Another disappointing gun show

[roundels]

The best gun show deal I ever made was for my DSC Victory Model. It was being sold for an elderly gentleman by a table runner. I traded a beater Enfield Mk4 for it that I was trying to get $75.00 for.

That said, I was a gun show regular for almost 40 years. One of the reasons I used to go was to hobnob with the Old Guard on both sides of the table. Nearly all of them are now gone and with them my desire to wade through crowds who are in large part made up of deal makers and takers instead of hobbyists with a genuine love for the subject matter.

 

[Lance Boyle]

I mostly quit going to shows. I wasn't seeing good old wood and steel, 95% was economy plastic stocked rifles and plastic second rate handguns. Junk I wouldn't own.

 

[AJ]

I went with a buddy to a 1300 table gun show last weekend and out of the 1300 tables, I'd say 400 of them were fantasy knives and swords. 500 were AR 15's and parts, assorted ammo holsters and body armor. 150 tables of jerky, jelly and assorted candy. 50 tables of stun guns, jewelry, and cheap optics. 25 tables of targets and posters, 20 tables of antiques, with the remaining tables of overpriced picked over guns that looked like they had traveled the gun show circuit for years. There was one table that had a few different primers for sale at a decent price, but not a grain of powder was in the whole show. I told myself years ago, I am done with gun show, but now I am for sure.

Where was a 1300 table gun show? The biggest one here is Fla. is the winter Lakeland Gunshow and it was billed as 600 tables. I have been to the old L A County Gun Show many over 30 years ago at the LA County Fairgrounds. The big show was billed as 13 miles of tables and the smaller show was 4.5 miles of tables. Now I believe that show has moved to Nevada, when the LA County Supervisors became anti-gun and closed the fairgrounds there to the show promoters.

 

[Malkovich]

Well, I said I wouldn't do it again but I ended up going to a local gun show on Sunday morning. I don't really have any Wish List guns on my radar right now, and the local shows rarely have anything that I'm interested in buying anyway. But it was a beautiful day for a motorcycle ride and I decided to stop by and take a look around. I paid my $8 at the door and walked in with a positive attitude and anticipation of a great find. I started my first pass around the venue, and much to my chagrin I was greeted by several tables of jewelry with sales ladies biding their time with their knitting! Then came the black rifle tables and the plastic pistol tables, and table after table of cheap knives (it seems that the karambit is the latest knife craze). Then there was a huge display of modern air rifles complete with suppressors, and tables full of cheap imported optics. I did find a couple of tables with a few minty vintage Colts (mostly $3K+ Pythons) and a couple of pricey vintage S&W revolvers...but I think that they were there more for show than for sale. The show was rounded out by beef jerky, a few beat up military surplus rifles, some worn out shotguns and hunting rifles, bluetooth stereo speakers, and several tables of body armor, t-shirts and hats. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I didn't even make a second pass around. I'm all for supporting the local shows and local businesses, and 2nd Amendment sales, but some of these shows are just a waste of time for me. Very disappointing.

The internet has made all those niche items, relics and hard to finds… easy to find. In retail it's hurt the shop keeper, in the collectibles world, sounds like shows are hurting.

 

[SAPDretired]

I also miss the days when one could walk into a gun show and find almost any firearm for around $100 less than the LGS was charging. This seemed to have changed during Covid, at least here in south Texas. Nowadays if I do attend a local gun show I'll be out of there in about an hour due to finding the same vendors, often with the same overpriced firearms and ammo that have been on their tables since the last two or three shows. It seems to be just a social event for some of them to show up and shoot the bull with other vendors all weekend or maybe its just an excuse to get away from the wife for a couple of days. In any case, most GS vendors (no, not all of them) don't seem to care, based on their prices, about moving any inventory. If I'm going to pay sticker price for a firearm or box of ammo, I'll go to my local gun shop who I know will be there in case I have an issue with the product later, not from someone who just pays for a table rental and the gas to get there and does not have overhead like rent, utilities, taxes, payroll and all the other expenses of a brick and mortar business. OK, rant over.

 

[Crazywader]

I honestly can't say if the demand for Pythons are up or down. I recently bought a circa mid-70's 6-inch nickel Python. I'm a S&W guy. I just couldn't pass it up.

When the new Pythons first came out, I gave them a hard lookin over. And didn't 'feel' a thing like I do when I'm handling an older S&W. So I started looking at older Pythons and still nothing. I must have looked at more than a dozen old and a dozen new Pythons of similar barrel lengths and yet, when I see a S&W in similar caliber, barrel length, and condition, I get that tingling feeling. So I guess there's something wrong with my wiring. Kind of glad about that, actually.

 

[Dan W. Cady]

What I really hate is being charged to park and some mone-backer telling me where to do it.

Just ask them about Valet parking and watch their expressions!

