Gun Show Prices?
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wsl1971
Member
the shows used to be the place to get a good deal. the only reason i go now is to find older smiths or stuff that my local shop doesnt carry. as far as new stuff i would rather support my local business.
bill
bill
Yes, many of the show MARKED prices are high enough to very optimistic. Most of these prices are for trading. Most prices are negotiable when cash money is offered.
The best time for bargain prices are:
1. The first hour of show you may find some under priced items.
2. The last hour of show.
I agree that real bargains are few and far between. Real bargains are often bought by other sellers before the doors open to the public.
Bekeart
The best time for bargain prices are:
1. The first hour of show you may find some under priced items.
2. The last hour of show.
I agree that real bargains are few and far between. Real bargains are often bought by other sellers before the doors open to the public.
Bekeart
safearm
US Veteran
I was at the gun show in Laurel, MS this weekend. The prices were appreciably higher than local gun shops, even if you factor in the "trade-in" mark-up, they were still higher. Ammo prices were higher than retail stores. Lots of .40 and .45, very little 9mm.
animalmother
Member
Not only are the prices sky high but at the last few shows I went to, there are long lines at the most popular tables. One dealer had a single person processing approx. 20-25 4473s at any given time.
I was probably at one of those shows if you're referring to one about 2 weeks ago. Yes, prices were definitely higher at the show vs. my fav gun shop. For instance, I picked up a Sig 556 For $1599 from my shop but they were going for close to $2k at the show. Glocks were $50 cheaper at the shop and so on. For me gun shows are just amusement parks. I can go around and look at stuff, MAYBE buy something and then go to my fav store and give them money because they have fair prices.
SASABERANGER
SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
One of the main reason for the Idiot Prices is the Idiots who come to buy and think it is a flea market.
If we mark our NIB goods with realistic prices they always want a better deal. They think that we should sell our wares at what they are willing to pay, no matter what we had to pay for it, what we had to pay for gas, lodging or food. We are just providing the goods for their shopping pleasure out of our good nature.
I don't do gun shows to really try to make any money. I tried the gun business in the mid 80s and almost starved. I go to see what kind of goodies I can find for me to play with and possibly pass on to the kids and grand kids.
Lately I have had to pay more for the leather that I sell. I try to get decent gently used Galco/DeSantis/Bianchi or others at a decent price and sell for $5-15 over my cost to cover my tables. But the real Clowns think that my $50 for a nice holster that retails for $115 is way out of line and I am gouging...even when it is NIB.
Kind of hard to keep a good attitude with these folks.
On the upside, only about 10% of the shoppers are unemployed comics, the other 90% are legitimate gun nuts like me and I will deal honestly and fairly with them. "Nothing Is Written In Stone", and "Attitude is Everything".
I must admit that there are some hard liners behind the vendor tables, but most of the time us regular guys are willing to talk, negotiate, trade, and have a cup of coffee with you.
Rant off,
Thom Braxton
SWCA #1474
If we mark our NIB goods with realistic prices they always want a better deal. They think that we should sell our wares at what they are willing to pay, no matter what we had to pay for it, what we had to pay for gas, lodging or food. We are just providing the goods for their shopping pleasure out of our good nature.
I don't do gun shows to really try to make any money. I tried the gun business in the mid 80s and almost starved. I go to see what kind of goodies I can find for me to play with and possibly pass on to the kids and grand kids.
Lately I have had to pay more for the leather that I sell. I try to get decent gently used Galco/DeSantis/Bianchi or others at a decent price and sell for $5-15 over my cost to cover my tables. But the real Clowns think that my $50 for a nice holster that retails for $115 is way out of line and I am gouging...even when it is NIB.
Kind of hard to keep a good attitude with these folks.
On the upside, only about 10% of the shoppers are unemployed comics, the other 90% are legitimate gun nuts like me and I will deal honestly and fairly with them. "Nothing Is Written In Stone", and "Attitude is Everything".
I must admit that there are some hard liners behind the vendor tables, but most of the time us regular guys are willing to talk, negotiate, trade, and have a cup of coffee with you.
Rant off,
Thom Braxton
SWCA #1474
Jack Flash
Member
I haven't bought a gun at a gun show in a long time. I'm not in the market for an AR, and even if I was, I couldn't fight my way to get close enough to the table anyway. I have pretty much all the long guns I want. As for handguns, good luck finding a few S&Ws beaters in the sea of Rugers, Glocks, and Tauri.
It's fun to go look for the oddball stuff, like stocks, brass, NOS ammunition, etc. Sometimes you run across something you really want at a give-away price.
It's fun to go look for the oddball stuff, like stocks, brass, NOS ammunition, etc. Sometimes you run across something you really want at a give-away price.
rburg
Member
One of the more interesting things I read here are the guys who don't go to shows regularly. But they see the current asking prices and try to relate them to prices the last time they went to one. I haven't found a gun shop in the last 20 years with an impressive inventory of used S&Ws. most have a pretty ragged collection of used guns, with less than half being S&Ws.
