Auburn Archery out of business

[pseshooter100]

Rumor i just heard that Don going out of business.
Bob must of finally did it.

[MSUICEMAN]

wow, that comes as a shock to me. i haven't been there in a long while, but when i was going there regularly they had good business....

[FASTRNU]

My coworker just called me and he was there today. Don said he's out at the end of the month.

[jbird90]

Bob....what a funny guy.

Thats a shame, they were the closest place around and I enjoyed shooting there during the winter. Any other shops in the area?

[kbkrause]

Any other shops in the area?

Depends where you're at. (Good reason to fill out your profile... ;) ) MJC has a shop at 15 and Groesbeck.

[Michihunter]

That's a darn shame. Don's one of the best in the business. We'll miss you bud!!

[carpenterusa]

just to let you all know Sean and I can still do service work to all of your archery equipment. Just e-mail me or pm me and I'll be glad to put you in contact with both of us. Thanks, Greg

[jbird90]

never got around to the profile, but I will update tonight. MJC, sounds close. I am in shelby township.

[TnRidge]

Good proshops are a dying breed . I have never been to Auburn Archery ,but I hate to hear about any proshop going out of business .:( They are the most valuable asset from beginning to experienced archers and bowhunters .

[victor mi pro bowhunter]

auburn archery was one of the worst there was and i'm shocked it lasted this long

mjc is much better

[Zulu]

auburn archery was one of the worst there was and i'm shocked it lasted this long

mjc is much better


Funny . . . I have the exact opposite opinion of those 2 bow shops - along with about 10 of my friends in the area! Very sad to hear that Auburn is shutting down. Where is the next closest Bowtech dealer I wonder

[captainhowdy]

Another shop bites the dust... That sucks...

[uptracker]

I'm with Zulu. I bought a bow from MJC in 2000 and it'll be the last. They were horribly, all of them. I have about 25 friends that won't go near that shop. We all go to Van's in Whitmore Lake now. $100 bucks cheaper for a Mathews too.

Not a Bowtech dealer though Zulu. Don't know of another one close by.
Funny . . . I have the exact opposite opinion of those 2 bow shops - along with about 10 of my friends in the area! Very sad to hear that Auburn is shutting down. Where is the next closest Bowtech dealer I wonder

[Henry Hill]

Ive been there, They were good, But I found a place I like better. Ark Surplus. Ther on Gratiot in downtown Mt.Clemens. The guy that runs the pro shop is Dave. Great guy, Great service, And he knows his @#it. No B.S. Only downfall is no shooting range. Anyone been there?

[victor mi pro bowhunter]

You know I had really good service when i went to mjc nice people set my dad up great.

My mom went to Auburn Archery and they gave her bad service.I went one year aswell and the service they gave me was poor it was like they didnt care about helping me.Now we may of just both went there on a off day. it seams by reading all this maybe i sould of gave them anouther shot

But then agian they did go out of business maybe they only where kind to there noemal costumers.Well any ways its to late now

[Zulu]

I'm sure the economy played a major role in Auburn's demise, but another thing that I'm sure didn't help is that Mathews would not allow them to carry their line because they were "too close" to MJC under the Mathews dealership agreement.

Now I don't want anyone to try to turn my statements into bashing Mathews - I have shot Mathews, Hoyt and now Bowtech (most recently) over the last several years (among others brands), and all 3 companies make a great bow, but of the 3 brands I personally would rank Mathews 3rd for my preference. However, a lot of people have a cult like devotion to Mathews, and that company has done a ton of advertising over the years, so carrying the Mathews line is pretty much essential for a small business to survive because of its popularity among archers. I have been in Auburn before when I would hear customers say how much they wished Auburn carried Mathews because they didn't like going to MJC - but they had no choice. I have no doubt that had something to do with their closing, among other things.

I think as archers we all need to support these smaller pro shops that provide great service even if it means travelling farther and spending a few bucks more on a product that we can get at Gander Mountain or other major chains for cheaper. It's about a 30-40 minute drive to Auburn from where I live, and MJC is much closer, but I always made that trip to support Auburn even before I was shooting Bowtech this year, and when I find my next pro shop I'll do the same.

