Gander Mountain knife policy?

13bullets

13bullets

Chris
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Location
Lincolnton
I bought a tiny Leatherman tool among other things at Gander Mountain this morning. It doesn't even have a knife blade on it, but has needle-nose pliers, small scissors, a nail file/screwdriver on it, and a bottle opener. I wanted something small to take fishing.

When the clerk rang me up she asked for my birthday, which confused me a little. I gave her a fake one (call me paranoid, and yes I paid cash) and after I left I called their customer service line to inquire as to what that's all about.

Apparently, they will not sell you a knife of any sort, or a bow, arrows, or anything else that may be used as or considered a weapon if you're under 18.

I asked her since someone could strangle another person with a rope, if you had to be 18 to buy a rope? She was not amused, and stuck with, "It's just our policy."

It seems a little over the top to me. Do any other stores have such policies that ya'll have encountered that maybe caught you off guard?
 
I know I used to have to buy my little brothers' paintball stuff at BassPro and WalMart because they were under 18. I've never actually been questioned anywhere I go though...for anything.
 
Probably just blowback from all the school violence. The last thing they want is to see on the news "kid stabs classmates with pocketknife bought at Gander Mountain." Sure it would be no different than if he used a kitchen knife from his parents' house, but it is an easy way to avoid any blowback. Sucks it has to be done, but people in this world are idiots now and they are just trying to cover their butts.
 
It has always been this way at wal mart, k mart, bass pro, and anywhere else not a shady flea market vendor as long as I can remember. Try and buy a can of spray paint at wal mart too...
 
braxton357 said:
It has always been this way at wal mart, k mart, bass pro, and anywhere else not a shady flea market vendor as long as I can remember. Try and buy a can of spray paint at wal mart too...
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Apparently I'm old looking... just bought enough spray paint to cover the Pentagon with graffiti but not so much as a glance from the gal behind the register. I did get carded a couple years back for a case of beer, though. May have been because my teen age step-daughter was with me and it probably looked like I was buying for her.
 
braxton357 said:
It has always been this way at wal mart, k mart, bass pro, and anywhere else not a shady flea market vendor as long as I can remember. Try and buy a can of spray paint at wal mart too...
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I'm 34. When I was a kid I bought knives on my own. Old Henry, Buck, etc were my favorites at Wal-Mart. I lived across the street and would walk over on my own and buy what I wanted. The only thing they ever did not let me buy was 22lr's, and I was 18 then. I'm still not sure why they didn't let me buy those, maybe because they could be handgun ammo too? BB's, pellets, sling shots, CO2 cartridges, etc were fair game. Granted, that was then, this is now, but you did say always.
 
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mommucked said:
GM blows.......................when BPS come to town they'll be out of biness if they don't lower their prices.
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I've noticed on their flashlights and their ammo they are the most expensive place around. Even my local gun/outdoor stores, which you'd think would have higher prices, are lower than Gander Mountain. They are still selling 22lr at .20 per round. Yikes.

I did buy a couple GSX (GM house brand) LED flashlights for my boys to take camping while I was there today. They're regularly $70 on sale for $40. After getting them home and letting night fall, I compared them to my Mag-Lite XL50's. I wouldn't have bought them at regular price, but let's just say that if I had, I'd be pissed and they'd be going back. The beam pattern isn't as tight, and although being brighter they don't project as much as I'd like and nowhere near the 300 meters the package advertised. In the future I'll likely stick to Mag-Lite, but my boys are happy, they aren't quite as picky as I am.

BPS = Bass Pro Shop? I doubt if I'll ever see a Bass Pro around here, with Gander Mountain in Mooresville, GM and Dick's in Gastonia, and Dicks and Academy in Hickory. I'm all for one moving in though, Concord is just too far to drive.
 
Rumor has it BPS is comin SOON to Cary, +/- 4 mi. from GM and about 200 yds from I-40 on Harrison ave. Anyone comming to GM from I-40 from the east would have to drive right by BPS first unless they went through town and traffic. From the west BP would be the next exit for the shortest route to GM or about 1.5mi. I'm guessing most will stop there first and never make it to GM, if that's where they're headed.
 
Cabela's coming to G'ville SC....Cabela's=the tits
 
Wwildman said:
I will go to bass pro or gander mountain but I will refuse to shop at Walmart or any other big box store. I shop only local business.
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You uhhh....do uhhhh....realize uhhh...

Ahh never mind.

Gander Mountain and BPS have put as many mom and pop sporting good stores out of business as wal mart put local clothing, discount, hardware stores out.

But success = evil rich people.
 
mommucked said:
Rumor has it BPS is comin SOON to Cary, +/- 4 mi. from GM and about 200 yds from I-40 on Harrison ave. Anyone comming to GM from I-40 from the east would have to drive right by BPS first unless they went through town and traffic. From the west BP would be the next exit for the shortest route to GM or about 1.5mi. I'm guessing most will stop there first and never make it to GM, if that's where they're headed.
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It's not a rumor. They already re-named the street going into the old Carolina Pottery as "Bass Pro Ln". Saw it just the other day.
 
I remember trying to buy jb weld at walmart when i was 17. I had already graduated high school and had 2 full time jobs at the time, but they would not let me buy it. So I handed it to my girlfriend (which is now my wife) who was 18, and they wouldn't sell it to her because they knew she was going to give it to me!! It pissed me off!! We went through the garden department and bought it. That was over 10 years ago, before everyone got stupid with rules and restrictions.
 
ManglerYJ said:
Apparently I'm old looking... just bought enough spray paint to cover the Pentagon with graffiti but not so much as a glance from the gal behind the register.
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Braxton looks like he's 12. That's really the issue.
 
Last time I bought .22 at Wal-mart the girl ringing it up asked if it was rifle or pistol ammo. I said both.
She got cofused till I said "Don't worry, I'm old enough to buy either."
 
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