gun shows-sheeeshhhhh!

I haven't been to a gun show in maybe 7-8yrs. Its just never really been my thing cause I don't really like AR'S and old military stuff and well I'm poor too. Lol.

My best friend called me today and asked if I wanted to go cause he was selling a couple things and I have 2 old muzzleloaders I wanted to ditch so I figured why not. I put $150 on my cva optima with scope and sling and brand new TC quick handle ramrod and got a few glances but no one bit. He was selling some kind of surplus rifle that was in very good condition and walked around and checked prices and most were $300-450ish and in fair condition. He had a lot of people ask and he hit them with $250 and a lot of them said no way, your crazy, too high, I can find it at the next building for $125. Some people just were down right aholes about it. He explained to them that he priced off what the tables had and his was lower than any of them.

I was really hoping to offload the CVA but it didn't happen. I figured $150 was a decent price for the gun, $100 scope, mounts, 2 sets of fiber optic irons and sling. I even heard some people say he's crazy after peeking at my tag. I am kind of glad I went with a paper saying how much and what it was so I didn't have to play the game.

I'm wondering why everyone wanted his rifle and was drooling over it but wouldn't touch it for almost half of what crappier ones were going for? this is why I don't like gun shows. everyone thinks their stuffs worth hundreds more than it is, if you pass they get all crappy. id rather just slap a sign up at the gun club with pics and a price.

GunnyUSMC said:

If muzzleloaders in your area is like around here, you almost have to pay someone to take them.
Now your friend's gun. What was it? You say it was in very good condition. Has it been altered in any way?
My youngest son Isaac and I set up a table at the local gun show every other month. We make and sell paracord bracelets. I have Isaac watch the table while I take a quick walk around. There is this one guy that just deals in surplus guns. His prices are higher then a cats A## in a bucket of water. Last show he had Mosins M44s for $499. I don't know how he sells anything.

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I think that's what he had but not sure. He has tried selling early Winchester 30-30, Remington speedmasters, etc and guys say ill give ya $100. we seen a beat up Winchester 94 in cabelas gun library for like $900 and a year newer than his. I get a lot of tables jack the price up but what got me was how rude and mad people got. its like hey its too much for you then okay but you don't have to run your trap about it to the seller. Lol.

huntsman said:

A lot of those guys that come up to you( if you are carrying a gun to sell ) are runners from the dealer tables, they're not going to give 50% maybe 30. What show were you at? If you want decent money for a Ml go down to Amish county, maybe a flea market or trader days at a gun club.

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Berea.

I can flip the ML at my hunt club. It was just all the people getting crappy is what got me. its like common you don't have to be rude cause you think the price is too high. one guy had several that looked horrible and asked how much and got pretty nasty. I kind of felt a little bad for my buddy. he had maybe 10 people stop him and all said too high but he was the lowest there. Lol. one guy came up behind me a few times reading my sign and said yeah right, ha and walked away. When I asked my buddy at the truck how much should I do the ML for he said what is it new? I said like $300 without scope. he said $150 so I ran with it.

He found a pristine Winchester 94 from like the 40's or 50's at a pawn shop years ago and highest offer was like $250. I said hell ill give you $400 for it just so someone doesn't sell it for $600. I just don't get how someone could try and screw someone.

boom boom said:

Try selling it right before muzzle loading season. Your price was a very good one for a muzzle loader in good condition.
What you are describing is why I don't go to gun shows much anymore.

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Ill have to go to my counties gunshow or the hunt clubs cause this show is more military stuff then anything. I remember years ago there was a lot of AR and handgun tables and now maybe 2 handgun tables and one AR table, everything else is pieces and parts for military stuff.

entropy said:

Bet it's a Mosin; prices have gone up, but gun show dealers had tried (usually unsucessfully) to capitalize on that by doubling the prices on the guns they bought when you could buy a crate cheap.And they sit on them and sit on them.....

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When the one guy hit him with the $125 i said isn't that what you paid for that thing like 10-12yrs ago. he has a couple of them and we used to shoot them a lot. he said something if it was a fin he would get what a dealer wanted but i don't get into that old stuff too much.

deadin said:

I think what you missed is that the "crappier" ones weren't selling either.

I'm going to a show tomorrow for my annual insult. I have three pistols I would like to sell, but don't have to sell. I won't feel bad if i bring them home with me, for lack of decent offers. (Two Civil War era Colt's and an early S&W 639. These are scarce enough that I can't find any reliable selling prices on the various auctions, so I have to go on what my 4 year old pricing guide says. I expect to be slimed....)

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the crappier ones were almost double what he wanted.

Blkhrt13 said:

I quit going to gun shows. Pawn shops have better prices. I may occasionally go to one for a holster need. Even ammo is cheaper online after paying shipping. Sooner or later they will catch the idea that currently it's a buyers market. When I was a kid it was a favorite event. Seems like it's all shysters now. I've seen so many posts in different forums about folks getting shafted. Being sold a gun with issues. Not being able to get back in touch with the seller. Nope Nada not doing it.

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you know i had a lot of respect for an older guy who had a couple rolling blocks my buddy was interested in and he told him both had issues but he had to get xxx for them for some reason. had they not had issues im sure he would have purchased one but for the guy to be honest shocked me.

jmorris said:

Because they bought the crappier ones for 25%. If you go to a gun show and someone that has a table buys your rifle you are going to get what a pawn shop would give you for the most part. AKA a "can't loose" deal for them.

If business don't fail, they make money. If a business doesn't create any product or service they must buy something for less than they sell it for, in order to make money. That's how you get people wanting to buy your stuff for cheap and sell it for more than they paid you. Pretty simple math at that point.

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I get that but most the people asking weren't booth guys it was joe smo walking around. I think one dealer asked to see it and had several and told my buddy no way he will get what he wants for it. my buddy says hey, you and the guy next to you have worse ones, I'm not letting it go for someone to put $200+ markup on them. I'm kind of glad he put that guy in his place cause that guy was being a total jerk.

Ignition Override said:

ohihunter2014:

Have you tried using Armslist OH?

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I haven't. Im not much into that stuff. I will probably put mine at our hunt club and see what happens. my buddy has like 3 of these rifles and just re crowned and bedded one and that sucker shot a one inch group with iron sights at 100yards the other day with Russian ball ammo. it shocked me. I just went with him for something to do and selling the ML would have helped but didn't break me. He said he doesn't need 3 of the same rifle so was selling them.

anyone know what they charge for a table? There was a magpul table and a couple ammo tables that seemed to be doing okay but the ones that sell cheap pocket knives, holsters, pieces and parts, etc i don't know how they make enough to break even.