Cabela's Scarborough Fine Gun Room Closed
 

Stopped in at Cabela's in Scarborough Maine this afternoon after shooting some sporting at the nearby F&G club to find the Fine Gun Room empty and closed. The used gun racks that were out in front of the entrance were gone as well. Store was busy and I didn't get a chance to ask a clerk what was going on. Any other Cabela's stores close their Gun Rooms?

The local one was closed for a while; a guy at the new gun counter said they had sold so many guns that it looked really empty so they moved all the used stuff up there. He said as soon as they restocked the gun room would open back up. Sure enough; it's open now.

The last time I visited Cabelas before I left Virginia, the Fine Gun Room was stocked mostly with very average, at best, used guns. It looked more like a pawn shop than a fine gun dealer. I was trying to sell or trade a pistol. They acted like I entered the store with a nuclear warhead. After much delay and hassle, trying to find the manager to make an offer, I left. I went to my local gun shop and 15 mins later, left with cash. I love Cabelas for gear but wouldn’t buy a gun from them.

Last time I visited the one in Richmond they had a few cobbled up doubles with horrendous prices . And right beside them were several black guns (AR’s) .

The best Cabelas gun library I ever visited was the one in Hamburg PA within a year of when that store opened . They had some fine things then along with a dozen or so lightly used or so they appeared K-80’s .

I stopped by the one in Dundee a month or so ago, it was the first time I'd been there in 15 years. The library had a sign saying something to the effect that due to current market conditions the Gun Library is closed indefinitely. All used guns no matter what it is from an A1 Special to a Mossberg go through the library. When I was there we never handled black guns.

Cabeleas Grandville MI Gunroom
 

My local Grandville MI gun library has been closed from time to time lately, guns are still there. They are trying to hire someone with "Knowledge", can't get enough help to open it all the time. I was finally able to stop one day and itwas open. They have a 12 double that has been in stock for almost a year. I asked about price reduction and was told they don't do that anymore?? Used to reduce the price depending on the time itwas in invetory.

Cabelas/BassPro seems to be taking a nosedive. The Wheeling gun room was open here, even had a couple Trojan 12's, a PH 12, and a DHE 2o. They had no-none -nada
shotgun primers, and kept trying to sell me Triple 7 primers at an exorbitant rate. They had no small game loads, like dove/quail loads in 20 ga, but I was directed to 3" mag 2's in steel shot. The distribution center for the eastern US is here in wheeling, and they had none there also.

I was at the Hamburg Pa Cabelas store a couple weeks ago and they had the Gun Library almost filled again. I was there a couple months ago and it was mostly empty and the attendant told me they had all the stock from the library and the regular shelves locked up in the back due to our Covid-19 shutdown. Both areas are mostly filled, although I wouldn't be surprised if they shut down the library. The Bass Pro shop out in Harrisburg doesn't have one and the ones I've stopped at in other states don't have them either.

The concept of the Gun Library was created to cater to the "collectable" gun market as well as the high end products from other sources. The number of Parker's, Fox, Smith, Purdy, H&H pre 64 Winchesters, Colt etc is a finite source as are the people knowledgeable enough to discuss them intelligently.

Is the Wheeling Cabelas gun room still open? I have been to several Cabelas but the Wheeling store is one of my favorites. The African display put them over the top in my opinion. I have watched as people look in awe of the full size elephant and other game they have on display. The huge moose in the middle of the trout pond below the water falls is also one of my favorites. The distribution center less than a mile away is huge. I remember going to the store on fishing days and they had sold out of the reel I wanted in less than the 2 hours it took me to get there. As I was leaving a salesman caught me before I got out the door and said he would check over at the distribution center. They ended up having over 50. I paid for the reel there and he sent me over to the center(didn't know was there) to pick up the reel. Talk about poor business practices. The sales people need to let people know that if the store is sold out then they(sales people)need to call over to the distribution center to see if its in stock instead of losing a sale.

I visited the Cabela's Gainesville VA store last Thursday and the Fine Gun Library room was still open but only had 6 or 7 guns, mostly new sporting rifles. I didn't see any used guns on their rollaway floor racks that they used to put outside the entrance to the Library, either.

I work in the Lehi Gun Library, these are just my thoughts and I'm not speaking for my employer. I can't say what is going on in other Libraries but we're buying what we can in Lehi. We're trying to hire more Library help.

We are in a very strange market. I can say we are in the strangest gun market I've seen in 40 plus years of buying and selling firearms.

Sales are through the roof on most of the bread and butter everyday using guns with black guns, semi automatic pistols and short barreled shotguns leading the way. If a Glock or an AR hit the shelves they are snapped up in minutes. Our inventory is a lower than we would like both new and used. If you follow the news you know that NICS has been setting records for background checks since March. Late Winter, Spring and Summer are traditionally slow periods for gun stores. Normally stores let their inventories drop for that time period by not buying. Ouch, did that bit everyone in business. Of course who could have predicted COVID or continuing riots on the level we are seeing. I don't care where you shop firearms, ammo and reloading supplies inventories are pretty thin. It feels that people are preparing for war or at the very least completely worried about civil unrest.