 

[retarmyaviator]

The Alabama Gun Collectors show in Hoover yesterday was great. Plenty of old Colts, Smiths, Belgium Brownings, etc. A lot of stuff was selling.

It was a very good show and well attended. I was there Friday and Saturday, picked up a very nice all matching 1918 dated Erfurt Kar98. Good many nice walk ins came by the tables, so many that a couple of friends went and stood by the door with one buying a very nice early M1 carbine and the other an all matching Gew98.

 

[Greyman50]

Should have clarified the good small gun show, Lakeland Pistol and Rifle Club show. Worth the drive.

 

[AJ]

I have a friend that sets up at Lakeland for every show that the Club has there. He specializes in M1911's. I am not sure of the sizes now for the shows there. The winter show (January) was 600 tables and the April & Sept shows were 300 tables. last time I was there it was in two different hangers at the airport for the winter show annd one hanger for the others.

 

[Greyman50]

Was way smaller than years ago, not sure of table number but everything there was Good stuff.

 

[AJ]

I have a friend that sets up at Lakeland for every show that the Club has there. He specializes in M1911's. I am not sure of the sizes now for the shows there. The winter show (January) was 600 tables and the April & Sept shows were 300 tables. last time I was there it was in two different hangers at the airport for the winter show annd one hanger for the others.

Was way smaller than years ago, not sure of table number but everything there was Good stuff.

That was 10 years ago when it was at the Convention Center, with both auditoriums open. Both were full then for the winter show. The other two shows (Apr. & Sept) were only one side.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

It was a very good show and well attended. I was there Friday and Saturday, picked up a very nice all matching 1918 dated Erfurt Kar98. Good many nice walk ins came by the tables, so many that a couple of friends went and stood by the door with one buying a very nice early M1 carbine and the other an all matching Gew98.

Three friends and I were at the Hoover show. It was the best I've been to in a while. Several things that tempted me - one was what seemed to be a legit model 14 4". I ended up buying a mint, boxed Colt New Frontier .22. One of my friends came home with a 5-screw Highway Patrolman 6", another bought an 8 3/8" 629.

 

[McPherson]

I went with a buddy to a 1300 table gun show last weekend and out of the 1300 tables, I'd say 400 of them were fantasy knives and swords. 500 were AR 15's and parts, assorted ammo holsters and body armor. 150 tables of jerky, jelly and assorted candy. 50 tables of stun guns, jewelry, and cheap optics. 25 tables of targets and posters, 20 tables of antiques, with the remaining tables of overpriced picked over guns that looked like they had traveled the gun show circuit for years. There was one table that had a few different primers for sale at a decent price, but not a grain of powder was in the whole show. I told myself years ago, I am done with gun show, but now I am for sure.

Come to Texas! These photos show a small section of my offerings at the shows. I usually have 60-80 handguns, mostly S&W, most 60's, 70's, 80's… original boxes, papers, tools…

 

[diyj98]

Inventory is the problem at the gunshows I normally attend. It's the prices. Most nice S&W's are normally at least $300 higher than they can be picked up on the various auction sites.

 

[diyj98]

Great idea, but you can go overboard. I had a C&R license, a credit card, and a Wife that pay's no attention to what I buy. I get gun's from her for Birthday's and Christmas. She has four Cat's that I say NOTHING about. Anyway, back to C&R's. I'm sorry to say you missed that boat by about two decades. NIB Yugoslavian SKS's were new in crate five for $600.00 delivered, CZ 82's with spare magazines, holster, and cleaning rod $180.00 delivered. Makarovs, new in box, from East Germany and Bulgaria were $160 to $200, delivered. 8 MM Mausers from Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were VG for $80 to $120.00. Ammunition for them was 5 Cents a round. Want a Tokarev in 7.62 MM? Used, VG, $120.00. I could go on. I recently sold one of those SKS's for $650.00 and found out later I could have gotten $800.00. Walther P-38, $180.00. I had to quit, the entire house smelled like cosmoline.

When I had my C&R, Turkish mausers with bayonets were $39.99 from S.O.G. and refurbed Mosins for $49.99 with free shipping if you purchased a pallet from Aztec. Chinese SKS's were well under $100. The Russian capture P38's and Lugers were dirt cheap as well.

 

[retarmyaviator]

The main thing I use shows for that I do not setup at is networking with other collectors. These days for much of what I am looking for I will not find at a show, but I will find someone who has that item at home and I will buy it later. For example, at a show a few months ago I met a collector who had a number of antique military rifles I was interested in at home. A couple of days following the show he sent me a very detailed list of close to two hundred in his collection that were available. I ended up buying several from him. When you get into a niche collecting area much of it boils down to who you know rather than what is on the tables which is why I always encourage people to go to the shows, it's all about networking in many cases.

