Went to the gun show this weekend........

[montanaoffroader]

And they got me again. I picked up two .22 rifles, a Marlin Model 80 and a Glenfield Model 60. Pic is in the "Last Gun You Bought" thread.

This show was both better and worse than last few.

The bad: Quite a few empty tables, and that's with one section of the building not even set up. I would guess between 25 and 30 percent fewer vendors this time around. Including two of my favorites, the ammo lady who always seemed to have something I could use, and the holster/magazine guy who has gotten quite a bit of my money over the years. Also, none of the people who are generally just there to display their collections were there. Not one. Usually, we have at a least 8-10 collections.

Last but not least, NO jerky samples! None! Thought I would starve to death!

The good: Lots of good deals, especially on rimfires. I already have too many, but I still came home with two more. If I would have had a few more bucks on me, I could have come home with quite few new-to-me toys.

Also, there were a few new people set up at the show, and they had some interesting stuff. Hopefully we see them next time.

The vendors seemed to be more willing to deal, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If they aren't covering expenses, they may not show up next time. I enjoy gun shows, even if I don't always find something to buy. I like seeing some of the odd or unusual items that you don't see every day.

Overall a good show for me, but I suspect some of the vendors didn't do so well. I hope the show goes on......

 

[redneck2]

I used to work part time at the LGS. We did some shows. Most people have no idea how much time, work, and expense goes into a show.

Of course, shows are on Saturday or Sunday so the dealers have to pay extra to the employees. Remember, you still have to man the original store, so that’s double labor cost. Then everybody expects “deals”, which means the dealers are selling on a very reduced margin, or even below cost.

Security is a nightmare as typically all the guns are on an open table. Something WILL get stolen. Guys bitch because you’re not there to answer every single stupid question while somebody else is picking you clean.

You see endless buyers looking at your inventory, then looking online to get it cheaper. For all the hundreds of hours and hundreds or thousands of dollars of expense, you end up being the showroom for on online seller.

I expect gun show to go the way of $50 milsurps.

 

[Steve S.]

Agreed - the LGS and shows are a place to fondle your likes; the net is the place to get (usually) the best price. A set up with added overhead will not be able to compete with net pricing - a reasonable person would declare a foul but as human nature goes, the consumer’s #1 concern is “the wallet”. Consumers proclaim their compassion for poverty but have no qualms about purchasing cheaper items made by an extremely poor labor force in another country. People are people, the mob is fickle - their basic nature is to be politically correct out of fear but always serve their self interests in the back alleys of their thoughts. There will always be dinosaurs and there will always be meteors to eliminate them.

 

[entropy]

For new guns you are right, Steve S., you can often do better online, especially for a reputable dealer (Not always on GunBroker...) But buying a used gun online, you are putting a Yuuuuge amount of trust in the seller. I like to thoroughly examine a used gun before I buy, and eyes on is still the best method. You might catch something the seller missed.

 

[DannyLandrum]

Used to go to them all the time in OK - last 15-20 years, no good deals at all (or rare as hen's teeth). Moved up here 3 years ago, and finally went to my first gun show - to my surprise there are actually a few more good deals to be found (far more than OK)... sadly, I'm scratching a broke butt these days, but at least they're worth going to again and fantasizing about "what if I had money to take advantage of that deal - how cool would that gun be?" Frustrating, but it still beats just eyerolling down every aisle at how absurd the non-deals are.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

We have two gunshow organizers here: one is the big, flashy one with billboard and radio advertising. The outfit that runs that one also owns a multi-store chain of gunshops, so guess who gets all the prime floorspace?
You'll pay $12 to see row after row of generic black plastic pistols and ARs at the same price you'll pay in store.

I only go to that show if I'm trying to sell something. Private sales are legal here, and they do draw a good sized crowd.

The other guys rent a much smaller venue here in Sarasota twice a year. Lots of Mom and Pop tables with nice old Milsurps and attic finds, knife makers, wood carvers, t-shirts. You never know what you'll see- which is why I go.

Oh, and jerky- lot's of jerky!

