Gander Mountain & their "markup"...

[JBurian]

Black Friday and I just got back from the Gander Mountain store in Dickson City (just outside of Scranton, PA). I recently had to sell my MP-15 due to extensive car repairs and no money. Anyway... they paid me $750.00 for it which wasn't too bad as I bought it for $900.00 new. I had added a YHM quad rail and Magpul sights, otherwise it's stock. They have it on the rack for $1200.00! They also have a Ruger SR-556 for $300.00 more than a private dealer near my place. The same dealer has a new P250C for $100.00 less than Gander. When I was talking to the sales clerk at Gander Mountain, he said that gun sales have been slow there for awhile. No wonder!

Jeff

[Rural Ruger]

Yeah, Gander has become pretty bad with their prices the last couple of years. I used to get good deals from them about 4-5 years ago when they put stuff on sale, but not anymore. I can't personally say I remember them ever having 'good' prices, but they used to at least be competitive. Now they seem to think they can sell at the same prices as Cabela's, or higher. With the exception of their sale last weekend (they had slugs for $1.50/box after mail in rebate), I think I can honestly say I haven't seen any good deals there in at least 3 years. I've pretty much given up on them unless a sale flyer catches my eye.

[mickey01023]

Yeah, Gander has become pretty bad with their prices the last couple of years. I used to get good deals from them about 4-5 years ago when they put stuff on sale, but not anymore. I can't personally say I remember them ever having 'good' prices, but they used to at least be competitive. Now they seem to think they can sell at the same prices as Cabela's, or higher. With the exception of their sale last weekend (they had slugs for $1.50/box after mail in rebate), I think I can honestly say I haven't seen any good deals there in at least 3 years. I've pretty much given up on them unless a sale flyer catches my eye.

The only deal that ive ever seen is the rem oil for 2.99

[Guns4Fun]

Just out of curiosity, what do you think would be fair? I mean they gave you $750, did you actually expect them to sell it for $800. If they did that, they wouldn;t stay in business too long. I think $750 from them was a great deal on your part - no one was forcing you to sell it to them. It's their business to run and if they want to ask $1200 for it, so be it. Maybe if it doesn;t sell, they can mark it down some. This is kinda how things work buy low, sell high.

[JBurian]

Actually, I wasn't complaining about the $750, just noting how high their markup and gun prices are. When I can go literally across the street and buy a Ruger SR-556 for $1499 at a privately owned sporting goods store, yet Gander wants the list price of $1899? As far as my rifle goes, they gave me a good price as I said in my OP, but a $450 markup on a used rifle? Definitely, they need to make money or they'll go out of business, but you would think that a large chain of stores would be able to make the money on less of a markup and a bigger volume of sales. As I said before, one of their own firearms sales clerks said that the amount of guns they sell has gone way down since they raised all their gun prices a couple of years ago. As an example...one of my friends bought a Beretta .45 Colt from Gander Mountain about a year and a half ago for $429, didn't like it and sold it back to them about 6 months later. The pistol has been sitting there since with a price tag that is more than he paid for it new. And yes, I buy my guns locally.

Jeff

[39flathead]

Gander Mtn is kinda strange in that the firearms manager gets to set the buying and selling prices.

A friend of mine worked as a gunsmith at two different stores and the stories he would tell were downright amusing.

Some of the managers have little to no firearms experience, just years of managerial experience, so they use "book" values, not real world ones like a small shop would.

Probably what is happening is that yes, they are slow, so the manager, in an attempt to hit "quota", is marking stuff up in the hopes someone will come in and impulse buy the S&W, improving their margins. If not, it will get marked down after a while.

BTW, I only shop there when I get a giftcard from someone so I really can't say what kind of prices my local one has on their used stuff, but I know that their new stuff is outa my league and always more than my local dealer is asking. I did get a Taurus pt22, there once a few yaers back for $79, it was NIB, a trade in that a guy won in a raffle, they gave him $40 for it on trade.
Also keep in mind, that more often than not, they will come down on used stuff, make them an offer just like you would a little guy, heck, they obviously have lots of wiggle room...

[nfafan]

I snagged a used .22 at an Ohio G-Mtn store recently - it was more than fairly priced.

I stop in the Moon Twp GMtn about twice a month to peek at their used rack. They have had some interesting used stuff at somewhat reasonable prices, and other stuff at the usual GMtn WTF are they thinking prices.

The Moon store says they have some wiggle room on their used guns depending on how long they've sat; but IMHO, they'd have to do the Electric Slide to wiggle some of the crazier prices I've seen down to saner levels.

Guess it really is the diff between store mgrs and their knowledge of the differing guns they take in as trade.

[dc dalton]

Well they can mark it up to whatever they want, doesn't mean anyone is going to pay the price. If it sits long enough you can be sure they will drop the price, they don't like dead stock.

I usually never buy from a place like that anyway, don't like their selection or their prices.

[Snert]

Well they can mark it up to whatever they want, doesn't mean anyone is going to pay the price. If it sits long enough you can be sure they will drop the price, they don't like dead stock.

I usually never buy from a place like that anyway, don't like their selection or their prices.

I dont know about that at the D. city g-mtn... About 2 years ago they had a MP5 lookalike. A USED vulcan that new lists at $1200.00 , it was priced at 1250.00. 3 weeks later it was now $1400.00... After a few months it was gone. I asked fir shits and giggles what happened to it. The guy working the counter said it was getting alot of lookers but noone wanted to buy it. They ended up shipping it to another store.

Not a big deal, just mt little story. But found it funny how they just kept going higher with the price. Humm noone wants to buy this so lets raise the price.

Snert..

[whoshisface]

I have yet to see a good deal ever made selling a firearm to any store. I watched a guy turn over an XD .40 to target world for $350-400 only to see it later at $550! Sell privately. Go to a store ask them what they'd give you post it here for $50 more (firm) telling the specifics and you'll probably get it. I'd of bought that .40 for $400 without question. instead that guy has to wait for some sucker to buy it for $550 on consignment which will take forever.