Man - I would wear out the Herters Catalog ! They were the best !

Years ago, Cabelas, for the most part didn't sell much of anything that wasn't top quality. Now, like most other stores, they sell 75% junk. There is still some good stuff there but you have to really know and research what you are buying. It's not 100% their fault. Most manufactures make junk. However, and I said this when it happened, getting bought out by Bass Pro was a death nail.

Agreed. Cabela's was reliable for well made gear. For me, they seemed to fill the void after Herter's folded and LL Bean got away from offering a wide selection of well-made hunting items. I never liked Bass Pro and was not a happy camper when they bought Cabela's .

Back in the 80's home computers were selling like hot cakes. I hauled quite a few loads from the port of Los Angeles to a distributor in Hartford Connecticut. Once a month or so. Always made me nervous. They put a lot of them in a 102 inch wide by 48 foot long trailer. Bass Pro had its catalog printer in L.A. also. Hauled quite a few them too. So when I had computers anytime anyone in a truckstop or talking on the cb would ask what I was hauling, I just said bass pro catalogs. Didnt figure anybody would steal a load of catalogs. I musta been right no one ever did.

My closest Cabela’s in Lexington has a bunch of ignorant employees with an attitude on their cell phones. That has turned me against them as much as the quality going down. I was going to buy my wife a rifle and it was Thursday. It was going on sale Saturday and they didn’t have them out and the guy refused to go get one for me to even look at. Said he couldn’t until Saturday. Needless to say I didn’t go back Saturday and that was five months ago and I still haven’t gone back, may never.

It's sad how they have changed.

I was shopping for a new O/U about fifteen years ago and had it narrowed down to two. Cabela's didn't have one of them in stock but had one in their Texas store and offered to overnight it so I could do a side by side comparison.

I bought one of the two, they were going to price-match it for me but the counter guy discovered they were running a sale on them at the time of my purchase that knocked a couple hundred off the price.

Plus I had a spend-$500.00-get-$150.00-off coupon. Anybody remember them?

And the manufacturer was running a promo that gave away a nice, aluminum hard case with the purchase.

I miss those days.

Not too long after Cabelas went corporate I bought an all welded aluminum jon boat boat from them at the KC store. Salesman told me the one in the store was sold but he could have another in a few days. I wrote a check. It cleared the bank a couple days later. This was in June or July. October I still didn’t have a boat. Coon trapping was a month away. I went to the store and demanded my money back. Salesman said it would take a month to get my money back. I called Dwaine . I am sure some of you know him. Salesman brought me a check about 5 minutes later. Thanks Dwaine. I took the check to bass pro and bought one they had at the store. I have not bought much from cabelas since then.

I couldn’t wait till the new catalog came every year. The descriptions like “ Herter’s Hudson Bay” and “ Guide Association “ and World Famous for just about everything they sold sure fired a youngsters imagination.

My mom's go to kitchen knives are old carbon steel Herter's knives. Us kids will fight over those when that time comes.

I agree that Bass Pro's acquisition of Cabela's, brokered by Singer, was the death toll for Cabela's. I'll shop mom and pop places, thank you.

Oh yeah!

Well someone start a New "Cabelas" type store in their Garage.
Like the founders did.

Would there have been Sitka clothing if it hadn’t been for Cabelas going down the crapper? It’s amazing how much older Cabela brand hunting clothing I still use. Since BPS took over its all China crap. I don’t even stop in their stores anymore. I’m a Sportsman Wharehouse guy.

Family owned, based out of Fargo.

I guess the problem is that there is more money to be made off of random semi outdoors types than by people who trust their lives to solidly made equipment.

Also tough to sell stuff over again if it lasts forever.

Almighty dollar and mass sales eh.

Are big box stores, cutting corners and quality issues what we are turning capitalism into?

I

It is amazing the products the Chinese can produce and sell so cheap. Pontoon fishing boat for $250. Oars included. I see many of the old standby fishing lures are now made in China with the old American made price. $7-$10 for a piece of plastic with two hooks? Which will be lost on the first snag.

Truth. It's a better business decision to get things made cheaper. Which means offshore.

Insane how we can shop down a tree in bc, send it to China on a freaking ship, get it made into tooth picks and have it sent back...over an ocean...on a massive ship...for cheaper than we could do here.

Went to Crap after Bass Pro took over, had a gift card that sat for 3 years and just used it on a new turkey decoy. Probably be my last order.

I'll be giving them a call once they open to see if they have a particular gun in stock. Kind of an impulse buy, but I just got my stimulus check and there's a $50 rebate that ends tomorrow and Cabelas is the only store around that Carrie's that model. Some ammo rebates going on, too, but the Cabelas prices on ammo are higher than the Fleet Farm a mile away, so that's where I'll stock up.

Like a lot of things, Cabelas became "trendy" for lack of a better word. It somehow went from catering mostly to true outdoors people, to peddling cheap hooded sweatshirts in camo patterns to people who wouldn't know the purpose a camo pattern from a paint smear. The apparel portion of their stores now is bonkers.

I still will roll in and grab fishing stuff and I do buy the odd gun from them when they are on sale but the identity of the store has certainly morphed.

If you know the product you want, during this whole covid thing Cabela's has been doing free shipping.

I got a new tackle bag, but aside from that been coming up dry for stuff I want/Need.

And I know what you mean about becoming trendy. Like Carhartt.

Used to be only the hardcore duck hunters would wear Cabela's hoodies and other gear.

Now people who have never even picked up a rod or fun are wearing it.