Last but not least: an economic crisis miracle
With an economic crisis looming, there are a whole range of goods that suddenly sell much better without any marketing. Pistols and rifles, for example.
It was a recent dinner conversation: What would you do if the entire economic system completely collapsed? The answer came quickly: Go to the gun store. What was met with laughter at the time is now a reality in the USA: gun dealers are reporting record sales. In the fourth quarter of 2008, Smith & Wesson sold 40 percent more pistols than in the third, as Adage reports, and sales at Sturm, Ruger and others even rose by more than 80 percent. Only rifles were more popular, recording an increase in sales of over 300 percent.
The first reason cited is Obama's election in the fourth quarter. Democratic presidents are more likely to restrict gun sales than Republicans. Clinton's election in 1992 was also accompanied by an 18-month increase in firearms sales. It looks like people want to get a gun just before closing time. Another reason is hunting, which promises cheap and protein-rich food in times of crisis, a shooting sports official is quoted as saying. But of course, gun purchases are also about people's increasing concern for their safety, especially - as mentioned - in tough economic times.
The first reason cited is Obama's election in the fourth quarter. Democratic presidents are more likely to restrict gun sales than Republicans. Clinton's election in 1992 was also accompanied by an 18-month increase in firearms sales. It looks like people want to get a gun just before closing time. Another reason is hunting, which promises cheap and protein-rich food in times of crisis, a shooting sports official is quoted as saying. But of course, gun purchases are also about people's increasing concern for their safety, especially - as mentioned - in tough economic times.
