Interesting Gun Shop experience

Took a drive out to one of the shops that I frequent on a regular basis yesterday, looking for a No4 Mk1 bolt head (#2) to have as a spare. I knew this place had a box of No4 spares. The box comes out at the shop and I see all the prices clearly labelled. The majority of the heads were #1 LB and I also saw a No4 C/|\ rear milled sight. I said I'll take the #1 LB bolt head, LB extractor/screw and the rear milled. He immediately said "Oh I can't sell that to you for that price, I have to look these up". He comes back and increased the prices 100% and pulls the rear sight back. I said what do you want for the rear sight, I'll pay you the double for it. He said, "you can't have it". This has happened before in this store.
I am an enthusiast trying to get off the ground in todays market. Which means I do a tonne of looking to get a decent deal. If I see what I want, I pay for it though.
I get it! The availability and supply/demand dictates the price. To snatch a piece out of my hand literally after I spent time and money to get to that shop. Wow.

I have decided to never to step foot in there again. Feels like a bad break up!
:(

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Originally Posted by JerryEAL

I have decided to never to step foot in there again.

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I'd have voiced to him in no uncertain terms too. I wasn't blessed with that filter that says leave well enough alone.

JerryEAL: There are some real jerks out there looking to cash in on the current boom in collecting. I've had good luck on the CGN Equipment Exchange and met some great guys at the same time. Often very reasonable prices and usually willing to dicker a bit. Even better solution is to find a local Lee Enfield armourer/ gunsmith who has the proper parts and the knowledge to help you out with true problems. The spare bolt-head, for example, is a good example. As explained by the resident experts on this forum you need a drawer with dozens or hundreds to properly find a replacement that gives good headspace plus correct overturn, etc, etc.

Ridolpho

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Originally Posted by JerryEAL

I have decided to never to step foot in there again.

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I've had the same sort of incident and like Warpig I opened fire on the spot. I promised myself I'd never go back but here on the Island things are limited so...fortunately after a couple of years the offending people have moved on and if you wait the whole regime changes. In your case I can't say...

I too would have strongly voiced my displeasure with the fellow in no uncertain terms by telling him to....................you get my drift
These people are best avoided at all costs, and you should return the favour by at least going out of your way to tell all and sundry that you can, to avoid giving the particular shop any business at all

You have my condolences because you both just lost a long-term relationship. You thought he was fair and found out he was foul. You saw him as reasonable, but he was just hungry for money. Let him fade into oblivion, but be sure to warn your buddies (as you have through this post.)

I triage my business world into three camps:
1) the Adversarial capitalists who are more interested in aggrandizing their wealth at my expense; use win-lose bargaining every time; and are ethically untrustworthy.
2) the Transactional capitalists for whom everything is a "deal;" their objective is to buy low and sell high; they operate within the law but care little about long-term business relationships.
3) the Collaborative capitalists that believe in old-fashioned values of trust, honor, fairness, and finding ways to create value long-term; every interaction is aimed at a "win-win" for both parties.

Over the years I've learned to run from (or fight if I have to) the Adversarialists, limit my buying from the Transactionalists to those with whom I must deal if I need low-price, and seek the wisdom and value of the Collaborative businesses that see a productive long-term relationship and that make quality products/services paramount.

While many lament the rarity of the trustworthy, long-term business relationships, there is a great deal of economic data that proves these types of businesses are healthy, innovative, and will produce competitive advantage year after year, when well run.

In the case of your gun shop, the proprietor might have said "Oops, these prices are 20 years old, and times have changed. The new fair market value is now higher. And I've had to carry the cost/risk of holding these for 2 decades. But I cherish our business over the years. Is there anything you'd like to swap for these on a value-to-value basis that might make this transaction fair for both of us?" (or something creative that keeps you both doing business in the future. )

There are many ways to be in business and make sure customers are satisfied when they leave. Few people know that a satisfied customer tells 4 people about their experience, but 20 people know about it when the customer leaves dissatisfied (these numbers have probably multiplied now that the internet has become a means of proliferating dissatisfaction, as your comments so well illustrate).

A few years ago I was going to see family in Texas. I stopped into a shop in Alabama and a similar experience occurred. The posted prices were trebled and quadrupled when I asked (the shop was only 10 or so years old). The employee smiled and I was told "take it or leave it." I mentioned this to a friend who lived in the area and he went onto the shops website. Posted a remark that he'd never shop there due to their poor customer relations. He then called a few friends (maybe 4) who did the same. I later found out the shop cleaned house of its originally employees and was better.
I can't see what's wrong with posting the name of the establishment you had issues with. it might save someone else from having a bad experience and could affect change.

