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Agreed re: price, but as was also pointed out, at a GM store (located typically in cities) they're catering to convenience, which comes at a price. This has been clear, I think, since they sold off their once-powerful mail-order business and went retail-only; higher-prices, but if you want/need it today you can have it. I don't shop there but once in a blue moon either, but if need something in a pinch, and don't have a mom-n-pop gun shop available (or it's $15 in gas to get there from here), am pleased to have another option. If they play their cards right and demand persists then they'll survive, and if they're as bad as some suggest they'll fail. p.s. interesting information posted above by the GM employee :-)
Golldammed motion detector lights. A guy can’t even piss off his porch in peace any more.
"Look, I want to help the helpless. It's the clueless I don't give a [bleep] about." - Dennis Miller on obamacare.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Welcome to the forum nyorange...Which Gander do you work at? 
Camp is where you make it.
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Joined: Feb 2007
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I am amazed they can stay open. I love their stock of rifles and shotguns that I can actually handle, but otherwise the prices are ridiculous.
I got a flier from Bass Pro Shop yesterday with some amazing deals. Never saw anything like that for GM.
stumpy
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Joined: Nov 2003
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,815 Likes: 11 |
yeah, info is good to have, but a shameless plug from a Gander Employee who does not admit that fact, is wrong.
My guess is that NYornage is a current member using a 'nom de forum'
Sam......
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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It's a shame. They used to be a decent store before they got bought out. Most of the ones around here have dropped the reloading supplies. There's one about a mile from where I work. Last time I was in there, I had to explain what a remington model 700 was to the guy working the gun counter. The special run faux Ti that they did was a pretty good deal, but you really have to pick through the store to find competetive prices there anymore.
If you love someone set them free
If they come back no one else liked them
Set them free again
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,284
Campfire Tracker
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We have one Gander Mountain in the area (Fayetteville NC) and their reloading is at least 20%-25% higher than the local shops. They do give a 10% military discount (active, reserve or retired) which is nice, especially if the item is on sale. One other thing I have been amazed at is that their used gun prices will often be the same or slightly higher than their new gun prices. I will buy from them, but sparingly; $39.95 a box of .257 caliber, 100 grain Barnes TSX is 25% higher than the local dealers charge. I did cherry pick a matte finish 3-10x40 VX-III a couple of months ago for $349.95, discounted off of their clearance price at the time.
One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.
Archibald Rutledge
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I haven't been to the Gander here in 6 months. I could care less that they don't take Govt. subsidies, etc, as none of the smaller gun shops/sporting good shops around here do either. I used to avoid a local gun shop in the area, and then stopped in there in May and bought a gun they had for $50 cheaper than Gander. The last thing I bought was Columbia polo shirt they had for $9.99 on clearance. Their ammo prices are at least 25% more and some 50%+ more than Academy Sports, Wal-Mart or any of the other gun shops in the local area.
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Never even bother going in there anymore. Gave up long ago. Their prices are pure insanity.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,685
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Gander Mountain will price match on new firearms. Wouldn't need to do so, however, if they were more competitively priced from the get-go.
I do shop there periodically as they have some items I can't find elsewhere closeby, and it doesn't always make sense to pay S&H on internet orders for small ticket items.
"The whole problem with the world is that fools & fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubt" Bertrand Russell
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Campfire Regular
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Before you write off Gander Mountain consider that they are the only mega outdoor store that doesn't take tons of subsidies or require tax incentives to build a store. In short they are the only ones who don't take taxpayer money to put in their own pocket. Every cabelas and bass pro shops demands millions in tax breaks in order to bless the community with their presence. Gander Mountain operates the old fashioned american way, they have to make a profit on each sale. Cabelas and Bass pro shops essentially operate for free and are subsidized by the local taxpayers. Go research any town that gets a cabelas and look at what they had to give up in order to get that store. They have to give all sort of subsidies in order to get all those great paying cabelas jobs. Pretty good deal too, give away millions and get 20 minimum wage jobs in return. It's an even better deal for the small gun/fishing shops that happen to be in the same area as Cabelas/Bass Pro, they get to subsidize the business that puts them out of business, with their own property taxes. At least Gander Mountain pays their own way the same as the rest of us.
