Online spoon stores

[Rick Lee]

I go through those checkpoints, both Border Patrol and agriculture, all the time. I'm usually on a motorcycle, but a few times a year in a rental car. Never been stopped or asked anything and I'd definitely cause a problem if they used those already questionable stops to refer me to state or local police for a secondary inspection, for which they had zero RAS or PC.

[flipper35]

I do regular business with the local shop (even get the free t-shirts) but when I got my Raptor II it was $150 cheaper than GB or Buds at a place in Lincoln NE and the local place is not a dealer for Kimber so no discount off of MSRP. Don't remember the name now.

Got the .22 conversion at Buds because it was by far the best price.

The local place has good prices on spoons to ammo. Good service as well.

[scottmandue]

I have scanned all the local shops and they are no were near the GB... matter of fact none of the local shops have a GP100 in stock (and yes it is on the approved Kali roster).

If local shops hate doing FFL's why do they advertise that they will do it and offer the service? Customer service? If I use the range to do the FFL I will be going there to practice and spending my money with them.

[gr8fl4porsche]

Check Armslist for a local FFL.

Mine does the work at his kitchen table for a $ 20 bill.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have scanned all the local shops and they are no were near the GB... matter of fact none of the local shops have a GP100 in stock (and yes it is on the approved Kali roster).

If local shops hate doing FFL's why do they advertise that they will do it and offer the service? Customer service? If I use the range to do the FFL I will be going there to practice and spending my money with them.

I always try and shop local, have even printed GB (post auction or buy it now prices) or Buds prices and taken them to the brick and mortar folks.

If the difference between the local guy and GB or Buds, after the FFL charge, is more the 15%, the local folks need to negotiate.

One does, the other does not. Both are happy to be the FFL, btw.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

If local shops hate doing FFL's why do they advertise that they will do it and offer the service? Customer service? If I use the range to do the FFL I will be going there to practice and spending my money with them.

I am sure any local brick and morter FFL will have no problem taking your money for a transfer. The big retail gun shops/ranges typically charge "retail" for transfers though. Just like Randy above, the FFL I use runs his biz out of his house. I can be in and out in under 5 minutes if I choose (but usually stay longer to chat/hang out). He charges me $10 per transfer, which covers up to 5 guns at a time. With most of the local gun shops, the wait could be closer to (or over) an hour, depending on how busy they are. Then, you get to pay $40-$60+ for the transfer while being subjected to gun-store employee "attitude" in many cases.

So, you may want to shop around for FFLs. If anything, just verify that whichever one you use accepts private-party shipments.
That will save you the added fee/hassle of requiring items be sent from an FFL, should you find something being sold by an individual/non-FFL.
I've shipped plenty of guns to CA FFLs from AZ as a private individual, with nothing more than a copy of my ID, description/SN of the contents, and the buyer's contact info in the package. Never had an issue.

As mentioned earlier, just remember that GB is simply an auction site. It's basically the eBay for guns, but it is not policed as well as eBay. If you are dealing with an established and active member with A+ rating, chances are you will be OK.
It's a lot better than it used to be, but it got the nickname "Gun Joker" for a reason, so just be smart. I had a couple issues early on, and the buyer protection is basically useless.

Also, be mindful about shipping and/or CC fees. It's a common practice on GB not to disclose an actual shipping price as well as adding CC fees to the final winning bid amount. Best to get clarification on that stuff beforehand.
And, be sure to read the fine print as there are a ton of sellers that simply have a blanket "no shipping to CA" policy.

Oh, and if you haven't stumbled across it already, the CalGuns forum is a pretty good resource.

[John Rogers]

Something to remember about shipping is the actual cost on GunBroker is unknown until the rifle/pistol/ETC gets packaged and weighed and measured and what the buyer's zip code is. In many cases the gun store will buy in batch so shipping is way lower and the gun is in a cardboard box and not a hard case like I use. The muzzle loader I just sold was to a collector in northern IL and shipping was $52 UPS ground with no extras except insurance. It got there in 4 days.

When I bought my S&W 357 magnum 8-shooter I was called and I was told the store was getting 4 of them and my name was 4th on their call list. They suggested I get there before 2:00 PM when the delivery was scheduled. I got there at 1:00 PM and the first 3 were there so I let them know I was there and there were 6 others waiting just in case! They didn't get any more for a while and I have been offered quite a bit more than I paid.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Eric Coffey

andy above, the FFL I use runs his biz out of his house. I can be in and out in under 5 minutes if I choose (but usually stay longer to chat/hang out). He charges me $10 per transfer, which covers up to 5 guns at a time.

I need to have a chat with the retired Senior Chief I use - he charges $25 per.

I kid: The $25 and the free 20 minutes of him berating my sorry O-6 retired ass is worth every penny.

[JavaBrewer]

Since you are in Cali have you perused Calguns Marketplace? I have bought and sold from there, all transfers through FFL of course, but the items are already in state so less hassle.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by John Rogers

Something to remember about shipping is the actual cost on GunBroker is unknown until the rifle/pistol/ETC gets packaged and weighed and measured and what the buyer's zip code is.

Yep, some dealers/sellers on GB just state that the buyer pays "actual shipping costs" while others will stipulate a flat fee (or even free shipping).
Same goes for the CC fee. Some add a percentage (typically 3-4%) for CC payments, while others don't. Just have to read the fine print before bidding.

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I need to have a chat with the retired Senior Chief I use - he charges $25 per.

I kid: The $25 and the free 20 minutes of him berating my sorry O-6 retired ass is worth every penny.

Yeah, that's one of the primary perks of having a buddy who is an FFL, and/or finding one that runs the op out of their house. Better chance of building a relationship that way, IMO.
I buy/sell/trade with my guy all the time. I Currently have 8 "free" transfers left as part of a recent trade deal.

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Since you are in Cali have you perused Calguns Marketplace? I have bought and sold from there, all transfers through FFL of course, but the items are already in state so less hassle.

+1

(mentioned it above, but should've included a link).

[onewhippedpuppy]

With GB, don’t forget the credit card surcharge most sellers have.

[scottmandue]

I am a member of Calguns and check there often, I also check Turners website for sales and consignment.

Person I am buying from is in PA, GB member since 2007, A+, verified, top 100 seller, no CC fees, $25 shipping (they charge less for smaller spoons and I presume more for long spoons).

They currently have 670 ads posted so I'm guessing it is a store?

Called the range that I'm going to do the FFL at and they seemed like good guys, I'm going to drop by Monday to check the place out.

Oh, and been watching spoon reviews on youtube for good measure.

[RSBob]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

buds.

My ffl hates them because he can't sell me the same thing for anywhere near the cost.

+1