Gun Show Table Covers - What's the favorite color?

WalMart red tablecloths.
Available in different sizes, material, weaves and patterns.

Find a nice display rack. Nothing looks cheaper than knives layed flat on table top.
I found inexpensive knife holders on ebay.

I'm partial to red just as you are. I also like felt, but as you mention, it's like a dirt magnet and it gets creased if you fold it. Rolling it is a great idea. What about rolling it and then storing it in a piece of 4 inch PVC? I found a red blanket that worked well for me for years; it didn't crease, but it did attract dirt, lint, etc. I also tried red table cloths like you find around Christmas time. I even managed to find a couple at thrift stores. But they are usually pretty thin and some have a Christmas-theme pattern woven into the material. There are a couple of companies out there that make table cloths specifically for trade/gun shows and will even put your logo on the front. The problem I found with that is the length of the tables often varies from show to show so you either have to fold them if they're too long or get two and overlap them if they're too short. I don't set up at shows any longer and things have changed a lot since I did. Recently, I visited a fairly large show in the midwest where many years ago (25 + !) I was told to get table cloths or leave. I didn't have any because I had forgotten my table covers when I packed up at the shop. I made a quick trip to a local store and bought a half dozen cheap white sheets! I couldn't help but notice that about a third of the table at the recent show didn't have any table covers at all! How about a photo of your table/tables? Best of luck.

Red, like the blood of my enemies.
Now seriously - red, especially deep red will (how do you say it...) sort of hide them, distort the lines, makes the items a little bit harder to spot. Some light tan cover, like a bed sheet, will work better. I'm telling you this from my personal experience in a gun shop I used to work to. Especially in artificial light conditions tan is way more better for visibility and contrast, while not looking so cheap as a plain white table cover.

It depends on what I'm selling.
I've used saddle blankets for selling long hunting guns, black powder and BB guns, for example.

Find the table coverings used for catering, etc. There will be a store in town if you don't like online. They are also used for trade shows, for the reasons I suggest them for you.

They do not attract dirt, are easy to clean, and since for food service, are also cheap enough they won't break the bank. Small and light when packed as well. Black and white are most common, and nothing wrong with those. Dark blue and red may also be good and yes they come in a wide variety of colors. From being a trade show setup guy, I'd go with either a brand color (if you have a logo, and display it prominently, that can help: go to the bright yellow table, people say) or, one that contrasts with your wares. If you were a big S&W seller, I would likely NOT go with blue, so the boxe stick out instead.

These covers ARE sized to tables. You may want to get a couple sizes, or at least read carefully what size tables are provided at your shows. Aside from maybe having to keep a couple sizes around, this is good as they wrap around the table. There's a skirt around it so no one can see what's under, or even get to it easily. And, they are secure. No one can snag the cover and pull it off, or even easily displace your stuff.

Go to a Walmart that has a fabric section and look for some synthetic fleece material that looks good to you. My color preference would be heavily influenced by what was on sale.

It is certainly January.

Black, as long as they are clean and not plastic and you provide your own lighting. Besides black, a hair-on-hide steerhide would have a nice effect and show less dust. Another alternative would be nice hardwood panels, walnut, chestnut, barnwood. The table should be further enhanced by quality display racks, boxes, and props. Props could be things like shed antlers, muskrat, beaver, bobcat or fox pelts, maybe a bear skull. Lighting is key though. Whatever it is, if it's just under some old T8 fluorescent tubes in some rural county's metal building or metal halide highbays at the city convention center, it's going to look poor. Bring your own lighting. Product display lighting is a big subject. LED can work but is a minefield. Halogen PAR's are the safest bet to keep it simple. A quick and easy way to get versatile lighting positions is with overhead trusses. Get two or three truss stands to hold them up.

Medium-dark green. The color of money.

I like neutral earth tones: tan, rust, etc. Not a fan of black, white, or any bright color.

