Gun Show Beef

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HRT

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Well went to the first gun show in about a year today at the Hampton Convention Center. Overall I was disappointed. Overall a lot fewer gun tables that I would like and a bunch of fooferaw that is not even firearms relate. Beef jerky, BBQ sauce, flags, electric stun batons, and general junk. I am willing to concede knives, holsters ammo, gun cases and the like vut the rest of it is a waste of my time and effort.

Another thing that bothers me is the unwillingness to dicker an general rudeness over prices. I've been looking for a 4" S&W 65 or 66 for a beater around the farm. You would be suprised how few were available. Well any way one of the big vendors had a 66, two or 3 64s and a 19 all with 4'' barrels and all externally well used. The 66 had a disfiguring ID number stamped in big font on the left side of the frame under the cylinder. The rest of the outside looked like it had been worked over with 120 grit sand paper with no effort to keep the strokes consistent. The inside of the barrel was good as was the forcing cone cylinder looked ok. The infernal zip ties kept me from checking lock up. The sales guy was uninclined to remove the ties for me to check it out. Well the price tag read $329 and when I offererd $300 in cash I was told to get lost and "I sell guns everyday" in a condescending rude manner. I took the high road and said I guessed he did not need my money and walked away. There were a whole host of other things that could be said that would not have pissed me off. Like how about one of the 64's at that price or a little better. Or the boss won't let me dicker...or how about $329 out the door. No but our "friend" chose to be condescending and rude. A little politeness in that situation would have netted a sale, the posted price was a few bucks outside of my range but I would have spent some of my dearly beloved SWMBO's money. Instead with rudeness the salesman netted an ex potential customer.
 
You would be suprised how few were available.
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That's your problem. If you're looking for a "beater" I'd suggest you look for something more readily available. GP100? SP101? Maybe even a Taurus?

BTW, I agree that rudeness is terrible and is getting worse. That's why one of my favorite scenes in all the media is in "Lonesome Dove" where Tommy Lee Jones is beating some guy with a branding iron because the guy had been beating Jones' son.

Jones says, "I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it."
 
If I consider I am being reasonable and polite then - rudeness will engender only my withdrawal from the dealer and a verbal confirmation of why I am moving on.

I know sometimes ''the price is the price'' - but a guy who won't haggle can say so politely in many ways - rudeness is not the way to conduct business.

I hope some dealers realize this - but then of course too - putting on my ''be fair'' hat - some ''customers'' are a major PITA - bigtime!! Gotta remember that side of the coin too at times ;)
 
Rudity

This is simply what happens when guys latch on to a monopoly of something desired by others-no, it's not a monopoly in the sense that you must buy all your paper towels from me by law(or, as is the case, you must buy all your medical care, equipment and drugs from the properly anointed); but it is a monopoly in the sense that you can no longer go into Sears, Western Auto, or the local hardware store and pick up a pistol to take home w/you. I remember the same behavior popping right out w/the gas station owners when we had odd/even gas days-now it's inspections. LESS not MORE laws is the way we need to go.
 
Small show with very little competition means you won't do much by haggling. The Tidewater shows haven't been much to go to for several years. You may stand a better chance at the Richmond shows (especially the one at the Showplace), but don't expect any outstanding deals from any of the tables.
 
Nope, no deals. Every gun show in the world has gone to retail +90%. That is why gun shows have all but completely stopped occurring. :rolleyes:

What I have learned is that the lack of "deals" pertains more to what a given person is looking for instead of what is actually available. I have been a show that I thought had no "deals" and yet my buddy was thrilled with 2 great bargain guns because the gun show most definitely had what he was looking for, yet I thought it had nothing.
 
GUN SHOW is the key word here! I think their a social event for retired folk mostly. They could care less about selling guns, they get to travel and watch a bunch of people admire their collections. I saw a guy one time who was actually there to sell guns and sold about 20 SW and Ruger revolvers in about an hour. He made several thousand dollars and was gone 3 hours later. Thats how it should be, he was there to do buisness and thats what he did. Others will laugh if you offer 10$ less and say take it or leave it even if you offered them 1200$. They probably dont want to part with it they just want to travel with the wife I think.
 
