Is Blaser Trying To Price Themselves Out Of The American Market???

[WAB]

Yes but the Z8i is like cocaine! Once you have one you can't do without it.

It’s true isn’t it!?! I hunted for years with a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36. Now everything seems to wear a Z6, Z8 or at a minimum MK5! Glass addiction is very expensive!

 

[Philip Glass]

I have not hunted with a R8 in the UK, but all the ones I have used on the Continent were unthreaded. In the States the vast majority of threaded rifles are for muzzle brakes. Suppressors are difficult to own legally and are thus very rare on hunting rifles. Though I am sure they are employed, I have also never used or even seen a suppressor in use on the Continent.

You need to get out more.

 

[Philip Glass]

I agree with most everything that's been said about the economy, buying used, ect. I was mostly just wondering if the new prices are going to keep going up so high that the average gun buyer can no longer afford them. Let's face it, we on this forum are more the exception, and not the norm among gun buyers. I've definitely been on the good side of some used deals and have thus passed those savings along to some members here when I decided to sell.
Mostly I'm bored sitting at the hospital with my dad, and needed to get something going to keep my mind occupied.

Sorry your Dad is not well.

 

[fourfive8]

I never knew I was so handicapped by not having one nor the trendy glass more expensive than the rifles I do use.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I never knew I was so handicapped by not having one nor the trendy glass more expensive than the rifles I do use.

Old saying, "If you have a two hundred dollar scope on a thousand dollar rifle, you have a two hundred dollar rifle". I have a few of those myself.

 

[TOBY458]

All I saw at the shows was high end, specialty models. What is the price now for a standard Pro S? This is how you compare price. That said I am very glad I bought my Professional Success Stingray Leather when I did!

I don't think they make the Pro S anymore. Haven't seen a new one for sale in a awhile anyway. The standard Professional can be had for around $4K if you look a bit, then add $500 for a scope mount.

 

[uplander01]

I've worked in the US firearms industry for 20 years now and what is happening with prices is this,....all the luxury brands are trying to find the sweet spot of manageable production levels and max margin per item produced. they are using inflation and labor issues as an excuse. Their mistake is thinking that there is no ceiling (there always is) and if you are forced to bring prices down eventually you devalue every gun in the customers hands. Luxury brands like Blaser, Rigby, Dakota are all doing this. IMO, that is why true custom pieces for about the same money as these brands aren't going to be de-valued in the future because they will always be hard to get, and fewer craftsman able to product them.

 

[Rimshot]

Here is my amateur economic opinion and speculation:
The cost to produce something often has little to do with the price. Supply and demand drives prices. Right now Blasers are in high demand compared to their production/supply numbers. I'll consider myself lucky if I see my D99 barrel two years from when I ordered it. I paid full retail, but would have paid even more to not wait 2+ years. This will no doubt be an unpopular opinion, but the price needs to go up. This is the same phenomenon that makes government price controls fail. Demand exceeds supply and their are shortages, long waits, and empty shelves.

 

[D.M.V]

What bugs me is what people want for used stuff. If they bought a scope or anything for that matter, hell a tiki mug. They want a million dollars for it and the attitude is, well everything is going up. Dude you bought this 20 years ago and even getting your money back or slightly above, heck no, it's 1-5% what a new one cost

 

[PARA45]

Toby, sorry to hear about your dad. Prayers for his health.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I've worked in the US firearms industry for 20 years now and what is happening with prices is this,....all the luxury brands are trying to find the sweet spot of manageable production levels and max margin per item produced. they are using inflation and labor issues as an excuse. Their mistake is thinking that there is no ceiling (there always is) and if you are forced to bring prices down eventually you devalue every gun in the customers hands. Luxury brands like Blaser, Rigby, Dakota are all doing this. IMO, that is why true custom pieces for about the same money as these brands aren't going to be de-valued in the future because they will always be hard to get, and fewer craftsman able to product them.

"they are using inflation and labor issues as an excuse". Gee, what a surprise. Same with the recent absurd price increases on reloading powder and brass (or unobtanium), some factory ammo (Remington and Sierra put a one cent plastic tip on the bullets they've made for years and charge half again as much for a box), truck tires, etc., etc. Supply and demand? If you intentionally decrease available supply, prices go up for fewer available items for purchase. If the demand isn't there, prices go up per item to make up the difference with lower sales. I'm personally demanding a LOT less lately. For the lower priced stuff it's not even about the money. It's about being "played" by the corporations who in many cases have a monopoly on their offered products. I will have to buy a set of tires soon though so I can continue working to pay for more "inflation" adjusted higher priced necessities........ like ammo, rifles, beer, tacos, etc. LOL

 

[spike.t]

Yes but the Z8i is like cocaine! Once you have one you can't do without it.

