Re: Making an Offer on a Gun?
Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 5:19 pm
It's no different than anything else. Recently, I negotiated the price of carpeting for my house and saved $600 from the first number I was given. I also negotiated the price of a new car, saving several thousand. You can offer a lower price for anything. The worst someone can say is "no".
Also, know who you are talking to. The guy at Academy probably doesn't have authority to negotiate a discount off the posted price, but the owner of a small gun store definitely does. I have a soft spot for small businesses, probably because my Dad owned a small carpet store when I was growning up, so I try to give them business where I can, but I will not pay a huge premium to do so. To me, that would be no different than buying the gun cheaper somewhere else and then donating the savings to the local gun store owner in cash. As much as I like them, there are other, more worthy recipients of my generosity.
As to whether it's better to just walk away instead of making an offer, I personally think the local gun store owner would rather at least have the opportunity to sell me a gun for $XX than not having the opportunity at all, so I see nothing wrong or offensive with making them an offer. Now if their guns were so overpriced that a reasonable offer would be half of the posted price, or something ridiculous like that, then I probably wouldn't even bother.
One tip is to bring 3 crisp $100 bills to the store. Lay them on the counter and say that you will pay that as an out the door price, but nothing more. The actual sight of the money may help you to get the deal you want.
Also, know who you are talking to. The guy at Academy probably doesn't have authority to negotiate a discount off the posted price, but the owner of a small gun store definitely does. I have a soft spot for small businesses, probably because my Dad owned a small carpet store when I was growning up, so I try to give them business where I can, but I will not pay a huge premium to do so. To me, that would be no different than buying the gun cheaper somewhere else and then donating the savings to the local gun store owner in cash. As much as I like them, there are other, more worthy recipients of my generosity.
As to whether it's better to just walk away instead of making an offer, I personally think the local gun store owner would rather at least have the opportunity to sell me a gun for $XX than not having the opportunity at all, so I see nothing wrong or offensive with making them an offer. Now if their guns were so overpriced that a reasonable offer would be half of the posted price, or something ridiculous like that, then I probably wouldn't even bother.
One tip is to bring 3 crisp $100 bills to the store. Lay them on the counter and say that you will pay that as an out the door price, but nothing more. The actual sight of the money may help you to get the deal you want.