My last gun show

[J274895]

So, I went to the Rose City Gun & Knife show yesterday with a buddy of mine, and all I can say is, how fricken' lame was THAT?

Aside from a few professional dealers, it looked like a bunch of ragtag average joes holding a garage sale in a trailer park. And while we're at it, can you please tell me how selling kid's toys and fake poop are related to a gun show?

I wanted my entry fee back. I was insulted.

 

[J274895]

So, I went to the Rose City Gun & Knife show yesterday with a buddy of mine, and all I can say is, how fricken' lame was THAT?

Aside from a few professional dealers, it looked like a bunch of ragtag average joes holding a garage sale in a trailer park. And while we're at it, can you please tell me how selling kid's toys and fake poop are related to a gun show?

I wanted my entry fee back. I was insulted.

 

[Farmer17]

Oklahoma city has a gun show about every other weekend and only 2 or 3 a year are worth going to. If you had nothing else to do the really lame ones wouldn't even be that bad if they just charged 4-5 bucks to get in, but they are now at least a 12 dollar entry fee and Tulsa Wannemacher show is less than that!

 

[VonFatman]

But what a great place to stock up on jerky???!!!

I feel your pain!

Bob

 

[David LaPell]

A friend of mine and I were going to get to set up locally at a VFW hall this weekend because it was supposed to be a good show. We both ended up having other plans. It turns out that the "gun show" really was going to be some hitchy outdoor thing for the tourists, with actually very few guns. a fising seminar, tents and a couple other goofy things are all that they really have.

 

[m657]

I fired the Rose City notion of a gun show years ago. Even the Eugene show had become so dismal I quit going to it too.

The last of those I went to was about 50% beanie babies, jerky, various pamphleteers, and even then was way-overpriced on everything ballistic.

On reconsideration, I also have to add the typical Salem show.

I find better deals and less noisome circumstance, in the local dealers establishments.

 

[jframe]

I call a lot of shows I've been to "cowhead shows". Reason is, people seem to bring out ridiculous yard sale items, like old steer skulls, to sell at a GUN SHOW! If these folks want to have a yard sale, stay at home and have one.

 

[gunsmith11]

30 some years ago when i was an ffl I went to about 20 shows a year, usually did well, always USED guns,never took the new guns, and always liked show that were 150-200 tables,and little garage sale stuff, yes there was some, but now at the gun shows it is all the new tupperware guns, black guns and the junk, just not many really good used guns anymore. So now I go walk around every 4-5 months,,,if I get a urge for jerky

 

[Peter J.]

I've been going to gun shows for 35 years, since I was in high school. Things sure have changed, but now I look at them mostly as social events. My version of going to church. Alot of the guys/dealers are the same guys who I first met when I was a teenager. A couple of them almost haven't physically changed in that time. Perhaps vampires? Went to a show yesterday and bought 9 gun rugs for $3 each, and an old box of loaded Remington .45 cal Auto-Rims for $15. Got lucky 3 weeks ago at another show. Found a really great condition Mod 66 2-1/2 inch Pinned and rec. for $400. A nice deal, been thinking about one for a long time, finally hit pay dirt. So it still pays to go.

 

[rburg]

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Gunshows aren't real cheap. Everyone pays. If i have to pay nearly $100 for a table, you can bet I'm filling my space with something to sell. My table pard, Joe, often brings along a box of books he wants to sell. Some are good titles, some awful. He usually sells enough to buy him breakfast or lunch. He also brings along a few gold coins to dump. He's made good money on that over the years.

We clean out our gun rooms of junk. Stuff we'll never use. Ratty old holsters, ammo in calibers we don't have guns to shoot. You name it, we bring it. And it sells. I spend my time walking the shows, looking for rotten stuff I didn't buy when it was on the market, but I wish I'd bought. Posters here, GF and Doublesharp were at a show a while back. The guy in the table next to them had 3 Bianchi speed strips. He asked $5 for the lot, and I snapped it up. Yes, junk. But good junk.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I went to my last show for a while today. Every body wants cash for the bargains and it is harder to get cash purchases past the wife. I saw a mint Ishapore today and went to buy it, because I knew that I had the cash yesterday. I even got my bore light out and it looked new. Receiver, magazine well, all like new. It was made in 1964. Nice wood, too. Turns out last night the wife found the cash in my wallet and took it to the mall ("I found that you were running around with too much cash in your wallet again"), and of course the ATM nearby was out of order and no credit cards. I'd punish the wife, but I cannot prove which of her 23 personalities did it. No Ishapore, but lots of new unneccesary clothes.

 

[pharmer]

I went to my last show yesterday. No lines, lots of walk in traffic, plenty of BS, met up with a few forum (and former) forum members. Only 4 weeks till the next one, oh that's right I'm not going to any more. Joe

 

[Jack Flash]

I went to a show today (Grand Rapids, MI) and had a surprisingly good time. It works best when I don't expect too much, then I am not disappointed.

I was looking for some odd-ball ammo for a fellow forum member. To my amazement, I found most of what I (he) was looking for and at very reasonable prices. I guess it pays to show up mid to late afternoon on Sunday.

So he did really great, while I couldn't find much of what I wanted for myself. In other words, I wound up like I usually do. Still, it was fun to have a good excuse to go, look around, and talk to people.

 

[Raider]

I went to a show last Saturday. Standing room only with a shoulder to shoulder crowd 3 deep around the ammo tables. About the only things selling were black rifles and plastic pistols. Not a decent older Smith in the bunch. I ended up buying a very nice 1914 Erfurt Luger at an excellent price. BTW the redheaded jerky lady was very pretty and wore a low cut top with tight jeans. She was selling jerky like it was going out of style.

 

[Grayfox]

I go to every gun show I can. Most of the time all I might buy is a Dr. Pepper. But as the saying goes, every once in a while even a blind pig finds an acorn.

 

[gunman1960]

i have been going to gunshows in the houston area for a long time. i always enjoy myself when i go to them. plenty of guns, and ammo, and good friends. if anyone ever has a chance to go to one,dont pass it up.

 

[silvercorvette]

I have been wanting to get a Luger for a long time and I wound up getting lucky, I wound up taking two home from the Greenville SC.

By the way I haven't been to any other shows so I have nothing to compare it to but I think it was a great show.

By the way I had a long wish list of guns and the Luger has almost completed my list. The only thing left is a Ruger 10/22 that I mentioned a while back. I plan on searching for buying the 10/22 a little at time and put it together as a fall / winter project