 

[Greyman50]

IIRC back in the 80s? when all the " commie guns" started to be imported some friends and I bought half a pick truck full of M.N.s for $14.95 each. Couple of them had FFLs and we always did the Norfolk, Hampton and Va. Beach gun shows. We sold them for $40 each. They were imported by the business in Vt?

 

[Abbotson]

Great idea, but you can go overboard. I had a C&R license, a credit card, and a Wife that pay's no attention to what I buy. I get gun's from her for Birthday's and Christmas. She has four Cat's that I say NOTHING about. Anyway, back to C&R's. I'm sorry to say you missed that boat by about two decades. NIB Yugoslavian SKS's were new in crate five for $600.00 delivered, CZ 82's with spare magazines, holster, and cleaning rod $180.00 delivered. Makarovs, new in box, from East Germany and Bulgaria were $160 to $200, delivered. 8 MM Mausers from Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were VG for $80 to $120.00. Ammunition for them was 5 Cents a round. Want a Tokarev in 7.62 MM? Used, VG, $120.00. I could go on. I recently sold one of those SKS's for $650.00 and found out later I could have gotten $800.00. Walther P-38, $180.00. I had to quit, the entire house smelled like cosmoline.View attachment 779534View attachment 779535View attachment 779536View attachment 779537View attachment 779538View attachment 779539View attachment 779540

The good old days. Not quite like shopping 03s, Lugers, P38s and Enfields all stuffed in barrels for $50 or less, each. But really good times.

 

[Daddyojoe1]

Kettle corn, dreamcatchers and local honey, and a few tables of clapped out .22 rifles. All for a $10 door ticket.

 

[tate razor]

Come to Texas! These photos show a small section of my offerings at the shows. I usually have 60-80 handguns, mostly S&W, most 60's, 70's, 80's… original boxes, papers, tools…

You are correct! I have been to the gun shows in San Antonio multiple times when I used to have a buddy that lived in Ft. Worth. I would also hit every gun shop around Ft. Worth and Dallas as well. That's been a few years ago.

 

[giguchan]

I never attend guns shows anymore. Unless I'm looking for something specific. Then, there's only one local show I go to that caters more to the vintage crowd. The rest are just plastic, jewelry and jerky.

Even at that one show, there are more and more goobers on both sides of the table. More and more sellers seem to use it more as social time with there cronies, and seem to have little interest in selling their wares.

I used to go to every one, just to browse if nothing else. Now, the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

"Juice ain't worth the squeeze".... I like that one.

 

[giguchan]

Kettle corn, dreamcatchers and local honey, and a few tables of clapped out .22 rifles. All for a $10 door ticket.

And the occasional dyson vacuum... no kidding.

 

[giguchan]

No doubt that most small local gun shows are not what they once were. It used to be a good place to buy ammo and reloading components. The guns offered aren't interesting, for the most part and good deals are few and far between. That being said, I find them cheap entertainment and once in a blue moon I find a gun that I'm interested in. Other rare times, I sell something. This is the last thing that I stumbled upon:

No doubt that most small local gun shows are not what they once were. It used to be a good place to buy ammo and reloading components. The guns offered aren't interesting, for the most part and good deals are few and far between. That being said, I find them cheap entertainment and once in a blue moon I find a gun that I'm interested in. Other rare times, I sell something. This is the last thing that I stumbled upon:

I'm in the market for a MDL 36 2" This is a lovely looking piece!

 

[giguchan]

Yeah I feel ya. Ever since Covid it seems like people mark stuff up at shows to ridiculous prices and do the ol "I know what I got Sonny" when you try and haggle. I'm in my 30s and have been shooting for about 15 years and it's gotten harder and harder to find deals the last few years, even on "shooter grade" guns. Gets frustrating because I like supporting my small businesses too but you just can't justify spending 50% more that what something is worth.

HERE HERE!!!! Well said!!
Everybody has gold or so they think

 

[giguchan]

I pretty well agree with everything said, but I keep going because I never know what will be out on the tables, & the show is 5 minutes away, & I get in for free. Look what I picked up 6 weeks ago. And since the seller wasn't a FFL, there was no paperwork. GARY

Did you get this from a seller in Idaho? If so you beat me to it!

 

[giguchan]

I pretty well agree with everything said, but I keep going because I never know what will be out on the tables, & the show is 5 minutes away, & I get in for free. Look what I picked up 6 weeks ago. And since the seller wasn't a FFL, there was no paperwork. GARY

you're in Florida.. nevermind.

 

[giguchan]

Come to Texas! These photos show a small section of my offerings at the shows. I usually have 60-80 handguns, mostly S&W, most 60's, 70's, 80's… original boxes, papers, tools…

Looking for a MDL 36 SS or Nick(Haven't decided yet).38 2" 70's-80's