Bradders Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Ok, I have 3 spare slots that need filling, pretty much made up my mind what i'm buying. I have always advocated using my local gun shop even if they are not the cheapest, for small purchases it's not that bad, an extra £1 or 2 here and there for ammo etc. But when it comes to buying guns even a CZ in 17hmr or 22lr they are £50-80 pounds dearer that I can get elsewhere. Even though I am recognised as a regular I can't get them down more than a small percentage. Do I buy the guns elsewhere? Travelling to gun shops is not a problem as I do a lot of travelling with my job so the cost of fuel is not at my expense so distance isn't a consideration. I will continue to buy consumables locally.... I would prefer to buy local but the savings i could get by shopping around across the 3 guns is quite significant, CZ in 22lr and 17HMR and a Tikka T3 Lite in 223. So what does everyone else do, always buy at your own preferred gun shop or buy large ticket priced items at the cheapest location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 I buy from the cheapest I have to say personally I need the money more than my local dealer. They aren't a charity if they can't compete then sadly I'll go elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 A very interesting point. To be honest, I don’t spend too much time checking the price of consumables, just pop down to my local clay ground that have an excellent shop and buy what I need. Ss you say, saving £1 or so is not much of an issue But like anything, if I can buy an expensive item for considerably less, saving tens of pounds net, then I will be very tempted to do so. Smaller local dealers I guess may be hamstrung due to volumes discounts from suppliers, hence the price difference, just like a tin of Heinz beans will probably cost you 10% more in the corner ship that at a supermarket. I come from a line of shopkeepers on my fathers side (not gun trade) they always looked to make at least 30% -40% gross profit margin on consumable items where possible. On larger items the margin would often be a lot lower, not least of all to turn the product on the shelf back into cash! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Small items I agree and get good rate at my local shop so a £2 more on a retriever dummy is fine but big items I shop around, and I don't tend to buy new guns as shotguns normally out last the first buyer. Rifles I look to buy new tho so have traveled in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Short sighted to buy the cheapest. Say you need a repair, an add on or whatever. IMO buy from the man you trust to give you the best deal they can and keep giving him your custom. If he's worthy he'll look after you. Small businesses need all the custom they can get in todays markets and if you value them you should support them. My only caveat would be if the guy's an **** hole then he won't be getting my money. We have two local 'gun' shops, one run by a total **** who's probably never cleaned a gun let alone worked on one and wouldn't know how to spell 'customer service' let alone give it! The other is Jason Harris a well renowned gunsmith who really does go the extra mile. Guess who gets my vote? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 I do the opposite I wont pay a 50% surcharge for my pellets but for large purchases go and tell him what price I am looking at elsewhere and he will usually come close enough to get it from him which has meant spending over £2K in the last year or so. Still get my ammo from elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landrover Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 I buy from the cheapest I have to say personally I need the money more than my local dealer. They aren't a charity if they can't compete then sadly I'll go elsewhere. totally agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCM Posted May 31, 2011 Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi Bradders, How good do you want the glass ? As we're talking rifles here there are also bipods, slings, mounts & scopes to consider......are you willing to downgrade some or all of that extra stuff to increase the shops profits ? What story did you hear about the guy who built up the reloading section and then left ? Greedy ******* if you ask me ! Nice kit though, wherever it comes from. Good luck AndyCM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZ550Kevlar Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I went to my local dealer for an amber filter for my lightforce 140 and was charged £9.25, what a bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlistairB Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 For small stuff like a coule of slabs, local is best for me, for bigger stuff, i'll go where the best price is. Money isnt for wasting to make someone else rich! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustJon Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I had this when I set myself up for fishing - buy local or buy online. I told the store my dilemma, he reduced to price match on the deal I would buy my maggots, floats etc off him. It was the repeat business at 'low cost' that turned his margin, not one off buys of the big equipment. Not sure if that's the same for a gun dealer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Logic Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I will support the local guy to a point. If the service is there then so is the loyalty. If they are rude and cheap I'll likely still go someplace else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian750 Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Ok, I work in sales, not in the gun trade admittedly, but to be honest, if I have a regular customer that consistently buys from me small items at a slightly higher price than he could buy elsewhere as he values the service/advice/knowledge or whatever, I would do everything I could to make sure he didn't go anywhere else for his larger purchase. It's all very well traders wanting to make a set percentage of markup come what may, but in these uncertain times, you hold on to your valued clients even if that means trimming your profit to 5% never mind 40% (I wish!). To do otherwise is a slippery slope, people get irritated if they can't buy items where they are comfortable buying them and the smaller items are likely to go the way of the large item too. It also reinforces the value of the customer when he sees the ticket price of, say £500, he knows he can buy it from a megastore for £375, but his preferred supplier says to him "look I really can't compete with the 'pile em high, sell em cheap' crowd who haven't got a clue, but, I'll do a one off for £420 and I'll set it up for you and make sure it's good to go straight from the box". I do feel for the smaller traders in any market, not just the gun trade (which I admit, my only knowledge is from the customer side of the counter), but times are hard, people don't have extra cash to fritter away. Personally I buy at the cheapest to a point, if like the example I just gave, I was more comfortable and felt more secure paying slightly more, then I will do so every time. The bottom line is if the dealer won't help you a little, you can always go elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradders Posted June 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 (edited) A mixed bag of responses, I think my approach will be to try and buy local if the price is comparable (or within a reasonable %age) or buy further afield. As AndyCM says it's not just the rifle but scope, mounts, lamps etc it all adds up. To be fair the staff in the local shop are a pretty good bunch and not a miserable lot but that said, if I can save a good percentage by buying elsewhere I'll be daft not to. Thanks chaps..... Edited June 3, 2011 by Bradders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 and what will you do if one of those bits of kit should go wrong or be damaged in any way? Take it to your local man? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clamps Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 When it comes to local or on-line, you also have to factor in the postage/delivery charges that can add (say) £15 to a sale. Equally if you wait and attend a show or go further afield to buy you have to price in the fuel/ticket costs - that could be a lot more than few pounds. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 If you fail to support your local dealer he will go and be replaced by an estate agent or fast food shop that can afford to pay shop rent and rates. Web sites operating from industrial type premises ( or farm sheds!!) dont have these heavy overheads so can afford to lower prices. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 I buy local. Service that out stretches the couple of quid saving. If it goes wrong I get to sort it face to face. Even if I need to get something from say the Sportsman I'll order it through my local. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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