Only my second trip to a gun show and I'm over it.

there once was a time where gunshows were the place to be to get good deals and stock up on ammo. kind of a clearing house for the going out of bizz and over stock. but now adays it more for marking up prices and selling of ebr's. whe i first started going to gs's a glock 22 could be had for 399.00 not bad close to LE pricing in my area. now however a g22 is 599.99!!!! thats ubsurd in ever aspect of the word. two months ago i found a marlin bolt action 22wmr for 325.00 used! at said gunshow! thats 100.00 over retail when there new!
in short, i only go to gunshows to sell guns, and buy reloading surplies. the only reason i do that is because its the only place i can get fgmm primers for 39.99 per 1000 into my hands.

Gun Shows are a sort of "shot in the dark." Deals are very unlikely to be had for sure, OTOH I have bought a Springfield XD45, a S&W MP40 and a Glock 19 at a gunshow for the same price I would have paid in a dealer's store.
I sure missed out on a LOT of Nazi paraphenalia and beef jerky though.
I don't really have high standards for gun shows; I'm perfectly happy going to one and just looking.
Aside from the guns I bought above I also found an old Smith & Wesson model 1½ in 32 short at one. A nice hideaway gun that was sold in a New York City Store December 9, 1869, according to S&W historians. It's the oldest firearm I own.
I can see how people can be "turned off" by some gun shows. You are not the first and won't be the last.

There is a good show in Jackson, MS this weekend.

I'll be happy to catch the deals you guys can't see...

Gun Show vendors don't seem to be aware that the Great Panic Buy of '09 is over.

Ive lost interest in them to. I will still pay the 6 or 7 dollars occasionally because I cant help myself, but there just arent any good ones around here it seems. Flayderman comments on this phenomenon in his 7th (I think) edition American Antiques book. I think more and more people, especially the younger crowd are turning to internet for sales and viewing. The selection is just too limited at many of the gunshows.

Flayderman also makes note of the fact that the finest of the fine weapons, and even just upper end stuff is found more and more at auctions, because sellers can realize the highest prices through that selling format. Which leaves the common and lower end stuff to be sold at the gunshows. I cant say I disagree with this observation, and you cant blame the sellers. Take it to a gunshow, everyone there tries to get the price as low as they can (cant blame the buyers either). Take it to some type of auction format and watch people argue over who can pay the most.

Things are not what they used to be..... When I was a kid in the 60's there was one gun show a year and it was the greatest event on earth. Old stuff, new stuff, junk stuff expensive stuff, it was all there. There were gun displays and all kinds of things to look at. Now we have at least one "gun show" a month in the area, they are all the same with the same vendors at most of them. And between the sky high prices, candles, jewelry, jerky and other crap combined with the attitudes of the sellers I rarely go anymore. The internet has anything I need for much cheaper and the $8 I don't spend on admission pays the shipping. In all fairness I do go once in a while with a friend or two and I have found a German Makarov for $250 but that's about it. Oh for the good old days........

SuperNaut said:

Gun Show vendors don't seem to be aware that the Great Panic Buy of '09 is over.

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+1

Gunshows (at least here in OH) have taken a down-turn in quality and good deals ever since mid '08. Last gun I bought at gun show was Jun '08 ... I have stopped going to them for now. I get better deals working with a local FFL & can get exactly what I want. I miss the haggling though ... I can fondly remember the "randomness" of going to gunshows with every intention of buying a pistol and coming back w/ a shotgun because that was the best "deal" of the day. I think the character of this american institution has changed somewhat in recent years ... I had fond memories of going with my dad as a kid.

I would not mind gun shows banning new guns for sale. Thats all I am there for anyway. I mean, I can go to the LGS to pay retail for a new gun.

I would definitely go to them more if that were the case.

Probably would not exist though.

You must have some huge LGS's in your neck of the woods. I'd rather choose amongst several thousand new guns, if I'm looking for a new gun - than the 100 or so at each of my local shops...

kingcontraryman, i was there also. You are 100% right. I didnt go expecting great deals, but it is just stupid what some of the prices were. If they are asking 100% over retail on some things how can you even negotiate?It was still worth going to and kill 1 1/2 hours though.

