Anybody else tired of fear marketing?

[dakota.potts]

I get a lot of newsletters from different retailers and outlets of gun accessories. Lately I can't count how many e-mails I'm getting urging me to "buy now before it's gone".

"High capacity magazines in stock, buy while you still can"

"Get these pistol braces while they're still allowed"

And on and on, several times a day. I get that fear of missing out is a very effective marketing tool but when that's all your advertising consists of I very quickly start to tune it out. I'd much rather read about things you want to sell me because they work well, make my life easier, or they're just plain cool/fun. Lately all the messages seem to be "don't think, buy it all at inflated prices while you can."

Maybe that's just me though. Most of us here are probably aware of all the pending actions and political atmosphere going on. Maybe there is a lowest common denominator who needs to be made aware of these things. But to me it feels like it's all about pushing products based on fear rather than merit.

 

[MarkCO]

Yep, I am. I have tried to tune out the people and companies peddling fear. Those who do so only care about their agenda or $, so I don't need them around me.

Have a glorious day Sir!

 

[zukiphile]

Maybe there is a lowest common denominator who needs to be made aware of these things. But to me it feels like it's all about pushing products based on fear rather than merit.

If you just discovered firearms (as so many did after last summer's events) and you want to get the things you before they are restricted at exactly the same time lots of others are seeking the same things, knowing who has what you want may have lots of merit.

If you've been doing this for a couple of decades and have most of what you like to shoot already, you have a sort of built in equanimity that new shooters will lack. I'm slightly surprised that full capacity rifle magazines are still as available and affordable as they are.

 

[dakota.potts]

I'm slightly surprised that full capacity rifle magazines are still as available and affordable as they are.

I am too and I think that's why the email advertising high capacity magazines "before they're banned" sat weird with me. There's a definite shortage of firearms and ammo right now. But (in my opinion and what I see around me) magazine availability far exceeds firearm and ammo availability and there's no general run on magazines like was seen in 2012/13.

I at least get the merit of saying "hey, we have ARs and ammo in stock and it will sell out soon" but standard capacity magazines seem to be everywhere and they're not even really being focused on right now (other than general anti gun rhetoric from the administration, no actual movement on them happening in Congress) so it seems a little reductive to me.

One newsletter I do appreciate getting is SG Ammo. They send out a weekly email with new arrivals and it usually includes an update on availability with the global market, warnings about certain products that may only be available sporadically once they sell out, etc. It reads to me as transparent rather than pushy. Maybe that's what I'm keying in on.

 

[Shadow9mm]

I take it with a grain of salt. It may very well be accurate, or not who knows... Its not a bad idea to be cautious and have spares. worst case scenario, you have spares.

 

[Lavan]

It scares me. I shoot the ads when I see them.

 

[BobCat45]

I agree with you about the fear-mongers, but have to admit that the proposed 1993 "assault-weapons ban" pushed me over the edge to buy an AR-15.

Didn't think I had a use for one - had a Rem 788 in .223 that shot more accurately than I could hold - but bought the AR at a gun show based on the ambient panic mentality.

Read on the Internet that one could purchase an M1 from CMP with 'proof of marksmanship activity' - a match bulletin. Found a club, shot a match with my new AR-15 (and didn't post the very lowest score of everyone there that day), sent the papers to CMP.

Hooked on Highpower. The AR-15 still shoots more accurately than I can (consistently) hold. But "Thanks Bill" for threatening the ban, got me moving in the right direction.

So while I agree the fear-mongers are kind of boring and reprehensible, maybe some "on the fence" folks will be swayed to "our" side of the fence by the ban threats.

 

[unclenunzie]

To me it's transparent. Fear is a powerful motivator. The marketers have loads of potential future contraband in inventory and want to unload it. That said, I bought a bunch of magazines of normal and larger than normal capacity just because I'm prudent. I didn't do it out of fear.

 

[Buzzcook]

Fear has been a feature of firearms marketing from at least the mid 1800s.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Advertising in general is about fear, sex or happiness, but mostly about fear.

I'm way over all of it.

 

[brasscollector]

Simply put, fear sells.
Look back a couple of years ago when you could've bought an entry level AR for less than $400 and they sat on the shelves collecting dust. Move forward about 16 months and with riots, covid and whatnot and now those same rifles are going for $800+ and they're selling out. Same with the ammunition. As much as you and I do not need (or want) the fear-based marketing, it's working.

