs you walk in with duck in your butt
 
Went to LGS that I used to work for today. I try to go at least once a month and wanted to go this week before he heads out to the shot show. Its a friendly store put prices have gone thru the roof there. The state minimum wage is now $12 a hour and he has raised prices on all of his guns. An example is an Sig P365 Macro, msrp $799, his price $949. All of his guns seem to be $75-$150 over msrp. He says he has to charge more to cover salaries. His business has slowed down and he can't understand why. He is the only full service gun store in the area and he also provides classes to get New Mexico CCW licenses, both new and renewal. Feel bad but I just can't afford to buy a gun there. I can get them $200-250 cheaper online with a $20 dollar transfer fee from another FFL. If you purchase a gun elsewhere and he can get it he charges a $100 transfer fee. I would love to keep a local business in business but this has become ridiculous. I just don't see me going there very often anymore. Has any of your LGS prices gone up?
Have you put it to him in those terms…
Lower margins are better than no margins and no customers.. fast nickel theory
 
I’ll pay 15% more for LGS and local biz.
Beyond that, they need to be competitive.
I personally feel 15% for proper service, knowledge and attention is worth it.
20% is customary for a restaurant tip, so I feel 15% leeway on price is fine for local biz up charge vs big box lower qty price break.
20% mark up, has to be a coveted item.
Above that, big box online wins my money.
 
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