 

[BSA1]

Gun Shows are what you make of them. My must buy item at the gunshow are surplus ammo cans.

I am talking about the real deal military surplus ones, not the plastic MTM ones and cheap ones sold by Wally-World. My Gun Club puts on a Spring and Fall Gun Show and there is a always a dealer with a lot of military surplus ammo cans. I don't know what happened at the last one but most of his cans were literally beat to heck and I only found one 30 caliber one worth buying. I need a bunch of cans this time around so hopefully his inventory will be better. He only charges $10.00 for the 50 caliber and $8.00 for the 30's.

Fall show coming up in couple of weeks. I'll be shopping for odd ball items where the shipping costs several times more than the item itself.

 

[loose noose]

I've got a few good deals at gun shows out here, but always on a Sunday early afternoon, and always on used firearms, and smokeless powder. For example I got a new never fired 30-40Krag Ruger No.3 for $600.00, and a Savage Model 99 made in the mid 1930"s that looked like it was a much newer model with the walnut stock. Bought some IMR 4227 1# cans of powder for $20.00 as well as H110, and some WW231, they all worked as they should have, and that was when such powders were going for $30.00 + tax at the local gun stores. Note none of the powder cans I bought had been opened, otherwise I would have steered clear. I've had other deals such as Lyman lube and bullet sizing machines that still work just fine to this day. Ya just have to look is all and go on a Sunday rather than on a Saturday.

 

[George P]

I think I know who NightLord is talking about; it isn't just $12 to get in, but at one location it is also $8 to park; with gas I would be out $40 before walking in where new gun prices are higher than at the store to cover the extra expense of the show.

 

[sean m]

The show's near me have slowly shrank in the variety of merchandise and the diversity of dealers. I still go to one every few months just to keep abreast.

 

[Hasaf]

It seems that I only go to one or two Gun Shows per year. It has moe to do with eing where the shows are. I will be going to one this weekend. When I was there last year there was a commercial vender that had lowers for a lot less than the local shops. I hope he is there this year because I want to get about three (only three because the truth is that I have already approached this months gun budget with my wife's Christmas present).

Last year I purchased a carbon fiber AR instead. I also got a 1860 army (rep) at a good price at another gun show. I do set myself a budget and limit before I go in. There are some decent deals at many of them; but it has to be on something that is already on my list. Yes, I keep a spreadsheet of my short-list. That way I stay focused and avoid the, "oh, this looks interesting. . . "

 

[Browning]

I'll usually hit the large gun shows at Market Hall or Roy Rodgers in Ft Worth every few years, but I've quit going to the smaller ones even though they're closer. Just not as many deals.

I think that's because the deals were primarily from ordinary shooters generally looking to trade out some of their large collections to make room for something else.

The net is slowly but surely killing gun shows. Private sellers have mostly moved to sites like armslist, arfdotcom and Texas gun trader.

In the 80's, 90's and early ought's you could find some really good deals though. Sure, you had to deal with the jerky salesmen and the crazy cat lady selling crystals, but still .... used to be way better overall. Then again, the Internet either didn't exist or wasn't what it is now.

 

[theotherwaldo]

We have one company that does six shows per year in the area.
That's it.
I try to go every time the show rolls through. I usually find a few nuggets in the mass of black plastic priced above MSRP. It's mostly a matter of knowing what it is that you're looking at.
Anyway, it's only five bucks for two days.

 

[montanaoffroader]

We have 3 shows a year here, 2 full shows and one smaller show limited to antiques and collectibles. The spring show was ok, the smaller show was ok, but the recent fall show was a bit lacking. It was worthwhile for me, but I've spoken to a couple of the guys that set up there and they said from a vendor standpoint it was pretty slim. I may try to get to one of the Billings shows sometime in the next 6 months, I hear they are pretty decent.

As far as internet sales go, I agree that gunbroker and place's like Bud's are taking a bite out of local sales. Lots of used guns that used to be available locally in pawn shops and small sporting goods store wind up going out of area for more money.

