Why do people like Cabela's and Bass Pro so much? They seem overpriced?

[dreasen25]

Same can be said for Wilshire, H&H, and Academy. You can almost always beat the price on firearms by using Bud's Gun Shop or Gunbroker. With that said, a couple of places (Village Tactical comes to mind) are dang competitive and you don't have to pay a transfer fee. The pricing is close or identical to Bud's - And for the record, I'm not affiliated with them; I'm just a customer.

I agree, there are some good dealers locally that don't get the exposure they deserve.

 

[heavysmoke]

Every now and again cabelas has some good prices on ammo and the kids love going. The hunting gear also.

 

[steelfingers]

I thought, probably wrong, that Bass Pro bought out Cabela's? Sometimes I can find ok prices at Cabela's but never the lowest price. Academy, Walmart and Gander Mountain always beats them.

 

[scottb42]

I thought, probably wrong, that Bass Pro bought out Cabela's? Sometimes I can find ok prices at Cabela's but never the lowest price. Academy, Walmart and Gander Mountain always beats them.

For the last 6+ months there have been rumors that this is in the works, even made the news on a couple of occasions. But as far as I know it hasn't happened yet.

 

[vvvvvvv]

For the last 6+ months there have been rumors that this is in the works, even made the news on a couple of occasions. But as far as I know it hasn't happened yet.

The biggest issue has been pensions threatening to divest from funds with stakes in firearm dealers. Bass Pro can't do a buyout themselves - they've been seeking to partner with firms like Goldman Sachs. There seems to be general market support for it, but GS has to weigh the risk of whether the pensions are bluffing.

 

[Okie1907]

I'm betting it's consignment. Owner sets their price and the stores tack on some profit.

I went in there today to buy some premium ammo which Cabela's does stock a good amount of and i asked one of the guys in the gun library and none of their guns are consignment. They are all bought buy Cabela's either locally or at a different location and shipped in. He says sometimes the guns are high because the buyer at a Cabela's paid to much for it. That is all he would tell me. I will say while their regular sales people arent the most knowledgeable of people but they are quite nice and havent had anyone talk down to me. Being a younger guy (25) this happens quite a bit. Luckily I have some gray hair coming in thanks to the lovely low oil prices so I may be treated seriously sooner than Id like...


While I dont care for their prices most of their shops are really nice with good selection. Their ammo selection can be beat by none. I also like their pro second amendment stance they take so that is nice too. They dont cave on stuff that other retailers might. Granted other retailers were probably not making as much as we would have thought off guns so it was just in their best interest to get some anti gun support. I would hope that even if Cabela's had low profits from guns and ammo that they would still take the same stance. I am sure they would they give a decent amount to the NRA each year which is nice to hear.

 

[Dalejbrass]

I've only purchased one gun from either store mentioned in your thread. So, for me........I go because I like to look, feel and try on my hunting gear and I like to handle my supplies before I buy it. I typically don't buy junk or bargain brands anyway, so neither of the above mentioned stores are usually overpriced for what I'm looking for. Also, both stores offer pretty decent points for your purchases that can add up over the long haul.

I'd much prefer to buy my stuff from a local shop, but most of them just aren't big enough to stock all the stuff I'm looking for.

 

[adamsredlines]

I like Cabelas because of the Gun Library. I've never bought a gun from there but I've been very tempted a few times.

Cabelas also used to be much cooler when they werent in every major city. It was an adventure when you went to an area where there was one.