So next time you see a Gander mountain near a cabelas remember that Gander is paying all the same taxes as everyone else and they have to the compete with the Cabelas that got millions in free tax breaks. How would you feel if someone opened a store the same as yours, across the street from yours except they didn't have to pay any taxes for the next 20 years. How long before everyone would be calling you a thief? No personal interest, just really ticked me off when I realized how those stores operate and found out that Gander Mountain, strange as it seems, actually pays a lobbyist not to get tax payer money but merely to try and stop cabelas and bass pro shops from getting it. Only in America. And if I need a really good price on something I buy it from a small store over the internet. Sorry for the length. Perahps true in general, but the City of Wichita definitly ponied up incentives to get the GM we have. Ironically, it's there because the then-new mayor (now gone) dithered with Bass Pro, who then went elsewhere. Prices are indeed laughable on most things; more power to them if they actually sell anything. I swear there's the same pallet of Remington "Shur-Shot" dove loads that they bring on to the floor every august for dove season, sell a few flats, and put it away for next year. The price is a little higher and boxes a little more tattered every year. However, when they want to clear out seasonal clothes, there are major bargains to be had. They can run their business as they see fit for all I care. If people are willing to pay those prices (occasionally I am), all the better for them. In the end, the market will decide, which is as it should be.
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Even here in the Twin Cities metro area where their headquarters are located, their stores are a disgrace. I drive by 2 of them to get to Cabela's about 30 miles away.
"I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man." --Robert Duvall.
"Fill your hand, you son-of-a-bitch!" --John Wayne.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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If I happen to be in the area I will go and look, and only look. If I see something I like I will buy it somewhere else. They are a bunch of thieves. So "reportedly" they don't get tax breaks. I suppose that gives them the OK to screw everybody. They suck. And I felt the same way when they were just a catalog seller.
I view them as gun displayer for my gunstore.
Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!
"It's not a matter of legislating morality; it's a question of whose morality gets legislated"
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 38,938 Likes: 11 |
Qtip - they are a publicly-traded company. That is what gives them the OK to screw everybody. If we were talking fuel, people would be falling all over themselves to make that justification and telling us that if we don't like it we should buy stock in Gander or the ever-popular "Open your own store." (I'm letting out a lot of frustration today.) Best, John
Last edited by 5sdad; 07/31/09. Reason: added bit about opening own store
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
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A cousin of mine worked for GM for awhile. He said when they decided to raise their gun prices (about a year and a half or so ago) his dept mgr told them "GM is going to show the shooting industry you can make money on guns". A month or two after raising the prices, he said that particular store's gun sales were down 75%.
He got tired of their BS, GM ripping people off, and the other employees not knowing squat about guns so he quit and doesn't shop there anymore.
We have one here in my town but I don't shop there much. I usually buy at Academy or local shops.
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New Member
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For the record, I am not a Gander Mountain Employee. I am a frequent lurker and decided to join yesterday and post on the topic because as I said it sort of gets me going. I work in NYC and I hunt in Orange and Ulster Counties in NY and live in NJ. There isn't any Gander Mountains or Cabelas or Anything else around here( I do pass a GM in NY occasionally in middletown NY on trips to property). The information I posted came from a book Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense by David Cay Johnston. I don't recomend it unless you want to get real angry about something that you have no control over. I was angry for days after I read the thing which is why I joined and posted on GM when I read the post.Also would like to say the Board is great, got alot of info on my visits and thanks for allowing me to join and hope I cna contribute.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Before you write off Gander Mountain consider that they are the only mega outdoor store that doesn't take tons of subsidies or require tax incentives to build a store. In short they are the only ones who don't take taxpayer money to put in their own pocket. Every cabelas and bass pro shops demands millions in tax breaks in order to bless the community with their presence. Gander Mountain operates the old fashioned american way, they have to make a profit on each sale. Cabelas and Bass pro shops essentially operate for free and are subsidized by the local taxpayers. Go research any town that gets a cabelas and look at what they had to give up in order to get that store. They have to give all sort of subsidies in order to get all those great paying cabelas jobs. Pretty good deal too, give away millions and get 20 minimum wage jobs in return. It's an even better deal for the small gun/fishing shops that happen to be in the same area as Cabelas/Bass Pro, they get to subsidize the business that puts them out of business, with their own property taxes. At least Gander Mountain pays their own way the same as the rest of us.
