Are Gun Shows really worth attending?

[NOMI WASP]

This weekend my dad asked me if I wanted to attend a gun show at the Army Reserve base in Indiana. I said sure. This is only the second show I have been to so I was pumped. My wife said she would go too, so we picked him up and headed out.

When I got there, the admission was $6. No issues there but so we forked over $18 and headed in. Boy did I get ripped off. I have never seen such inflated prices on used crap firearms in my life. It was like panic prices 2 years ago. Every gun was $3-400 more than it was worth. I seen a box of Tula marked at $25!!!! Bricks of .22 hovering around $60, not to mention the $300 used HiPoint.....

I seen a couple cool guns and spending time with my pops was cool but the prices and guys there almost made me angry. I just don't get it. Who buys this inflated crap? Is this the norm for gun shows?

 

[chicharrones]

I haven't been to a gun show in years. I did like going to hang out with a friend or two to look at all that is at the show. It was a great way to handle dozens of guns that otherwise might hassle the living crap out of a gun store.

Yet, I've never ended up buying a gun a gun show. I've bought some ammo and accessories but that's it. My local gun dealers have always been real close to gun show prices in the past. I'm not sure how it is now.

 

[jr_roosa]

Only for the people watching.

There's a vintage show here in town in the spring that I try to go to. It's mainly old GI stuff.

It's not worth a weekend day to waste with unpredictable supply of anything I'm looking for. I'll pay a few dollars extra online and take my kids hiking instead.

J.

 

[Scooter22]

Depends on what your looking for. Things you can buy new generally have not been good deals the last 5 years or so. But I look for old firearms and parts that haven't been made for 50 years or more. Good deals can be found.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Retail pricing mostly,I use it for a day out and maybe hit a bargain .

 

[BullRunBear]

It's been a long time since I expected bargains or even sane prices on firearms at gun shows. Same with popular ammo. There is an occasional deal but you can't count on one. I attend looking for the odd item. For instance, at a show this weekend I found a Lee Loader kit in a caliber I have but is no longer made. I also got a couple of pounds of powder not in any LGS (non-gouge prices) so no shipping or hazmat costs. Worth the trip and entry fee. Another time I found a Contender barrel I wanted but was no longer offered.

Having said that, I am quite likely to leave with no purchases. It's a bit of a crap shoot.

 

[wally]

It depends a lot on the location and the promoter.

Here in Houston we are lucky to have a good gun show every 3-5 weeks on average.

For example at last Saturdays show I saw a Beretta Pico for $350, best price on Gunwatcher before I went to the show was $365, sales tax would be less than shipping and transfer fees for an on-line buy. Not bad for a gun that just recently became available.

Although seems the early buzz about the Pico is not so great, Gunwatcher finds them for $320 today, but unless the shipping is less than $10 the local gun show price would still be better after the FFL transfer fee (typically $20 around here). If they dip a bit below $300 I'd probably pick one up just because I fancy guns that are small for their caliber.


I also found 525 round Remington Golden bullet bulk pack for $25, although its not my favorite ammo its the first decent price I've seen so I got 2K rounds, could have got a lot more. This stuff was $19 at our Wal-Mart before Sandy Hook.

You do have to know what a good price is on what you want as for every good deal its easy to find two or three bad ones.

Used guns have been pretty scarce at our gun shows lately. I'm in the market for a Ruger MK II (any condition, I just want the frame) but haven't seen any is several years, and the prices on the few used MK I pistol's I've seen have been higher than new MK III guns. Local conditions make a big difference, that is why on-line is a good option to have. Although given < 10% price difference I'll always opt for the local sale so I can inspect what I'd be getting before its "mine".

 

[rhinoh]

I gave them up years ago- high prices, too crowded and for one venue in my area parking is an issue.

 

[redneck2]

Used to be that gun shows were good because you could find stuff the LGS didn't have. Now we get spoiled due to the interweb. You have a worldwide gun show every day on the screen you're looking at right now.

And, you pay shipping so they get the best of both world's.

 

[short barrel]

I like 'em. The most you can lose is the entry fee. I like to look. Sometimes, there are good bargains on off the wall stuff, or stuff most people are not looking for.

 

[somerled]

It depends on the amount of tables, the longevity and track record of the promoters, and the quality of the vendors. The gun shows at the Tulsa, OK, fairgrounds are usually worth a drive. I have bought reloading components there a lot. It saves on shipping costs.

 

[dogtown tom]

wally It depends a lot on the location and the promoter....

This.

There is a gun show in the Dallas-Ft Worth area 45 or more weekends every year. Some are awesome, some are average, some are pathetic.

If you do a little bit of research you can easily find out if a particular promotor has a history of Beanie Babies and Ninja supplies or if it's actually a lot of guns.

Dallas Arms Collectors Association runs five shows a year at Dallas Market Hall and every show is predominately guns.

