I went to a gunshow yesterday....

[Tyler Durden]

this is a pic I took while there:



are gunshows getting more pathetic in your area too?

[robheath]

Yes...The gun shows around here are going down hill fast.  They are either selling junk or the price is higher than I would pay at Acadamy sports.  They don't wheel and deal anymore and there are not any bargans.  I only go to about 2 a year now, and then just for parts.  I think it's sad because gun shows are important to our 2nd A rights.

[Pecos Bill]

Yeah, they're getting crappy around here also. If you're not into eastern european military, junk jewelry, or knives made in the pacific rim don't bother. What little good stuff there is is so over priced as to be silly.

Pecos

[Timothy]

I don't go to many anymore.  There is one in Springfield that gives us an excuse to stop by S&W and their company store/indoor range facility though.  It's been a couple of years though!  If you're ever in the area, you can rent pretty much everything they manufacture and shoot right there at the store.

[Pathfinder]

Ours have the usual fur trader / jerky people / crafts stuff, but not a lot. Besides, for those ND winters, you need a good fur hat or, um, muff. 

Most of the stuff is decent still, and a few of the dealers are still pretty decent in pricing. They also tend to have stuff not on the shelf. Since we are so dispersed, it is also a nice change of pace to travel. Grand Forks has one (hour or so north), Bismarck has one (OK, 3 hours west, long drive), Fargo has three now, one at the fairgrounds in October, our range hosts one in December, and one at the Civic Center in January.

The one at the Range was so big that we shut down the actual shooting part and set up tables in there. We are already booked solid for this coming December.

The one at the civic center is growing too. The one at the fairgrounds is actually shrinking maybe, and doesn't have much variation, mostly fudd stuff, parts of this and that, almost a flea market.

[Sponsor]

[kmitch200]

I think the only people that are excited about guns shows anymore are pawn shops and fake nazi junk sellers.
I listened to one guy with a table bitch to his buddy that he just can't sell anything. One look at his prices and it was obvious that he didn't WANT to sell anything.
Who pays higher prices for used from someone that is leaving town, when I can get new cheaper from the LGS? (unless it's a prelock S&W)

[MikeBjerum]

They are not going that direction.  They have been there and are fighting their way back.  After decades of a generations that would rather play video games than experience the real thing, and that would rather sit inside than enjoy the outdoors, our passion has taken a major hit.

Most of our local shows are expressing that tables must be a certain percentage gun, shooting or hunting related, and some say that no craft, yard or garage sale items are allowed.  When you have allowed those just to have enough tables to pay the bills it is tough to rein it back in.  However, we can thank Pres. BHO for increasing the interest enough that promoters can now start making them gun, shooting and hunting focused again.

[dipisc]

Hi;

     Local shows here have about all that has been posted about so far. What makes my local shows interesting is that you have to go completely through all of the tables and check prices and ASK questions.  If I were to buy at the first ammo vendor - I would pay $15-20  more per spam can.  A certain vendor always beat the doors off other vendors that sell reloadable .303 and I always look for the 25 yr shelf life food vendor out of Pittsburg, and hope he is there because he is the cheapest and has variety of food stuffs.

     This show saves me more on shipping/hazmat and handling than going to the catalogs or online.  I pay for parking and admission and still save @ $50. - 100. everytime. Driving to the nearest vendor for Mosin clips and other accessories would cost more in gas than what the trip was worth - so They come to me at the show and I save.

     The only problem is    too much toys and not enough money.

[twyacht]

I toned down my Ft. Lauderdale/WPB  gun show appearances, because it was the same dealers with the same stuff for the same price, and an unwillingness to barter, negotiate, horse trade, etc,...

A quick example, when the Ruger LCP first came out I went to a show with a co-worker CCW holder, cash in his pocket, hell bent on walking out with one.

First table NIB LCR: $349.00
Second table NIB  $329.00
Third table NIB $299.00
Final table NIB, $279.00 and a free Nemesis holster.

The .380/AR-15 crunch that shot up prices in 09, into price gouging territory, has a remnant in "some" dealers....that bring the same guns back month after month.

The WWII/Korean/Milsurp dealers, are more flexible, to an extent, as I purchased a complete M1 Garand cleaning kit with every item, and knocked $15.00 off the priced when I mentioned Liberty Tree Collectors .com had them fro around $30.00.

Same with Garand Ammo belts, and bayonets. Dealers pushing Garand bayonets for $120 and up,....when the CMP lets you pick the brand, Oneida, AFH, Utica, etc,.. for one around $50.

Been yelled at by a couple of dealers, for mentioning Cheaper Than Dirt, has the same thing for less...(boy they didn't like that)...

But hey, I'll pay a fair price for something I want, but I research what I'm looking for, and if it's too high,......than look for another sucker to buy it. I won't..

[mortdooley]

 The Houston Gun Collectors Show is 3 times a year at Reliant Park next to the Astrodome, I skip at least one of the three every year and rarely go to any others in the area. Some of the best Venders stopped coming but some are still around so a deal is still possible. Any deal has to include my expenses which are $10.00 parking and two tickets at $8.00 each plus the price of whatever I buy. Last year a fellow attendee sold me an "As New" Keltec PF9 for $200 cash which saved me about $100 between the tax and dealer asking price and I actually had that on my shopping list.