Just heard this morning on CNBC that Bass Pro Shop is preparing an offer to buy Cabelas. Nooooooo! If it happens there goes the little competition that is left in the industry.

I hope they will not sell! Bobby

If the sale goes through I worry about the guys working in the gunrooms. Bass-Pro just closed all of the ones they had.

I have not ordered anything from Bass Pro in 15 years, but I order from Cabela's on a regular basis. I doubt that I will be buying from them if Bass Pro acquires Cabela's. I suspect I'm not alone.

Cabela's stock fell significantly in Oct. after the Sept. 3rd quarter report, and 4% of corporate employees were released, but is up more than 8% today with the Bass Pro news.
http://quotes.wsj.com/CAB

I can't find a report regarding which Cabela's stores are most profitable, but believe Kansas City, KS and Glendale, AZ have done well.

Yikes! I'd rather take a beating than enter a Bass Pro Shop.
Fortunately we have a couple of Academy Stores in town.

It's an interesting time for Cabelas. Just days ago an activist investor announced they had an 11% stake in Cabelas and wanted some changes to boost the stock price. The Cabela family still owns a 24% stake in the company so they may be able to get other share holders to vote with them, but who knows. I hope they weather this.

For quite a while and still might be, the most profitable store was the Hamburg, PA. store. It is over 250,000 sq. ft.
It is 4 miles from me.

Seems Cabela's stock is trading right around $40.00 dollars per share isn't that in line or above average with the rest of the retail industry?

I always thought opening up so many of those huge brick and mortar stores was a mistake.

I still remember the ORIGINAL Herter's. sniff, sniff.

I'm trying to accumulate a collection of George's literary efforts. If you have any you want to get rid of, please let me know

There is Bass Pro about 15 miles from me and no Cabela's for hundreds of miles. I would not mind the change as all as long as Bass Pro does not do to Cabela's what Dick's did to Gaylons. Frankly I don't mind Bass Pro at all.

I wish that Cabela's would go back to selling more name brand items.

I have to go back out front and look at the sign to tell whether I'm in a cabelas or a Basspro.

Bass Pro is a huge Sponsor to DU- look at the museum in Memphis, all donated by Bass Pro- I believe the rumor- Bass Pro closed their gun "Bookrooms" to get ready for the Cabela's Gun Library take-over--The business of big business is even bigger business- with due apologies to the late Calvin Coolidge--

If it goes through I will bet they will close most of the gun rooms. They can make more money with the floor space by selling socks, shorts, etc which are triple keystone and more.


John Boyd

This has been in the works for awhile. Where I live there has been a Bass Pro shop for years and they were going to build a new store on the other side of town. Cabelas came to town just a half mile up the road and the project was put on hold. If they merge I am certain that they will merge down into only one location which Cabelas just built.

As the to closing gun rooms they most likely will. Cabelas just does not move that many gun room type guns for a good return on the floor space. Educated staff is hard to find and the Blue Book is not a good pricing guide unless you adjust to the real market. I've seen 500 dollar guns listed at 1200+ and stay unsold for two to three years. You can not make any profit by not selling guns because you over price them. Know you market or die as a business.

A few years ago the gun library in Hamburg, PA. used to have their guns priced reasonable. Now they are out of site and I blame that on the people that appraise them.
Of course their prices are as bad as Guns International and they do sell on there also. Many famous dealers have had guns on there for years.

I paid Cabelas $1,600 for a sight unseen Dickinson I can't pull the triggers on and now they cancel my cheap shotgun shell deal after they charged my credit card. I'll never place another catalog order with Cabelas. No store in town so I guess I'm done with them altogether!...Geo

Thy had plans to build a Basspro in Augusta Ga but cancelled it when a small Cabellas came in. Bobby

What has either Cabelas or BPS done for the American shooter in the past 20 years that warrants such concern? Is it their high prices or their low quality merchandise?

I have both thin 20 miles of Tacoma, and I've yet to buy anything at BPS. Been there several times. Overpriced and no gun library or used guns. Great taxidermy displays, but otherwise, meh.

We have a Gander Mountain in town with an Academy Sports across the street. I shop at Gander then cross the street to Academy to buy. I always favored local sporting goods and gun stores but they're being crushed by the big box businesses...Geo

Yup, I watch TV to find out who the good lawyers are, then I visit here for free legal advice....just kidding around Geo.

There was a time back a bit when the BPS in Springfield was about the half way point of a long drive we had to make. All the displays made it a good distraction to break up the trip and get a bite to eat. I can't recall buying anything outdoors related, but I remember my wife buying regular clothes because she was bored.

My take, after years of shopping, is this ............ Cabela's is the place for hunting clothing. Name brands, great selection. Bass pro is the place for fishing tackle and supplies ............ unreal selections, especially saltwater. Gander Mtn. is kinda between the two, not really specializing in anything much, but having a lot of stuff that might appeal to the occasional outdoorsman. JMO.

I do waaaaay more business at Academy than at the other three combined. Nearly all my shotshells come from Academy.

SRH

Except for the rare ammo deal I've done little biz with either of those two. I seem to be able to find the other needs online at Midway, or Graf's or a couple others at prices that don't get beat even with shipping.

The big stores can be fun with an occasional good buy and the giant fish tanks but past that ............... I can't say I'd miss them if they were gone

have another day
Dr.WtS

I had one of his cookbooks that was surprisingly cool. I passed it on already to a potnpan enthusiast that is on this forum.


have another day
Dr.WtS

I know you were kidding Craig, but I try to make it an inflexible rule to never give legal advice to anyone on any specific situation on an internet chat room. I do sometimes try to correct an incorrect understanding on a general legal question or concept when I see a thread going in the wrong direction. Probably not much appreciated...Geo

"Probably not much appreciated...Geo"

Well - - - DUH!! How many here are actually interested in an authoritative and informed comment? Get real, George.


have another day

Dr.WtS

I appreciate that kind of thinking-I'll take legal counsel from a Southerner long before I'd consider hiring a Philadelphia based lawyer, even if you could explain what the fabled "Flying Philadelphia Fuckup" means, and how it related to the military FUBAR concept--