Went to a Local Gun Show, No real surprises

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GeoDudeFlorida said:
Yeah, didn’t hit me like his family. He was my dearest friend and a former Marine combat vet (Korea). My wife and I did our best to take care of him and his kids after but it was just too much. We ended up putting him in long term care. Made it almost a year after the wreck. This was around 1997 and I still think about him just about every day. I’m pretty good with technology and people but I don’t understand money. Not even a little. Jim did. RIP buddy. Good luck with your new business. Remember: profit is not a goal, it’s a consequence of doing business the right way.
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Ah, a Korea vet? You sadly don't see many of those guys around anymore, they, along with Vietnam vets, don't get the recognition they deserve... And yeah we try to help people out with their purchase and inform them about different types of guns that are designed with people that have weaker hand strength in mind such as the S&W Shield EZ line. We try to get a little bit of everything from cheap "buy and hope to never use stash it in the nightstand" type of guns like a SCCY to high end stuff like a CZ Shadow 2.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
No problem. It’s a tough thing to understand and harder to explain. Ditto, btw. Didn’t mean to get snarky with you. I get my back up a little when I think folks are getting picked on without cause. I was wrong. I apologize.
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you know I respect you! you’re a good guy. there nothing you can say to change that!

about 1.5 years ago I shorted Game Stop, yeah I was one of then. Lost more money then Godzilla. So a tip to the young FFL guy, money comes and money goes, just learn to keep a little to be comfortable

pm me and I’ll let you know how much I lost
 
Mark_Mark said:
you know I respect you! you’re a good guy. there nothing you can say to change that!

about 1.5 years ago I shorted Game Stop, yeah I was one of then. Lost more money then Godzilla. So a tip to the young FFL guy, money comes and money goes, just learn to keep a little to be comfortable

pm me and I’ll let you know how much I lost
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Thanks! I think maybe that’s the heart of this thread: some people think business is all about making a profit. That’s what I thought. I found out I was wrong. What my buddy the business manager taught me is, business is about people. These gun show guys are getting out of the shop and meeting people. I respect that. Thing is, you get a cross section of humanity that way, too - on both sides of the table. The good, the bad, and the jerky.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Thanks! I think maybe that’s the heart of this thread: some people think business is all about making a profit. That’s what I thought. I found out I was wrong. What my buddy the business manager taught me is, business is about people. These gun show guys are getting out of the shop and meeting people. I respect that. Thing is, you get a cross section of humanity that way, too - on both sides of the table. The good, the bad, and the jerky.
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Yeah I've met some people selling stuff at shows that are just random dudes and actual dealers with FFLs like us and it's hit or miss if they are nice or not. Some are willing to work with you a bit or will send people to your table if they know you have something and vice versa but others are jerks if you even imply they are very obviously price gouging and fishing for suckerfish, to quote an earlier post about my new to me Marlin 1895G.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Thanks! I think maybe that’s the heart of this thread: some people think business is all about making a profit. That’s what I thought. I found out I was wrong. What my buddy the business manager taught me is, business is about people. These gun show guys are getting out of the shop and meeting people. I respect that. Thing is, you get a cross section of humanity that way, too - on both sides of the table. The good, the bad, and the jerky.
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most people are good!
 
So it’s time to close this thread cause if I say what I want to say it’ll be read as intentionally offending @GeoDudeFlorida which I certainly don’t want to do and it is a shame about your friend and business partner. (I don’t care about @Mark_Mark of course:)

So let me just say I disagree with most everything being said here that’s anti-free choice and there’s a lot of it. I even like Gunbroker.

God bless you all
 
CQB45ACP said:
So it’s time to close this thread cause if I say what I want to say it’ll be read as intentionally offending @GeoDudeFlorida which I certainly don’t want to do and it is a shame about your friend and business partner. (I don’t care about @Mark_Mark of course:)

So let me just say I disagree with most everything being said here that’s anti-free choice and there’s a lot of it. I even like Gunbroker.