Next, not many people are selling their guns these days unless they really need to generate cash. A lot of people laid off very literally got a raise with the $600 a week COVID help. Now that has run out we are seeing more used guns but still not at the levels of the past.

As we shotgun collectors know price are a tad depressed so many of are holding onto what we have. I think the same can be said for other types of gun collectors. I know as I look in the safe I don't have anything I dare sell. On some level I worry I might not be able to ever find another gun like what I have.

These market conditions make it tough on a used gun dealer.

The next problem is staffing. To a person in our Library we're not there trying to make a living on our wages. It is more of a wage to earn a bit of extra income and to play at what we love. Our Library is down staff wise. You really can't just hire a warm body to work in a Library. Most people with real gun collecting expertise aren't all that interested in a job making about as much as they would flipping burgers.

Then again maybe you do settle and hope to just hire a warm body. You would think that with today's unemployment that might be easy, nope. Hiring isn't just a problem for us. It cuts across the board for employers that are trying to find good people at the $10 to $15 an hour wage level.

Yes, we are living in strange time. Of course this is just my opinion.

I was at the Scarborough Cabela’s/BPS just two weeks ago. The fine gun library was open but like Joe says, the guns in there were like something in a flea market or yard sale... mostly just plain old worn out shooters.

The used gun rack in front of the fine gun library was just as shocking... what used to be about six upper and lower gun racks was just one 10’ floor rack. I’ll probably never go back...

NOW is when KTP (just 40 miles south of Cabela’s) should step up their fine gun counter and take down those ridiculous curtains that hide their nicer guns.





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They shut down the one in STL too, and when I asked why, they said they couldn't get enough people to staff it. That said, most of the doubles there were normally frankenshotguns..... and way over priced. But, was still fun to go look.

Was in the Wichita store today; Gun Library is open but seemed like mostly new stuff. Lots of new rifles, a few used rifles, a few used handguns, a few new or newer o/u's. One pretty tired VH 12ga and one Sauer (or similar) were the extent of the sxs's. The used gun racks out front are gone; wonder what they did with all those horrendous eastern European 16ga doubles they had a while back?. Ammo stock was pretty meager too; ended up ordering a flat of Herter's target loads on line for free in-store pickup as there were none on the shelves; luckily I go right by there twice a day. Lots of 3" 12ga shells at $119 a flat though!

When the Rogers MN store opened in I think 2005 I bought 1000 guns from the estate of a dealer. Those were the days :rotf:

This is no surprise. Ever since Cabelas was bought out it has been on a down ward spiral in my mind. It will be a sad day when the Gun Libraries don't exist and I feel it is coming sooner than later in Cabelas stores.

I have suspected that there was some collusion between the Cabelas Gun Libraries and some of the big dealers. On my way to The Vintage Cup, about fifteen years ago, I stopped by the Cabelas in Owatonna, MN, and several of the high end guns in the Library there I had just been looking at on Puglisi's web site.

I was at KTP last week. I am estimating the number of used guns for sale is 25 to 30% of what was there pre pandemic. Centerfire rifle and pistol ammo was essentially cleaned out. There were no rifle or pistol primers and only a few hundred WW209 primers priced at 6.99 per hundred. The guns behind the curtains are either new trades that have not been priced or guns that have been put on hold. The nicest doubles are visible but they are behind a pistol counter too far away for much of any visual ID nor can you read the price tags. You are not allowed behind the counter, unless you are special and you have to ask to see each individual gun.

Our local Scheels All Sports closed their small Gun Library a few years ago. Now filled with gun safes. It was not an improvement. There are no classic guns in store. Somebody must trade some in. Not sure what happens to them.

Not at all like the old days at KTP Pete.





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Sad about the library situation. Since the merge with Bass Pro I have seen 0 improvements. I called KTP today this afternoon on my way to work looking for some shells as I just purchased a fine LC 20 ideal. 0 RST shells in stock currently and they have not had them in some time. Tough days for us double lovers!

Cabela's has gone down hill ever since they went "big corporate" but since the BP merger it's gotten even worse.

The takeover resulted in less competition. Competition makes us all better

Bass Pro Denver is closed too. They used to have some nice guns. :(

Cabelas: "Internet sales and used guns are not available for store transfers." I guess it's over. Like Orvis, L.L. Bean, and some other outdoor venues, pastel colors and shiny pants are the order of the day.

I think they all took some chapters from the Eddie Bauer playbook. When their flagship store in downtown DC opened (c. early-mid 1970s) it was like having our own Abercrombie & Fitch within walking distance of the office. And you saw where all that went!

They have discontinued transferring guns for just the shipping fee.

Now you pay for the firearm at the selling store and they ship to the FFL of your choice be that a Cabela's location, a Bass Pro or your local FFL. If it goes to Cabela's or Bass Pro and you are not happy with the firearm they will glad refund your money.