doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - WHAT HAPPENED TO CABELAS GUN LIBRARY?

Went into Cabela's in Utah last week and visited the Gun Library. All I saw were crappy new guns and Tristar shotguns. What gives? There used to be an occasional gem. Where are all the classic double guns and what has happened to Cabela's?

Yep, Ass Pro destroyed Cabelas.

What happened? Bass Pro.

Seems that Bass Pro has perfected the ability to turn anything they touch to crap.

Cabelas is just the current example of the general race towards mediocrity that appears to be today’s standard of American business. One sees this frequently in restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, etc. Mediocrity started with the over expansion of Cabelas 30 years ago. The Gun Room died shortly after it opened in too many outlets and as their stock of good, high quality guns diminished to overpriced new guns. As merchandisers often do the company followed trends and maximized immediate profits never thinking about the longevity of the business. Without a sense of what the business does, or an attachment to the business, a hired Harvard MBA will likely drive it into oblivion fully believing that a short term gain, then dumping the company, is success. The MBA just moves to another company who’ll give him/her a buy out clause.

I don’t know if the quality shops that I visited in my youth will ever come back. I certainly hope they do, but survival in today’s business environment will be challenging for the under financed attempting to get into it.

My one and only dealing with a Cabela's gunroom was when Tom Bryant was in the Sydney, NE store. I contacted the store to inquire about ordering a .410 Dickinson to my specs and Tom is who helped me. He was and is a gentleman, and the transaction was smooth and satisfactory. I'm scheduled to shoot the S X S event at the U S Open with him. It will be good to finally meet face to face. Cabela's lost a good one when Tom left.

One by one all the Cabellas near me have closed their gun rooms. They just do not have the staff to run them well and could use the space for all their extensive ammo selections along with pallets of reloading supplies. Cabellas is a better place to buy a pair of socks or shirt than guns these days. If it comes in plastic-camo you might be at the right place.

My papaw used to get the hardback catalogue every year from them. I would read through that and put myself to sleep with those catalogues. Since then all I have done is worked. A few years ago my buddies let me tag along to Canada for a duck hunt. Wow what a trip! I saw a cabelas and asked them to please stop. They were kind enough to do so. I ran in expecting to see all of the glory that was in those catalogues right there in front of me. Right at my fingertips but no......it was a Bass Pro Shop.

It's run by an egomanic billionaire who simply does not care about anything except getting hs face in front of you and selling fishing equimpent.

He bought an overexpanded Cabela's to eliminate competition.

The only surprise is that it has taken him this long to destroy the brand.

Gander Mountain was lost to a camping store and Gamaliel to greedy monopolistic Crow Shooting Supply. They also own Brownell's.

All of this stifles competition and jacks up prices.

I was, among other things, in the footwear business starting in 1976 and had a ringside seat to watch the New England footwear manufacturing industry collapse over the next 25 years. Just the way the clothing industry did. Consumers made their choice, deciding that fast fashion and price were more important than quality. It's sad, in a way, but I get a kick out of those same consumers decrying the lack of choice, the lack of quality and the lack of domestic production now. They got exactly what they demanded through their choices at the cash register. There are always consequences to one's actions.

Cabela’s took a big hit circa 2005 when they went public, the Bass Pro takeover was the death blow.

The good news is it has opened an opportunity for smaller outfits to enter the fine gun business.

Price is long forgotten after quality has been compromised

I remember when Cabela's had seasoned veterans working in the Gun Library that had 20-30+ years of old world and general firearms knowledge. I think over the years that valuable knowledge has left and was not replaced probably because Bass Pro/Cabela's wanted to hire people off the street for $12 per hour. Seems like a lot of specialty businesses have gone that route. That is my theory anyway.

Some great guns went through the Cabela's gun library in the past, I bought a couple from them, including the very last gun I will ever sell.

They don't have the trained and experienced gun people that Cabela's had... or if they do they're told to cater to new gun customers, not guys like us who know what we want and what we should be paying.
Mergers suck for the customer and in the long run for the corporation itself. One day the investors/stockholders and directors will wonder what happened... after all, their business model was perfect... on paper.

.....and gives us crap!!

I used to really like the gun library. I bought an LC Smith and a Sauer from the Dundee store. The people were knowledgeable and friendly. Always liked to stop there if I was in the area. Different story now.

It is sad to see the state of Cabelas these days. They used to sell products of reasonable quality and the prices weren’t to bad compared with some of the competitors. The selection and quality now is bad.

Since I live in Ohio, I am lucky to be 2 1/2 hours away from Jaqua’s. You can always find some nice guns there. Hopefully, they continue to be successful.

I miss the days when Wes and Dave ran the Gun Library in Sidney. Not cheap, but honest and quality. By far the best deal I ever made, however, was at the new Bass Pro in Denver shortly after it opened and the Fine Gun Room was stocked with a dozen Bulino engraved Italian guns priced at$50K that I ignored. One time they had a pair of Parkers, and I picked up a 95% CHE marked at $5000. I held my breath and asked the guy if he had any flexibility and he unhesitatingly said he could take $500 off. I walked out with the CHE for $4500, and a new Boyt Estancia soft case which was free with my Cabelas points from the gun purchase. The guys there were my age, but were clueless as to vintage guns. I can only surmise that they probably bought that CHE for $2500 from an old guy who needed the money, or his widow. All of Bass Pro's Fine Gun Rooms closed a year or two after that, but that's another story.

CZ, tell us more. My understanding was similar to what has been laid out above. Expanded too fast, not enough quality employees. I am not familiar with crooks in the story.

You might try Duluth Trading, at least for shirts. I have a couple of theirs that are still serviceable after many years.

Imported, but sturdy.

Caveat: these may not reflect current production.

Other than the cheesy advertising and high prices I've been happy with them.

Wes Dillon was and still is the best. He was the brainchild of the Gun Library concept. Whatever auction house he has worked for I always make it a point to try and buy a gun from him and get his opinion. Bass Pro doesn't seem to get that you need to pay for quality knowledge. Hiring off the street for $12 per hour doesn't seem to be working for them.

I can’t believe there was a Cabela’s in Hammond...,


Best,
Ted