Fair Primer Prices

[Redfoot Ranch]

I have a decent supply of primers most of which are my favorites to use based on application in both in large and small primer cases. I also have acquired many less desirable-to-me brands which I have picked up in package deals and buyouts. I have recently been began swapping out LRP for SRP here locally with some of the members who post and are in need. Some have inquired about purchasing beyond what they had available to swap straight up. I have declined thus far based upon not knowing when the resources will become available again and at what cost a primer will be to me in the future. Reviewing my inventory this afternoon, checking to see if I had some CCI 250's for a shooting friend here in need, I see that I have a few types which I will likely never use.

I just looked at major 5 suppliers I am likely to purchase from and they are all out-of-stock. By there sound of tidbits I hear heard, it sounds as if there is price gouging out there - IMO, the only reason it happens is the whole supply, demand and folks willing to pay the price. I log all of my purchased components into my reloading program, so I know how much I have into all prior purchases. I also see what suppliers are charging for them today, if they had them available.

I am interested in hearing what other's think might be considered fair for a local FTF sale?

 

[nn8734]

“I have declined thus far based upon not knowing when the resources will become available again and at what cost a primer will be to me in the future.”

This portion of your OP sums up the challenges trying to valuate primers for the purposes of making cash sales in this environment. I would look at gunbroker for some idea of replacement costs and price based on what you see there. Gunbroker is an acquisition/replacement cost “worst case” pricing scenario. If you can’t find any local or primary on-line retail stock to buy, you may have to source replacement primers via GB. You want to make sure you can do so with the earnings from prior primer sales.

Also, when in doubt, list high at first then drop the price gradually until you make a sale. Nothing worse than leaving cash on the table, especially if you’re selling primers (worth their weight in gold, lol).

Everytime I check all the major primer retailers that I’m aware of, they are always out of stock.

In summation: I wouldn’t sell any primers right now.

 

[Halfnutz]

Last Saturday I did a trade with another hide member. 3k wsp for some powder. I based the value off of 800 WLR I had recently picked up for approx $4.00 per 100 at the LGS, they were the last ones.
The evening of the trade I found large and small pistol at Bass Pro. I bought 1k of each.
IMO, trade fairly, dont gouge. Fuck those that are doing it. I'll go without. My opinion, my character, my choice.

 

[Redfoot Ranch]

Also, when in doubt, list high at first then drop the price gradually until you make a sale. Nothing worse than leaving cash on the table, especially if you’re selling primers (worth their weight in gold, lol).

Everytime I check all the major primer retailers that I’m aware of, they are always out of stock.

In summation: I wouldn’t sell any primers right now.

I appreciate your input!

I had no intention of 'marketing' these primer as being FS anywhere so there is no need to "list high at first...". Until a recent thought after swapping with a few locals, I had not looked at primer prices in a couple of years.

I agree with your summation wholeheartedly, but selling off a few thousand of those I don't use FTF isn't going to hurt my personal use stash.

Shoot, sometime early this year pre-Covid I gave away a few 1000 LPP's and pistol cases which I took in on a 550/supplies buyout a few years ago to a man 10 miles from me who sold me 5 - 8# jugs of rifle powder some time back for $8.50-10/lb. I kind of wish I had kept them now for trading stock...I do like to be fair and "pay it forward" as much as I can.

 

[Redfoot Ranch]

Last Saturday I did a trade with another hide member. 3k wsp for some powder. I based the value off of 800 WLR I had recently picked up for approx $4.00 per 100 at the LGS, they were the last ones.
The evening of the trade I found large and small pistol at Bass Pro. I bought 1k of each.
IMO, trade fairly, dont gouge. Fuck those that are doing it. I'll go without. My opinion, my character, my choice.

This sounds about how I roll. I believe I'll call the 3 LGS closest to me to check their availability and pricing.

Thanks for your response!

 

[47guy]

IMO, trade fairly, dont gouge. Fuck those that are doing it. I'll go without. My opinion, my character, my choice.

THIS RIGHT HERE^^^

 

[Doc68]

If people stopped paying those prices they wouldn't sell. If you limited your shooting say for a month, I bet we would see normal pricing real quick. We are our own worst enemy. I saw a 8lb jug of h4350 trying to be sold on GB for a starting bid of 500.00. This is fucking ridiculous.

Doc

 

[Milo 2.5]

I am interested in hearing what other's think might be considered fair for a local FTF sale?

