No more gun shows for me

When the old h uys die off or can't load stuff ip, unload it and get tables set up, tear them down, reload the stuff and haul it home until the next gun show the gun shows die off and turn to crap.
That's where we are today.
The people who run the gun shows make their money from renting tables and admission fees.
All they care about is selling tables and getting as many people they can to walk into the building.
And then add all of the these new anti-gun laws the progressives are passing every year its making it tough on us law abiding citizens
There are several factors that lead up to our current state of affairs.

One thing that would help is only rent tables to guns and gun related items.

All of the jerky tables, crap food tables, stun gun tables, paint ball tables and knife tables can go.

That's what flea markets are for. Do you think the flea market administration would allow us to set up our gun tables at their functions?
I highly doubt it.
 
Our entrance fees are the same, but gun shows have changed in other ways. If I want jerky, I'll either make it myself or buy some slim jims. Also, I have no need for Pakistani knives with blades made from truck leaf springs. You get the idea. If I go to the local shows any more, I am probably trying harder to sell than buy.
 
Highland Lofts said:
paint ball tables and knife tables can go.
Click to expand...
A small quibble there. I think the airsoft guys are good as parents can get their kids gun-related stuff and not pay big box stores or sketchy international drop shippers their cash. Paint ball is is a very narrow niche, and if they get use out of the shows, all the better for them.

Now, on knife tables, I'm both pro and con. The junk knives (like cobratech), yeah not so much. But, the good knives, the custom guys, and the knife parts guys are welcome in my book. But, I see Knife Rights as significant as Gun Rights, too. And too often the knife guys get short shrift.

Similarly, I'm in favor of the guy with books and manuals, the cleaning parts people, and the other folk "at the edges" of "our community."

Now, leaf-proof gutters, solar panels, "salt lamps" maybe less so. But, caveat vendor applies, if they are tough enough to rent the tables, they have to be willing to risk not "making the table rent back" too. Just like every other vendor there.
 
I'm in Northern Virginia; here, we have the 'Nation's Gun Show' at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly.

Pre-COVID, there were tables of mil-surps in the $3-400 range. Picked up a nice Mauser 1895 sporter in 7x57 for around the $350 mark and an old 1920s Crescent New Empire 12 Ga SxS for under $300 in 2018-2019. Both have been a ton of fun, though since the Crescent is an old hardware store gun I'm a bit more sensitive about its use and what I shoot from it. When I bought it, the action had loosened up on the barrel lock over the years; 15 min with a towel and delicately directed hammer got it to lock tight. Looks good in the gun case and runs with fun when throwing clays in the mountains.

Going again this year, those sales have dried up. Milsurps are $800+ in decent condition and practically all of the reloading tables have disappeared. Found maybe two or three tables with powder and bullets, but the selection was significantly smaller and I couldn't find primers.

Most of the tables were either new manufacture handguns (Glock/SIG/Taurus/Kimber) and generic ARs and shotguns that I could find online or at a LGS, or premium firearms, antique or specialty, at a much higher price point.

Have to say, being able to hold some of them in person was nice. Would love a Voltsquartsen .22 at some point.

Ammo prices were decent, finding .223 at about $0.47/round.

It's more about the experience for me, and the hope of finding a gem, but it's definitely different now than it was five years ago.
 
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Last Saturday it was $15 to get in. The real gripe was $35 for 2 order of "fries with chiknuggets" in. Tasted like dog treats. We'll keep going, eating lunch elsewhere. MagTech 9mm was $239/1K, if'n you needed it. Joe
 
Some of the “grumpy” sellers are there to socialize among themselves, being acquainted for years.

Business isn’t always the primary purpose. Many show visitors knew “the deal” about sellers years ago.

For both sellers and buyers, gun shows can be one of the few social events in their lives (besides the boring routine of meeting -every week- the same married couple in a noisy restaurant…) , but also with a secondary benefit: where you hardly have to put up with any whining women🙆‍♀️ for a while.
 
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I'll attend as many gun shows as possible, primarily to look for reasonably priced S&Ws and accessories. Arriving early is the key, and the last two shows have netted me a pair of 3rd Gen pistols, including a rare Performance Center model. Bought both within 15 minutes of the doors opening.

Another annoying part of gun shows (besides vendors selling non gun related flea market junk) is the overly greedy dealers... such as a particular one who has been trying to sell a pair of S&W Model 66 snubs for many months. He feels that they're worth $1600 apiece and won't budge on the price. So when I asked him if he would like to buy another 66 snub for $1K, he refused....even after telling him that he'd "miss out on that easy $600 profit". That's proof enough that he knows what they usually sell for, but is fishing for someone who doesn't know. All of his guns are priced way too high, and thankfully nobody buys them. The same guns are in his display case at every show he sets up at.
 
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mope540:

There are several sellers like that in this area.

Luckily a Memphis bureaucrat closed down what had been an actual gun show (—therefore visitors no longer had to suffer—), to be replaced by just a room in the Shriners Bldg selling Glocks and ARs - nothing which appeals to me.

Those old guys who use only total deception and various lies had the same worn-out guns on display for years.
Kinda sad to see them over and over, and the fact that they always Looked broke didn't say much about their guns' conditions or quality, or personal "integrity". if you think about it.
 
