Gun Show Prices and negotiating

[shershot99]

I have a question for everyone out there.

1. When at a gun show, how much negotiating can be done without pissing off the seller? That is, if his price for a new or used gun is $550... can I offer him $475 or something like that.

2. Same question for ammo

The reason I ask is because I have always paid the sticker price even at a gun show for some reason. I dont know why, I am a sucker I guess. I have been with others though that ALWAYS come in a bit lower and it usually works. I just want to see if there is a concensus out there. I thought of this at the York show where it seemed ammo prices were outrageously high compared to other shows, internet, and stores.

Thanks!

 

[PJDiesel]

Absolutely.

Never know if you dont try. Not selling things at a show means loading it all back up, and not making impressions on people who would likely tell their friends and family about their positive experience.

 

[mopar92]

Lowball if you want to be seen as an ass. Or ask if I bought x amount (ammo) what kind of deal can I walk away with. Ask him how much he can let go of a gun for with some meat still on the bone.

 

[AirCav73]

Pricing

It never hurts to ask. On ammo, if it is "private" seller who has 3 boxes of ammo for a weapon he may not own anymore, I always ask "what will you take for all of it?". Sometimes by buying more, you can "work out" a price that works for you and the seller. Also paying cash vs credit card can help with some dealers if you tell them you are paying cash.

 

[-Z/28-]

Most dealers will negotiate but there are a few jerks who will get insulted by any offer less than sticker. Rather then throw a number at the dealer, I'd suggest you ask them what the best cash price they could do is. Using cash will usually get you a discount. Personally I usually just keep shopping till I see one with an asking price that is what I want to pay.

 

[Kilroy]

Always negotiate. Be reasonable with it, but it never hurts to try.

 

[rseymorejr]

If you are there looking for something specific it would pay to go in with an idea of what it's worth. That way you can negotiate realistically. You shouldnt hurt any feelings that way.

 

[tatoocrab]

most of my ammo I will get a better deal w/cash
and bundle large order with a bunch of different calibers

 

[WeaponsCollector]

Whatever I buy at gun and knife shows I always ask the seller if they will take 15 - 20% less. I'd say more than half the time I can get the item for less than the asking price.

 

[SmokingGun]

If I try to negotiate and the seller won't budge, I walk away. Is that weird?

 

[PJDiesel]

If I try to negotiate and the seller won't budge, I walk away. Is that weird?

Sounds like almost every transaction I do.

 

[Cochise]

if I think its a good deal and I want whats on the table, I just open my wallet. If its not a good deal and I want it I ask to see if we can come to a place where we can do business.
I really dont like bargaining and would rather just shop. I usually find some good deals, the hard part now is finding stuff I want and can justify owning.

 

[shershot99]

Thank you all for the answers. They do help. I think the next show I go to I will try to negotiate on the ammo. There are one or two dealers who have tons of ammo but their prices have seemed really high lately. I usually buy many calibers at once so that might be a good way to do it.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[kingfish]

Always haggle. There are many dealers and individuals who have merely (and this is very frequent) jack up their prices hoping for a sucker to come by. MANY of the prices you see marked seem to be pulled out of their asses. Not all, but some.
As an example, at the Dulles show I once came across a non priced single box of Swede 6.5mm. The going rate is about $9-10/box. OK, I ask the man how much. He hesitates, literally 5-10 seconds and then blurts out "$20". I put the box down and walked away. Clearly, this guy just threw out a price hoping to catch a sucker. Well, its a two way street.
Our system of capitalism allows a seller to ask anything he wants to for his merchandise. That same system gives the buyer an option of passing, providing a counter offer or walking away.
Use our system next time.

 

[kingfish]

By the way, I forgot to mention that when haggling for ammo, Its best to ask for a quantity discount. That one usually works. I'll typically ask how much for 10 or so boxes. If I really want the ammo and they dont go down on their price, I buy just 1 box (or none) and end it there. If the seller thinks he's got you by the balls, he wont budge much. I like to give the impression that I'm doing them a favor. Again, Capitalism is a great thing

 

[pfrazier]

I have worked a few shows selling ammo for a friend's business. I know that sometimes they can do a deal on bulk some of the more common calibers but it does pay to shop around. Many times a dealer will give you a break if you pay in cash because they don't have to pay the fees for the credit card machine transactions. I know that the guy I worked for had a $40 minimum on credit transactions because of the fees. Unless the guy was a real jerk, you wouldn't insult him if you asked about lower prices on guns. He would politely tell you that it was a firm price and he couldn't do better.

 

[Lou45]

I have worked a few shows selling ammo for a friend's business. I know that sometimes they can do a deal on bulk some of the more common calibers but it does pay to shop around. Many times a dealer will give you a break if you pay in cash because they don't have to pay the fees for the credit card machine transactions. I know that the guy I worked for had a $40 minimum on credit transactions because of the fees. Unless the guy was a real jerk, you wouldn't insult him if you asked about lower prices on guns. He would politely tell you that it was a firm price and he couldn't do better.

This ^^^^^

 

[dmck]

be respectful is the key for me . If it is already a good deal you might just want to pay the price, but if the price is 60 over everyone else i would haggle. Esp. if it is already a good Deal then it is a good deal. remember they are there to make money. it would be kind of like going into work and your manager/owner haggling with you over what to pay you that day..say you work an 9 hour day would you take 6 hours???

 

[LoneRanger]

I don't mind being respectful to the dealers but I find many times they are disrespect to their customers.

At York last week there was a guy asking $15 for Pmags. My son asked if he could get 3 for $40. The dealer goes over to his calculator, spent a good minute punching in numbers only to say there was no way.

We wander over to the other side of the building and find a table selling them for $13. So he gets 3 for $39 without haggling.

I think many dealers think that since they have a captive audience they do not really need to negotiate. They seem to forget that while they may have a captive audience they many times do not have a monopoly on their products.

 

[JWBanshee]

You don't ask you don't get!!!!!