I haven't been able to follow this and I hope this doesn't seem off topic now.
I was at the gun show yesterday. I wanted to look around and see if any deals could be found. I was hopin there would be some competition goin on in that enviroment and havin sold my rifle, I was hopin to begin replacin it one piece at a time if I had to. No dice.
I thought I did well when I got retail for my rifle. I realized yesterday had I held out I coulda got twice what I paid for it had I sold it at the show.
Rifles were not in short supply by any means, nor were parts, but who wants to pay twice retail? Well, there are enough people willin to pay what they're askin.
Lowers were $200 stripped, parts kits without furniture were another $150 in some cases. Standard magazines, even off brand, were sellin @ $30 minimum, Troy Battle mags were $50. 20 round magazines were also $30.
No where was .223/5.56 available in small quantities. The only thing left by middle of the first day was bulk and specialty like LAP and tracer ammo. There was a box or two of American Eagle 30 rounds on stripper clips, but it was $39! Someone had told me they got some Remington .223, 200 rounds or so at something like .84 cents a round and felt like it was a good deal! Specialty stuff was nearly $30 a box!
Furniture was sellin @ retail generally, but VFGs and grip-pods like USGI stuf was sellin for $65, one place had em for $80.
Its a very strange enviroment right now.
I saw a number of rifle by companies I had never before heard of sellin for the same prices as anyother, I think the least I saw on a rifle was $1400.
And still people were buyin like they'd never have a chance to buy them ever again...