God bless you all
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lol! no arguing, just a miss understanding, and we hashed it out. So it’s all good
 
Mark_Mark said:
I like the gun show tables were nothing is really for sale. And the guy won’t let you touch any of it!
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I just don’t see what everyone else is seeing. Or don’t see it the same way.

I really don’t care about prices, I really don’t. What I like is selection. Lots of stuff. But the prices aren’t really that bad—too much competition. Too much price matching.

One guy has scores of old 1911s, just 1911s, some in the thousands $$. More than one with outrageously expensive shotguns. Antique rifles and pistols abound.
Specialized .22lr stuff.

Trader Jerry’s from Salem VA always has dozens (and I mean dozens) of most every brand handgun sorted by caliber. Hundreds of handguns and scores of rifles. And He’s not alone.

I saw my first Wilson combat at the show, just lying on top of a box on a table. Had never seen one before. Now I own three. Same with my Les Baer & Ed Brown. Saw many Nighthawks decided not to buy. They don’t have the right feel. Where else could I get that exposure?

For every seller that doesn’t want you to touch there are ten that say it’s fine. And the competition will cause them to change their mind or stop showing up.

Magazines by the thousands. Ammo by the truckload. Steel targets—several dealers. Soft goods, cases, brand name and hand sewn.

Paper targets—have never bought from anywhere else. By the thousands.

Used to be at least three reloaders there. That’s how I got started—they taught me a lot and sold me a lot. Without any Hazmat or shipping:)

This show is certainly double or triple or quadruple the size of Cabela’s and larger than any other large retailer I’ve heard of.

Nope not too many little guys that’s true.

edit: sounds like freaking advertisement
 
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CQB45ACP said:
I just don’t see what everyone else is seeing. Or don’t see it the same way.

I really don’t care about prices, I really don’t. What I like is selection. Lots of stuff. But the prices aren’t really that bad—too much competition. Too much price matching.

One guy has scores of old 1911s, just 1911s, some in the thousands $$. More than one with outrageously expensive shotguns. Antique rifles and pistols abound.
Specialized .22lr stuff.

Trader Jerry’s from Salem VA always has dozens (and I mean dozens) of most every brand handgun sorted by caliber. Hundreds of handguns and scores of rifles. And He’s not alone.

I saw my first Wilson combat at the show, just lying on top of a box on a table. Had never seen one before. Now I own three. Same with my Les Baer & Ed Brown. Saw many Nighthawks decided not to buy. They don’t have the right feel. Where else could I get that exposure?

For every seller that doesn’t want you to touch there are ten that say it’s fine. And the competition will cause them to change their mind or stop showing up.

Magazines by the thousands. Ammo by the truckload. Steel targets—several dealers. Soft goods, cases, brand name and hand sewn.

Paper targets—have never bought from anywhere else. By the thousands.

Used to be at least three reloaders there. That’s how I got started—they taught me a lot and sold me a lot. Without any Hazmat or shipping:)

This show is certainly double or triple or quadruple the size of Cabela’s and larger than any other large retailer I’ve heard of.

Nope not too many little guys that’s true.

edit: sounds like freaking advertisement
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It’s like anything else in a free market: highly regionalized and up to personal experience.
 
CQB45ACP said:
So it’s time to close this thread cause if I say what I want to say it’ll be read as intentionally offending @GeoDudeFlorida which I certainly don’t want to do and it is a shame about your friend and business partner. (I don’t care about @Mark_Mark of course:)

So let me just say I disagree with most everything being said here that’s anti-free choice and there’s a lot of it. I even like Gunbroker.

God bless you all
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Probably not. I don’t frequent shows because they suck down here. Now, a farm equipment or horse show is another thing entirely. They’re great fun.
 
