I've spent thousands of dollars at this store over the years on guns, vintage items, and more. I've…read morebeen a loyal, repeat customer for over a decade and have never once haggled on price. That should speak for itself. Today was the first genuinely negative experience I've had here, and it was bad enough to warrant this review. The item I came in for is extremely common, with numerous identical listings online averaging around $285, with high-end listings topping out near $315. Despite that, this store had it priced at $500.
Wanting to support a local business, especially one I've supported for years, I made a fair offer of $350, which is already above the highest market listings. The counteroffer was $415.
What made the situation worse was the tone. The gentleman behind the counter came across as dismissive and condescending, clearly in a bad mood. I've dealt with him many times before, and this behavior was out of character, but that doesn't excuse it. When a loyal customer who makes a reasonable, above-market offer is met with both inflexibility, attitude, and complete disregard for years of haggle-free previous business, it's disappointing and disrespectful. I said my piece and left.
Experiences like this make it harder to justify supporting local businesses when the value and professionalism simply aren't there. I guess it doesn't help that just last week I attempted to purchase a vintage pocket watch here that was represented as fully functional, only to discover, after insisting on testing it, that it was completely broken. The entire mechanical windup mechanism was shot. Had I trusted the description and not tested it on the spot, l would have walked out with a non-working item. Even then, the only concession offered was a $15 reduction, which was frankly insulting given the condition.
Lastly, and this was the icing on the cake, my firearm background check was placed on hold a few weeks ago. Since this has happened to me before, I asked if they could call the state police hotline to expedite it, which is a standard practice at many dealers. I was told they were "no longer allowed" to call due to new rules and that I simply had to wait. That turned out to be completely false.
I called the hotline myself and was immediately helped by a courteous representative who looked up my application and approved it on the spot. I then shared the number with other customers who were also waiting, and they too were approved within minutes. The reality is simple: I was intentionally misinformed.
It's amazing what happens when someone takes initiative, something I would expect from a business I've supported for years.
Experiences like this, combined with today's earlier interaction, are disappointing and far below the standard I've come to expect as a long-time, loyal customer. Do better.