Ammo price gouging - Something to consider

Lee

Established Member
Jan 29, 2016
52
102
Birmingham
Please read the whole post before you jump on me. I'll put this up front so y'all don't miss it by not reading the whole post. I have ammo, but I'm not selling. If I'm not selling, I'm not gouging. Get it?

It's called "supply and demand" and "market price". In the good times, you can buy 9mm at 10-20c/rd. In the good times for the buyer, supply and demand are roughly equal or supply is greater; and 10-20c/rd is market price. The market price is never more than a buyer is willing to pay. I can ask $20/rd, but I'd be a moron and never sell it.

But we're not in good times, are we? One consequence of our current situation is demand is higher than supply. Therefore, the market price is higher. I'm not condoning the gouger behavior, but neither am I condemning it. I'm simply calling it a marketplace. On the other hand, if you're hoarding N95 masks and charging $300 each when local hospitals are short in an emergency situation, that's legally gouging and you will go to jail. I will be the first to condemn that. But we're not talking masks, gloves, or Lysol wipes; we're talking ammo.

If you and your family are hungry, come to my house and I will feed you. If you are in danger, come to my house and I will protect you. I'll even give you a gun and ammo and fight side by side with you. That said, I'm not (nor is anyone else) under any legal, moral, or ethical obligation to sell ammo right now at "good times" prices. If you failed to prepare for times such as this, that's on you, not me. If those who failed to prepare are forced to pay higher than "good times" prices now, perhaps they'll be better prepared next time. And there will be a next time. If we coddle them, they learn nothing.

All that said, if you want to be "noble" and "take the high road", nothing is stopping you. However, before you help a neighbor in need, think about how you're "helping." Are they better off now with a box of 9mm at "good times" prices, or are they better off later knowing how important being prepared is. A box of 9mm at 300% good time prices is a cheap lesson.
 

Rayd8

Established Member
Army
Feb 11, 2019
120
82
Rocket City
Or perhaps just show them where to buy...teach a person to fish, no? I guess there is a difference teaching them when they’re hungry.


Seems to have quite a few in stock. A little high, but not 3x.
 

dmrice251

Established Member
Aug 17, 2019
33
19
Baldwin County
I watched an interesting video about the difference between price gouging and supply and demand. I don't remember all of the details, but the example used was the price of bottled water after a natural disaster like a hurricane. The main point of the person making the video was that the supply could never keep up with the demand if the prices weren't higher. If the stores left the price of a case of water around $4 then a few people would buy all the water up. If the prices are higher, then the water can be spread out over more consumers. I guess the other option is to keep the prices the same and limit the sale amount like we see a lot of retailers doing with TP right now. The moral of the story is to buy enough in the good times, when the prices are reasonable, to get you through the bad times. Preppers are looking pretty smart right now.
 

Lee

Established Member
Jan 29, 2016
52
102
Birmingham
I made this post on Armslist before here, and the results were very discouraging. I tried 3x and was flagged out 3x in less than 24 hours each. I had good email comments in support and agreement, but it's the other side that was so alarming. It seems we have these people who are so self-righteous and are these self-appointed sheepdogs. If you've been around guns and the 2A crowd long enough, you know the sheep/wolves/sheepdogs reference.

I can understand the community distaste for the perceived gougers in times like this; but the pure, naked vitriol was a surprise. I think it was a small (I hope) number, but they were loud enough. One guy started with "loser" and accused me of being on meth and living in a trailer. (Aside: He taunted me saying he had 10k rounds. LOL. I don't really understand this bc I have well north of that in each of several calibers. And, I reload. Go figure) He then called me a liar and a "shit person" and said "I hope you get the coronavirus." That's a quote. I told him to read what he just sent and ask himself who's the shit person.

The point is I wasn't condoning or condemning ammo price gouging, nor was I defending the gougers. However, my opinion didn't match theirs, and I therefore had to be silenced. I warned them silencing my voice put them on dangerous ground and made it very easy to draw a parallel to the "tolerant left" and even antifa. You may not like what I say, but shutting down other opinions is the Left's game, not ours.

I quit trying and let it go. I learned a truth a long time ago. I can make my argument as articulately as possible and present all the facts in support. Some people are so tunnel-visioned, so (willfully) blinded to reason, so self-righteous, nothing I can say or present will open their eyes or sway their mind.
 

