Are you ready to fill big shoes?
Shooting Industry, April, 2007 by Massad Ayoob
What would you do if you have the opportunity to buy a legendary gun shop? "Will his customer continue coming back to buy from me?" you may ask yourself. "What changes should I make? Can I really fill this guy's shoes?"
Here are two examples of iconic gun shops that changed ownership and what they have done to create successful businesses.
Harry Beckwith's, Then
Harry Beckwith's gun shop opened outside of Gainesville, FL., In 1955. With a style all his own. Harry made it the local firearms emporium and a regular stop for countless gun collectors. He accumulated famous collections of Lugers and fine British shotguns, sold them, and build more collections.
The feisty Class III enthusiast had his share of adventures, including more than one shootout with armed robbers, none of which he lost. His most famous saw him take on a gang of robbers alone and prevail. I wrote about the shootout for the "Ayoob Files" series in American Handgunner Magazine. Harry put it on his web site. (If you're interested, you can find it at www.afn.org/~guns/ayoob.html) The man was a legend.
Harry's was the only gun shop I ever knew that was licensed to sell beer on the premises. A big table near the front door, known as "The Round Table," was always surrounded with local gun buffs. A big ashtray at the center heralded that tobacco, including pipes and cigars, was welcome. The smoke mingled with the aroma of old leather and gun oil, and brought old gun guys like me back to our early days the moment we stepped into the shop. It was, I think, my all-time favorite gun shop.
Harry Beckwith's, Now
Approaching his 80's, Harry decided that 45 years of selling guns was enough, and it was time to retire. in 2006, he sold his shop to a friend rival, Pickett's Weaponry. But retirement was not to be: Harry died on Oct. 28.
Jack Pickett, who has been in the business for more than a decade, now runs Harry's shop. On my first visit, the beer was gone from the cooler, the No Smoking rule has been invoked and the fine Lugers, Purdeys and other collectible exotica were pretty much gone. It felt to me that the place had lost its soul, and I said so.
Later, I realized I was wrong and had been unfair. Harry sold the Lugers and the fine Brit Scatterguns for more than half a million dollars before selling the business. A gun shop with a liquor license is--let’s face it--an anomaly. Plus, we all have to face the fact that life goes on.
I went back to Beckwith's and focused on the positive. The Round Table is still there, along with some of the usual suspects. The famous old cartridge collection had been bought by the Picketts and is still on display. Prices have been lowered on some items. There are more black-powder guns.
Harry hadn't cared for Springfield XD pistols, so he didn't stock them. Jack brought them in and they have become one of the better-selling lines in the shop. Some gunsmithing services are now available. Some folks, who didn't like the "smoke-filed room" atmosphere before, are stopping regularly now. Pickett is selling some collectibles over the internet, which means they aren't on display to add to the atmosphere anymore, but more guns lovers are able to buy them, and the shop is turning over more product.
Jack Pickett and his staff make a point of being friendly and enormously helpful to customers. Harry Beckwith the man is gone and those who knew him miss him, but Harry Beckwith's the gun shop is still there. And Jack Pickett is doing a fine job of running it.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
Shooting Industry, April, 2007 by Massad Ayoob
What would you do if you have the opportunity to buy a legendary gun shop? "Will his customer continue coming back to buy from me?" you may ask yourself. "What changes should I make? Can I really fill this guy's shoes?"
Here are two examples of iconic gun shops that changed ownership and what they have done to create successful businesses.
Harry Beckwith's, Then
Harry Beckwith's gun shop opened outside of Gainesville, FL., In 1955. With a style all his own. Harry made it the local firearms emporium and a regular stop for countless gun collectors. He accumulated famous collections of Lugers and fine British shotguns, sold them, and build more collections.
The feisty Class III enthusiast had his share of adventures, including more than one shootout with armed robbers, none of which he lost. His most famous saw him take on a gang of robbers alone and prevail. I wrote about the shootout for the "Ayoob Files" series in American Handgunner Magazine. Harry put it on his web site. (If you're interested, you can find it at www.afn.org/~guns/ayoob.html) The man was a legend.
Harry's was the only gun shop I ever knew that was licensed to sell beer on the premises. A big table near the front door, known as "The Round Table," was always surrounded with local gun buffs. A big ashtray at the center heralded that tobacco, including pipes and cigars, was welcome. The smoke mingled with the aroma of old leather and gun oil, and brought old gun guys like me back to our early days the moment we stepped into the shop. It was, I think, my all-time favorite gun shop.
Harry Beckwith's, Now
Approaching his 80's, Harry decided that 45 years of selling guns was enough, and it was time to retire. in 2006, he sold his shop to a friend rival, Pickett's Weaponry. But retirement was not to be: Harry died on Oct. 28.
Jack Pickett, who has been in the business for more than a decade, now runs Harry's shop. On my first visit, the beer was gone from the cooler, the No Smoking rule has been invoked and the fine Lugers, Purdeys and other collectible exotica were pretty much gone. It felt to me that the place had lost its soul, and I said so.
Later, I realized I was wrong and had been unfair. Harry sold the Lugers and the fine Brit Scatterguns for more than half a million dollars before selling the business. A gun shop with a liquor license is--let’s face it--an anomaly. Plus, we all have to face the fact that life goes on.
I went back to Beckwith's and focused on the positive. The Round Table is still there, along with some of the usual suspects. The famous old cartridge collection had been bought by the Picketts and is still on display. Prices have been lowered on some items. There are more black-powder guns.
Harry hadn't cared for Springfield XD pistols, so he didn't stock them. Jack brought them in and they have become one of the better-selling lines in the shop. Some gunsmithing services are now available. Some folks, who didn't like the "smoke-filed room" atmosphere before, are stopping regularly now. Pickett is selling some collectibles over the internet, which means they aren't on display to add to the atmosphere anymore, but more guns lovers are able to buy them, and the shop is turning over more product.
Jack Pickett and his staff make a point of being friendly and enormously helpful to customers. Harry Beckwith the man is gone and those who knew him miss him, but Harry Beckwith's the gun shop is still there. And Jack Pickett is doing a fine job of running it.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning