APOD Firearms

Going Out Of Business

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    Location: 9542 Navarre Parkway, Navarre, Florida

    pete repete

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    if some of you can stop circling like vultures for just a couple minutes, wondering if you can pick up the odd magazine for 30 percent off, i ask you to consider for a minute what is happening.

    another independent gun store is going out of business.

    that means some guy put his finances and his livelihood on the line to open a small business selling what he loved, guns.(why would anyone chose a gun store as their small business unless they loved guns?) and now that business is gone. you can blame the economy, competition, high prices, poor location, all kinds of things for the doors closing. probably some combination of those are the reason. but one other reason is you and me. do we support the small gun stores?

    and i dont mean just the one or two gun stores that have the best price or specialize in the brand you favor. these days we need to support ALL the small independent gun stores. even if it means just picking up one box of ammo. a box of ammo that maybe you could get 4 dollars cheaper 10 miles up the road. that 4 dollars is an investment in keeping small gun stores going. these days buying guns, ammo and accessories is not just about the best price. its about insuring we have a place to buy them. its that important.

    if we dont support the small local gun stores then all of them, one by one will close up shop. and all we will have left will be online and big box stores. big box stores that can one day, like dicks sporting goods, can just up and decide that they dont want to sell the guns you like anymore. and that is their right. but you will have one less place to go. if we only buy online then where will you have that gun shipped? with each small gun store that closes there is one less place that companies like palmetto can ship your purchase for background check and pick up.

    and there is another reason, maybe the most important reason, to want to keep all these little independent gun stores going. when a gun store goes out of business what happens to its records of transactions? they go to the ATF.
     

    War-Buff

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    @pete repete , I was reminded of this fact when I made a (going-out-of-business sale) purchase at the OP's shop a couple of weeks ago...my 'sorry you're closing' comment was met with 'well, where have you been for the past 2 years while I was here?' as well as the other things you mentioned, in no uncertain terms, and he was absolutely right :(. It has just been so easy to order online, ship, transfer and save money, that I haven't supported local shops very much in recent years. As far as ATF getting transaction records, I guess they'll be getting one for me after the end of the month, but that pales in comparison to what they received when Dane Luckey closed up Freedom Firearms of Navarre a few years ago.

    FWIW, In my defense for not visiting the OP's shop sooner, I explained that I did not know until recently that it had changed hands from the previous owner. I visited the shop several years ago and found the owner (or employee) to be an azzhat, and I never returned. It's too bad, because the OP seems like a nice, plain spoken, no BS gentleman.

    Oh, and today I finally got to shoot the SA Garrison 9mm I bought from the OP, and it performed 'very' well.
    Garrison9-4.jpg
     

    justapilgrim

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    @pete repete , I was reminded of this fact when I made a (going-out-of-business sale) purchase at the OP's shop a couple of weeks ago...my 'sorry you're closing' comment was met with 'well, where have you been for the past 2 years while I was here?' as well as the other things you mentioned, in no uncertain terms, and he was absolutely right :(. It has just been so easy to order online, ship, transfer and save money, that I haven't supported local shops very much in recent years. As far as ATF getting transaction records, I guess they'll be getting one for me after the end of the month, but that pales in comparison to what they received when Dane Luckey closed up Freedom Firearms of Navarre a few years ago.

    FWIW, In my defense for not visiting the OP's shop sooner, I explained that I did not know until recently that it had changed hands from the previous owner. I visited the shop several years ago and found the owner (or employee) to be an azzhat, and I never returned. It's too bad, because the OP seems like a nice, plain spoken, no BS gentleman.

    Oh, and today I finally got to shoot the SA Garrison 9mm I bought from the OP, and it performed 'very' well.
    View attachment 200685
    I've lived in Navarre 20+ years and didn't even know there was a gun store there! The owner told me he spent $15,000 on an advertising campaign that was a complete failure. Perhaps his store is just in a lousy location? I've heard the 3 most important things for a new business are location, location, and location. I wish him well in his next endeavors.
     
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    Duckyou

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    I've lived in Navarre 20+ years and didn't even know there was a gun store there! The owner told me he spent $15,000 on an advertising campaign that was a complete failure. Perhaps his store is just in a lousy location? I've heard the 3 most important things for a new business are location, location, and location. I wish him well in his next endeavors.
    Marketing is not a one time thing. You need a marketing plan and you have to hammer it. You have to have a differentiator and a plan.

    Retail is very, very difficult because of low margins and very high costs.
     

    skyydiver

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    It has to be nearly impossible to stay alive without dumping millions into inventory to even try to compete with online dealers with every customer wanting something different. I stopped in when the place opened looking for a revolver. Of course they didn’t have what I was looking for. Why would they stick something one guy a decade might come in for. They would have ordered me one but I lucked out down the road without having to wait. It’s just a shitty situation trying to get started without a giant trust fund I’m sure.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Jdcujo

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    That location is also a big issue.
    I went out to check the shop out couple weeks back and even with gps it was not exactly easy to find.
     

    TGuns1451

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    Just goes to show you can't over price things. People can easily Google check to see going value. When "small" "local" stores stop adding $100 on things maybe they will stay in business. Their guns sit in cases for MONTHS. You think Academy makes $100 profit on any gun..... nope but making $30 or $40 on every one with 10 guns get sold every day is better business. And I know the old line " that can't get as good of a deal from their supplier as a big box store ordering 1000 guns. Not my problem why should I over pay to keep you in business. Make better deals with suppliers and your prices competitive and the market will support you......
     

    pete repete

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    Just goes to show you can't over price things. People can easily Google check to see going value. When "small" "local" stores stop adding $100 on things maybe they will stay in business. Their guns sit in cases for MONTHS. You think Academy makes $100 profit on any gun..... nope but making $30 or $40 on every one with 10 guns get sold every day is better business. And I know the old line " that can't get as good of a deal from their supplier as a big box store ordering 1000 guns. Not my problem why should I over pay to keep you in business. Make better deals with suppliers and your prices competitive and the market will support you......
    your post makes my point. with your point of view there quickly would be no small gun stores. last time i was there (pre-michael) you had a couple really good small independent gun stores in the panama city area. i hope they are still around. but i get the impression you dont see the value in a small gun store.
     

    TGuns1451

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    your post makes my point. with your point of view there quickly would be no small gun stores. last time i was there (pre-michael) you had a couple really good small independent gun stores in the panama city area. i hope they are still around. but i get the impression you dont see the value in a small gun store.
    NOT AT ALL I LOVE SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS! But you have to be competitive the old pay your small town store $50 more don't fly now a days. You can tell from those pictures they spent too much on fancy store. I dont care what the place looks like. They over price everything $50-$100 and see what happened they had a really nice store full of over priced stuff. Have good deals in a shed I'm there. Just bought a keltec p32 from MorGuns in Panama IT DONT GET NO SMALLER THEN THAT. Paid $160 walking for same gun other stores want 250 for used.....
     

    TGuns1451

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    My point EXACTLY I'm happy to help people make a living and its worth the convenience of not having to wait on order, but more then $50 and it's nothing more then a showroom to me. Like Jays Guns. IDK who buys from there because he's $200 high on everything but they got 1 of everything to see and touch then go order it online.
     

    Jester896

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    it is more difficult to buy and sell guns from a small local dealer than some might think. If they aren't part of a bigger buying group they don't get the good prices that others do, so there's no way they can be more competitive. The items they need or want go to the bigger retailers ahead of them.

    it is easy to say that you support a local business...even if you don't. The ugly side of Capitolism I guess
     
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