Lee

Established Member
Jan 29, 2016
52
102
Birmingham
Agreed, but my point was if you make them pay the inflated prices now, it's a relatively cheap lesson to be better prepared next time. There will be a next time. It's the whole feed with fish for now or teach to fish for later. What if it was food they were short? Or what if the utilities were out? Scores of possible scenarios. I think we're pretty well off compared to some possibilities, so a $40 box of 9mm would be a very cheap lesson and kick in the pants to be better prepared next time. A bless-their-heart few could not see this and responded very aggressively. They are so caught up in their self-assigned sheepdog role, they fail to realize they're not really helping in the long term.
 

Alan Yates

aryfrosty
Dec 13, 2017
9
11
Huntsville
Please read the whole post before you jump on me. I'll put this up front so y'all don't miss it by not reading the whole post. I have ammo, but I'm not selling. If I'm not selling, I'm not gouging. Get it?

It's called "supply and demand" and "market price". In the good times, you can buy 9mm at 10-20c/rd. In the good times for the buyer, supply and demand are roughly equal or supply is greater; and 10-20c/rd is market price. The market price is never more than a buyer is willing to pay. I can ask $20/rd, but I'd be a moron and never sell it.

But we're not in good times, are we? One consequence of our current situation is demand is higher than supply. Therefore, the market price is higher. I'm not condoning the gouger behavior, but neither am I condemning it. I'm simply calling it a marketplace. On the other hand, if you're hoarding N95 masks and charging $300 each when local hospitals are short in an emergency situation, that's legally gouging and you will go to jail. I will be the first to condemn that. But we're not talking masks, gloves, or Lysol wipes; we're talking ammo.

If you and your family are hungry, come to my house and I will feed you. If you are in danger, come to my house and I will protect you. I'll even give you a gun and ammo and fight side by side with you. That said, I'm not (nor is anyone else) under any legal, moral, or ethical obligation to sell ammo right now at "good times" prices. If you failed to prepare for times such as this, that's on you, not me. If those who failed to prepare are forced to pay higher than "good times" prices now, perhaps they'll be better prepared next time. And there will be a next time. If we coddle them, they learn nothing.

All that said, if you
Please read the whole post before you jump on me. I'll put this up front so y'all don't miss it by not reading the whole post. I have ammo, but I'm not selling. If I'm not selling, I'm not gouging. Get it?

It's called "supply and demand" and "market price". In the good times, you can buy 9mm at 10-20c/rd. In the good times for the buyer, supply and demand are roughly equal or supply is greater; and 10-20c/rd is market price. The market price is never more than a buyer is willing to pay. I can ask $20/rd, but I'd be a moron and never sell it.

But we're not in good times, are we? One consequence of our current situation is demand is higher than supply. Therefore, the market price is higher. I'm not condoning the gouger behavior, but neither am I condemning it. I'm simply calling it a marketplace. On the other hand, if you're hoarding N95 masks and charging $300 each when local hospitals are short in an emergency situation, that's legally gouging and you will go to jail. I will be the first to condemn that. But we're not talking masks, gloves, or Lysol wipes; we're talking ammo.

If you and your family are hungry, come to my house and I will feed you. If you are in danger, come to my house and I will protect you. I'll even give you a gun and ammo and fight side by side with you. That said, I'm not (nor is anyone else) under any legal, moral, or ethical obligation to sell ammo right now at "good times" prices. If you failed to prepare for times such as this, that's on you, not me. If those who failed to prepare are forced to pay higher than "good times" prices now, perhaps they'll be better prepared next time. And there will be a next time. If we coddle them, they learn nothing.

All that said, if you want to be "noble" and "take the high road", nothing is stopping you. However, before you help a neighbor in need, think about how you're "helping." Are they better off now with a box of 9mm at "good times" prices, or are they better off later knowing how important being prepared is. A box of 9mm at 300% good time prices is a cheap lesson.
Please read the whole post before you jump on me. I'll put this up front so y'all don't miss it by not reading the whole post. I have ammo, but I'm not selling. If I'm not selling, I'm not gouging. Get it?

It's called "supply and demand" and "market price". In the good times, you can buy 9mm at 10-20c/rd. In the good times for the buyer, supply and demand are roughly equal or supply is greater; and 10-20c/rd is market price. The market price is never more than a buyer is willing to pay. I can ask $20/rd, but I'd be a moron and never sell it.

But we're not in good times, are we? One consequence of our current situation is demand is higher than supply. Therefore, the market price is higher. I'm not condoning the gouger behavior, but neither am I condemning it. I'm simply calling it a marketplace. On the other hand, if you're hoarding N95 masks and charging $300 each when local hospitals are short in an emergency situation, that's legally gouging and you will go to jail. I will be the first to condemn that. But we're not talking masks, gloves, or Lysol wipes; we're talking ammo.