If there is a price labeled well that should be it, obviously an opportunist ******* worth avoiding.

I don't think a price on a label should be written in stone.Some little shops have parts that they acquired many years ago.I came across one that the owner had passed and the new owner was sorting through the bits and pieces. Ross nose cap with a price of $1.75 on it. I knew what it was worth and so did he. My offer of $100.00 was turned down.

This is why I travel close to 1600km once a year to buy from a dealer I respect. Been dealing with him for well over 20 years, always been looked after. I've never had to haggle or question a price and often walked out with a bag of freebies or other little gems just thrown in. Loads of advice has always been just a phone call away. For those in Australia, I can very highly recommend Alan Hibbs at Kingaroy Firearms (not affiliated, but I believe that good service should be acknowledged).

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Originally Posted by ssj

If there is a price labeled well that should be it, obviously an opportunist ******* worth avoiding.

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Well that's easy to say, but has the price of a jug of milk and a loaf of bread stayed the same over the last 20 years?

I know the price of gas and vehicles has changed...

In my experience at gunshops and gunshows, it's better to put a pile of parts together and then ask for a price on all of it rather than picking out individual parts.

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Originally Posted by mr.e moose

I don't think a price on a label should be written in stone.Some little shops have parts that they acquired many years ago.I came across one that the owner had passed and the new owner was sorting through the bits and pieces. Ross nose cap with a price of $1.75 on it. I knew what it was worth and so did he. My offer of $100.00 was turned down.

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In my experience also, often the price tags on small parts is what the original retailer asked 40 years ago.

Sometimes it's easy to tell, like when the name of the (out of business) business is on the tag....or you recognize the handwriting (or cost coding) of the out of business owner :p

I just have never understood why most dealers in the trade are so dam grumpy or angry. You are running a business or trying you are trying make a sale. Try being a little personable.

i feel like you its not right to do business that way i have sold a quite a few things over there last year of learning to sell at shows that were under priced not that i didnt make money i just didnt get going rate. my loss there gain. learn hard way but some people are pigs when they see dollar signs. wife said better to make a few dollars often than on one big amount one time .

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Originally Posted by mmppres

i feel like you its not right to do business that way i have sold a quite a few things over there last year of learning to sell at shows that were under priced not that i didnt make money i just didnt get going rate. my loss there gain. learn hard way but some people are pigs when they see dollar signs. wife said better to make a few dollars often than on one big amount one time .

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Locally we had a business (shut down in Dec '98 when universal registration came in) whose proprietor kept his prices low and made a straight 20% on consignments and sales.

His secret was what he called "serial gun buyers", who traded and returned the same guns over and over as they cycled thru the community.

Some guns which were recognizable (to me) cycled thru the shop 5 or more times (for a while he owned up to 3 stores in the area), netting him 100% profit on a single gun...


I guess I didn't mention the fact that he retired in '99 at the age of 40...having worked the gun business and gunshow circuit since he was 16.

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Originally Posted by Lee Enfield

Well that's easy to say, but has the price of a jug of milk and a loaf of bread stayed the same over the last 20 years?

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No but it also isnt the same pint of milk that has been sitting there for 20 days let alone 20 years. or the same cost structure to make the "new" part.

Now if he had kept the prices up to date, Ok but to suddenly say oh that price is wrong and go get a price off ebay or similar is just bad, simple really it is my money I'll shop elsewhere.

Ultimately, such a "blessing" can be a curse.

Well another side to the story:

A lot of the older collectors dealers do not always know exactly what they have and where it is. Sometimes a part ends un in thew wrong box. if a chap pulls out a box of old parts and there happens to be a part in there he needs or wants to keep around, and he refuses to sell it to me at any price, well I understand. That is just the way it works, no reason to be mad.

Now if a story has a price posted on a gun and they refuse to honor that price, well that is a bit different. I can see folks getting upset about that.

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Originally Posted by Lee Enfield

Locally we had a business (shut down in Dec '98 when universal registration came in) whose proprietor kept his prices low and made a straight 20% on consignments and sales.

His secret was what he called "serial gun buyers", who traded and returned the same guns over and over as they cycled thru the community.

Some guns which were recognizable (to me) cycled thru the shop 5 or more times (for a while he owned up to 3 stores in the area), netting him 100% profit on a single gun...


I guess I didn't mention the fact that he retired in '99 at the age of 40...having worked the gun business and gunshow circuit since he was 16.

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I miss Bob, as he ran a good shop.
He paid low and sold low. Always told you what he would sell it for and kept his part of the bargain.
Good guy but sure needed a hair cut!!! :-)##