I have gotten really good prices on guns at shows, an LCP, for$269, and I swapped a taurus revolver for a slim 740, last week. But you cannot have high expectations when you go. I gave up going for 10 years, but have been able to pick up some decent deals of late. Plus you get to handle some guns that you may only have seen on paper. That can be a savings right there. Many guns that I was interested in were a big dissapointment once I picked them up and handled them. My obsession with under 20 oz pistols that fire a minimum of a 9mm cartrage keeps me interested in that area. I have 5 that fit the bill and even loaded are concealable in FL. When it's hot and you are outdoors, there is no way I want to carry an expensive fullsize gun around and sweat all over it, the gun shows are always giving me a chance to upgrade or see a weapon that may be better.

Yep I was there too, I've been to every one in Biloxi and Hattiesburg. The last year and half I keep going to them, I usually find something I can't live without. I've been looking for some rosewood grips for my S&W model 19, low behold finally found some. I find the occasional gun deal once in awhile.

Mostly I just go to hand with my people. It the one of very few places that I don't have to watch what I say. That is often worth the money and time to me. If I find a deal - so much the better.

They have a gun show here in OKC almost every weekend now...They're all the same...They 1/2 fill the building with nothing but overpriced crap,and charge 12-15 dollars now to get in...I've been to two of them...The last time I went to one was about 18 mos. ago and won't be at another... Nothing but junk...Anything that was new or decent I could have bought at the store for 20% less...

same deal, just drove 60 miles to the nearest gunshow and it was henitrocious. Beef jerky, candle guy, and old geezers selling guns for WAYYYY more money than its worth and turns their nose at you when they asks about your product for sale (Polytech M14 + Mccann scope mount + scope ).

about the only redemption is chatting with the Marine Corps league vets there and right before i left i traded an USP40 i paid $500 for and $50 for a NIB S&W 1911, haha

Nope didn't go to walmart afterwards, the lyman show is even smaller. I know 2 of the vendors that will be there for sure.

Check out MSgunowners.com when you get a chance, its the states gun owner forum.

I rarely attend shows anymore. Here in Tulsa we have the 4000 table Wanamacher show, but the dealers apparantly bought inventory during the panic and are unable to move the merch at market prices.

Bad deal all around, actually. It's going to take a couple of shows to stabilize, I think.

I still attend gun shows but +1 to what has been said about prices.

My favorite "find" at a show is a collector (not dealer) who is selling off his many-years collection. He paid little for his guns 30 years back and is just looking to clean out the house before moving south.

THAT'S the kind of guy I like to see. He rents a few tables and is willing to dicker on everything.

Gun Show vendors don't seem to be aware that the Great Panic Buy of '09 is over.

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Exactly. Hasn't been just 09 either. Realistically, this country has gotten polarized. Back in the day you had some subset of people who shot guns, and a whole bunch that just didn't care one way or another.

Now, firearms interest overall seems to have grown, but the segment not interested seems to have gone from not caring to vehemently rallying for their removal from society. This creates a panic mindset in those that do want guns. There's a sense that I better buy something now because it'll be illegal soon.

Sometimes that feeling is right, sometimes it's not, but the dealers are ALWAYS capitalizing on it. Pay our prices. Sure they're through the roof but if you don't buy now you might never get to own this item again . . .

Heck I'll admit that when I bought my first handgun it was out of fear that they were going to be ruled illegal soon. That was 9 years ago. I don't regret that decision but it is a sign of the climate we're in.

I think I've done a total of 4 gun shows so far in my life. The extent of my purchases there has been some shotgun shells and a wooden blue-wing teal decoy (but hey, that was a good deal at $20 - its in my office now ). Other than that, just overpriced junk. I do much better shopping online.

You must have some huge LGS's in your neck of the woods. I'd rather choose amongst several thousand new guns, if I'm looking for a new gun - than the 100 or so at each of my local shops...

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Sure greater numbers are there but they are greater numbers of the same things the LGS has as well. They are just black plastic. My main point is, a new gun will only be sold for so low and gun shows are not the place to find that price. (on a new gun)

I was beginning to wonder if any more people from my area was on here. I went to one in lyman a couple years ago. Didn't buy anything there either. Maybe I'm just weird but I don't like paying more than what it is worth.

If I want to pay retail plus, I can stay home and order from gunbroker.