Conversely, next time you go to a gunshow where David Carroll or Lee Jarrett are set up, you'll see more fine S&Ws than at any 20 gun shops combined. Yes, the vendors who cater to the legitimate collector know what their guns are worth. You won't get a screaming deal because they mis-identify their guns and are selling a prewar N frame as a M&P. That happens at small gun shops once a decade. If you see it first.
Here's what happens to guns being traded in. The shop owner looks at the gun with an open mind. If he could use it in his collection, he gives the guy a lowball price. Then he keeps it for himself. If he doesn't want it, he still offers scrap price. But he then asks his employees if they want it for their collection. Only if they don't does it go into the display case. Often after a few phone calls to close buddies to give them a heads up.
If its any kind of a deal, you've got to get there the same morning he puts it out on display. There are a lot of old scrounges who are retired. To keep active they have rounds to make. They often cover all the regional shops each week. You've got to have an angle to beat the old coots to the treasures.
I'm not saying the competition is any less at the shows. If anything, there are more buyers who know what's what.
Conversely, next time you go to a gunshow where David Carroll or Lee Jarrett are set up, you'll see more fine S&Ws than at any 20 gun shops combined. Yes, the vendors who cater to the legitimate collector know what their guns are worth. You won't get a screaming deal because they mis-identify their guns and are selling a prewar N frame as a M&P. That happens at small gun shops once a decade. If you see it first.
Here's what happens to guns being traded in. The shop owner looks at the gun with an open mind. If he could use it in his collection, he gives the guy a lowball price. Then he keeps it for himself. If he doesn't want it, he still offers scrap price. But he then asks his employees if they want it for their collection. Only if they don't does it go into the display case. Often after a few phone calls to close buddies to give them a heads up.
If its any kind of a deal, you've got to get there the same morning he puts it out on display. There are a lot of old scrounges who are retired. To keep active they have rounds to make. They often cover all the regional shops each week. You've got to have an angle to beat the old coots to the treasures.
I'm not saying the competition is any less at the shows. If anything, there are more buyers who know what's what.
+1.. well said Thom..
84CJ
US Veteran
I used to pickup reloading supplies at the shows and saved some money made a trade or two met some cool people. Have not been to one in many years. It is like a zoo now. Long lines elbow to elbow no one has time to talk bargins are few and far between.
That being said I think I will go to the april 25 26 show in greenville. Unless someone wants to go shooting
That being said I think I will go to the april 25 26 show in greenville. Unless someone wants to go shooting
HOUSTON RICK
Member
Everyone has the right to sell their property for the price they want. No one can make you buy it. I have got some good deals at gunshows and some good deals at gun shops. I have also met a few dealers who seem to believe that their guns are made of solid platinum. Being friendly and not making ridiculous lowball offers goes a long way to getting discounts. Paying in cash also opens a lot of minds to discounts.
As far as selling a gun to a dealer, you cannot expect to get retail value when that is all they can hope to sell it for. I just never sell because I know that I will regret it.
For example, I have long looked for a deal on a used Marlin 39A, only to see the older ones selling for more than a new one year after year. Someone must be paying the price, and they must be worth it because no one is selling them cheap in any condition. Maybe the old ones really are better, but I will probably get a new one.
As far as selling a gun to a dealer, you cannot expect to get retail value when that is all they can hope to sell it for. I just never sell because I know that I will regret it.
For example, I have long looked for a deal on a used Marlin 39A, only to see the older ones selling for more than a new one year after year. Someone must be paying the price, and they must be worth it because no one is selling them cheap in any condition. Maybe the old ones really are better, but I will probably get a new one.
G
Guest
Thom;
One of the problems is that too many of the 'current' "Gun Shows" are now, in fact, nothing but Flea Markets with a few Gun related tables scattered around. Also, the number of Gun Shows has expanded to the point that many weekends you'll find two, three, four or more Shows within driving distance.
Ten or Twenty years ago we used to have Gun Shows that allowed "members" to have a few non-gun related items out. Our local Club(WAC) had a 10% policy that they loosened up on at Christmas time so the 'ladies' could put out their hand made Ornaments or Christmas Theme Pot Holders etc.
We used to do 11 shows each year with two of these being truly World Class Display Gun Shows. The rest of the shows were Saturday Only and they were also really Gun Shows but mostly Trade tables where our Collectors made lots of deals between themselves and the Public wasn't worried about. Just for reference; ours was a "Club" and you had to be a Member to even bring a gun in the door or to take one out. Buying/Selling and Trading - of firearms - was all done between members ONLY and all of our members had to pass a records check(and still do) before they could become members.
Then we started attracting the full time Gun Showers who do nothing but travel from one show to another and these folks "demanded" that our Shows become 'Weekend' affairs because they couldn't afford to travel all the way from MT or OR or WHEREVER for a one day show. Our "Club" became a Money Oriented operation - pure and simple. We operate 9 good Shows a Year in Puyallup and 12 in the Monroe but the Monroe Show is not a money maker but that's a whole different story.
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