It's depressing to lose another good shop, and not to get political, but it's a strong statement on how our focus in this country should be on a strong domestic policy to rebuild our economy rather than dumping billions on questinable causes overseas. With a strong economy comes more spending, and let's face it, this year is tight for a lot of people I know, and not many people have the extra cash to dump on a new toy - especially in the Metro-Detroit area where the auto industry drives much of the work force.

Anyway, Auburn's owner Don will still do work on your bow for you out of his house if you call him. Call Auburn and he'll give you his number.

[hoytshooter69]

Zulu, You are partly correct. It is true that Auburn couldn't get Mathews but, if Don would have made a bit if effort and called the rep on the "to close" clause he would have found out that Jim was forced into his shop because of this rule and violated it within Convenient Sportsman's area. But because Jim is Matt's boy they overlooked this. I know this because I ran Convenient for some time and then bought it. Mathews gave Starlight a dealership and claimed it was because of population density. So if Don really wanted to get Mathews he probably could have with a little effort. But It seems that was not the case. I agree it sucks that Aubrun had to close but with the attitude and carelessness of it's owner that was inevitable.

Don may not be doing work out of his house for a while until his whole legal battle is finished with all the companies he owes monies to. But that is just a bit of the whole story.

[Zulu]

Hoytshooter69 -

Thanks for giving us a little more inside info on the demise of another great pro shop. As always, there is a bigger story behind the story, it seems. Unfortunately, regardless of the reasons the impact on archers in the area is the same. I hate to see this happen to anyone in small business, and it has been happening all too often for many businesses in the last few years, due to our wonderful economy. If Don needs help with legal issues in winding up the corporate affairs of Auburn, he can feel free to PM me and I'll give him my number - this is one of the areas of law I specialize in and I would be glad to offer some free legal advice.

Good luck Don!

[GOTCHA]

Was wondering if a persom wanted to open a archery store, what kind of investment would it take ? Just curious!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hoytshooter69]

There are alot of variables involved in that decision. First and forwmost is location. This will be one of your biggest monthly outlays of cash. Rent or Own? Then you need to decide on what bow lines you would like to carry, indoor range, types of accessories, and so on. It could be as much as a cool mil to have a good cushion and get the correct type of building in the right location to carry the big three bow companies.

[weatherby]

That's a darn shame. Don's one of the best in the business. We'll miss you bud!!


That's too bad. I used to give them alot of business when i lived close to them

[carpenterusa]

just to let all of you know I did alot the service work on the bow's at auburn archery. If you need any work done to your bows feel free to contact me. Also to let you know I am still making custom strings out of number of different color combinations, so feel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks, Greg

[itchyscratchpad]

Just wanted to post a big thank you to Greg (CarpenterUSA) for setting up my son's bow in short order this weekend. First time for my son shooting a compound in this weekends HPSA league and he was ready to go. Call Greg if you eastsiders need your bows tuned.

[smithers]

this is only my opinion so take it for what it's worth. the guys at MJC know one thing, mathews, if it's not a mathews they have no clue. auburn had a great bunch of guys working there. i'm kinda sad to hear they're out. don knows how to set up a bow that's for sure. MJC kind of treats everyone like they're 3 yrs. old and never shot a bow before. if you know what you're talking about they seem to get offended. i called and asked them (MJC) about getting a new string they told me all they had were zebra's so i shuttered and had them do it anyway. well the idgit that set it up decided to get into it with me about cam rotation. well after he put the string and cables on my once 71# bow bottomed out at 66#. GREAT. i went straight from there to auburn to have don fix it. 1/2 an hour later it was good as new!

[FASTRNU]

I have almost the exact same story but reverse the stores. MJC fixed what Don at Auburn screwed up.