With low prices and often free shipping, amazon and other similar online retailers are almost certainly grabbing a piece of the accessory market as well. They can easily undercut locals on scopes, holsters etc. due to their lower overhead and large buying power.

All this makes it tough to make a buck at guns shows or in a smaller shop, IMO

I'm not a fan of gunbroker, mainly because I prefer to buy in person. I do occasionally find a deal on Armslist, but most of my guns lately have come from pawn shops.

Guess I'm kind of a dinosaur.......

 

[frankmako]

Gun shows in the 70's and 80's were great and you got real deals. In the 90's they started going down hill. In the 00 they turned into the knife and jerkey show. Went to one this year that was mostly ar15 type rifles and very little else. It is sad. Pay to park, pay to get in, then have to put up with Rambo talking crap or that guy that can get it several hundred dollars lower at some other place .

 

[Flash!]

I'll usually hit the large gun shows at Market Hall or Roy Rodgers in Ft Worth every few years, but I've quit going to the smaller ones even though they're closer. Just not as many deals.

I think that's because the deals were primarily from ordinary shooters generally looking to trade out some of their large collections to make room for something else.

The net is slowly but surely killing gun shows. Private sellers have mostly moved to sites like armslist, arfdotcom and Texas gun trader.

In the 80's, 90's and early ought's you could find some really good deals though. Sure, you had to deal with the jerky salesmen and the crazy cat lady selling crystals, but still .... used to be way better overall. Then again, the Internet either didn't exist or wasn't what it is now.

Are there any big dealers at the Market Hall shows any more? I know Bachman and SAW closed..... I went to the Houston Gun Collectors show at NRG in Houston today...... not even one big dealer there........

 

[Browning]

Are there any big dealers at the Market Hall shows any more? I know Bachman and SAW closed..... I went to the Houston Gun Collectors show at NRG in Houston today...... not even one big dealer there........

I haven't gone to any this year, but there were some larger dealers last year. 10, 15 and 20 tables all put together in a square or rectangle for one vendor. Fairly large by today's standards.

Of course that was before SAW closed. Many of those at the show were from outside the DFW area. Some from even out of State (Oklahoma and Arkansas IIRC). Most of the largest were from Houston though. If that show was accurate they're covered up with dealers down there.

Maybe they've switched to the net.

Those two (Will Rogers and Market Hall) are the largest shows up here.

I used to go to the smaller ones in Mesquite (Rodeo) and Dallas (Big Town and 80) because they're actually closer to me, but they became so cluttered up with non-gun vendors (wind chimes, cinnamon pretzels and crystals)with whole sections closed off by dividers because there weren't enough tables that I quit going. Mostly used to go to the shows looking for deals on used guns from other shooters (primarily older gun owners that didn't use the net). To buy bulk ammo to avoid the shipping, mags occasionally and military surplus (for pistols it was mostly Walther P-1's, FEG's, Makarov's and Radom's and rifles mostly German - Yugo - Swedish Mausers, Mosin's, SKS's and the like). However eventually the older vendors looking to trade out a few examples of their collection died off or went to the net, the mil-surplus stuff climbed in price and their condition got worse and most stores now will have bulk ammo shipped for you.

When I go now I just go for the experience. To go and just kick tires and to talk with other shooters. If I luck out and see something on my list that's hard to get otherwise then I count myself extremely fortunate.

 

[CapnMac]

Went to the "Original" Fort Worth Gun Show just today.
Did not see any of the dealers/vendors I've become friends with, though.
Was interesting to see just how many dealers had signs (professionally printed ones at that) advertising that they were long-standing brick-and-mortar stores.
I didn't find anything I really needed, but it was not a 'wasted" trip:

• Got me out of the house
• First time in two weeks to need sunglasses
• First day in two weeks to not need raingear
• First day in a week and a half to not need a warm coat
• Got my exercise walking the show.

And, gave me a reason to stop in at Velvet Taco for some excellent chow.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I went to show last week and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of cooler older stuff that was there and not much of it priced sky high. Nothing that really interested me enough to buy but it was great looking at all of it. I really wanted a Remington 7600 carbine and they had a 7400 carbine that was tempting but not this time.

