Sheesh I hate gun shows.

[dsgrntldPW]

I enjoy going to gun shows, but some recent experiences leave me wondering about people on both sides of the table. I had gone to a show to sell some guns that I had bought new but for one reason or another never fired. Prior to the show I checked with some of the cheaper dealers in the area to see what they were selling for, then set what I thought was a fair price for them. One was a revolver that was going for $390-420+tax at the shops, so I started at $350 for this NIB gun. I made up my sign and hit the show. I realize that the sellers with tables are most likely dealers so I gear my activities to try and attract the notice of the browsing customers, not the dealers. But if a dealer asks to see my stuff I'll oblige. One asked to see the revolver, fully aware of my sign showing my asking price. He looked it over and said "You know I'm gonna have to make a little money off this when I sell it." He then, with a straight face, offered $225 for a new, unfired GP-100. He didn't seem to like my laughter at his offer; he actually acted as if this was a reasonable price! What made the matter even funnier to me was that he had an obviously used GP on the table tagged at $425+tax.

What happened next though made the rest of my day. After I left this schmuck's table a guy came up to me and asked to see the gun, which I obliged. He then said he saw what happened with the other guy and would gladly give me $275 for the gun. Being the jovial guy I am I couldn't help but laugh at him too. He went away. I happily continued through the rest of the show, never sold the gun but had a good time looking at everything. Saw 5 more NIB GP-100's with the cheapest being $399, with tax around $430. I could have savd him at least $80 if he was really looking for a new GP.

What I've found about gun shows is that if you're trying to sell something they want to screw you, and if you came to buy or trade something they want screw you. You just have to get over it and get down and dirty with them pigs. I just try to do my homework (Check local dealer prices and book values.), set a fair starting price and hope that some shopper who is looking for something I have will recognize value when they see it. If not I've at least gotten my daily walking and lifting exercise.

Gun shows are another world unto themselves, great entretaiment.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

And now there's Tulsa! What, 3,000 tables? Now, that's what I call a Pilgramage to my Mecca! One of these daze...

Went there last April and had a blast. Picked up some 30.06 ammo, a couple new in wrapper Winchester mags for my .30 Carbine, parts for a 1903 I'm restoring, and some reloading components. There was me from CO, my brother and his buddy from NM, and some friends of theirs from KS and MO.

10 or 12 middle aged guys talking guns and eating barbeque dinner in the hotel room. That was worth the price of admission right there. Oh, make sure you bring your best walking shoes. We walked for 10 hours straight.

I'll be going again next April.

 

[jsalcedo]

What I've found about gun shows is that if you're trying to sell something they want to screw you, and if you came to buy or trade something they want screw you. You just have to get over it and get down and dirty with them pigs.

August 2 being my first time ever trying to sell something at a gunshow
I went in with my normal outgoing friendly personality and I had the wind taken out of my sails pretty quick.

You are right its every one for themselves. The days of the guy charging a fair price and giving a fair price are over. I guess there are enough folks buying inflated and selling their stuff lowball to make it worthwhile for the vendors to do business this way.

 

[Matt G]

jsalcedo, another reason that I like gun shows is that they're one of the purer raw forms of the open market. If those guys weren't getting what they asked for their guns, they'd come off of it, purt' quick. The market tends to stablilize at what the buyers will pay for an item. Occasionally, by running around the tables, you'll catch a guy who hasn't gotten the word that he could get more for his gun than he's asking, and snatch it up. Sometimes, you can tell another seller that his gun is $40 more than the guy at the end of the aisle, and he'll come of the price. Trust me, table #128 is NOT in cahoots with table #473.

But if you're a gun seller who's paid for a table at a gunshow, and you've got merchandise on that table, and you're asking less than what you could get for that merchandise, then you're not much of a business person, unless you've got a ready supply to restock, and you're still making enought margin to make a profit. (Happens, but is rare for guns. Typically, they come with what they have, and that's it for that show.)

"All the market will bear."

Capitalism. Ain't it grand?

