Worst gun show ever...What happened?

[mc5aw]

I stopped going to the big shows a while ago. Too many idiots on both sides of the tables, and too much fake Nazi junk and closet commando gear to sift through.

 

[rburg]

Just last week at the Lexington show, we were all oohing and aahing over the boxed, near new prewar 38 M&P target model that Rburg brought just for this purpose.

Truth be known, Ben, it was for sale. Sort of. The first $2500 would have probably taken it home. It was an M&P Target with a HBH. I've seen a couple sell for $1500 a few years ago. Mine, as you saw, was nearly perfect. Better than the ones I saw sell. And they were part of my prewar collection. If anyone wants to call mine overpriced, I want to see theirs and hear their price. If essentially a give-away, maybe I'd be interested!

 

[CatSnipah]

I try to go even if I just pay admission and walk around and look and talk.
If we don't support them...

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I buy a hat and/or stickers and patches from the Army Surplus store every time. Talk to the husband and wife team.

If there are booths with folks who offer training, talk to them.

Otherwise, put on about 4-5 k steps in my pedometer, people watch with the wifey, then go get lunch before we go home.

 

[jag312]

I used to got to gun shows, but not in the last 10 years, at least. The last time I saw a S&W 686 for $1400, and used reloading dies that were more than retail. If I want jerky or socks, then I'll go to the store. At least they won't charge me to enter the store.

I still like going to the Historical Arms Show in Santa Barbara. It is a long drive from San Jose, but it is worth it.

 

[CO_Kid]

We have two shows here in CO Springs. They alternate weekends. One is horrible, exactly like the OP described. The other is pretty good, mostly guns, and the last time I went I got my CHP model 67 for a decent price.

 

[rburg]

Another different point of view.... The OP had the worst gun show he'd ever attended. Being an open minded kind of guy, I'll venture the guess there have been worse ones over the years. Bet I've even been to one or two. My worst was a show put on by a small time operator. His name was Jerry Taylor, and at least he tried. But the bad show was down in central Kentucky. He'd only managed to get about 7 tables sold. Worse still, some of them were his. Filled with his ammo stockpile to make it at least look a little more attractive. He gave us back our admittance money.

But another of his shows wasn't much better. There were maybe 20 tables, total. And I walked it in maybe 15 or so minutes. But I noticed a table set up on their little stage. The kind a band might use. It was only one step higher than the main floor. So I walked up and looked. And in one of the locked cases, the guy had a knife that looked the world like a Randall. Couldn't really tell because it had other knives on top of it. My guess was the entire contents were transported in the case, getting mixed up a bit as they were carried. But the handle shape was pretty distinctive.

So I walked down to the nearest table and asked where the guy was. And was promptly told he'd gone out to get breakfast. Not long after a happy, jollly kind of old farmer type came into the hall. Overalls and a smile. Along with a big shopping bag from McDonalds. The other hand had a carrier with a bunch of coffee cups. Not the 4 holer we usually see. He had a dozen. And he walked along, passing coffee and egg McMuffins as he went. Betcha none of you cheap skates have ever bought breakfast for the crowd.

So when he finally got the formalities over, I went up to him and asked if those were his cases up on the stage. He laughed and said "bet you want to see that ole Randall". So I nodded and he said " I'll need at least $150, not a cent less". So we went up and looked, and I paid his price. And it didn't even have a sheath. But the truth here is that would have been a terrible show had I not seen that knife. As it was, I felt it was a good gun show. And the moral here is you only need to discover one treasure for the show to be a success. Just because you didn't see anything you wanted doesn't mean the show was bad, just that it was bad for you.

The same promoter had another show he put on, up in Paris, Kentucky. I got there late. With all the usual suspects outside, sitting on the guardrail that protected the county fair building from errant tractors I guess. And after you've been haunting these shows for a few decades, you get to know the folks. It was probably 10:00 and was greeted with "yer late". Well, in all honesty, I had to go into work before starting the hour and a half drive.

So stopping to chat for just a minute, I asked if there was anything inside. One of the guys I'd bought things from in the past knew my like for S&Ws. He said the only thing I'd like was a "chrome plated 44", and that it was "way overpriced". Sounds like our complaining posters here. He said it was walking around, which translates into a private seller. It didn't take long to find the guy and his gun. He was asking $700 for it, and he had no takers. This was a show where often the prime meat was a single shot shotgun. So being polite (always), I waited for the vendor to rain on the guy's parade. He apparently wasn't the first that day. So when he turned away, I asked to see the gun. And I even frowned when I saw it (its a negotiating tactic). So as I was turning in over and over (like a gator with a meal) I noticed it was a Triple Lock, in nickel, and it was surely a 44. So I uttered the mandatory "its a little high", I noticed the caliber on the left side of the barrel. It wasn't 44 S&W Special, it said 44 Winchester. Hmmm. And no one else had noticed that little detail. So the prospective seller said "I could come down a little", and I said "how much?" So we agreed at $650, and I took home one of maybe a dozen 44-40 Triple locks S&W had made. Yeah, it was a lousy show for most of those attending, but not for me. Its been over 10 years now and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

Might have been the worst show ever for you, but it sure wasn't for me. I still rate it at just about GREAT. And there was nothing else that interested me. So what do we have here? You're being too picky and don't recognize the steals? Or your interests aren't wide enough to include the great guns and knives? Not sure what makes a show great for you.

 

[eyegots2no]

I think some of what your witnessed was part of a cycle---and this month was just bad period.

There has been a bit of down trend in attendance etc.---and that may be due to economy AND

People did recently buy dramatically last year---so many have what they want.

I am not going to believe, not yet anyway, that guns shows are to be poor from now on.