If you and your family are hungry, come to my house and I will feed you. If you are in danger, come to my house and I will protect you. I'll even give you a gun and ammo and fight side by side with you. That said, I'm not (nor is anyone else) under any legal, moral, or ethical obligation to sell ammo right now at "good times" prices. If you failed to prepare for times such as this, that's on you, not me. If those who failed to prepare are forced to pay higher than "good times" prices now, perhaps they'll be better prepared next time. And there will be a next time. If we coddle them, they learn nothing.

All that said, if you want to be "noble" and "take the high road", nothing is stopping you. However, before you help a neighbor in need, think about how you're "helping." Are they better off now with a box of 9mm at "good times" prices, or are they better off later knowing how important being prepared is. A box of 9mm at 300% good time prices is a cheap lesson.


First I will state that I’m not a lawyer. I’m certainly not YOUR lawyer. If I was and you posted this on a public forum I’d try to give you good advice, and if I couldn’t you and I would part company. You’re an adult. Each of us has to decide what to do with our lives and then we decide how to live. You have a right to your opinion.
UNLESS your opinion is a violation of criminal law if carried out. Still it’s OK. I’m not gonna get mad at you.
Under Alabama law 8-19-5 ( Unconscionable pricing ) whenever a declared state of emergency exists, either at the state level or the federal level, it is illegal to raise prices on any commodity or property for any amount equal to or greater than 25% over the same price in the 30 days prior to the declaration of emergency.
We’re definitely in a state of emergency. First the feds declared one, then the governor declared one.
Like I said, I’m not a lawyer and you aren’t obliged to do anything I suggest. I’m not mad at you. I wouldn’t say bad things about you or rat you out. All I’m saying is that I’m not about to sell anything at a price that could land me in trouble.
I’m 72 years old and I don’t need to be in trouble to know I don’t want to BE in trouble.
 

Lee

Established Member
Jan 29, 2016
52
102
Birmingham
Thanks, and I 100% agree. I state this very condition in my original post with the mask example; and in that case, I'd be the first to say "That's not right!" However, we're not talking masks, or gloves, or tp, or water, or food, or any other necessity. We're talking ammo. How far and what exactly does that statute cover? Is ammo included? Right now, I don't know.

My point through this was a complaint against the self-proclaimed "sheepdogs" thinking they're helping by bitching and shutting down the "gougers" on Armslist. Armslist was full of whiners against price gougers across the country.

I state many times I'm not condoning or condemning the activity. I also state many times I'm not selling, so I'm not personally on one side or the other. Right now, preparedness lessons are cheap. "Oh, no! I don't have enough ammo for a state of emergency! Maybe paying 50c/rd for what normally costs 12c/rd in the 'good times' will teach me to be better prepared for the next time." If you think about some of the ways this world could go sideways, this is very inexpensive.

By shutting down the gouger or opportunists or whatever and selling ammo at "good times" prices to your neighbor in need isn't helping him. You're feeding him a fish instead of teaching him to fish. Can you think through every scenario in which the world or our society goes sideways and then guarantee you'll be there as their sheepdog and help them in their hour of need? No possible way

I'm also expressing concern about an opinion being silenced because others disagree with it. That's the MO of the "tolerant left". It's not something I'd expect from a more conservative community; but I've experienced it first-hand, and very aggressively.
 

kenny1773

Established Member
Nov 28, 2018
323
316
Birmingham
Citizens of the US are all free enough when it comes to selling something, that as long as you are not breaking any laws (inc state of emergency laws), post for sale whatever you want at however much you want. You are free to do so.

I am also free to remember who were the people that were price gouging in the tough times and avoiding them in the future. Cheaper than Dirt for example, I have cost them a ton of business over the years, they suck.


As for the self proclaimed watch dogs, as long as you are not selling on a website they own, who cares? Free speech, they can say whatever they want, doesn't mean you have to listen.

The only persons actions I can control are my own, everyone else is free to do what they want within the law.
 

copperhead-1911

Established Member
Feb 29, 2016
72
50
New castle/livingston
Lucky for me i bought a bunch and had it. There is never such a thing as too much, but in case of a shtf i think i have enough utnil i can get to a better place. I do live in the suburbs but have friends and family in rural areas i would be heading to.
 

Rayd8

Established Member
Army
Feb 11, 2019
120
82
Rocket City
I think I’m pretty much in agreement with Kenny, particularly with CTD...@RandallC , why do we sponsor a feed bot from them? Are they keeping the lights on?
 
Top