 

[Geezerbiker]

When things didn't go well last November, I bought a small stack of 20 round AR mags. They were cheap and I didn't want to not have any when I finally finish my AR build...

So in this case, there was no fear marketing only my personal paranoia... I've always felt a little paranoia is a good thing but a little goes a long way...

Tony

 

[seanc]

Kreyzhorse:

Advertising in general is about fear, sex or happiness, but mostly about fear.

Truer words have never been spoken!

 

[FITASC]

Lately, the gun ads I get in my email are more about other things like survival foods, moving accounts offshore to avoid confiscation, etc. The "DELETE" button is easy enough to use without even opening them.

 

[dakota.potts]

When things didn't go well last November, I bought a small stack of 20 round AR mags. They were cheap and I didn't want to not have any when I finally finish my AR build...

Nothing wrong with that, I think I bought 30 or 35 PMags a couple years ago when prices were really good and PSA was pushing out deals constantly.

My critique isn't with people stocking up to be prepared, it's with the advertising that flashes "buy now before it's banned" and similar phrases in big letters to trigger that guthook, gotta buy it now reaction in people.

Probably just a little jaded to it considering I started shooting after Sandy Hook so my first 4 years of shooting were filled with that kind of messaging from the industry and it was nice when it died down some

 

[FAS1]

The fear marketing apparently works and I see it over and over. Every time there is a run on guns or ammo (and that's every year lately) it seems to kill my business as a lot of people decide to buy another gun or stock up on ammo. People think that if you are in the "gun business" sales must be through the roof.

While the gun manufactures and ammo companies are certainly benefiting from all the fear buying, I'm sure there are others in the accessory business like me that aren't and get put on hold for another gun. My business always comes back to normal once things settle down, then the cycle starts again for one fear or another.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Never let a crisis go to waste.

The other side does it and our side does it.

 

[dogtown tom]

dakota.potts I get a lot of newsletters from different retailers and outlets of gun accessories. Lately I can't count how many e-mails I'm getting urging me to "buy now before it's gone".

Yet, literally thousands of posts on this and other gun forums bemoaning the lack of availability or high price of ammunition and firearms.

Two years ago I was getting ten free PMags with every case of ammunition from Palmetto. I bought cheap, stacked deep.

Others didn't, instead enjoying their grande double mochaccino lattes until the time they could post "I cantz find primers!", "whur duh ammo?", "OMG CTD!".

Maybe if they had believed such warnings they wouldn't find themself in the pickle they are now in. (and we wouldn't have ten threads a week about ammunition, gougers, scalping and general whining about being unprepared.

 

[MarkCO]

I agree with you about the fear-mongers, but have to admit that the proposed 1993 "assault-weapons ban" pushed me over the edge to buy an AR-15.

Didn't think I had a use for one - had a Rem 788 in .223 that shot more accurately than I could hold - but bought the AR at a gun show based on the ambient panic mentality.

Read on the Internet that one could purchase an M1 from CMP with 'proof of marksmanship activity' - a match bulletin. Found a club, shot a match with my new AR-15 (and didn't post the very lowest score of everyone there that day), sent the papers to CMP.

Hooked on Highpower. The AR-15 still shoots more accurately than I can (consistently) hold. But "Thanks Bill" for threatening the ban, got me moving in the right direction.

So while I agree the fear-mongers are kind of boring and reprehensible, maybe some "on the fence" folks will be swayed to "our" side of the fence by the ban threats.

I was the same. I kind of wanted one, and kind of wanted to shoot the SOF match as well, but I did not want to be labeled as a militia or para-military. Billy changed my perceptions as well. I got into 3Gun and did pretty well with it on a variety of fronts. Own several now, make parts and barrels for them. Pretty much went all in. I hope many will be able to look back at 2020/2021 as a change of perception as well.

 

[zukiphile]

I was the same. I kind of wanted one, and kind of wanted to shoot the SOF match as well, but I did not want to be labeled as a militia or para-military.

I was once that guy who didn't have one. Everyone thought I should get one, but I'd heard about complexity and lots of small pieces, and I'd read about problems in early service, so I avoided them. Then one crossed my path during the AWB. That Bushmaster never missed a beat and it was reasonably accurate too.

When prices got low in 2012 I bought parts to build one just to see how it's done. It seems a great design for someone like me, not a technically experienced fellow, but just barely smart enough to work a hammer and punch. I could understand someone preferring bolt action rifles, but I've since sold mine. ARs are just too easy to get right.