More on CTD (Cheaper Than Dirt)

[busykngt]

If you go to their website and find some *stuff* that you want, then here's a little tick I learned today. Their on-line business uses different distributors than what is available to the retail stores. Because of this, not every thing you see on-line is going to be available in the retail store (now or ever). So this following hint is something I learned today and I guess it's good at least for the whole north Texas region. One of the McKinney store managers told me this. In order for somthing to be physically in the store or at least availabe to it (assuming its not sold out), the product website code must take the form of three letters- a dash- followed by three (or four) numbers. For instance, something like: AMM-410 or AMM-5154 (used a couple of ammo codes as an example). If the product code takes any other form or follows any other sequence than that, then it won't be in the store - save yourself a trip!

 

[txinvestigator]

The Ft Worth store has a "internet counter" in the store that stocks many catalog items not in stock "in the store"

 

[jake75]

That's because the store is called Outdoor Adventures and is different from the catalog sales counter in the back.

 

[hkusp1]

That's why I call first I've had that happen before. I've had good luck latley though, I saw some mec gar mags for my 226 on their website for $20 a pop happened to run in and they had them in stock.

 

[busykngt]

That's because the store is called Outdoor Adventures and is different from the catalog sales counter in the back.

So that's interesting (at least to me). Maybe that goes a long way in explaining why one of the sales guys in McKinney was pretty indignant one day when I mentioned something about the Ft. Worth location. I've forgotten exactly what he said and besides it was more in the way he said it anyway...kind of a looking down your nose sorta snarl and snide remark that followed. I got the sense, they kind of compete with each other rather than belonging to the same large company.

I've never been to the FW location. I got the impression they are some kind of stocking warehouse and maybe that's why the McKinney folks hold a little resentment towards them. (???) Just seems like a strange "corporate culture" to me... not sure I've got it figured out yet.

 

[Michael-Dallas]

So that's interesting (at least to me). Maybe that goes a long way in explaining why one of the sales guys in McKinney was pretty indignant one day when I mentioned something about the Ft. Worth location. I've forgotten exactly what he said and besides it was more in the way he said it anyway...kind of a looking down your nose sorta snarl and snide remark that followed. I got the sense, they kind of compete with each other rather than belonging to the same large company.

I've never been to the FW location. I got the impression they are some kind of stocking warehouse and maybe that's why the McKinney folks hold a little resentment towards them. (???) Just seems like a strange "corporate culture" to me... not sure I've got it figured out yet.

I don't know how true it is or if it was already brought up before, but I was told that the Ft Worth location is a franchise and the McKinney location is a corporate store. Which, doesn't make any sense to me since the FTW location was open long before the McKinney location or why it even matters that the FTW location is a franchise.

Michael.

 

[nalioth]

After Cheaper Than Dirt raised their prices 9000% when it was assured Obama was coming in to office, I'm surprised you guys still give them your business.


To each their own, I guess.

P.S. One of their executives also went on record saying nobody needed to be able to buy more than 5 guns without "being looked into" by law enforcement.

"If you buy five AK-47s ... somebody needs to look at that. It's just good police work." -- DeWayne Irwin, owner of Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures in Fort Worth, on a new federal policy that requires gun sellers...

Quote source

Still want to do business with them?

 

[jake75]

The Ft. Worth location is a franchise. It's actually Outdoor adventures. If you buy a gift card it says it on there. I asked when I got one because it didn't say Cheaper Than Dirt on it. The Catalog sales is a different buisness in the same building. The warehouse attached is the same as the catalog sales, not the store front. I haven't been to the McKinney store yet but I can see it being a corporate deal. I think they have a warehouse in Louisiana also and that is attached to the internet sales also because some of the stuff ships from there. If you want the skinny, ask the kids at the catalog sales counter. Usually they will tell you everything you want to know.

 

[busykngt]

Okay, just so I'll know for future reference, where in FW is their location? The one in McKinney is basically at the northwest corner of U.S. Hwy 75 [Central Expressway] and U.S. Highway 380 {runs between McKinney and Denton}. Kinda located behind the KFC.
--
Thought it sounded like a wierd set up (and now, more than ever).

 

[jake75]

Its on the access road on 820 leading to 35S off of Mark 4 Pkwy. Easiest way..Either exit mark 4 from 820 and take a left onto the access road and its on your right, or exit meacham blvd, go west go north on mark 4, east onto the access road at 820 and mark 4 and youll be in the same place.

 

[SPCHardin]

I love CTD. I make a point to go there every time I visit family in Dallas. Picked up a G26 Gen 4 for 420 with LE discount. They always have a great selection and reasonable prices.

 

[TxBigfoot]

I learned about the store/catalog difference the last time I was in the store. I asked why their ammo was more expensive than what the catalog has listed and they told me it is a totally different business. Hmmm, kinda weird considering the catalogs are located right there when you walk in the front door.