So next time you see a Gander mountain near a cabelas remember that Gander is paying all the same taxes as everyone else and they have to the compete with the Cabelas that got millions in free tax breaks. How would you feel if someone opened a store the same as yours, across the street from yours except they didn't have to pay any taxes for the next 20 years. How long before everyone would be calling you a thief? No personal interest, just really ticked me off when I realized how those stores operate and found out that Gander Mountain, strange as it seems, actually pays a lobbyist not to get tax payer money but merely to try and stop cabelas and bass pro shops from getting it. Only in America. And if I need a really good price on something I buy it from a small store over the internet. Sorry for the length. Cabela's and BP operate for free? Really? Podunk Buda, Texas supplies their Cabela's with employees, a building, electricity, etc.? They also get slightly more than 20 minimum wage jobs. If the city didn't make any more than that, they wouldn't bother. Drive through Buda, Texas and see what all has sprung up around Cabela's. It generates money, regardless of what book you read.
your flippant remarks which you so adeptly sling
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Not the same store anymore. I can remember when they were a catalog shop competing with Cabelas.
The GM in Winchester, VA has knowledgable sales, I had a rifle shipped there from Harrisburg, PA a few months ago, charge store to store was $0. They knocked some dollars off the price due to missing base/rings on the #1B.
Other than that, majority of my Gander experiences are everything is over priced, un-qualified counter staff, not enough sales help, long lines at the slow cashiers, and a waste of time. Even the on sale guns and clearance guns are above market price.
Even Bass Pro has its bad moments, just had that experience in Richmond, VA two weeks ago. Terrible attitude counter staff member and clueless cashier that continued to question why I was buying a case of shotgun shells (dove loads). At least they had a web based feedback option and I received a call from the store manager in less than 48 hours from sending. Talked about what happened, said he had meetings with the sales and cashiers for feedback and training.
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nyorange: Before you write off Gander Mountain consider that they are the only mega outdoor store that doesn't take tons of subsidies or require tax incentives to build a store. In short they are the only ones who don't take taxpayer money to put in their own pocket. Every cabelas and bass pro shops demands millions in tax breaks in order to bless the community with their presence. Gander Mountain operates the old fashioned american way, they have to make a profit on each sale. Cabelas and Bass pro shops essentially operate for free and are subsidized by the local taxpayers. +1. Very true - those who are annoyed by GM's prices are just agreeing that they want taxpayer subsidies for our hobby. That's not the American way as I think of it.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Welcome to the fire nyorange. I don't pretend to know the particulars on tax incentives awarded for Cabelas vs Gander Mountain or Bass Pro. They are all three expensive and in the same class of store to me. I will shop at any one of them too and shop them all the same ... i.e., I will only buy if I am willing to pay the price. The closest Cabelas to me is the one in Buda mentioned by Bluedreaux, which is not very close at all. I have been there only once and bought a BLR. Bass Pro is much closer, and yet still far. Gander Mountain is not that far away at all, so I go there much more frequently. Like someone posted earlier, the market will tend to shake it all out.
I will say this, I don't believe that the tax incentives provided, could fully account for the magnitude of some of GM's markups. But then, GM does not price everything ridiculously either ... depends on the product. I think my example of the Coleman Fuel really shows how stupidly high GM can markup on some products though ... in that example, they were more than double the nearest competitors! Of course, it was still a lower dollar item. The clearance sales really are the best bet for GM. I bought my rain jacket and pants from them at a good deal and they are a great product in their Guide Series line. I get my reloading supplies from smaller local stores who beat GM hands down on prices ... they get ZERO tax breaks. It feels good to support them.
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Sorry to burst your illusions of Cabelas economic influence down in Texas, but here's a bit of news on that tax payer ripoff. "The optimistic projections about Cabela's stimulative effect on local economies was put into question recently when Texas announced that it was seeking repayment of a portion of the money awarded to the company from the Texas Enterprise Fund in connection with the opening last year of a store in the town of Buda near Austin. Since Cabela's had failed to meet its hiring commitments, the state demanded repayment of $28,000 and said the store would not be eligible to receive the final $200,000 of a grant (relating both to the Buda store and another Cabela's in Fort Worth) that could have been worth $600,000. The grant represented only a tiny portion of a $61 million subsidy package the company received in Buda." Read more here http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/corporate_subsidy/cabela.cfmThats it for me on this topic.Hope its useful.
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