Mark_Mark said:
most people are good![
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GeoDudeFlorida said:
Probably not. I don’t frequent shows because they suck down here. Now, a farm equipment or horse show is another thing entirely. They’re great fun.
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I’m with you
My wife’s from western PA north of Pittsburgh and their annual farm show or steam engine show or fireman’s show were the greatest things ever.
Hershey antique car show, Carlisle car shows were great too but other end of state.
 
Oh yeah @GeoDudeFlorida I know you have horse country down there but up here, prepandemic, west of DC, we had the annual Upperville barn and stable tour when each year maybe a dozen stables were open to the public. No posers out in hunt country. Robert Duvall’s cattle ranch was okay for a newby but the Mellon’s 8000 acre place with a jet capable runway was my favorite.

Now those were shows worth going to. No firearms allowed but it wasn’t to protect the humans.

There is an antique firearm dealer in Upperville with more civil war carbines than I’ve seen in a museum.
 
CQB45ACP said:
I just don’t see what everyone else is seeing. Or don’t see it the same way.

I really don’t care about prices, I really don’t. What I like is selection. Lots of stuff. But the prices aren’t really that bad—too much competition. Too much price matching.

One guy has scores of old 1911s, just 1911s, some in the thousands $$. More than one with outrageously expensive shotguns. Antique rifles and pistols abound.
Specialized .22lr stuff.

Trader Jerry’s from Salem VA always has dozens (and I mean dozens) of most every brand handgun sorted by caliber. Hundreds of handguns and scores of rifles. And He’s not alone.

I saw my first Wilson combat at the show, just lying on top of a box on a table. Had never seen one before. Now I own three. Same with my Les Baer & Ed Brown. Saw many Nighthawks decided not to buy. They don’t have the right feel. Where else could I get that exposure?

For every seller that doesn’t want you to touch there are ten that say it’s fine. And the competition will cause them to change their mind or stop showing up.

Magazines by the thousands. Ammo by the truckload. Steel targets—several dealers. Soft goods, cases, brand name and hand sewn.

Paper targets—have never bought from anywhere else. By the thousands.

Used to be at least three reloaders there. That’s how I got started—they taught me a lot and sold me a lot. Without any Hazmat or shipping:)

This show is certainly double or triple or quadruple the size of Cabela’s and larger than any other large retailer I’ve heard of.

Nope not too many little guys that’s true.

edit: sounds like freaking advertisement
Click to expand...
Didn’t figure you for a 1911 .45 kidda guy
 
CQB45ACP said:
Well only these on top in 45. (Two others in 9mm.)

Love the kaboom of the 45 and loading is so simple. If I had it to do all over again I wouldn’t have bought the 9mm, but they’re too pretty to sell.

View attachment 1092191

View attachment 1092192
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you know I was kidding your name is CQB45ACP lol!

.45 & 10mm all day for me! no more 9mm’s!!! but that new compact 1911 that takes glock mags might be cool!!! love a glock mag
 
Mark_Mark said:
you know I was kidding your name is CQB45ACP lol!

.45 & 10mm all day for me! no more 9mm’s!!! but that new compact 1911 that takes glock mags might be cool!!! love a glock mag
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Haha I forget that!! Seriously! Just a stoopit retiree.

I’m done buying forever (I think) so no 10mm for me. Well maybe not. No, seriously, I have enough reloading supplies to last several years of shooting don’t want have to accumulate another caliber.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
These gun show guys are getting out of the shop and meeting people. I respect that. Thing is, you get a cross section of humanity that way, too - on both sides of the table. The good, the bad, and the jerky.
Click to expand...
I've met some outstanding brick-n-mortar folk because they drove an hour or two to get to the show. And, some fascinating folk who just "work the circuit." There are good people out there.

Nature Boy said:
You and I must go to the same gun shows.
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Ditto. But, some of those guys are cool to talk to.
I met the author of a middling well-known book on military belts, who went to shows because their spouse insisted that they "sell some of that junk!!" And, occasionally one would, being at FMV, and "success" could be reported. So, spending $80 and a weekend at the AstroHall was worth it for the domestic tranquility.
 
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