.....how you know that....something you want to tell us....?.....

 

[Rimshot]

What bugs me is what people want for used stuff. If they bought a scope or anything for that matter, hell a tiki mug. They want a million dollars for it and the attitude is, well everything is going up. Dude you bought this 20 years ago and even getting your money back or slightly above, heck no, it's 1-5% what a new one cost

Yeah, to some extent I've seen people overvalue what they have and if that is the case it will never sell.

However, you may need a different perspective on this. Our currency continually loses value over time (by design of the fiat system). Dollars from '04 are worth a lot more than '24 dollars. An asset that cannot be produced appreciably cheaper through technology or innovation will tend to hold on to most of its real value over time, assuming there is still demand (applies to houses and guns for example). When you want to buy it with dollars in the future that have been devalued in real terms, it simply takes more dollars than the more valuable past-dollars. The value of the commodity hasn't gone up; the value of your dollars has gone down. Constantly printing money and ballooning government debt causes this, nothing else. Most of the money goes to transfer payments (medicare, medicaid, social security)

 

[Daggaboy375]

No one ever complains when they sell their house for 2 to three times what they paid for it.

DB

 

[Rimshot]

"they are using inflation and labor issues as an excuse". Gee, what a surprise. Same with the recent absurd price increases on reloading powder and brass (or unobtanium), some factory ammo (Remington and Sierra put a one cent plastic tip on the bullets they've made for years and charge half again as much for a box), truck tires, etc., etc. Supply and demand? If you intentionally decrease available supply, prices go up for fewer available items for purchase. If the demand isn't there, prices go up per item to make up the difference with lower sales. I'm personally demanding a LOT less lately. For the lower priced stuff it's not even about the money. It's about being "played" by the corporations who in many cases have a monopoly on their offered products. I will have to buy a set of tires soon though so I can continue working to pay for more "inflation" adjusted higher priced necessities........ like ammo, rifles, beer, tacos, etc. LOL

An excuse? There is a massive amount of new money out there, you and I just didn't get any! However it is now in circulation, and is going to/(has) affect(ed) everything!. Look at the money supply - 25% of all the money that has ever existed in the USA was printed out of thin air after 2020 - Chart: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M2SL You don't get to do that without consequences. Milton Friedman tried to teach us that in the 1970's and 80s.

If making all of this stuff is so profitable, then new players will enter the market to take advantage and drive prices down if we have a free market without too much interference. If the government gets in the way or there is still very little margin, then this is the new normal.

 

[Altitude sickness]

I don’t think high end or custom rifle making is overly profitable. I think the margins are such that most struggle.

If you make enough to make it profitable, then your quality and exclusivity suffers. It got to be a tough market.

 

[dogcat1]

I like them. I shoot them. Seems that the mother company has bought up several others including Sauer. I started shooting Sauers as well. Very good and accurate, and cheaper. Rigby is the one that appears over the top in terms of pricing non- bolt rifles. I love the Highland Stalker and have one. I struggle to pay more for one of those than for a Parwest/Dakota or a custom made by someone in the USA.
These are all luxuries, so the cost is not really an issue to the seller. They know the market and sell to that market.

 

[dogcat1]

Not to beat this up too much, but in the Classieds, I see a nice 404 Jeff by AHR on a CZ action. I have also seen a two barrel Dakota in 375HH and 458 Lott. The first is around $6500 and the second is over $30,000. People sell things for what they believe they can get. Buyers buy on perceived value. These are both excellent rifles. However, I am not going to buy them as I don't see the perceived value. On a Blaser R8, I see value at a certain price point and I don't go over it. I don't sell rifles so I am not looking for profit. I use them, but for me, part of the joy is not spending too little but surely not spending too much.

 

[Theleatherman]

Does anyone know the price of the different models of the blaser r8 over the years?
Professional
Standard
Luxus

 

[dailordasailor]

I just bought my first blaser by pieces last year. I for one would appreciate a little better pricing but when I have a 30-06 and 375 in one small pelican going to Australia I’ll remember what makes it worth it