I've been going to gun shows since I was 14 and it is still something I look forward to. I'd rather do that than go to a ball game, the lake, the movies, etc.

There are too many promoters and too many shows though.

 

[Jim1392]

I'll be going to the gun show in Charlotte this up next weekend. I usually find it helpful to get to handle and get a feel for any new guns I may be thinking about buying. I just haven't found any real used finds at the last shows I have attended. I'm not big on using the internet for buying. I like to examine and touch what I'm buying before I pay for it. When I'm ready to buy something new I have a LSG I do all my business with. Local is funny because he is actually over 2 hours from my house. But his fair prices and honesty keeps me going back. Other then that the $7.00 bucks for admission is worth it for a morning out.

 

[Straightshooter2]

The big gunshow at the Atlanta Expo Center on the southside was this weekend. I had a two dollar off coupon and I normally go. However, this time I decided not to go and look at a bunch of overpriced S&W's along with the jerky, sauces and personal stills. I went to my LGS instead and bought the Ruger 22/45 Lite I've been looking at.

CW

 

[Frank46]

We used to have two places where they held gun shows. Plenty of parking and just about enough room to walk around. The one place stopped having shows and the other never really found out what happened. Present location isn't bad costs $8 I think (haven't been there in a long time) crappy parking and no room to walk around. Only two dealers that have a nice selection of colt and S&W revolvers but high priced. One guy will dicker some the other won't. Starting to see fewer mil surps and more sporting rifles. We have the jerky guys down here also. Usually when I go the wife keeps an eye on me. So far hasn't worked well for her. By the time she finds me I'm usually doing the paperwork. Did get a good deal on two rem 870's with wingmaster receivers that were police turn ins. Both just cost a little over $400. haven't bought anything recently.Frank

 

[vito]

The same issues brought up here about gun shows also apply to any hobby or collector shows, i.e., more and more of the tables are for non-related items sold by folks who make their living going to show after show, regardless of what type show it is. I think that when the economy really improves we'll see things get a bit better. Then there might not be as many folks who need to sell re-packaged sweat socks to pay their rent and food bills.

 

[Shootbrownelk]

I would say it's analogous to: its a recession when someone you know loses their job; but it's a depression when you lose your job. Never seen so much non-firearm related stuff at a gun show before in this area.

Hobbyist, besides all the homemade bakery and other **** you mentioned, we had a table full of porcelain dolls. All the folks who have guns want way too much for them. Scalpers are selling bricks of Thunderbolts for $100.00...not selling many, but I did see a few guys who looked like they were in the movie Mad Max walking out with some. Pretty sad state of affairs at what used to be a fun place to spend a few hours.

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

The internet big box gun stores has killed the gun shows. I try to support my local gun stores. If a firearm cost me a few dollars more, I will buy it from my LGS when I can. Gun shows in NY are pitiful. More bolt actions than you can shake a stick at.

 

[Arik]

I went to a show this weekend 4 miles from my house. Paid $8 before I realized it was 1/2 the size it usually is. I'm already expecting it to be 1/3 that I have no interest in so that makes a pretty small show. Still, I found $9 gen2 Pmags, brass 45acp ammo for $35 for 100 rounds. Also picked up a German gravity knife and I saw a mislabeled pre ban Hungarian AK for $700 but I couldn't justify spending that money right now even though it was a good price

 

[rwsmith]

They sure need to....

Gunshows would be a lot better if we had a good economy. It should start getting better in a little over two years from now.

They sure need to trim down the non-gun related stuff. The economy might be great but if the place is full of trinkets, food fairs, etc. there's no reason for a gun enthusiast to go.

 

[Muss Muggins]

This thread had me thinking as I set up at this weekend's gun show to sell some more holsters and accessories. Looked around Friday night, and saw energy drinks, popcorn, Scentsy, christmas wreaths, bearskins, etc. This is not a big show, and fully 15% of the tables were something other than you'd think would belong at a "Gun Show." I understand the stun guns and flashlights, and I'm probably riding the edge with old Gun Digests, but I wondered what would happen if I tried to set my stuff up at the craft show weekend here the week before Thanksgiving?

 

[Memphis]

We have a show here in Memphis this weekend. Not sure how good it is, coz I didn't go! Or at least haven't yet. I may go tomorrow. The guns I like are usually not there. I like pre-war S&W's and preferable the big bore guns. They are just not there. The few occasions that I've seen them they were WAY too high and under-conditioned.
I do see my friend Tennexplorer (Burt) there and that makes it worth my while. I'd like to meet Grayfox but not sure I'd know him if I saw him.
I'll probably thin my herd sometime soon and have been thinking about getting a table. The problem may be that the attendees either will not be interested in these old guns, or worse, may not know what they are looking at. Of course I'll have to deal with all the remarks and questions about why my prices seem so high. They won't care or know if it has a Humpback Hammer or pre-war 4 inch barrel on a HD etc.
A second Model K22/40 looks a lot like a generic K22.
I will have better luck here on this forum with knowledgable folk.

So, Grayfox, what do you look like in case I'm kroozing the isles.

Roger

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

That sounds more like the Flea Market we have at our fairgrounds.

That must be the Ladsen show. I drove down to it once......Never again.

 

[Grayfox]

Memphis, PM sent.

 

[rburg]

So, Grayfox, what do you look like in case I'm kroozing the isles.

I guess everyone needs an approved uniform. Just say you were wandering around a show and some tall old guy was wearing an Orange Barq's hat. Anyone who's been around her long would know exactly who they were dealing with.....(Charlie Sherill).

On the other hand, Roger, you somehow found me at a show maybe 10 years back. For the experienced bloodhound, it was easy.