Depending on who you want to attract pink camo would work. Seriously I would set some items on different colors and look at them. Think tan or light green a shade lighter than green WW II camo but a solid color in any event. Show us what you do!

Deep royal blue. I hate tables with camo covers, they reek of poser and ripoff artist.

Moss Green Velvet.

I never gave it much thought but years ago when my wife and I were active with the shows all I used was off white, actually maybe it was a light brown. They were actually blankets which were easy machine wash tumble dry. Then and now I never gave much thought to gun show table cover colors. Today the color of a vendor's table cover is the last thing that concerns me, attracts me or dissuades me. It's about what's on the table and the price of what is on the table. I can tell you what nice guns I have bought at shows, who sold them to me and where their table(s) were located but I can't begin to tell you what color their table cover was.

Just My Take....
Ron

Elkins45 said:

Go to a Walmart that has a fabric section and look for some synthetic fleece material that looks good to you. My color preference would be heavily influenced by what was on sale.

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Hobby Lobby has a fabric section as well. Perhaps not as inexpensive as Walmart, but useful.
I just happened to have a long-owned Mexican sold "Indian-looking" blanket that fits the table and is pleasing to my eye.

Tables covered in blued S&W revolvers and sweet mid-century Euro pistols, preferably. Those gun show tables still existed when I started attending in the late '80's. Never more.

I think classic blued steel with wood looks great on Forest Green. Black, stainless and tactical guns look good on Red. Trouble is it seems every gun show table cloth is red these days.

Pat Riot said:

Trouble is it seems every gun show table cloth is red these days.

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Maybe they are the ones to blame?

Have a preference for a nice deep red, green, or blue.

It's been said that women are the experts at picking colors and decorating, may be why guys wear the color ties they do and women pick out their clothes. Not sure that would be a good idea for gun show table coverings.....might end up something called mauve.

Thibaut said:

Moss Green Velvet.

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Seconding crushed velvet. You can find bolts of crushed velvet, synthetic velvet, in black, red, blue, green, purple, yellow etc. Its durable and easy to wash. Guitar cases are lined with the stuff and anything displayed on top of it looks good. If you have a lady friend or seamstress who could put together a basic cover for you I think crushed velvet would draw a lot of attention because it looks classiest. Real velvet is to fragile.

shoobe01 said:

Find the table coverings used for catering, etc. There will be a store in town if you don't like online. They are also used for trade shows, for the reasons I suggest them for you.

They do not attract dirt, are easy to clean, and since for food service, are also cheap enough they won't break the bank. Small and light when packed as well. Black and white are most common, and nothing wrong with those. Dark blue and red may also be good and yes they come in a wide variety of colors. From being a trade show setup guy, I'd go with either a brand color (if you have a logo, and display it prominently, that can help: go to the bright yellow table, people say) or, one that contrasts with your wares. If you were a big S&W seller, I would likely NOT go with blue, so the boxe stick out instead.

These covers ARE sized to tables. You may want to get a couple sizes, or at least read carefully what size tables are provided at your shows. Aside from maybe having to keep a couple sizes around, this is good as they wrap around the table. There's a skirt around it so no one can see what's under, or even get to it easily. And, they are secure. No one can snag the cover and pull it off, or even easily displace your stuff.

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This right here.

I've done some trade shows and designed a booth with the guidance of others that knew more than me.

I didn't use the skirt and just used an oversize top and clipped the side I was on to the table. They do really well with wrinkles and lint /debris type speckles clean off easily. I think it was polyester.

I was told people find blue more inviting/welcoming/approachable than red.

labnoti said:

Lighting is key though.

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It may sound unrelated, but back in the day I worked in a fish processing plant. We'd buy Bluefin Tuna in one room, and sell it in another; the reason being the meat looked better or worse depending on Fluorescent or Halogen lighting. (As an aside, watching those actors on Wicked Tuna not bother to haggle is laughable.)

I haven't done any research, but I'd imagine gun bluing and acid etching both appear more and less flattering depending on lighting options.

Good point about the lighting.

Ron