Worst gun show ever...What happened?

[TheHobbyist]

Went to a show today with my best friend, was looking forward to selling an old Winchester and seeing what would come up for sale. I suppose it's kinda like fishing, you never know when you're gonna get a good deal or find the perfect holster or parts (etc) that you needed.

Had enough money on me to buy a decent Smith if one turned up and was kinda keeping my eyes open for another Model 36 or whatever came up that I just had to have.

Attendance was waaaaay down to start. Ok, not necessarily a bad thing, it's kinda nice to be able to walk down an aisle while not being sideways.

Get a few steps in, sure enough, there's a few blue cardboard boxes floating around. Good sign. I stop and ask a gentlemen what he has for sale, it's a Model 36...great! What are ya looking for? $700.00. Wow. Ok. Next.

It really surprised me, there were so many people that had tables that were selling a bunch of homemade stuff. I mean, literally, one guy had sauces, beef jerky, etc. Next table had poorly handmade holsters (to be fair they weren't expensive though). Next guy has 4 tables...get this...of wool socks. Are you kidding me? This is a gun show right?

I'm gonna guess and say another 10 tables were arts and crafts. And not interesting to say the least--one guy was selling deer toes for $ 0.50 a piece. Yep. That's right, I said deer toes. Wow. What in the world would ya do with that.

Ok, i'm trying to have fun (and am enjoying spending time with my long-time hunting buddy) and we get to about another 8 tables that were all air soft guns. This guy must have spent 6-8 hours setting up all these things. Wow...

Eh, i'd guess a half dozen or so tables of 'fantasy swords', i'll call them. Like what Conan the Barbarian would carry.

Sorry for what could be possibly my longest post, but come on. I was looking forward to enjoying the show and all I could think of was this was more of an Arts & Crafts show than a gun show. As an aside, this show was put on by a promoter and regularly holds shows all year round. It had been 90% firearm related and slowly up to 10% arts & crafts, etc. Unreal. This was more like 50% firearm related and 40% arts and crafts and 10% miracle cures and who knows what insurance or home gadgets.

Not sure what to do when it seems these were the last spots to find a decent price on a firearm or parts. An anomaly? Or the new norm?

 

[arjay]

We see the same thing here.Too many promotors putting on too many shows and they need to sell those tables.

 

[625smith]

You are seeing the end of gun shows as we once knew them. The very device that you typed your post with is one of the nails in the gun show's coffin. The internet allows sellers get the maximum $$ with the least effort and the largest crowd.

 

[Donn]

Afraid it's the norm these days. To make matters worse, there are very few deals to be found. What really tickles me are the dealers that bring rifles, shotguns and handguns tagged "Not For Sale." Guess they're playing the "I've got one and you don't" game. That, and they don't mind lugging that stuff back & forth from the show and back home.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Donn,

That's funny you mentioned that. I told my buddy the same thing. Here this guy has a few M1 Garands that were pretty decent. Ok, sounds good. Guy in front of me goes to him, say, how much are you asking for the M1's. The guy running the table goes, aw nah, those aren't for sale, they are just there for display......I joked to my friend that someday they will just have pictures of guns at gun shows......

 

[Vegetaman]

The same thing happening to gun shows happened to a lot of old flea markets and other things around here. Replaced with tables of true JUNK coupled with arts and crafts. The joy of the hunt is pretty much ruined.

 

[mr.jbk79]

TheHobbyist, sounds like you were at the Oshkosh show?

 

[CatSnipah]

Was just at the good show in Charleston today.

People still gouging on ammo...not that I care, buy mine online.

People still gouging on firearms, and don't want to negotiate much. One guy got upset with me because I pointed out that I could get the same AR online, delivered, pay FFL fee, don't pay sales tax for more than $200 less than his "lowest" price. Told me that people like me are "screwing over the gun shops".

Well, then get your "gun shop prices" under control. Not my problem, sorry.

Crud like that continues to drive me further and further away from even trying to do business locally.

 

[Yorkie Man]

The ones around here turned into a Flea Market atmosphere years ago right about the time they started charging $10 to get in which was up from $3. That's when I stopped going. Nothing but overpriced stuff.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

That's why I don't even bother anymore. Good post.

 

[Bekeart]

One show that I formerly would set up at is slowly dying.
It was(still is) a small show. But was attracting fewer and fewer customers.

Promoter no longer able to fill the tables. One third of the room is EMPTY!
Three of the 12-15 table dealers no longer set up. I no longer buy my one table.
IF there are not enough buying customers the dealers go elsewhere.
In my case I just stay home and avoid all the work or loading/unloading truck and setting up/taking down the table stuff.

Bekeart

 

[rwsmith]

That sounds more like...

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

 

[just jim]

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.

 

[kaaskop49]

There was a similar thread earlier this year. Point was made that if these miscellaneous non-gun tables were not there, the shows would probably close.

This month, in my bailiwick, TWO big shows on the same weekend Dec 20-21 at opposite ends of the valley. Wonder which will win out, if either.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[zzzippper]

You must not have been to a show in years. This is not a new trend.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

Afraid it's the norm these days. To make matters worse, there are very few deals to be found. What really tickles me are the dealers that bring rifles, shotguns and handguns tagged "Not For Sale." Guess they're playing the "I've got one and you don't" game. That, and they don't mind lugging that stuff back & forth from the show and back home.

This is just me, but "show and tell" is one of my favorite parts of any gun show, watch show, or whatever other type of trade/collectible show one might attend. It's also a time honored tradition. 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.

It seems to happen to me more so at watch shows than at gun shows, but I tend to bring a lot of show and tell items. Most aren't out on the table, but under the table to show to specific people, or anyone else that I may get into a conversation with about a particular item.

Nothing annoys me worse than when I'm showing an item to a friend and someone else has to nose in and start pestering me for a price on an item. I never mind someone nosing in to learn more about something(in fact I love it when that happens)-I mind them nosing in and then trying to buy something that I've made perfectly clear is not for sale. Many of these type of folks don't realize(and don't care to learn) the significance of the piece I'm showing off and wouldn't even been interested in buying it for anything close to fair price.

 

[TheHobbyist]

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.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Hey Ben, that's fair enough. I understand where you are coming from and truly appreciate the history and study of our shared hobby. I agree with what your saying.

But, selling deer toes? Four tables of socks? Eh, not my cup of tea.

 

[italiansport]

I've been set up at the combined Crossroads SAR show here for the past 2 days and I'll be back at it tomorrow. I bought/sold several guns and the crowds have been huge. There is a great selection of merchandise at this show although items are somewhat pricy. The ammo business appears to be back to normal with no huge lines anymore. I guess this is an execption anymore!
Jim

 

[Taurus627]

When I still resided in Denver, we had a gun show once a month and it went that same direction. I would say 75% gun stuff, 25% other stuff, like artsy crafty things and food items. Here I am in South Dakota now and we have a show once a year and it's 95% gun stuff. Prices are a bit on the high side but if one pays attention some good deals can be found.

For example, the last one I was able to find some Remington 9mm for $10 for a box of 50, half what anyone else was getting. 22 was going for $50 a brick and up. Crazy!!