Gun Show gripe!

[Dr.-d]

Gunshows seem to be like the county fair that comes around every year. Same people, same stuff, same games , same rides, same food, different prices that go up every year.

 

[doublesharp]

I didn't realize there were so many easily offended people on this forum? Just say bug off and walk on. I did make a mistake a few weeks ago and went to an RK show at the fairgrounds. These are generally lousy shows and this one was no exception. still it was fun, I saw friends and got $20 worth of entertainment.

I'm a buyer and a seller and I'm good at both. I don't get upset at lowball offers but I don't take much guff either. If I didn't go to gun shows I wouldn't be able to call Dick Burg, Joe Ruby, GF, Keith44spl, Matt and John Fugate and many others real life friends of mine as well as forum friends.

 

[WR Moore]

The one thing an astounding number of people don't grasp is that to a dealer, a used gun (without special circumstances-and great grand-daddy carrying it up San Juan Hill isn't.) is worth no more than wholesale when sold retail. So, they must get the piece at a price that allows them a decent markup when sold.

The local pawn shops frequently don't seem to understand that either. Then they wonder why the used whatever priced at new retail plus their add-ons doesn't sell.

 

[OLDMAN0090]

I've been on both sides of the tables at Gun Shows and what I have observed is that there is greed on both sides; it seems more so on the vendor side; it's a mere reflection of our today's society. I've watched a used gun go from one vendor to another with an increase in cost each time, and this is prior to the show openning. When the show opens the price is well above full retail for that same gun purchased new. I could get a better deal at a local gun dealer. I also have notice when a woman brings in her deceased husband's gun collection that people are like vultures, and paying her pennies on the dollar for his guns, and she has no idea that she's been screwed. I think a large percentage of buyers, at the Gun Shows, are individuals who don't want to go through a background check and not have the gun registered to them. For me, going to a Gun Show is more of a "social gathering". A topic of conversation at every Gun Show is always when and if our elected officals will "outlaw" or restrict Gun Shows. I think we are own worst enemy and eventually Gun Shows will become a thing of the past because they have priced themselves out of business. I am making no judgements, I am just relaying what I have observed over a number of years.

 

[mkk41]

While I've long given up any hope of finding any great deals on guns I'm looking for at these flea markets they call gunshows. But along with the beef jerky , turquoise jewelry , cheap Chinese knives , mall ninja gear and soldier of fortune 'tactical' clothing , I do find variety and stuff I can't seem to find locally. Bulk paks of cleaning patches , GI cleaning brushes for a buck apiece , plastic cartridge boxes , 100pks of targets.

Don't find the deals on ammo I used to find. I recall buying Port or German or Spanish 7.62 ammo for $125-149 a case of 1000rds. Closing time on Sunday sometimes got a discount on two or more cases as they didn't want to lug it back home.

 

[Alpo]

Seems to me that the original gripe was about the attitude.

If I come to you and offer to sell my gun, and you tell me I want too much, whether it's nicely put (Sorry, that gun's just not worth that much) as crudely put (If I paid you THAT much, I couldn't make any money on it), I kinda need to accept that attitude, 'cause I came to you.

But, if you come up to me, while I'm standing there picking my nose or admiring the sunset or whatever, and say, "That's a nice gun. What'll you take for it?", and then when I name a price you say, "Oh, that's too much. I couldn't make any money on it if I bought it for that.", well who gives a ****? Where does it say I'm supposed to help you make money? You came to me. You don't like my price? Tell me, "That's more than I'm willing to pay". But don't tell me, "I can't make any money on it". I don't care.

 

[deadin]

One that really gripes me when selling a gun is being asked
"What did you pay for it?"
Depending how I feel at the time my answer could be any of the following:
"$5.00"
"$5,000.00"
"I ashamed to tell"
"Just because I got a deal doesn't mean you do"

or I just shake my head and walk away.....

 

[wbraswell]

I went to a show in Market Hall in Dallas, a couple of weekends ago, and really had a nice time. I sold a gun and traded another. For the prices you wanted, you would have more luck trying to sell to someone in the aisle rather than behind the tables.

 

[Danny Abernathy]

deadin, that brought up a situation at a gun show one time. While I was at a show with a friend of mine he had a gun he was trying to sell. Guy walks up to him and seemed to know him and they talked for a minute and the guy says" hey, I see you have so and so's old gun. What do you want for it?" My friend told him a price and the guy says "that's too much I know what you paid for it and you are doubling your money". My friend replied that the price he asked was well below what the gun was worth even though he was doubling his money. They bantered back and forth for a few minutes then my friend was getting aggrevated so he blew back at the guy "if you bought a brand new Cadilac for a hundred bucks would you sell it to me for two hundred?" the guy stepped back and said "heck no, it's worth more than that". My fried replied "but you are doubling your money" and laughed and walked away. Get the point? I try to sell something for what it is worth, I don't wholesale and I sure can't buy it for that! I can't afford to support every cheater and gun show shark there are.
I was just airing a gripe of mine in the original post and it has gotten a little off topic concerning dealers and their profit. I have no gripe with them and apologize if I stepped on some toes.

 

[dkizer22]

An old friend that traded a lot told me " You can shear sheep every year,but you can only skin them once"

 

[1 old 0311]

I am a bit older than you and also have been in the 'gun game' for 40+ years. It USED to be people at gun shown were SHOOTERS. Now they are business men who do it strictly for profit.
I deal with 4-5 SERIOUS S&W dealers at the big shows. All say the same thing " I am not attached to any of these. It's all about making money." I do miss the old days.

