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Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: TAB on March 27, 2014, 08:28:38 PM

Title: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: TAB on March 27, 2014, 08:28:38 PM
no, I will not be selling guns.  thinking more along the lines of selling of my extra 22 ammo and some of the  accessories that I'm not used for years.   I have about 100000 22 shells, I figure I can sell of 50,000 of them and be ok.   I purchased them off of a y2k prepper for almost nothing.  I figure if I ask the same price as places like midway. I can make a killing and not really deprive myself of anything.  SoI would be under cutting all the guys buying and selling, and still making good cash.  It costs about 75  a day per table.  If Ican sell a couple thousand worth iI woukd be worth it.  What do you guys think?l
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: kmitch200 on March 27, 2014, 09:35:51 PM
Why buy a table? Just walk around with a hand truck or a kids wagon and a sign and the other vendors will buy it.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: TAB on March 27, 2014, 09:50:21 PM
I don't want to sell to vendors, I want to sell to shooters.  want people that either can't find it or are getting ripped off to buy it.    Other wise I would sell it at 40 a brick like every one else there will be.  The exact same ammo only new is, 25 on midway right now.  I think thats a fair, if you buy a case, make it 20.  Atleast that is my thinking. Maybe do some thing like if you bought your kid a 22 at the show, 10  for a brick.  I want people to enjoy it.  Its just collecting dust in my garage.  I shoot a couple bricks a year.  Its more then a life time supply.  I don't need it.   If you can't tell I have been trying to simplify my life.  Getting rid  of stuff like this is abig part of that.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: tigerclaw on March 27, 2014, 10:13:18 PM
Why buy a table? Just walk around with a hand truck or a kids wagon and a sign and the other vendors will buy it.

In the custom knife show world this is called "brown bagging", ie not paying for a table/vendor space and selling out of your car in the parking lot.  This is the fastest way to piss off guys to do these shows for a living as they've paid money to present their products. 

At several custom knife shows that I used to do every year (like the Badger Custom Knifeshow in Wis this coming weekend), it is forbidden and will get you kicked out of the show.  It's not forbidden at the WAC gunshows here in Washington, but I wish it were.  I've been a vendor here and it just pisses me off seeing guys walking around the show trying to undercut guys at tables selling the same products.

Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: TAB on March 27, 2014, 10:59:21 PM
Every gun show I have ever been to has had strick no parking lot sales rules.  Here is my thing, I want to get rid of the ammo, I want for people to enjoy it, not see it got to what ammoumts to a scalpers.  I already donated a case to the local boy scouts camp. If knew of other similar youth groups, I would give it to them.   For me this is about simplifying my life.  If I get to make some one happy and make it so they can shoot, all the better.  The tables are 65 per 8' then there is parking and a sign up fee.  With fuel it will cost me a hundred.  Its 100 bricks, I would think I could do that in a day, or the very least make a big dent,  besides chance are good I will find something I want there.  :-)    I will have a looking for list, on a white board.  Hell the I may even give boxs away to every one I see that brings a kid at the learning too shoot age. 

I know a lot of the dealers/ scalpers will hate me, but I don't care. Yes I get it, you are there to make money, but 100% mark up and buying every thing you can get your hands on is wrong.  I remember all the dealers that jacked their prices to crazy levels and will never give them a dime.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: brushmore on March 28, 2014, 06:23:30 AM
If your selling for $25 a brick don't mind dealing with the shipping hassles you could probably sell most of that just right here on this forum easy.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: Ranger Dave on March 28, 2014, 07:22:17 AM
Contact your local Boy Scout or Girl Scout council they are having a hard time finding .22lr for their shooting programs.

Ranger Dave
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: MikeBjerum on March 28, 2014, 08:07:53 AM
Contact your local Boy Scout or Girl Scout council they are having a hard time finding .22lr for their shooting programs.

Ranger Dave

What Dave said!

Organizations that cater to family oriented shooting is hurting for supplies.  Offer it to them at your best price, and help expand the sport.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: TAB on March 28, 2014, 09:21:34 AM
See post 4.  I already set them up for atleast the next 5 years. ;)

I don't want to ship them, more trouble then its worth.  I live in a small town that is a resort community.  Most people are retiredand at least a quarter are snow birds.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: Magoo541 on March 28, 2014, 09:58:49 AM
I've worked a table at the last 6-7 Gun shows and Sportsman shows here in the Willamette Valley.  It is more fun than I thought it could be.  I work for Oregon Firearms Federation, the NO COMPROMISE Gun Lobby of Oregon  ;), so I don't talk to everyone but the people I do talk to are the best.  Sometimes you'd think I was selling Gay Pride trinkets the way people avoid even looking at me-I guess not all gun owners/buyers feel the duty to protect their rights.  But that's why I do it-duty. 8)
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: TAB on March 28, 2014, 10:14:19 AM
I am in bend and love it.    Its a great place to live, if you don't have to work.  Employment is hard to get,  I work about 1 week a month as a  contractor, don't gross a quarter of what I did in sacramento and make about 75% of what I did.  Only do to the cost of living being less I have more money in my pocket.   Our house alone was cheaper then a lot in gang land. Just about paid off too.  My goal is 2015 to have it paid off. I am currently making 3 mortgage payments a month and its cheaper then the rent I paid 15 years ago for a one bedroom apartment.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: ellis4538 on March 28, 2014, 11:00:44 AM
Wish I could find .22 for $40/500.  Guy I mentioned in an earlier post is willing to go $60/500 for resale at the show.  I could make $$$$ and not have to sit at the show.

Richard

PS:  I'm willing to do that to gouge them!
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: blackwolfe on March 28, 2014, 11:19:34 AM
If I could convince you to ship it, I'll take some and donate it to my Sportsman's Club junior rifle program
or Project Appleseed shoot.
Appleseed is another worthwhile cause to support.
Maybe one of these shoots is near you and you can contact them to donate some.
http://www.appleseedinfo.org/search-states-display.php?qstate=OR&statename=Oregon
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: tigerclaw on March 28, 2014, 11:23:23 PM
I know a lot of the dealers/ scalpers will hate me, but I don't care. Yes I get it, you are there to make money, but 100% mark up and buying every thing you can get your hands on is wrong.  I remember all the dealers that jacked their prices to crazy levels and will never give them a dime.

Hey TAB,

I think that doing it this way is the right way.  I agree with you that trying to take advantage of the current market situation by double the retail price of hard to get items is absurd.  Good on you.
Title: Re: anyone ever been a vendor at a gun show?
Post by: kmitch200 on March 29, 2014, 12:21:07 AM
I don't want to sell to vendors, I want to sell to shooters.

So if a guy comes over to buy 8 bricks are you going to grill them to find out if they have a table?
What if he lies? Are you going to take it back by force?
If you're selling it, you sell it. You don't get to dictate to the buyer what he does with it after you parted with it for cash.
I understand the reasons you have but the real world isn't as rosy as we'd like it to be.
As Blackwolf said, an Appleseed donation would be excellent!

In the custom knife show world this is called "brown bagging", ie not paying for a table/vendor space and selling out of your car in the parking lot.  This is the fastest way to piss off guys to do these shows for a living as they've paid money to present their products.

Well that's just too bad...boo hoo for the vendors that mark up stuff to 110+% of retail. :'( 
I've been to many gun shows that forbid parking lot sales. Not one has stopped someone from walking around with product for sale and a sign saying it's for sale. They followed the rules and did it in the building, not the parking lot.