[Gobblerman]

Good proshops are a dying breed . I have never been to Auburn Archery ,but I hate to hear about any proshop going out of business .:( They are the most valuable asset from beginning to experienced archers and bowhunters .

I could not agree more with that quote. When I got into bowhunting it was a pro shop that took the time to set me up and show me some tips. I'll be heading to one soon to get my bow tuned and some arrows refletched.

[carpenterusa]

ttt

[mustang72]

Ark surplus is my destination when I want to improve my Matthews and they don’t sell Matthews.
Dave just knows archery. That's why I go there. Archery shop with one on one service. It doesn’t get any better.

[pseshooter100]

Just to let you all know I heard Greg is still around to service bows. He always did a great job on my bows and friend bows. Just email him and i'm sure he'll be able to take care of your needs.

[pseshooter100]

ttt

[NorthJeff]

"Zulu, You are partly correct. It is true that Auburn couldn't get Mathews but, if Don would have made a bit if effort and called the rep on the "to close" clause he would have found out that Jim was forced into his shop because of this rule and violated it within Convenient Sportsman's area. But because Jim is Matt's boy they overlooked this. I know this because I ran Convenient for some time and then bought it. Mathews gave Starlight a dealership and claimed it was because of population density. So if Don really wanted to get Mathews he probably could have with a little effort. But It seems that was not the case. I agree it sucks that Aubrun had to close but with the attitude and carelessness of it's owner that was inevitable.

Don may not be doing work out of his house for a while until his whole legal battle is finished with all the companies he owes monies to. But that is just a bit of the whole story."

Jim was carrying Mathews before anybody in the area as a dealer out of his garage when he had his shop there in 1993 and mathews was nothing but a new bow company attempting to break even. Jim was the #1 dealer in the country in 2-3 of the first 5 years and has never looked back. Mathews is loyal to their dealers, and loyal to their mission of providing a professional product sold by pro-shops only...no selling out to the mega-hunting stores. Mathews has made a lot of businesses for shop owners in an otherwise highly competitive and cutthroat business.

When you are in business for a while, there will be some that love you, some that hate you, but in the end the longevity of your business and profitibility often speak for themselves.

I personally know of some Mathews dealers who have tried to get around the protected territory clause by buying from an approved Mathews dealer across the state, and then selling the Mathews line at competitive prices. I don't think anything happens to the non-Mathews dealer, but the Mathews dealer loses their right to sell Mathews anymore.

Anyways, Jim has been selling Mathews before most in the state even knew it was a bow company. I first shot a Mathews from Jim early in 93, but was dumb enough to buy another bow first, before finally buying a Mathews in Jan/Feb of 04. Now, 25-30 Mathews later I've been happy to be as loyal to Jim, as Jim has been to me, Jim has been to Mathews, and as Mathews has been to Jim....just a bit more of the whole story.

[LittleMustang]

I have never been to Auburn Archery but know plenty that support them. It's a shame if it's true. It's been a hard year financially for a lot of us. Too many small shops GOB because they can't compete with big box stores prices. I never shop at the big box. I don't care if I pay more. I'd rather get good knowledgeable service and pay more to get the honest opinions from people that know what they are talking about. I don't know if that is part of the reason but it is sad if it is. I have always in the past gone to MJC in Royal Oak. I go to MJC's Clinton Township store now since it's a little closer to home. I have always received wonderful service and respect there. I like them because they don't candycoat anything, very straight to the point. I could see how some could probably mistake that for rudeness, but me being a blunt, straight to the point person I like them there. To each his own I guess.

[Fix_F16]

I'm really disappointed about Auburn. I've referred a handful of friends to see Don and the guys and they've all been pleased with the shop. Even Bob was fun to talk to. I've read several of the posts recommending Ark surplus, and THEY'RE going out of business too!!!

I'll try MJC, but if anyone has other places that they like, please let me know. I know I'm not the only one looking.

Greg, I'll be looking you up.

[thirteenptbuck]

This MJC shop in Clinton Township, do they carry Hoyt as well as Mathews. Also, where are they located exactly. Thanks