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doubleh said:
The local shows are small because of our low population density. Admission went up to $6 from $5 two years ago. No parking fees ever. I went to our February show last year but have been unable to attend any since and will miss the one scheduled for February due to physical problems. 6 bucks is pretty cheap entertainment today. At the last show I found lots of older guns and scades of new revolvers although I left empty handed. i also had some chats with friendly dealers. No cheap jewelry, jerky, etc. was there. Powder and primers were scarce though. I am keeping my fingers crossed hoping to be able to attend the fall show.

There is one show only 72 miles away and i might go to it. Any other is a 2 1/2 hour one way drive and not worth the cost.

My LGS owner loves the gunshows. Says his business increases a lot during each.

deadeye dick, I have already passed the 86 mark but have no heart issues. A bum right wheel is my problem and I am scheduled to see an orthopedic surgeon next month as our arthritis doctor and pain doctor have both thrown in the towel. Business must be booming as it's a long wait to get in to see any specialist in this area.
Click to expand...
Wishing you all the best. My wife had both done (different times) one ok, one not so good The PT after can hurt you, (not saying it will) be careful, they think we are 25 yrs. old.
 
CavalierLeif said:
, there were tables of mil-surps in the $3-400 range.
Click to expand...
Sadly, the days of the affordable milsurp ended years ago.
The supplies dried up, so the remaining examples are few an far between, so their prices have gone up as a result.

pharmer said:
eating lunch elsewhere.
Click to expand...
I've never found much in the way of edible food at one of these events, from either side of the table. Which is part of why I often link a given show location with a good local place to eat.

jmorris said:
Anything at a "dollar store" that only costs a dollar still?
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Well, most of those items in the "dollar" store used to cost wholesale about 11-12¢; most are still under a quarter. But, there are some of those stores with "99¢-$1.99 Store" on their signs. Or, "Everything under $5." Times change.
 
Our local dollar stores went up to $1.25.
A few years ago I rented a table at the gun show to get rid of some unwanted items, the cost was $50 per table.
The gun show we went to last weekend was I 1/4 the amount of tables and the cost per table was $80 a table. No wonder the price on used stuff is high at the gun shows.
If the guys come set from out of town then you have to figure in a room for Friday night, and Saturday night.
Another $300 these days, $150 per night then gas to get there and then back home.

When I got into reloading an old guy told me most of the people who reload are some of the cheapest people you will ever meet.
Though out the decades I find his statement is very spot on.
I'm the other way on being cheap, if I need it, I buy it along with extra stuff in case I break something I can keep going with no waiting on parts.
I just bought an extra RCBS powder measure with the stand. I don't need it but I bought it. When things go down hill again which it will I will have stuff people can't not find.

When obozo was in office I seen a set of RCBS 9mm dies bid up to $210 with two more days to go.

My kid listed three of them real cheap Lee reloading presses on e bay back then.
They brought between $125 to $150 apiece.
Now is the time to buy if you have extra funds.
 
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We set up a table at our local gun clubs show last year and stocked it with fairly priced older guns and reloading components. Very little interest. One or 2 buyers bought almost our entire inventory of reloading, (probably to resell). People were rushing by our area with a passing glance to get in line at the new dealers table to buy new wonder-nines and AR Barbie guns for a 20% markup. (With bg checks, this wasn’t a straw man’s paradise).

It seems to me gun shows are giving the public exactly what they want. There just isn’t enough interest in the old style shows anymore.
 
Now in NV all gun sales are subject to a Brady check at $25.00 plus the FFL guy's $25/$35 fee. CCW's are exempt from the State $25.00 fee but still have to do the 1044 and pay an FFL guy. I haven't been to any gun shows for at least five years, and we have The Big Reno Show here plus some OK small local shows at the Moose Lodge building in my small community.

Our small local show has far more bargains than the Reno Show. I need to get a table and divest of my closet full of clunkers...all gems. 🙄
 
I can't help but shake my head when I read what people pay to go to gun shows around the US. I belong to a nonprofit gun collector group and we have monthly collector shows on the 4th Sunday, plus one big 2 day show every August. The club charges $4 to get in, and parking is free. And club members pay $20 a year to join and get free entry as members. Tables are $10 a month, or $100 for one table and $150 for two tables for the whole year.
Our shows are well attended, and have great older collectible arms. Wont find any new stuff, or gun dealers there. Just private club members and their gun related items. So no jewelry, jerky, beanie babies, etc. at all. Just not allowed by club rules.
 
Ignition Override said:
Our only actual show is a 1:15 drive from here, in Jackson TN. For a pretty small show there are lots of regular milsurp rifles and accessories.

“For A Few Dollars More” (gun pun intended: Eastwood/Claudia Cardinale?) it still beats merely reading about guns on the Internet and looking at this computer screen.
And it gives people a "mission" for the day with other guys--away from the routines of retirement, ie "Groundhog Day".🦫 ....and No Wives at shows....! :eek:🙇‍♂️

This borrowed image from "Armslist":scrutiny: shows approx. 15% - 20% of how many milsurps (and most of the types) the show normally might have:

11879172_01_milsurp_collection_take_a_look_640.jpg
Click to expand...
If your going to drive why not just go to dixey gun works???
 
AJC1: thanks for the idea; my only interest is a narrow spectrum of milsurps and the best clones. And have lost about all interest in handguns—-

But my money is being saved Only for “bulk .308” ammo, literally- therefore any gun show now is only a social scene where we are entertained by milsurp rifles.

Have read that Dixey Gun Works is really cool, although it seems to avoid milsurp rifles from the Cold War.
 
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