As a former gun store flunky, you sell what you have to sell, because the lights have to stay on and your paycheck has to clear. You don't lie, you don't steer people to the wrong gun, but you don't assume your tastes apply to every price and budget. I used to have to sell Ruger P95s. I didn't want to own one; I had Sig X5 tastes. But they were the right gun for the right customer. Weighing as much as a brick meant low recoil. Ugly as sin, terrible ergonomics, but it was a reliable gun that was an excellent value for the price, if nothing else than in terms of price per pound.
The first few times I was allowed to order inventory for my store, I bought a bunch of guns I loved and then they sat on the shelf not moving for six months, while we sold Kimbers hand over fist and my paycheck kept clearing. And for the record, my first 1911 was a Kimber, and I still have a TLE with the dreaded external extractor, which I still hold dear despite having much nicer 1911s. And I suspect Kimber paid for my last year of college in the sense that their dealer terms were pretty generous in the early 2000s, which kept the lights on and the rent paid in our Mom & Pop shop. If you're serious about being in retail, you will need to learn the perspective of retail, not the perspective of the enthusiast. If you cannot reconcile the two and still be you, I'd suspect your retail career to be a short one. Not trying to be mean, just honest as a guy who has been where you are going.
Also, Kimber Eclipse in the light of the solar eclipse:
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The first few times I was allowed to order inventory for my store, I bought a bunch of guns I loved and then they sat on the shelf not moving for six months, while we sold Kimbers hand over fist and my paycheck kept clearing. And for the record, my first 1911 was a Kimber, and I still have a TLE with the dreaded external extractor, which I still hold dear despite having much nicer 1911s. And I suspect Kimber paid for my last year of college in the sense that their dealer terms were pretty generous in the early 2000s, which kept the lights on and the rent paid in our Mom & Pop shop. If you're serious about being in retail, you will need to learn the perspective of retail, not the perspective of the enthusiast. If you cannot reconcile the two and still be you, I'd suspect your retail career to be a short one. Not trying to be mean, just honest as a guy who has been where you are going.
Also, Kimber Eclipse in the light of the solar eclipse:
