Advice for gun shows?

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I went to my first gun show this past weekend. Didn't buy much -- two mags for my Glock 30, a 140-lumen LED flashlight, and a Don Hume leather belt.

What sorts of things are generally good deals at gun shows? What is best to stay away from? What general advice would you give about shows?
 
What sorts of things are generally good deals at gun shows?
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I generally look for ammo deals on bulk .22 ammo. Also paper targets. And, although most complain about it, I'm usually a fixture at the beef jerky table.

What is best to stay away from?
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The Nazi stuff. The KKK stuff. Anything where the seller starts his sentence with a reason the gun is priced so ungodly high because it's usually B.S..

What general advice would you give about shows?
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Good pair of shoes, extra money, and poop before you leave the house.
 
"What general advice would you give about shows?"

Don't plan to buy anything, then you won't be disappointed. The price of a ticket is about what it would cost to see a movie and it's better exercise. There's a lot of stuff to look at and people to talk to and tickets are cheap, so go and look.

If you find a good deal it's a bonus.

I used to charge through a show like I was swimming laps in a pool against the clock. Now I go and stroll around sightseeing and enjoy it a lot more.

John
 
If you absolutely MUST have some beef jerky, a beanie baby, a couple pieces of fake turquoise jewelry, a tin sword made in China, some homemade fudge and a book on how to overthrow the government, then the gunshow is a surefire place to be.

Otherwise, dont go looking for anything special. Study up on the values of things you are interested in, then go in with the idea "I'll know it when I see it" There really are bargains to be had, and being able to handle and examine before you buy is a definite plus. Just go have fun, that's the main idea.
 
Walk through it first before buying something, especially common items. The guy near the door may have that Glock you wanted for $550 but the guy in the back may have it for $515 plus an extra mag.

Of course, this can bite you in the behind. Just this past Saturday, I strolled past one booth with the intention of grabbing 1# of AA1680. By the time I made it back, it was gone.

So, if someone has a very rare specimen you need, you might consider buying it. Or, bring a friend, split the show in two, and search your areas for what you're both looking for.

Don't be afraid to ask sellers if they have other stuff. Some may have shops and didn't bring everything. Some may say, "I had a used one, but I sold it last week. It sold for $X." That will give you an idea for prices in your area.
 
things to do:

one: don't break your back to go to one. If you can go to one, or have a Saturday/Sunday afternoon to piss away, then the gun show is good for that. Don't make a trip out of it, or make prior arrangements, because you'll probably disappoint yourself.

two: don't take your wife or kids (if you have any) or girlfriend. You'll get nagged by your S/O that she wants to leave, and your kids will want you to buy something ridiculous for them. Go for you :)

three: know what you're looking for, and how much it should reasonably cost. It'll make your day easier. Also know if its worth buying for a bit more or simply ordering. For example, buying a good Romy-G for 450 bucks is about the same as ordering one and paying the shipping and transfer, minus the two-week wait. Just know how it balances out.

four: walk around and look at everything first before buying anything. You might see a gun that you've been looking for and are willing to pay 33% more for it, when another dealer two tables down may be offering the same gun at the usual asking price that you usually see it for.

five: inspect everything before buying. Gun shows seem to attract crappy guns in an effort for dealers to get rid of them. A 'good deal' may only seem like a good deal until you realize that the front sight is canted, the magwell wobbles, the wood has been poorly finished, etc. etc.
 
two: don't take your wife or kids (if you have any) or girlfriend. You'll get nagged by your S/O that she wants to leave, and your kids will want you to buy something ridiculous for them. Go for you
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++1, I've learned the hard way- :D
 
jnyork :
If you absolutely MUST have some beef jerky, a beanie baby, a couple pieces of fake turquoise jewelry, a tin sword made in China, some homemade fudge and a book on how to overthrow the government, then the gunshow is a surefire place to be.

Otherwise, dont go looking for anything special. Study up on the values of things you are interested in, then go in with the idea "I'll know it when I see it" There really are bargains to be had, and being able to handle and examine before you buy is a definite plus. Just go have fun, that's the main idea.
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You must be my doppelgänger. :D






(GREAT advise, RP88!)
 
After nearly 40 yrs of gun shows here is what I'd suggest:

1) KNOW what you are looking for BEFORE you go there;

2) KNOW the retails cost of what you are looking for BEFORE you go there.

3) TAKE CASH...CASH is KING.

4) If you're some sort of knuckle head and you haven't a clue about dickering stay the .... home!

5) Seller's are there to make money, you are there looking for a fair market deal, how this takes place is dependent on all the above.

6) A double edge sword: IF you find something you've been looking for and you WAIT TO FIND IT AT A LOWER PRICE be prepared that when you return: that which you wanted to save a few bucks on may be GONE. Sure on one end you may pay a bit more altho it will be in your hand.... but if you're that knucklehead w/o dickering skills and decide to come back then there is no one's butt to kick but your own when you do go back and it's gone! It'll probably take you another few months, most likely longer to find what you wanted but you were too cheap and wanted to wait!!!

I've found this truth to have more truth than I care to admit to myself when I don't take my own advice:
It's easier to come up with an extra 20-30-40-50 or 100 bucks than it is to find that one item you've been looking for but you passed because you might find it cheaper at the next table...


Generally speaking: low value items are worth pennys to a seller: taurus, puma..etc..


Sometimes you win in a deal sometimes you looze, but snooze and you will surely looze.
 
travel light, travel fast. First in the door the first day and scan tables fast. If your on a mission hunt the tables quick. You can tell the shotgun vs handgun tables pretty quick. I've found 2 or 3 of a type of gun pretty quick and picked up some great bargains.
Then the other side of the coin. I've gone in late and near closing time and some that haven't sold much are ready to deal. This one i've doen when I wasn't on a mission.
Big thing I learned is that if a gun is really popular I'll probably want it and it won't be any big savings over what I could have gotten it for from my local gun stores, so I give my business to the gun stores so they can stay open.
 
Carry a note pad, index cards, something to write on and a pen. Write your prospects down along with their table number, and shop the rest of the show.

Don't be afraid to negotiate, "Hey the guy at c-14 has this for $50 cheaper, what can you do??"

On bulk items, like ammo, buy it right before you leave to avoid humping it through the show. That will detract from the experience.
 
There are a lot of good points and advice here. Some of the ones I've always found most applicable are going to the show just to stroll about and have fun. Also to bring cash, it speaks a little louder. I like to look it all over before I buy anything. I find most folks will hold an item for 30 minutes or so if you ask real nice. Set yourself a set amount of money you're willing to part with and don't exceed it unless you see something on the wish list that's A) a great deal, and B) you cant live without.

Like one of the others said, if I go, find nothing to buy, I'm out $5 bucks and have had 4 hours of fun looking at all the big boys toys. Plus you know you're around folks that like the same things as you.

Just my $.02...
 
What general advice would you give about shows?

1) Walk the place over before buying anything.

2) Plan on cash purchases--eveyone hates credit.

3) Try to do it with a pal as a recreational outing.

4) If you have less $$$ to spare, buy the small 'little things' that collect at shows for low cost. Again, if it's not making you money and not entertaining to visit--why bother; it can likely be shipped to you directly.

5) Snag bus. cards from dealers you like.

6) Know that it is OK to shower and shave before attending a gun show--although many guys don't seem to bother. And we wonder as a group why women are in short supply at gun shows; some of them smell like a locker room doused in CLP.
 
We have a monster gun show here in NOVA 4 times a year. Couple acres of hardware. I've learned the ATM machines run out in 30 seconds, along with all machines within a 5 mile radius. Cash is king. Leave your CC piece in the car...they ask you zip tie it at the gate. Be on your P&Q, the po-po cruise the parking lot. Bring two forms of ID with CURRENT and MATCHING addresses.

Eat before you go in. They charge mucho $$$ at the concession counter.
 
1) Don't go looking for anything in particular.

2) Have a good time. It's not supposed to be a chore, and if you don't accomplish anything else, you've spent time looking at a bunch of guns. ( This is never a waste of time. :D )

3) And last but not least.... remember that Capt. Murphy is alive and well, and looking over your shoulder. So no matter what kind of deal you find, or how low you think the price is, you will no doubt find the exact same thing somewhere else for less, a week after you get it home.

Now having said that, if you find something you really want, and the price seems worth it to you, buy it. After all, money is no good if you don't spend it, and Capt. Murphy there will no doubt make sure that it's a long time before you see another one of whatever it is if you don't. ;)

( Keep in mind that with the economy in the state it is, what seems like a mediocre deal right now may prove to be a helluva savings in a few more months. )


J.C.
 
There will be plenty of individuals walking around with guns to sell. Ask them what's in the case. That's where you are going to get your deals.
 
You must be my doppelgänger.
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A doppelgänger (pronunciation (help·info)) or fetch is the fictional ghostly double of a living person, a sinister form of bilocation.

In the vernacular, "Doppelgänger" has come to refer (as in German) to any double or look-alike of a person. The literal translation of the German word is "double–goer," meaning someone who is acting (i.e. going) the same way as another person. The word is also used to describe the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection.[citation needed] They are generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a person's friends or relatives portends illness or danger, while seeing one's own doppelgänger is an omen of death. In Norse mythology, a vardøger is a ghostly double who precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance.

Not sure if I want to be one of these or not!!:eek: :scrutiny:
 
I don't care what the prices are at gun shows. Typically, I would say one pays more there. I go just for something to do and to find a gun I haven't been seeing anywhere else that I can't do without. I don't go for a bargain, for that I go to Walmart.
 
Know how much you plan to spend...maximum.
Have that much in cash and don't go get more (the atm machines are always super expensive on their fees).

If you have $400 and the guy wants $450 and you pull out $400 and show him the empty wallet they will, sometimes, say "oh hell, good enough" though I find this happening less and less often these days.
 
I don't know that I have ever seen a "deal" on a new gun at a gun show. There's not a new gun I've ever bought at a show where I couldn't have walked into a store and got the same or better deal. You can sometimes find a bargain on something used. Particularly if you go on the last day and find someone who hasn't made a lot of money. By the same token if you wait until the last day, you might miss out on something that got snapped up early.

It's a roll of the dice.
 
My plan when going to gun shows is as follows.

When i get at the show i usually make a quick pass through the tables to see if theres anything im looking for. I swear to God this will help you find good deals fast. I got 800 rounds of czech 7.62 x 54R for $125 about 30 seconds before someone else was about to buy it. If you don't see anything you want then take it slow and move about at a reasonable pace.

Before i buy i usually ask if the seller is willing to move on the price at all. More times than not, the seller reduces the price for me. The price reduction is usually only like 10 bucks, but over the long run that can build up. If he says no, than its no.
 
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