 

[Stanster]

I go purely for the entertainment. If I see equipment or accesories I want and/or need, I will purchase them [e.g. ammo, cleaning gear, magazines, etc.] If there is some specific firearm I am looking for I educate myself on what it is worth and carry enough cash to purchase it. I haven't found anything worth buying in several years.

The gun shows in Southern California are just basically table after table of dealers with high prices and the most incredible non shooting related junk you can imagine. My wife and I went to one in Eugene, Or last year [about 55 miles away]. It was much, much smaller than the SoCal shows naturally and not nearly as entertaining. I was looking for aRuger 10/22. I found one in ok but so/so condition, but it was priced 20 dollars higher than a brand new one at a Pacific Northwest regional department store. I told the guy that, thinking he might drop the price, he rolled his eyes, shrugged and said to it buy it there.

I took my money, went to Bi-Mart and bought a brand new 10/22.

 

[ElToro]

only reason i go to a show anymore is to spend an afternoon with my dad and get some jerky. PRK shows have been pretty weak for some time. its all overpriced and in CA tehre is no such thing as a " gun show loophole" so if i do buy i have to wait 10 days and pick up within 30 and that means hoping that same dealer is relatively local or having leave the gun with a transfer dealer at the show and then going to that guys shop 2 weeks later. is got to be the deal of a lifetime to go through that. my dad did get my bro and i each a 125 year commem model 25 at a show. got them as xmas gifts that was cool. also i did buy a LNIB 1966 vintage model 28. the dealer was local so it wasnt too much hassle getting the pick up. otherwise i have much better luck haunting the local shops and prowling the local web site for privae party deals. those are good becuase theres no sales tax (saves me 10% right there!) and the prices are usually pretty competitive

of course theres always the obligatory hot chick in the way too low cut top working her boyfriends booth, she doesnt know squat about guns but shes fun to look at

 

[geddylee10002000]

I call them "gun showing, beef jerky shows". Vendors are "showing" you their guns! And vendors want you to buy their beef jerky! Last show I went to was when the ammo scare after the election was. Haven't been back since and probably never will.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

We have a gun show in middle Tennessee within driving distance every weekend and none of them are any good. I guess the promoters are making a lot of money off these shows but not from me. Don

 

[marcus396]

I go to gun shows in NE ohio, and most of time, dealer tables have 2-3 guys. 4 sets of eyes on their guns, etc and one floating around seeing what guys bring in, acting like a private individual. Last year i bought a colt pocket 9 9mm for 550 box papers etc, and checked internet selling price on them, mostly 1050-1150, and decided to have fun at gun show. almost immediately once guys seen blue colt box, "what's ya selling sonny?" colt pocket nine fired, all papers two factory mags, 1050 negot, made in 1999 only an 6000 made, and I DONT HAVE TO SELL IT. 3 dealers and two colt collectors seriously wanted it. then the floor buyers , i call hustlers, started asking about it. one guy told me a guy just sold one for 500 with 5 mags, i said good for him, nice try, and he moved on. two other dealers were nice as can be, and told me up front, they didnt want to insult me with their offer and I was about right on price. went back to first 3 dealers I met to see if they had sold anything, they had not. Me and a colt collector finally started negotiating. I was not in for a trade. My price was 1050 and his offer was 850, after going back and forth, and finally settled at 925, he was happy and I was happy. Seen him at cleveland show jan 21 and he remembered me, and said he still had that pocket 9 and it stayed home. Another time, I took my remington rand 1911A1 early 1945 mfg, to show, trade or get an appraisal, and had 4 different 1911 so called experienced dealers in 1911s, 2 said , yep its a shooter, maybe 500 best, well sir may I ask, what did you see that made that pistol a shooter, its a rebuild, ok, show me what u seen, its got a hs bbl, correct hammer, grooved main spring housing, correct slide stop, grips, etc, if you look real reall close, you can see the metal when stamped after it was parkerized. he said well i didnt get it look at it that close and tear it down, knowing darn well he could make a 1000 bucks. The other dealers / appraisers were more in line of 1400-1550 and told me to keep it , and shoot it. After watching the circuit for a few years, you know who is honest and who to stay away from.

DO you homework, do an honest condition, and play hardball. IF i get insulted , i laugh and go on.

 

[mkk41]

I call them "gun showing, beef jerky shows". Vendors are "showing" you their guns! And vendors want you to buy their beef jerky! Last show I went to was when the ammo scare after the election was. Haven't been back since and probably never will.

And most of it ain't even real beef jerky! It's a processed meat by-product snack with liquid smoke flavor added.

 

[iam4uk24]

Go buy a new white corvette and drive it around the dealership and then tell them you want to trade it for the red one. See what they tell you. Not just the gun dealers, it is all dealers.

It is the way of the world, 99% of the people don't do anything for free.

 

[rcnixon]

The only real reason I go to gun shows anymore is to stock up on #34 and #41 primers and powder to avoid the hazmat fees. The people there are somewhat entertaining and I love to see the junk going for collector's prices. I don't buy jerky, bumper stickers or propaganda and Pop (a butcher for 55 years) taught me how to sharpen a knife.

Russ

 

[iam4uk24]

The only real reason I go to gun shows anymore is to stock up on #34 and #41 primers and powder to avoid the hazmat fees. The people there are somewhat entertaining and I love to see the junk going for collector's prices. I don't buy jerky, bumper stickers or propaganda and Pop (a butcher for 55 years) taught me how to sharpen a knife.

Russ

Want to see RK type items go to an RK show. There are real gun shows out there.