rburg
Member
Well, I drove up with visions of sugar plums, just like Christmas. My first hint of trouble was when I got there and had to park way out in the cornfield to the west of the center. Not just in the cornfield, but way out. Then I had to hike towards the parking lot where normal folks used to park. Not a good sign at all. Getting inside was easy as the members only part eliminated lines and as long as I'm not carrying, I get to use the main entrance. Then I hit the wall.
Not really a wall of humanity, but a bunch of other old fools. This is a show a lot of folks want a table. So the folks who put it on solved the problem by putting as much room between the aisles as behind the tables. In the low number aisles, like A to maybe G, There was just enough room for people to pass going both ways. If one person stopped, all movement stopped.
There were some interesting guns, the first of note was a .45-70 derringer. He wanted $700 for it, but you can get somebody to drive over your hand for almost nothing. I went looking for grips, but I was wished good luck with a laugh. I think I saw glimpses of a bunch of guns, but then the window closed as somebody bumped me or stepped into the opening.
Halfway along at about the 3 hour point, I needed a break so I got a coke and sat down. I headed back into the battle and on this end the aisles were wider by a couple of feet. But the high letters is also the "low rent" end where it more resembles wall mart. I did see a guy with tin bars for sale for $7 each. I don't know how heavy they were, but being nice an shiny told me it was at least high tin content. Saw a table full of components with an estate sale sign. The guy shot and reloaded odd calibers, or that was all that was left. Other tables had more once fired brass than I normally see at this show. Bags and bags. The estate sale guy made a big mistake by not pricing the stuff. He didn't have time to answer questions from half the people interested.
So I'm thinking the show has grown too large for the Roberts Center. Its a rare show that I don't find something I want. It could have been there and I just couldn't see it. Joe Gillenwater, my knife consultant, yelled at me and told me I should get there earlier if I wanted to see it all. The problem being that under good circumstances it would take 6 hours. I was there early. For me.
So I drove home and took a nap.
Not really a wall of humanity, but a bunch of other old fools. This is a show a lot of folks want a table. So the folks who put it on solved the problem by putting as much room between the aisles as behind the tables. In the low number aisles, like A to maybe G, There was just enough room for people to pass going both ways. If one person stopped, all movement stopped.
There were some interesting guns, the first of note was a .45-70 derringer. He wanted $700 for it, but you can get somebody to drive over your hand for almost nothing. I went looking for grips, but I was wished good luck with a laugh. I think I saw glimpses of a bunch of guns, but then the window closed as somebody bumped me or stepped into the opening.
Halfway along at about the 3 hour point, I needed a break so I got a coke and sat down. I headed back into the battle and on this end the aisles were wider by a couple of feet. But the high letters is also the "low rent" end where it more resembles wall mart. I did see a guy with tin bars for sale for $7 each. I don't know how heavy they were, but being nice an shiny told me it was at least high tin content. Saw a table full of components with an estate sale sign. The guy shot and reloaded odd calibers, or that was all that was left. Other tables had more once fired brass than I normally see at this show. Bags and bags. The estate sale guy made a big mistake by not pricing the stuff. He didn't have time to answer questions from half the people interested.
So I'm thinking the show has grown too large for the Roberts Center. Its a rare show that I don't find something I want. It could have been there and I just couldn't see it. Joe Gillenwater, my knife consultant, yelled at me and told me I should get there earlier if I wanted to see it all. The problem being that under good circumstances it would take 6 hours. I was there early. For me.
So I drove home and took a nap.
