Cabela's visit

[Don Ladd]

Originally Posted by Michael D Hankinson

I visited the Grandville MI Cabelas recently, a week ago and in the Gun Library there was a large new inventory since before Christmas of older military style rifles. Did not see any new inventory of doubles of any kind. I have been told they do not buy any Damascus barrel guns anymore, as well as any weapon with a crack in the stock.

It's the same at the Dundee MI Cabelas. The Gun Library is nothing like it used to be at Dundee, they actually had a very good inventory of doubles and other collectible guns, now it's 3/4 empty and what they do have is like you are saying.

[Dean Romig]

Well that's pretty sad...





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[Mike Poindexter]

they have them all posted on their Gun Library/Used guns website for the Wichita store. Mostly lower grade guns, priced accordingly but there was one AYA No. 2 20 ga they wanted $5K for. There is a Midland Boxlock 12 chambered and proved for 3" 1 1/2 oz loads with 32 inch barrels/ they say it weighs 7 1/2 lbs. Asking about $1200 which seems reasonable. Would be a nice duck gun if it looks as good in the hand as in pictures.

PS. I dropped the hammer on that Midland. According to my research it is a "Super Demon Duck" with "for 3" Paper Cases" hand engraved on the rib. The original crossed swords proof mark is not clear. Looks like a small o over an I, which could make it a 1935 gun. On the other hand, it does not have the cross bolt fastener which may make it more of an early 1950's gun. I dont have any Midland catalogs which might bracket the year.

Once I get the gun I will post some pics.

[ArtS]

There has appeared to me to be a constant trend in outdoor stores over the last 60 years or so. They go through a history of hardcore sportsman, then a period of diversification into mainstream products followed by a gradual but steady trend away from outdoor products until finally they devolve into insignificance. Gander Mountain, Cabelas, Eddie Bauer, The North Face, Columbia and others come to mind.

[Bill Murphy]

Don't forget Abercrombie and Fitch, once the best gun store in the USA, now a clothing emporium for the alternate lifestyle.

[Steve Hodges]

Dean is correct that KTP has many, many guns, new and used. The only gripe I have with them is the way they display there used better quality SxS's. On a floor rack behind a counter. Makes it impossible to casually look them over. You need a clerk to help you see the guns and maybe its just me but I feel awkward taking up a clerks time when I just want to look the inventory over.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hodges

Dean is correct that KTP has many, many guns, new and used. The only gripe I have with them is the way they display there used better quality SxS's. On a floor rack behind a counter. Makes it impossible to casually look them over. You need a clerk to help you see the guns and maybe its just me but I feel awkward taking up a clerks time when I just want to look the inventory over.

Not only that Steve, but behind that counter and in the rack on the wall, the better guns are behind drawn curtains so you can’t even see them unless you ask the clerk who always seems to have two customers ahead of you.
It’s just not worth it anymore.





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[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Don't forget Abercrombie and Fitch, once the best gun store in the USA, now a clothing emporium for the alternate lifestyle.

I started to put them first in the list, but typed too quickly and forgot to list them.

[ArtS]

A while back I saw the announcement about Kittery planning to move out of state due to Maine politics. Did this ever occur? It has been two years since I have been to Maine and didn't make it to Kittery then. The entire state seemed to be "off it's feed" at the time with a lot of stores closed and not a lot of activity even though it was getting close to the 4th.

[ArtS]

On the original subject, I have been particularly interested in the change in Cabela's. In the period about 40 years ago, I went to on an antelope/mule deer hunt in Wyoming, which was set up as a budget type hunt with a bunch of hunters in one central camp in a beautiful canyon with the guides each taking out 4 hunters a day for semi-guided hunts. It was a great way to hunt at a really inexpensive rate. Tents, stoves, toilets, cook tent, skinning, caping etc were as a normal camp, just less supervision on the hunt. Cabela's at the time had been in their outdoor adventures a couple of years and the head of the program (Greg Severinson) was there along with his assistant (a young guide from Alaska) investigating the hunt for possible inclusion in their portfolio. The editor of Field & Stream was also there which of course drew along an assistant to the Fish & Wildlife Commissioner to act as a watchdog. These guys were true outdoorsmen. Greg went with me and the outfitter one day since I had a buck antelope tag along with two doe meat tags which are often hard for the state to sell. I was lucky enough to fill all three tags out of one single herd we located and hunted while parked on a small roadside area next to a sign indicating the site of the original Bridger Pass across the Continental Divide in that region.

Greg helped spot, actually field dressed one of the animals and packed it back to the truck. He was the real deal. I was surprised on that trip about how much the outfitter (and others we met) utilized Cabela's equipment (wall tents, stoves, pack equipment etc). In previous years Gander Mountain had traditionally been a source for that sort of equipment for outfitters. Cabella's with the Outdoor Adventure division and their acquisition of Herter's a few years before was really growning into the role of the major supplier to the hunting industry. They eventually, I believe, led to the demise of Gander Mountain. I have never understood how they lost their drive and focus.

In the same vein, Sportsman's Warehouse was a private startup that I thought had a really clear market vision and a really good inventory for the sporting customer. They built one of their flagship stores 1/4 mile from the retirement home we had built and then the company crashed. I met the owner later. He had lost control of the chain and the Lexington store had closed. The eight foot tall cast bronze sculptures of two bull elk had been taken to the State Game farm in Frankfort for display. He runs a gourmet Olive Oil and Balsamic store around the corner from his Cabela's store (which has reopened and reclaimed their statues). This was when this was a unique concept. He discussed business and history at length with me. It turns the business failed in about 90 days due to the board pushing him to implement a cradle to grave supply "just in time" supply chain system. The implementation programming vendor didn't deliver a workable system and they ended up with half empty stores with late deliveries of what the needed and no operating funds.

It was the old story of the peril of the old adage that you have to grow to stay profitable. The down side of that is that is easy to die on the vine so to speak.