I only look for and buy used so when a show is filled with brand new stuff that all looks the same (black plastic) I am unimpressed.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I think I know who NightLord is talking about; it isn't just $12 to get in, but at one location it is also $8 to park; with gas I would be out $40 before walking in where new gun prices are higher than at the store to cover the extra expense of the show.

If your thinking of the one that's run by a guy on a Segue scooter- that's it.

Incidentally, that guy clipped me with his stupid scooter 15 years ago and kept on truckin- no "sorry, excuse me."

Didn't even know at the time who he was or that he owned the show and a bunch of stores. I've heard other less than complimentary stories about him since then from former employees and LEOs, but I refuse to patronize his stores just due to that incident years ago.

Jesus saves, and he says turn the other cheek, but I don't think he has any rules about where I spend my money.....

 

[Alte Schule]

Are there any big dealers at the Market Hall shows any more? I know Bachman and SAW closed..... I went to the Houston Gun Collectors show at NRG in Houston today...... not even one big dealer there........

I appreciate you posting that about the NRG gun show. IMO the HGCA sponsored shows at NRG have really been disappointing the last few years as compared to what they once were. I went to one in '15 where ammo vendors were selling CCI Mini Mags for twenty bucks a plastic sleeve and people were lining up with cash in their hand and a glazed look in their eyes.
I was on the fence about going tomorrow with my 16 year old grandson, a two hour drive, to look for another pistol caliber carbine but now I think I'm going to sleep in, make a big breakfast for everyone, and look at ordering that AR 15 pistol in 300 ACC Blackout from PSA that I've been considering as an X-Mas present for my LEO son. And later watching the Cowboy's game at 3:30 then maybe throwing some animal flesh and crustaceans on the grill.

 

[JONWILL]

I quit going a few years ago. All the reports from people I know are the guns are normally priced higher than online

The only bargains are people walking around trying to sell or trade or sometimes private vendors.

The last one I went to was on the west side of Columbus at the now closed Westland Mall. Went in the afternoon. I noticed a large influx of baggy pants and carrying multiple guns that are out of character for the person
Example one guy had a Ruger Blackhawk in 41 magnum, a Colt New Service, a High Standard Match and a Glock 19. Selling them off fast and pretty cheap. In my mind I am thinking they might be stolen.
The private sellers were buying them up.
At that point I didn't want to buy anything from the private sellers knowing the guns may be hot. Why take the chance.

 

[BSA1]

Gunshow update;

I took The Lady with me to the gunshow last weekend.

I got my usual good deal on ammo cans. I brought 4 50's ($10 ea.) and 1 30 ($8.00).

In addition I got to handle the Kel-Tec SU16 which I did not know about. Very cool since it uses AR magazines and folds up. Expensive though at $600.00. But it gives me something to research and learn about over the winter.

The Lady brought a Talo Ruger SR22 for $350.00. At the Spring gunshow earlier this year she cost me $200.00 for a Crimson Trace laser for her S&W M&P.

Taking her to the gunshows are expensive. (Well it is making her birthday and Christmas shopping easy).

Attendance in the Gunshow both days was light. However there is a promoter that put a gunshow on about a month before ours. He closely copies our type of advertising which helps to fool people into attending his show. According to what one vender told me his show was very successful with good attendance.

I think paying for parking is a deal killer for gunshows.

 

[BlueHeelerFl]

I would agree that paying for parking might be a deal breaker. Luckily the company that runs the only gun show in my area doesn't do that, its held at the county fairgrounds and lots of free parking.

The show I went to had lighter attendance than the previous one I went to, but I hit it at the end of the day.

I mainly go to see things that I don't see at my LGS. There were several guns I thought I'd like but I'm not so sure about after seeing in person

 

[bikerdoc]

3 sites here 3 times a year.

On has $7 parking and admission.
One is more a jerkey, jewelry show
The other is OK but the furthest away.
Having been in 6 years.