Gainesville is a strange town. Laden with proud Florida Crackers but revolving around the liberal University of Florida, the locals are torn between trying to assume something of an air of sophistication while at the same time being true to their roots. Walk into ANY of the local Pawn and/or gun stores and you might as well bring an armed guard because someone is bound to try and rob you blind.
The "best" of the worst is one I'm trying to do business with, and while they DO have a product I want to own, the prices are outrageous. The sales help have the distinctive local accent but feel that since, after all, they by location are representing the almighty institute of higher learning one should feel honored to do business with so august a retail establishment.
Here's the deal. I have so many guns I honestly cannot tell you where all of them are at any given time. So I figure, what the hell, I'll trade in one of my G-27's for a used G-21 that has been sitting in it's little corner of the salescase for nearly a year now. The gun in question has maybe two or three hundred rounds down the pipe, so pristine I'm at odds to determine if it was ever fired at all. The one I want to use as trade-bait is in similar condition, and has the distinction of being one of the most perfect concealed carry weapons one can find when thinking semi-automatic.
So then. My gun for theirs. PLUS 7 magazines, the original case and paperwork. Glock 27 for Glock 21. Nothing fancy about either weapon, both stock and like-new. A hot item for one that's been sitting on a shelf gathering dust and no-takers. Try and find a good, used G-27 in the town, it's impossible...yadda yadda.
Trade-in value for both guns finds an edge to the G-21 of course, to the tune of about $50, but with my throwing in the extra 5 mags, it should be close to a toss-up one would think.
I get an email today telling me that after careful consideration they'll do the deal if I throw in $200. This is the same store that wants $575 PLUS tax for a NEW G-21, and when I show them proof that the same gun can be had online for $100 less...delivered, mind you, they retort that well, when you buy a gun online you can't touch it and don't know what you'll be getting.
Sure. Glock won't make good if I have the slightest problem. Right. It's up to me to spend an extra hundred bucks for the pleasure of doing business with them.
Wrong. I didn't want just another gun, I wished to replace one of the ones I hardly used with something I wanted. I'd be too damned embarassed to send the old G-21 my brother gave me back to Glock for refurbishment because it's seen close to 130,000 rounds of service and I got what he paid for. The barrel is close to shot-out from all of the heavy-duty reloads and even with replacing every last spring and rod, and giving it a new pipe, the old fella is just not up to it anymore, so a new .45 ACP was what I so desired.
But not from these guys. Basically, they want $100 just to do the transaction, because that's the diference between a fair trade-in swap and the one they are suggesting. And oh yeah, their FFL fee? Just to use THEIR FFL license is $35. Buy a gun online and have it sent to them and it's 35 clams just for receiving the product and handing it over, while others in town seem abashed at asking for $15-$20.
No thanks. I'll keep on looking and hope to find someone in business to DO business and not wanting to get rich quick.
Top-Glock is selling new G-21's for $505, and that's high. Just wait for the holiday specials to come a' ringin' and they'll be $480 ish. I've been offered $350 for the G-27 and extra mags from another shop, that'll do the transfer for $15. Add $14 shipping and at the end of the day I'd be spending $184 for a brand new gun and these detweillers want me to chuck in $200 for a used one? Then they get all weepy because folks don't support local businesses, and check THIS out, as well; I shoot between 350-400 rounds of ammo a week from handguns alone. Using their range and their ammo, these idiots would be making money from me in perpetuity. That's if they had half a brain. And they know that I do a lot of work with the local kids and would refer THEM to the place too.
Times like this I've half a mind to get my own damned FFL, and from the house sell guns at cost plus 20 percent and shipping. Problem is, there'd be no way to keep up with the orders.
Pickett Weaponry Service, INC.
P.O. Box 1518
Newberry, FL 32669
[352] 472-4876 WKUPDATE
Received an email notifying me that CDNN is selling Glock 21's with night sights for $479.00.
Just wish there was a local shop that didn't feature Rip-Off 101 as it's business plan.
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