I have always used 3 tiers of pricing when it comes to local sales.
1. Friends
2. Others in the community that you know and may want to lean on down the road.
3. Schmuck pricing.

Most of us are willing to help keep our friends shooting in times like this. But I feel this time is different, by a big margin, I have never witnessed costs like this generated at the manufacturing level.
I have made money on things that appreciated that much, but it is rare I try sell to even get market value(used), and try get what I have in it for new. Can't break even on components today, lose your ass.
I have 3yrs powder supply, probably 6yrs of primers.

Right now, I wouldn't sell jack shit to someone that I know that may not reciprocate if I was in need. We have no idea what is around the corner.

 

[Krob95]

If people stopped paying those prices they wouldn't sell. If you limited your shooting say for a month, I bet we would see normal pricing real quick. We are our own worst enemy. I saw a 8lb jug of h4350 trying to be sold on GB for a starting bid of 500.00. This is fucking ridiculous.

Doc

If 8 lbs of powder can go for that much, I’m cashing out all the varget and h4350 I have

 

[nn8734]

I appreciate your input!

I had no intention of 'marketing' these primer as being FS anywhere so there is no need to "list high at first...". Until a recent thought after swapping with a few locals, I had not looked at primer prices in a couple of years.

I agree with your summation wholeheartedly, but selling off a few thousand of those I don't use FTF isn't going to hurt my personal use stash.

Shoot, sometime early this year pre-Covid I gave away a few 1000 LPP's and pistol cases which I took in on a 550/supplies buyout a few years ago to a man 10 miles from me who sold me 5 - 8# jugs of rifle powder some time back for $8.50-10/lb. I kind of wish I had kept them now for trading stock...I do like to be fair and "pay it forward" as much as I can.

Are any of your buddies low on primers or ammo? If so Id sell to them for cheap as it would keep them in the game longer. I’ve sold a few thousand to a couple of mine whose stocks were running a little low and now making ammo for them to shoot (they pay me for the primers and powder at normal prices and supply the bullets and brass).

 

[Anb618]

Last Saturday I did a trade with another hide member. 3k wsp for some powder. I based the value off of 800 WLR I had recently picked up for approx $4.00 per 100 at the LGS, they were the last ones.
The evening of the trade I found large and small pistol at Bass Pro. I bought 1k of each.
IMO, trade fairly, dont gouge. Fuck those that are doing it. I'll go without. My opinion, my character, my choice. View attachment 7499145

And that lucky member truly appreciates your generous and honorable nature.

OP; I appreciated not being gouged last weekend for unobtainium (in my area) primers, and getting rid of some powder I hadn’t touched in a few years that HalfNuts was excited to try out. No reason we can’t all help each other during these Dark Ages of Reloading (every 4-8 years). I’m not excluding myself, as I just sold some bulk .22lr at the same price I paid back in 2012-2013 knowing I’d never shoot it over the rest of my stockpile.
I wouldn’t expect to pay less than primers are worth, but what they’re worth is definitely a decision that’s made by the purchaser in the end. Price them however high you’re comfortable selling (however high you don’t feel dirty), and come down if/when they don’t sell.

 

[One1Bravo]

Primers can't be found in my area. I call my local reloading store and all the sporting goods stores several times a week. I'm literally laughed at every time I ask. Haven't even got lucky once. I have only been reloading for a couple years now and components have always been plentiful. I've learned my lesson on not getting when the getting is good. I'm willing to pay a premium, to a certain extent of course, to be able to stay in the game. So I'd say what would be considered fair varies from person to person.

 

[Redfoot Ranch]

I have always used 3 tiers of pricing when it comes to local sales.
1. Friends
2. Others in the community that you know and may want to lean on down the road.
3. Schmuck pricing.

Most of us are willing to help keep our friends shooting in times like this. But I feel this time is different, by a big margin, I have never witnessed costs like this generated at the manufacturing level.
I have made money on things that appreciated that much, but it is rare I try sell to even get market value(used), and try get what I have in it for new. Can't break even on components today, lose your ass.
I have 3yrs powder supply, probably 6yrs of primers.

Right now, I wouldn't sell jack shit to someone that I know that may not reciprocate if I was in need. We have no idea what is around the corner.

Thanks, I appreciate your response and opinion. From what I've read for a few years, it appears we tend to buy in a similar fashion when buying from retail supplier's. Most of my 'less desirable to me' inventory has come in from past deals where I needed to take more than I wanted so the cost to me would be way below any retail pricing.

