Subject: Re: Rude know-it-all gun-store owners <LONG>
From: khays@sequent.com (Kirk Hays)
Date: Mar 27 1996
Newsgroups: rec.guns

#: How come gun-store owners are the only small businessmen who act like 
#: they can afford to treat customers rudely?

Very simple:

They're the only small businessmen who are granted a monopoly.

What other *retail* businesses require a *Federal* license to
be in business?

Back in the good ol' days, pre-68, when guns could be mail-ordered,
a retail gun shop was a sideline to a gunsmithing business.

A *SERVICE* business.  One that went out of business if it pissed
on its customers.

When the government granted near-monopolies via the FFL, service
went all to hell.

There's an organization called "National Association of Stocking 
Gun Dealers" (NASGD) that many of these "piss on you" gun shops 
belong to.  The NASGD is in bed with the BATF, and groans and 
moans constantly about quote, "pond slime", unquote "kitchen" FFLs,
"stealing" their business.

NASGD actually testified in front of Congress on the BATF's behalf,
during the initial Waco hearings.  Unbelieveable.

I receive NASGD's magazine, _The Alliance Voice_, monthly (their 
mistake), and, believe me, they have little or no respect for 
their customers, and are *vitally* interested in protecting their 
little government-granted monopolies.

I encourage everyone to ask their gunshops whether they belong to
the NASGD, and, if they do, ask to see _The Alliance Voice_.  You'll
be shocked - I was, and I don't shock easily.

I patronize very few gunshops, and actually drive past 5 gun
stores to get to the one I generally use.

The bottom line is, since they don't have to treat you nicely,
they won't.

--
Kirk Hays
NRA Life, JFPO, GOA, OSSA, OGO
[I don't speak for Sequent...]