I think that the vast majority of all dealers with tables at Gun Shows are there to sell guns. Price is one of those things that both the buyer and seller have to pay attention to the market. If prices are going up on a particular group of guns, for example certain Colts and S&W revolvers, I think it perfectly understandable that a dealer will not negotiate (or negotiate very little) on his asking price. It is his property; he can do with it as he chooses.

As far as retail+90% goes. I have not seen it. But, lets say a dealer has a NIB Ruger SP101 in 22 caliber.... not made any more..... I'd ask more too. It is called capitalism. Also certain guns sell better in different parts of the country and as a result, the prices are higher on the ones that sell.

The price of your basic "deer rifle" will be more in the fall as opposed to in the spring. Supply and demand.

The old adage that whatever they have is gold and whatever you have is junk usually holds true when selling a gun to a dealer. But, I understand. The price I am willing to pay for re-sale is different from the price that I will pay if I plan on keeping it for years as part of a collection. Dealers operate the same way.

Dealers also have operating costs. Operating a business is not free. The cost of tables, hotels, meals, gasoline, the truck to haul the display, etc. is not free.
 
Every gun show in the world has gone to retail +90%. That is why gun shows have all but completely stopped occurring.
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You need to come to the Wanenmacher show in Tulsa in October. The 4000 gun vendors will be surprised that gun shows have all but stopped occurring.
 
I went to a "weapons collectors" gun show a couple weeks ago. I expected mostly C&R stuff, but I was disappointed. I didn't see the Nazi memorabilia, beef jerky/BBQ sauce tables (I was gratified that they weren't there), but neither did I see any deals that were any better than I would find in a retail store. One table had a beech-stocked K31 for $250 (it was in pretty mediocre shape too, but the numbers were matching), only about $100 above the going rate. While surplus rifles (mainly the SKS, but also several Garands and Enfields) were around, most handguns were new production, and I was disappointed to see no used S&W wheelguns (was keeping an eye out for a Model 10 or other .38spl).

Honestly, with the advent of the internet, I think most people offering decent deals are already selling the guns online without having to sit at an expensive show table all weekend.
 
I went to the gunshow in Austin over the weekend. One thing I have noticed, Winchester '94 lever actions have gone through the ROOF. A year ago they were everywhere, and you could get a beat up one for $150 and a nice used one for $200-$250. Now, if I see one for under $400 I'm shocked. Funny thing is, NO ONE is buying them at that price, and for good reason. It's been too soon after the factory closing for that kind of markup. They may start back up in a year or two, and when that happens, who wants to be holding a beat up '94 they bought for $400? They aren't exactly collectors items, with the numbers that have been produced.

You can always tell the dealers that are there to sell, and the ones that aren't. The ones wanting to do business have reasonable prices on their guns (meaning retail, or less). The ones that don't have a solid 25% markup or more, and they always seem to come back the next month with the same guns for the same price, and no one stops at their table for long.

Let me put it this way: If you're a dealer selling at the show, and you're selling a NIB run of the mill pistol/rifle for $25, $50, or more than what I can get it NIB at the local big box sporting good store, gun dealer, etc., you obviously don't want to sell guns very badly. For something rare or not readily available, then yes, but don't insult me by asking $575 for a new Glock that I can get all day long at any store in town for $500.
 
I go to a gun show every once in a while......

and as I'm walking out, I wonder why I bothered.

Seriously though, I will look at large dealer's NIB guns, but almost never pay attention to the mom and pop used gun dealer. Most of the smaller dealers must have been temporarily loony when they priced their used guns. Of course, all they need is one buyer who has no idea what the gun should cost. It's amazing how many people just impulse buy without shopping around and trying to educate themselves.
 
well i dont know how it is elsewhere, but in SC, the South Carolina Arms Collector Assoc. shows are outstanding. In fact they are annoying, because i find too many good deals, and cant buy them all.
 
Gotta see the other side of the table too. The dealers are there, away from thier shops, possibly on thier day off, listening to idiots try repeatedly to get a lower price. they have to pack up thier stuff set it up, repack it up and then unpack it and put it away back at thier shop. They have to deal with the folks that continually have to handle each and every gun on the tbale while they have NO intentions at all of buying. They have to listen to the same old BS stories over and over and over and over...get the picture. I've worked gunshows and been on the other side of the table. They're not all that enjoyable. Seeing it from the other side makes a difference.
 