I'll help my friend, who I also know would and has also come through for me in the past when asked, with a 1000 of these 250's at a fair market value considering all going on in the world today but believe I'll sit on all else that I have. This is absolutely of no detriment to me in the future!

 

[nn8734]

If people stopped paying those prices they wouldn't sell. If you limited your shooting say for a month, I bet we would see normal pricing real quick. We are our own worst enemy. I saw a 8lb jug of h4350 trying to be sold on GB for a starting bid of 500.00. This is fucking ridiculous.

Doc

I’ve seen 8lb Varget go for over $800 recently on there. A couple are listed for that price now. Supply and demand, free market at work. No one knows what’s going to happen. If the GA republican senators hold their seats we may see an easing in demand followed by a modest recovery in supply within a couple months or so hence. If even one of them loses, I predict nothing changes/improves in fact will get markedly worse. Factor in the likelihood they will just steal those two elections like they did the Presidential, fear based buying will keep prices high for a while.

 

[Redfoot Ranch]

I appreciate the responses and will go forward as I see fit for my situation. Thanks guys!

 

[hlee]

Make hay while the sun shines...

 

[Halfnutz]

The shooting community is just that a community, and the members here are a slice of that. Most are helpful, most are reasonable and fair. How we choose to support this reflects on us individually and as a whole.

I was fortunate last year to get a Dillon 650 locally and the guy threw in 7k small pistol. I just haven't been reloading them. Pistol ammo was cheap and I stocked up a little.
Where I am lower than I want to be is on rifle primers of all sizes. I'll get by. Powders I was looking for are scarce in my area, it's a win/win to help each other out. Finding primers recently was just luck. Hopefully a sign that they will be filtering onto the shelves.

A couple friends are NRA and CCW instructors, they are running classes and because of the market have a little stock to provide students.
LGS recieved 2 pallets of 9mm, supposedly Federal told them to price them @ $30 a box. They priced them at $17.99. My friends picked some up and sold them to students at cost.
Would I pay $18, no, not now, I dont need them. The LGS still has monthly expenses to pay and with the lack of availability of firearms and ammo I understand they have to have an increase, or they won't be there later.

If you are competing PRS, IDPA, etc, I feel for you, if you haven't stocked up, but I imagine a majority have. If you are hoarding for some SHTF thing, realistically without a organized group defense, you are going to get through a couple mags at best and your stock pile will be spread out for the press release.

 

[x2cross]

even at $150/1000 primers, it doesn't affect the cost per round much.

Also. If a shop's limited stock of primers has a high price tag, the guy with a 20k stockpile is gonna pass it up. The guy with only a couple hundred left is gonna be glad some is still on the shelf, and happily pay the price. I'm the second guy in that scenario. Paid $103.99 + tax for a box of BR2 primers at my local gun shop. Worth it!

 

[EddieNFL]

I also see what suppliers are charging for them today, if they had them available.

I suspect the price you're seeing is what they last sold for, but immaterial anyway.

Said this before...if a friend needs some, I would give them to him. If I decided to sell, they're going up for auction so I can get as uch as someone is willing to pay.

Takes two to gouge.

 

[padronanniversary]

it’s all based on speculation and supply. I figure it will be a while before primers become readily available. shame on those who didn’t stock up if serious about reloading.

 

[Redfoot Ranch]

it’s all based on speculation and supply. I figure it will be a while before primers become readily available. shame on those who didn’t stock up if serious about reloading.

Yep, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part" goes through my mind often as I observe society in the world today.

 

[BoilerUP]

I recently bought 450s from a guy locally for $80/1k. That's double 'normal' price and would cause some here to bitch and whine about "gouging", but I was down to my last 1100 primers and even at 2x price only adds four cents per round to my reloading expense. I was glad to get them happy his ask wasn't higher given the current supply situation.

If you wanna wait for Powder Valley to get a shipment of primers then have their stock evaporate in 5 minutes so you can tell yourself you didn't get "gouged", well, that's always a choice.

 

[Redfoot Ranch]

even at $150/1000 primers, it doesn't affect the cost per round much...Paid $103.99 + tax for a box of BR2 primers at my local gun shop. Worth it!

Because I haven't had to buy I honestly had not given thought to how little primers affect the cost of a round...even at 4-5 times the old 'normal'.