semperfi71
US Veteran
I had the pleasure of sitting "behind" the gun table as a vendor for the first time in my life.
Myself and a friend were trying to sell some guns and "stuff" out of our collections and the show had a special "deal" price on a table.
I had a lot of fun. Met a ton of nice and interesting people and learned a lot about various guns and other firearms related minutae.
My friend, through various conversations with other vendors, learned he had some other guns and "stuff" at home worth a lot so the next day he loaded our table up even more.
We were lucky in that our table was in the first aisle after entering the door and about six tables down. I got to see a lot of folks who walked in and had guns for sale or barter.
I did see one S&W that I was hoping I'd get a shot at. He had it in his waistband and I asked to see it. It was a M1917 Brazillian in about 90% condition. As I looked at it and we talked I was thinking that he might sell it for a good price.
Then he pulled out a receipt from a gunshop where he had it on consignment and they had it listed at $875.00. Now I was looking at a nice Brazillian but thought that even that price might be high.
As I inspected the gun I noticed it had no import marks. Then we pulled up the blue book and found out that the "non-import" Brazillians sell for a nicer sum than the "imports".
So I then decided that because of the gunshop's consignment price and what we found out that the gentleman wasn't going to let the gun go cheap. DRATS!
So I helped him assess the gun at its true value and it "booked" at about $1200.00 if I remember correctly.
BUT....I then noticed that the cylinder serial number did not match the rest of the serials on the firearm. Dang-it-for-his-luck. I'm sure the cylinder mis-match would have devalued to gun to the serious collector and now he had a "shooter".
However he still had a nice gun and I told him to come here and post pictures and make inquiries as to better evaluate the piece.
BUT, I did get some great guns myself. I bought a M686-3, 2 1/2 inch with fingergroove S&W "combats", a M34-1 blued 4 inch with red insert, a Colt Detective Special 2 inch from 1958, and a Colt SAA nickel 7 1/2 .45 Long Colt with a set of one-piece Ivory micarta grips from the defunct Tyler's Grips of Oklahoma.
Had a great time and was such a good "boy" (as the War Department said) that I came home with leftover cash for seed money at the next gunshow.
It was really interesting to "see" the gun show "business" from the "backside" of the table. And maybe a better way to "do" a gunshow. I got in free with free parking, I was able to sit and watch the public parade by with possible "goodies". And with my friend there I was able to "speed-walk" the aisles and look for "stuff". Of course the cost of a table (this show only for newbies, $25.00, subsequent shows, $80.00) might, to some, offset the free entry and parking but the ability to stay in one place and peruse the crowd and have a more personal contact with the dealers opened me up to some fine buys I think.
P.S. One of the life insurance companies were there selling insurance
And yes we had the beef jerky and peanut brittle people there as well.
Myself and a friend were trying to sell some guns and "stuff" out of our collections and the show had a special "deal" price on a table.
I had a lot of fun. Met a ton of nice and interesting people and learned a lot about various guns and other firearms related minutae.
My friend, through various conversations with other vendors, learned he had some other guns and "stuff" at home worth a lot so the next day he loaded our table up even more.
We were lucky in that our table was in the first aisle after entering the door and about six tables down. I got to see a lot of folks who walked in and had guns for sale or barter.
I did see one S&W that I was hoping I'd get a shot at. He had it in his waistband and I asked to see it. It was a M1917 Brazillian in about 90% condition. As I looked at it and we talked I was thinking that he might sell it for a good price.
Then he pulled out a receipt from a gunshop where he had it on consignment and they had it listed at $875.00. Now I was looking at a nice Brazillian but thought that even that price might be high.
As I inspected the gun I noticed it had no import marks. Then we pulled up the blue book and found out that the "non-import" Brazillians sell for a nicer sum than the "imports".
So I then decided that because of the gunshop's consignment price and what we found out that the gentleman wasn't going to let the gun go cheap. DRATS!
So I helped him assess the gun at its true value and it "booked" at about $1200.00 if I remember correctly.
BUT....I then noticed that the cylinder serial number did not match the rest of the serials on the firearm. Dang-it-for-his-luck. I'm sure the cylinder mis-match would have devalued to gun to the serious collector and now he had a "shooter".
However he still had a nice gun and I told him to come here and post pictures and make inquiries as to better evaluate the piece.
BUT, I did get some great guns myself. I bought a M686-3, 2 1/2 inch with fingergroove S&W "combats", a M34-1 blued 4 inch with red insert, a Colt Detective Special 2 inch from 1958, and a Colt SAA nickel 7 1/2 .45 Long Colt with a set of one-piece Ivory micarta grips from the defunct Tyler's Grips of Oklahoma.
Had a great time and was such a good "boy" (as the War Department said) that I came home with leftover cash for seed money at the next gunshow.
It was really interesting to "see" the gun show "business" from the "backside" of the table. And maybe a better way to "do" a gunshow. I got in free with free parking, I was able to sit and watch the public parade by with possible "goodies". And with my friend there I was able to "speed-walk" the aisles and look for "stuff". Of course the cost of a table (this show only for newbies, $25.00, subsequent shows, $80.00) might, to some, offset the free entry and parking but the ability to stay in one place and peruse the crowd and have a more personal contact with the dealers opened me up to some fine buys I think.
P.S. One of the life insurance companies were there selling insurance
And yes we had the beef jerky and peanut brittle people there as well.