 

[Spats McGee]

Assuming that the entry fee is reasonable (like $10 or under), I like gun shows for a couple of reasons. If I'm in the market for a gun, but haven't quite decided what I want, it's a good place to go handle dozens different models to narrow the field. If I've narrowed it down to the exact model that I want, on the other hand, it's a good place to go see who has the best prices. The kicker is that you've got to know your prices before you try to buy at a gun show. That's a good way to pay too much. I often also run into people that I know and it's a good place to just shoot the breeze and talk guns, away from work and all.

 

[moxie]

Used to be a good deal.
Times change.
I can remember when the Saturday double-feature matinee with cartoon and short subjects was 14 cents. Pabst on tap was a dime. Today a small bag of green beans at Walmart was $4.68!

 

[GBExpat]

I attended & enjoyed Gun Shows in the '80s & 90's.

In the late '90s at a couple of Chantilly shows I noticed an uncomfortable (to me) shift in clientele, prices and offerings.

My last Gun Show was the Hugo's show (near Opal, VA) in early 2001 after walking thru the show and feeling myself to be in a mostly alien environment.

Too bad, I used to really enjoy the Gun Shows. I fondly remember attending an excellent, large show in Medina, OH in the late '80s ... I still have the Marlin 1894S that I found there for a decent price.

 

[Tommygunn]

I guess it depends on what you expect.
I don't see many great deals. OTOH sometimes it's fun just to look around and see what is available out of interest. Occasionally one does find something; August 2013 I found a Uberti repro of a Colt 1871 Opentop which I snagged. It's a nice gun. But I didn't actually go there expecting it.
If you have time then it is atleast entertaining.....

 

[NOMI WASP]

Heck, I would have been happy to find a couple $15 Pmags or even a $10 Promag for my AK. The only AR mags I seen was some off brand being sold for $5 more than it was worth.

I guess I was just suprised people would pay the prices I seen. I wouldn't ever buy ammo at a gun show because it maybe bubbas reloads but to each his own.

 

[claiborne]

Been about 10 years since I went to a gun show that was worthwhile. Like others have stated, I avoid them these days unless I need a day out and the weather stinks. Paying a few bucks to go brows around for that one thing I can't live without or something I am specifically looking for that may only be found at a show is about the only two reasons I attend anymore.
And if you live in a liberal town like I do where the city council makes it illegal to have gun shows in the city limits, gas and time need to be considered to travel 30 miles to the fairgrounds or 20 miles to the edge of town.
At the last gun show I found a really cool brass bottle opener to add to my collection. Yesterday I skipped the gun show and cleaned my guns and got ready for my annual Veteran's Day shoot. (used my super cool bottle opener too). It was easily as enjoyable and cheaper than going to a gun show.

 

[Candyman87]

They're hit or miss. I won't blow off anything to attend a gun show but I'll go if it's not too far and I've got nothing better to do.

That being said, as a reloader I can usually score some fair deals on components. Especially with powders, I can avoid hazmat charges.

 

[X-Rap]

If you live in a state that allows private sales and you are a collector who wishes to swap with others like you they are still worth while IMO beyond that i think FFL's attending as well as private collectors are looking to part the walk ins from their money.
I suppose the glory days were pre 68 but I recall some pretty good shows in the 80's & 90's when guns and cash were traded without concern.

 

[AlexanderA]

I've been going to gun shows for most of my life, and I've seen them change over the years. Not necessarily better or worse, but just different.

For a really serious gun collector, it's almost impossible to avoid going to them. I don't go for bargains -- bargains at gun shows are a thing of the past -- but to find things I would otherwise never see. I find myself looking into the "junk bins" a lot. Somebody else's junk might just be the treasure I've been looking for.

You have to know the market, and prices, really well if you're not to be ripped off at gun shows. At big shows, you have to know the vendors (the ones selling jewelry, cheap Chinese optics, etc.) to skip over. I usually walk right past maybe 75% of the vendors so that I can spend more time looking for the things that really interest me. Time management is important at these shows. So too is going early (to find the maximum selection) or late (for the "fire sale" prices).

 

[herrwalther]

Last time I went to a gun show was 2 or 3 years ago. Between the entrance fee and parking fee, it costs $50 just to get in the door. There was nothing worth buying that didn't have the price jacked up

 

[hamp sandwich]

The Wannemacher Gun Show is great exercise, but deals are better online as a rule. Sometimes, you can find a deal though. I'd rather get a treadmill and an ipad.

 

[oneounceload]

Used to go to the one in Reno when I lived out there - ALWAYS had huge displays, lots or reloading and ammo stuff and a wide variety of guns from classic SxSs to NFA stuff. Now in FL, the shows generally suck - went to one about 10 years ago and none since - too small, selection is mostly crap and prices are way overboard.
Yes, I understand they have to pay for the tables, a few nights at the motel, meals, gas, etc. but you are not going to be selling readily available stuff for $100+ over MSRP.

Even the pawn shops around here are pretty ridiculous. You can find deal once in a great while, but they must have taken their pricing cue from the gun show guys.

 

[improperlyaged]

In this area, they are absolutely not worth going to. They are usually flea market **** and it costs between 8 and 12 bucks to get into one.