Rant: Atlanta Gun Shows Have Gone Down Hill

[Retired W4]

Way down. Ten years ago and more, Atlanta was a real hotbed for many great S&W revolvers. This past weekend only had a couple of us with anything good and no one brought anything in the door. Same same for recent shows. There will be a show every weekend leading up to Christmas and my confidence is low. I did have a talk with my FFL friend about shipping when I start posting on the classifieds here to sell off some of my 1970's guns.

We'll do the Expo show the 18-19 and hope something good shows up.

OK, I'm done with my rant.

 

[hittman77]

Seems its that way across the country.

Folks are holding on to what they have and manufacturers are cranking out only the best sellers.

 

[Sikiguya]

I don't think guns shows have been the same for the past 5-10 years. The internet has changed things. Als though if you are a beef jerky fan. They have gotten better.

But seriously, some of the prices have been ridiculous. Some of the shops really try to ultra low ball you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Valmet]

I don't go to many shows anymore but the last truly great gun show I attended was Tulsa in Nov 2015. Nowadays I expect to find overpriced everything, knicknacks, t-shirts, and every variety of AR-15 under the sun.

 

[Xfuzz]

Buddy sets up for the Tulsa show.
He thought attendance was way
down this November.

 

[waffles]

Not just your area. Even before Covid the shows in CO were on a steady decline, less and less reasonable used guns, let alone deals, more and more vendors of cheap no-name AR parts and arts and crafts level carry purses.

 

[SS336]

The gun club I belong to has a pretty good show put on twice a year. Lots of stuff I can't afford.
But for the last 2 years, because of Covid, it has been cancelled.
The problem might be the good vendors are staying away from shows for the same reasons. At least that's my hope.
If and when this finally goes away maybe gun shows as well as a lot of things might go back to normal. One can hope.

 

[CH4]

No shortage of good stuff at the Reno Shows. Picked up these 3 plus a beautiful 5" 41 and a beautiful set of N frame combats at the recent Big Reno Show. I've also had good luck at the Vegas and Phoenix area shows.

 

[pharmer]

Except for smaller promoters the shows around are basically mobile Shoot Straight stores with 75% non-gun "assorted accoutrements." Saturday's show had no "pre-1982" S&W revolvers. If one visited only the 10 or so 01 FFL's you could be in and out in under an hour. The "Good old days" of gunshows are just that. Joe

 

[Retired W4]

No shortage of good stuff at the Reno Shows. Picked up these 3 plus a beautiful 5" 41 and a beautiful set of N frame combats at the recent Big Reno Show.

The long and short of it in the snake gun world.

OGCA continues to be strong.

 

[huthike]

Same here - shows in Houston now are shadows of their former selves. Sigh. The good old days. Holy cow! That means I'm old!

 

[Truckman]

Same here - shows in Houston now are shadows of their former selves.

Indeed...The HGCA show in the Heights is pretty good in quality, but a far cry from the 1200 table Astrohall shows...Their show in Humble is OK, but there is room for a lot more tables than they have......Ben

 

[doublesharp]

Louisville's National Gun Day shows have shrunk in table rentals and instead of 4 per year now it's just 2. I've been setting up @ NGD since late 90s and know of enough vendor deaths to put on a big show. Few young ones coming in to take their place.

In 5 more years we will be calling these the good ol days.

 

[LVSteve]

Not just your area. Even before Covid the shows in CO were on a steady decline, less and less reasonable used guns, let alone deals, more and more vendors of cheap no-name AR parts and arts and crafts level carry purses.

I'd say that shows in Southern Nevada have gone much the same way.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

It is all what you are looking for. I go to gun shows to talk to friends, keep up, buy a little and sell a little. You still see good guns at the Houston shows but the vendors are proud of their collectible merchandise and who can blame them? I will say it again, I am glad that I bought what I did when they did. My collection is small compared to some, but it is a solid Texas starter set.

 

[Ackley1952]

Everyone who feels qualify of gun shows is off should rent tables and show us how it's done. Would love the company. As for pricing when government sets the pricing under socialism things will be much more affordable. I'll bet they've got great shows in China.

 

[Donn]

Shows have been few & far between since the big lockdown. Think I might've been to one. That, and my favorite venue here in Michigan, (Birch Run), is no more. Guys from around here will know where that was. I go mainly because it's something to do and is interesting. If I find something worth taking home, that's the cherry on the sundae.

 

[ladder13]

Plenty of shows around here, all hit or miss, but if you don't go you are sure to miss.

I, and another forum member, have scored some nice revolver deals, mostly him.

Shoulda bought that nickel TL from cubrock two years ago.

I'm mostly in the "has to be special gun to buy it camp", but I go anyway for a day out.

 

[chief38]

I suspect that Gun Shows in general have taken big hits over the last year! Less quality stock to sell. Everybody is either hanging on to what they have or selling before they get to a show for premiums.

With the new political climate out there, it's no wonder that this has happened. Couple that with more restrictive gun laws and there ya go!

 

[pharmer]

Everyone who feels quality of gun shows is off should rent tables and show us how it's done. Would love the company.

This thread is "editorial" not confrontational. I could go back to pre-1986 local shows with .50 M2HB's on a table at the Tupperware show. .30 belt feds were maybe $1500. Pre-1995 many of us had 01FFL's and the shows were a place that I could dump "non moving" inventory for stuff I could sell, easily. $99 Model 10's and the like. Seems like 2008 was a turning point for the shows. The political climate shifted violently along with "school shootings" being the "media hysteria" of the time. Like somebody said early in the thread, go and spend a day with the guys, around guns and other "like minded people." Beats the **** out of yard work (we do that 12 mos a year around here). Joe