Hoarding is a concept that ordinarily draws little attention outside of some reality show on TV, but during uncertain times such as those we find ourselves in now, it has become a widespread issue of some concern. It all began with the disappearance of toilet paper and various household cleaning products from store shelves. Entire aisles were devoid of certain commodities. Panic buying suddenly threw the normal supply and demand models to the wind, as retailers and customers found themselves struggling at both ends of the equation.

This revealed the genuine lack of preparedness that is pervasive in today’s society. People seldom think farther ahead than what is necessary in the here and now. We calculate what we need for this week’s grocery run and we feel confident in having the ability to get what we need whenever we need it. After all, our stores are typically stocked in full – until they suddenly aren’t. Then the herd mentality kicks in and the stampede begins.

Soon enough, this situation began to spread to other supplies such as canned goods, pasta and even ammunition. Stores have now set limitations on the purchase quantities of many items in an attempt to mitigate these deficiencies. While you may be able to secure some things by knowing when deliveries occur, getting to stores right as they open and being persistent in your searches, this can also be complicated by the overarching need for social distancing and remaining at home unless absolutely necessary. Some folks may be happy that they scored 20 multi-packs of toilet paper before the apocalypse, but our hearts break hearing about the grandmother that has to venture out in search of one package only to come home empty-handed.

Ammunition
We have also witnessed a significant spike in ammunition sales nationwide. Some reports place the increase between 400% to 500%, which is mind-boggling. Shelves are wiped clean of the most popular calibers like 9mm, .223, 5.56x45, 7.62x39, 12-gauge buckshot and slugs, and others calibers.

Depending on the Governor’s orders, we are hopeful that once we are up and running again, we will be able to satisfy the need for both firearms and ammunition. Check Metro Pawn and Gun for the most current information.

Your firearms are only functional when they have ammo, so it is wise to have a REASONABLE amount of ammo on hand. The running joke seems to be that ammunition is in short supply because people intend to defend their toilet paper stockpiles from marauding zombies. We leave you with this quote:

“Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program.”    ~Spencer W. Kimball

As always, stay safe!