Gun Show Tips!

[brucev]

"and noticed the cracked forcing cone at the top of the barrel when hit with a very strong flashlight- I missed it."

Thank you for that bit of information. It never occurred to me that the forcing cone of a .22 LR could be so damaged. Sincerely. brucev.

 

[burk940]

18. Never buy anything from an attractive gal with lots of cleavage. You will be too distracted to think clearly....

John

Good advice, but those people are always selling something I just gotta have..

19. It's usually best to buy from a private individual rather than a dealer. Show your required ID, but the less paperwork the better. No telling what this country may come to in the future. If you do buy from a dealer (some of my best friends are dealers, so no offense here), then be sure to record the fact you bought it from a dealer in your records. You should have two categories of guns: Those with paper trails and those without. Remember also that dealers have less negotiating room, and you'll always wind up paying a sales tax. Be sure you negotiate the "out the door" price.

John

That saved me over $200 on a new .223 earlier this year. It was $150 less than MSRP and no tax or paperwork, just ID and cash. The seller was an elderly gent who had bought a lot of stuff before the last election, knowing what would happen to prices after the election. I got $50 off his asking price by paying cash, he probably made about $50-$75 on the deal.

Thanks for the tips, they're all good.

 

[TwoGunsOverTexas]

lots of cleavage and not ugly

We just recently opened a gun shop in Texas and will be traveling to gun shows. Everything is bigger in Texas! It's not fair to tell people not to buy from me. I may not be an expert but I know my stuff. I'm there to sell guns and accessories not my cleavage.

 

[Donn]

A basic shopping rule applies here. Never go to the grocery store hungry. Same-same gun shows. If you've got "the fever," expensive mistakes can be made. I'm not really sure that the "late last day" theory applies either, at least around here. With some of the regular dealers,I've been looking at the same guns for years. I guess some guys would rather lug their stuff home than bargain.

 

[df06]

Always have an I phone or similar and go on line and check prices.

 

[Old TexMex]

Rent a table. Go on Friday.

 

[gregintenn]

We just recently opened a gun shop in Texas and will be traveling to gun shows. Everything is bigger in Texas! It's not fair to tell people not to buy from me. I may not be an expert but I know my stuff. I'm there to sell guns and accessories not my cleavage.

We'll probably need to see pictures.

 

[Jessie]

Wear old worn out flannel shirts and blue jeans so people will think you are poor and cut you a better deal. This is called the Dick Burg rule.

Heck, that's how most of the vendors are dressed. I guess they already know that trick.

 

[hangnoose]

CORRECTION

NEVER SAY NEVER, but I've only bought 1 gun in the 40 years of gun shows attended as a buyer/seller, and it wasn't in great shape or the deal of a lifetime, but I had been looking for a 4" 617 for under 500$ for some time. Usually I sell more guns and smalls especially. Last show I had a table at was a small venue & I didn't see anyone sell a gun. I bought more ammo & small items than sold, mostly from/to the guy with the table opposite me, but did manage to come out slightly ahead & got rid of some bulky stuff.

 

[JSW]

12. If at all possible, set up a vendor table of your own. You'll find interesting things at other tables during the set-up period (usually the day before) and you can beat the crowds.

I used to do this quite a bit, even if I only had an item or two to put on the table. You could get in before the crowds and also have a place to rest when you wanted.

 

[Bekeart]

From Behind the Table

Do NOT expect me to buy your gun for a HIGHER price than I have marked for the same model in similar condition.

Do NOT expect me (or anybody else) to pay you more for your used gun than Wal-Mart (or anybody else) sells the same model for NEW.

When looking at shotguns that are priced for common hunting use, do not nit-pick about points that only matter for collectibles. I had a Remington 1100 in typical average ( or maybe above average) condition on table for $425. Non-Buyer complained. Since the stock and forend did not match one or both must have been replaced and it was no longer original. Suggested that he might want to go three aisles over and look at the one offered for $800.

Do not put foot-in-mouth and be caught in a lie.
Yesterday a Non-Buyer asked what I would TAKE for a revolver with a clearly marked price tag. Told him there was some wiggle room. Asked what would he give. Said the he would not price another man's merchandise and wanted my best cash price. Finally I told him my CASH NOW price. He then offered a LOWER price. Asked him if he had a twin brother. “You look just like the guy who was here and told me he would NEVER price another man's merchandise.”

I try to offer fair prices - both buy and sell.
Some other do the same. Some do not.
You can find honesty and dishonesty on both sides of the tables.

Bekeart

 

[Jessie]

The last show I went to I tried negotiating for a Kimber and there was no negotiating. It was that way at most tables. Pay the sticker price or no deal. I left. Haven't been back to one since.

 

[reddogge]

If you carry in a long gun to sell make sure you put a price on it first. I once carried a Civil War era Belgian Musket and a French percussion military pistol for a friend and had no clue what to ask and when asked the price I'd say make me an offer and they would turn on their heels and walk away. I put a price on them and sold them very quickly. My friend was happy with the deal.

 

[deadin]

I sprung for an digital copy of the SCSW and keep it under the Kindle App on my Smart Phone. On the phone it's a little slow to page through, but it's always with me. If I feel like carrying my reader, it's a lot handier.

 

[Wes Smith]

Eat a lot of beans before you go to help clear people away from tables and the isles,or say I don't feel so well grab your stomach and move like your going to regurgitate

 

[rburg]

I'm there to sell guns and accessories not my cleavage.

So hire a girl that looks good in hot pants and doesn't mind showing a little cleavage. You'll get a lot more lookers than if the only thing there is a grumpy old man. And the guys in tables on either side of you will appreciate it, too!

And yes, I'd rather haul my guns home than sell them at a loss. At the last few shows we've sold/traded more among ourselves than with outsiders. Even the outsiders are guys we know.

 

[doublesharp]

We just recently opened a gun shop in Texas and will be traveling to gun shows. Everything is bigger in Texas! It's not fair to tell people not to buy from me. I may not be an expert but I know my stuff. I'm there to sell guns and accessories not my cleavage.

Poor taste to resurrect a zombie thread referencing cleavage without posting pictures. Just sayin...

 

[bobelk99]

Wear old worn out flannel shirts and blue jeans so people will think you are poor and cut you a better deal. This is called the Dick Burg rule.

I set up for 30 years. Your idea is a source of amusement to most who set up. Setup is not part of a charity program.

 

[bobelk99]

The last show I went to I tried negotiating for a Kimber and there was no negotiating. It was that way at most tables. Pay the sticker price or no deal. I left. Haven't been back to one since.

Do you feel that the sticker price is always too high and is just an exercise to test the market?

 

[pharmer]

We just recently opened a gun shop in Texas and will be traveling to gun shows. Everything is bigger in Texas! It's not fair to tell people not to buy from me. I may not be an expert but I know my stuff. I'm there to sell guns and accessories not my cleavage.

Hey TGOT, welcome aboard. Don't take things personally around here. More crust than pie with some folks. Since you broke the ice with a necro-thread, realize everyone wants a good deal. I buy as many guns from FFL's (used to be one last century) as I get from "private sales." If'n you are fair, have a good attitude, and don't look to put a kid through college with one sale, you'll thrive. Get greedy (even in "down" business cycles) and you'll dry up and blow away. Buona fortuna as we Italians are fond of saying. Joe