I've been on both sides of the table, and am now currently a dealer. I love gunshows. :)

My group (FBMG) does things a little bit different than anybody else at the Salt Lake gunshows, and it has really paid off for us big time.

Before we started, I hated the shows. The dealers were all crusty jerks. They snapped at you when you touched their guns. Prices were high. They were rude. They lied.

So we decided to do it different.

First off, we try to keep our prices as competitive as possible. Obviously I can't make everybody happy, but we can try.

Second, we don't just get tables, we get an entire corner of the hall, (prior to us, they just stuck empty tables there for people to eat their $7 hotdogs). We don't do the typical, me on my side of the table, you on yours. We do ours like a tradeshow booth.

I set up the tables in a U, and put up gridwall and pegs all along the wall. Then we invite people into the area to browse. We encourage people to touch the guns. (that is just common sense). I do keep the handguns in a glass counter, just to keep from getting them stolen, but I have somebody stationed on the pistols at all times.

Then I bring a bunch of big belt fed machine guns and movie props. They aren't even for sale, but by setting them up, it gets folks attention, and these are neat guns that they don't normally get to see. I have lots of people stop to take pictures with them.

I bring in lots of extra people to help. We acknowledge people, and are quick to help. I try to keep a couple different subject matter experts on hand.

We don't discriminate against women, minorities, or younger people. If you don't think that is an issue at a gunshow, you aren't one of the above. As an experiment, we had a friend of ours (attractive woman) walk the show, looking at AR15s. (she is extremely knowledgeable about them). She was totally ignored by the vast majority of the other dealers. The ones that did talk to her, usually just looked at her chest and treated her like she was stupid.

PvtPyle and I are the owners, and we're the most knowledgable about our specialities. So we always make sure we take time to talk and educate. No BS, no trying to just sell what we have in stock. You would be amazed how many people buy their first guns at a show, and they usually get hoodwinked into buying something that really doesn't fit their needs. I'll often take twenty minutes talking to somebody. Often that person comes back on Sunday afternoon right before close and buys something.

So that's how we do it, and it works well for us.
 
We don't discriminate against women, minorities, or younger people. If you don't think that is an issue at a gunshow, you aren't one of the above.
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Boy that's the truth.
 
Nope, no deals. Every gun show in the world has gone to retail +90%. That is why gun shows have all but completely stopped occurring.
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They still happen once a month in Dayton. True enough, there are a lot more retail vendors than there used to be, but where else can you go to see that many local retailers in one spot? I have found one retailer to be consistently $20 to $40 lower on any gun than any other vendor there. I've purchased a few handguns from him, and only had to drive about 10 miles to the gun show, instead of about 35 miles to his store.

Lots of milsurp and ammo, reloading and cleaning supplies. There is also a knife vendor that will order anything you want from SMKW, then bring it to the next show, and do it cheaper than I can order it myself.

There is more junk than there used to be. I've even seen a dealer selling hand made pillows and quilts, but there are more men bringing their wives and kids too which is a good thing.

I take my dad with me too. He's 79 and loves looking at all the WWII stuff, it's a great time for us. Even better when my son goes too.
 
If you want to see the joke of all joke "gunshows" drop by the one in Austin. I was there last weekend and I would bet at least 40% of the crap displayed was baubles,trinkets, guys with bad dye jobs and over priced junk.
I wandered that entire show and looked at every table trying to find a flat blue steel mainspring housing. One gut had used housings for $28.00!!! and another joker had new one's for $26.00 !!! both prices are insane.
The onlt deal I found was the guy selling new Les Baer Thunder Ranches for $1450.00, THAT was a deal.
 
Typical gun show, you left out that the concession stand was beside the overflowing men's room designed for 200 guy's and has had 2000 using it including the idiot that throws paper in the urinal. Urinal mint flavored hot dogs are required at gunshow’s along with coffee that is indescribable.

Look up gun show and find some of the classic rants on them. it's fun!!!!!!!
 
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