 

[83v45magna]

wow, that explains a lot. I bought a pistol from the website but took delivery at McKinney to avoid transfer charges. They kinda half explained that they are separate from the Ft Worth store when I told them I thought my info might already be on file due to a gun purchase at FW 4 months earlier.

 

[busykngt]

I drove over to the FW store yesterday (Friday) and I'll second what Jake75 and TxBigFoot said. There's really two separate operations under that one roof (NOT like the McKinney location). The main store front (Outdoor Adventures...or whatever) simply doesn't exist at the McKinney location. Where the two locations are identical is the little CTD pickup/order desk back in and off to the side of the FW store - that's the entire operation in McKinney. The McKinney location isn't as large a store and doesn't have all the selection that 'Outdoor Adventures' has (especially in the clothing & baseball cap areas hnoes. But the two locations are fairly similar in the hardcore gun stuff (with the McKinney location still being smaller overall).

Now here's the thing that kinda got my goat. The FW CTD staff {the real CTD staff and not the Outdoor Adventure guys} told me the same thing the McKinney guys told me. The only thing they carry are the items on the internet that begin with Alpha characters - which, in effect, was the same thing the McKinney CTD guys told me. Neither place is a *real* warehouse location. Apparently the closest REAL warehouse is in Louisiana (I think the guy told me Shreveport if I recall correctly). Not sure why, but I had thought the FW location was a warehouse operation (with sales) and had most all the stuff you see 'on line' and would honor the on line pricing - not so.

And of course it makes perfect business sense why they would locate their distribution warehouse out in the middle of BF Louisiana rather than a large mega-population center with such a great regional (if not national) central transportation hub as DWF has to offer! What are these guys thinking?

 

[brocknchrist]

When I have bought stuff online... It has come.from fort worth... At least that's the post Mark... But on the website there is a warehouse a and a warehouse b... Maybe a is in fort worth and b is in shreveport...

I love it when a plan comes together...

 

[tvone]

Disclaimer: I am employed by Cheaper Than Dirt!

Cheaper Than Dirt! was started in 1993, and soon after, opened the retail location in Fort Worth.

In 2001, the store was sold to the manager, and became Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures (CTDOA). The name and store space is leased to CTDOA.

As part of our plan to sell firearms online and a location for local customers to pick up online firearm purchases, Cheaper Than Dirt Guns! was opened in 2010.

The internet/catalog counter does maintain a pickup counter inside CTDOA. Items in the monthly catalog and those with three letters in the front of the number can be picked up at the counter.

We now have 3 warehouses. "A" warehouse is the entire building in Fort Worth. "B" and now "C" have been added to increase our products lines. We now have a much more complete line of firearms and accessories, more than can be held in the Fort Worth location.

You can save shipping by selecting all items from one warehouse.

 

[navyguy]

Disclaimer: I am employed by Cheaper Than Dirt!

Cheaper Than Dirt! was started in 1993, and soon after, opened the retail location in Fort Worth.

In 2001, the store was sold to the manager, and became Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures (CTDOA). The name and store space is leased to CTDOA.

As part of our plan to sell firearms online and a location for local customers to pick up online firearm purchases, Cheaper Than Dirt Guns! was opened in 2010.

The internet/catalog counter does maintain a pickup counter inside CTDOA. Items in the monthly catalog and those with three letters in the front of the number can be picked up at the counter.

We now have 3 warehouses. "A" warehouse is the entire building in Fort Worth. "B" and now "C" have been added to increase our products lines. We now have a much more complete line of firearms and accessories, more than can be held in the Fort Worth location.

You can save shipping by selecting all items from one warehouse.

Thank you for that. I pretty much knew about the difference between the catalog store and retail store having shopped there since 2000 (remember the Y2K fiasco, LOL) but that clarifies a lot.

 

[busykngt]

Great tvone - welcome! Glad to have someone who can finally answer some questions about CTD with some "authority" behind their answers. Soooo....now, I've got a couple more questions for you. Where are warehouses 'B' and 'C' located (just curious)? And secondly, why are the guys behind the counter at the FW location restricted from selling merchandise that begins with numbers (or, that are numbers)? In other words, if FW location is the first warehouse (and I presume the main one?), why aren't all items available to be sold there at that retail counter - in other words, everything that's available on-line?

 

[tvone]

"Where are warehouses 'B' and 'C' located (just curious)?"
B is in Louisiana, and C is in Texas.

"Why are the guys behind the counter at the FW location restricted from selling merchandise that begins with numbers"
Items that start with letters are in the Fort Worth warehouse. They can go and get them out the back. The other warehouses do not have a pickup counter. It's more of a courtesy to our local Fort Worth customers. The catalog/internet company is totally separate from the staff of CTDOA. The catalog pickup guys are part of the catalog/internet company.

"why aren't all items available to be sold there at that retail counter?"
Too many different items for us to have under one roof in Fort Worth. It's stacked to the ceiling in the back. We turn over our inventory very quickly, and to offer the variety of we do, it's simply not possible to have it all in Fort Worth. We order by the truck and train-car load. We've sold over 5,000 of one item in a day.