 

[Poodleshooter]

Jeez, you guys take this stuff personally. Do you beat up fellow bidders at auctions for competing with you?
If people have bad deals, just smile and walk past. No need to tell them that they have crappy prices unless they ask your opinion.
I treat gunshows as a speed/smart shopping exercise. I come with a clipboard and a list showing the price I can get my desired items for online. I run all through the show, marking down any prices lower than the internet price, along with the dealer's location in the show. Then I return and start buying.
Vendors often ask what other guys are charging when they see the clipboard, and I always tell them. A few times they've lowered their price accordingly. I bought some primers at the last show for $12 per 1k doing that. I'm ruthless. If there's a penny difference, I buy from the cheaper vendor.
As for selling, I don't bother, aside from the occasional crappy USA AR-15 mag. It's too competitive to be a seller, but you at least have odds of moving your stuff compared to the comatose sales situation in most gunshops in my area.

 

[Bob41081]

DWS1117,

The High Caliber show will sell ammo if they are at the George R. or Pasadena. No Gun Show at Reliant will sell ammo. I bought about $200.00 worht of ammo at the last High Caliber at Geo. R.

Bob

 

[jsalcedo]

MattG

If those guys weren't getting what they asked for their guns, they'd come off of it, purt' quick. The market tends to stablilize at what the buyers will pay for an item.

Absolutely. My cheap nature is still trying to come to grips with that.

I did sales on and off for a while I undercut everyone else and made up for it in volume and repeat business.

It was nice being able to empty my storeroom really quick and go home and spend time with the family.

I'm begining to realize guns don't work that way outside of private sales and the classifieds where folks aren't in it for a steady profit.

 

[Bruce H]

I have a great time at them. Walk around and look on all the tables. Look at the price tags on the weapons. If one seems really steep for what it is look the dealer right in the eye. If I get a grin I smile back. He is looking for the open mouth needing a hook. At times I have seen some real nice firearms that would fit a particualr nitch. The price was far below starting from scratch for the same gun.

 

[telewinz]

I use the same technique Poodleshooter does, just a small memo pad works. Before I'd remember a good price after shopping around and then spend 1/3 of the time trying to relocate that "best" vendor. Also, having a pad and pen in hand sends a signal to the seller that you are a serious shopper and he might not get another chance at you. It works and it will save you money no matter if its a common gun or surplus ammo that you are trying to penney pinch. Thats how effective consumers fight back, comparison shop, it drives vendors nuts to see and be told that the table in isle 'J' has the same thing for $20 less!:banghead: Watch the mark-down pens come out then, better than a Wally World commercial!

Just make sure you go back to the rip-off vendor and let him know that you parted with your money to someone else

 

[ranger]

I like shows, I go to as many of them as I can, usually once every other month or so. See the same table guys a lot of times. Sometimes they remember me, usually not.

Haven't found any real bargains, but it's just SO much more efficient to just pay the $7 and have the equivalent in front of me of driving to every gun shop in the area. Plus some stuff one rarely finds in shops, like a real 100+ year-old Trapdoors, or the $12,000 O/U shotguns that come in their own felt-lined take-down case.

The reloading components are at least 40% off what the gun shops charge, comparable to an internet seller, but no haz-mat, sometimes no tax. Just about all my reloading components come from shows. Same with small stuff, like cleaning patches etc, if you look sharp, you can find stuff for the same price as the cheapest internet seller, but no shipping/tax.

I like to leave broke, even if I didn't buy any guns.

 

[.45Ruger]

I have to say that I really enjoy the Gunshows in the Phoenix area. There are usually lots of tables with darn near everuthing I want or need. I am like a kid in a candy store and will keep going to shows. You do get a good laugh sometimes, I saw a Hi Point 9mm priced for $229, used. Now that was funny.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Caveat emptor.

I like gunshows.

Finally found my Magnum Carry at one. Couldn't afford it right then and "hey give me $25 bucks and I'll reserve it for a month, besides you pay LESS sales tax at my store front than at the show."

Good dealer.

There are plenty of bad deals at shows and plenty of good ones. As far as selling.. well I've never sold a gun.

 

[duckfoot]

Can't complain with gunshows, picked up 1k of 230gr fmj .45acp loose in a ammo can for 165 and a NIB Browning BDA for 365. Felt like I came away with the better deal on both seening the local gun monger was selling the BDA for 475 and 1k of PMC 230gr fmj .45acp around 235. The deals are there but you gotta look hard and look long.