Crooks at Manchester NH gun show (only a few)

[CZ223]

I went to the gunshow in Manchester NH which is generally the best one around here. When I got there, an hour after the doors opened, I still had a 45 minute wait. It was crazy, but not totally unexpected. People were definitely panic buying. I saw one guy wheel out 8000 rounds of 7.62 and 223. For the most part things like high cap magazines were hard to come buy but still available. Some people had jacked their prices way up, I saw new HI-cap Glock mags going for $25(very good price), $35 and $45(pretty steep). There was one dealer selling new AR 15 mags for $18, probaly right where they ought to be considering demand, and there were others selling old beat ones for $20. AR 15s were abundant and, for the most part, reasonably priced. There were at least 3 dealers selling primarily Olympic arms and they hadn't jacked there prices at all as far as I could tell. There were some decent deals on DPMS and Rock river as well. The Saigas that I saw there almost doubled from this time last year. There was one guy trying to sell a Stag lefty, no frills, for $1600. The guy who really made my head spin around though was the guy asking $2900 for a used Socom 16 I did manage to pick up two used high cap Glock mags for $15 each and I traded off two Mag-pull 30 rounders (they didn't work well in my guns) for a 30 round Surefire for the Saiga 7.62 which worked wonderfully.

 

[RugerBob]

I had to work saturday and had planned on going sunday (today). The weater changed my mind as its a hour plus drive on a good day. Glad to hear I didn't miss much. Bob

 

[hso]

I don't see how these folks are "crooks" since force wasn't involved. It's just the new reality since November.

The dealers' suppliers are low/out of much of what they sell so their ability to replenish their inventory is pretty much reduced to scratching for scraps. They've got to actually work hard to find those scraps also. Since demand has sky rocketed ("When I got there, an hour after the doors opened, I still had a 45 minute wait. It was crazy, but not totally unexpected. People were definitely panic buying."), they're just following the standard economic model.

I have seen dealers give good customers deals at shows around here, but only the good customers that have supported them for years.

 

[nhlivefree]

I find the prices higher at the gun shows. Reloading stuff is more than ammo is more. Reileys was selling casees of .223 for 350 at there store it is 325

 

[CZ223]

They are not all crooks

In fact most of them are not crooks, but there were a few. As I said there were some decent deals to be had for sure. An across the board modest price increase is definitely expected. But doubling the price on a Socom 16 is being a crook. I think that $1600 for that Stag that I mentioned was also about doubled. Honestly, since the demand is so high I do not begrudge these dealers a higher markup and, in fact, expect it. These guys don't have very high profit margins and struggle in hard times so they should, to some extent, make more while they can. What I have a hard time with is people that are going overboard and gouging.

 

[franconialocal]

Socom ii

Just curious...was that SOCOM decked out with any toys?? Considering that the base model, which I've been drooling over for a while now, is going for just shy of 2K anyway...... hard to justify his price if it's stripped.

 

[Seenterman]

Charging almost double to a customer may not be illegal but it sure does leave a bad taste in their mouth for the next gunshow, after they relized they got jacked.

Just another reason out gun shows may be dying.

This goes doubly so for newbies that get hustled at a show.

 

[Starcheck55]

did you get a shamwow?

 

[malamuteman1]

! lol

I did not know about the Manchester show until the end of the day on Sunday so I will have to wait until Concord in February although it never really does anything for me...I just like people watching

 

[akodo]

I find the prices higher at the gun shows. Reloading stuff is more than ammo is more. Reileys was selling casees of .223 for 350 at there store it is 325

yea, but think of it this way. They can leave a case sitting in the store for $325 at no cost to them.

If they take a case to the gunshow, they got to load it in the truck, drive it over, and unload it. (this is non-sales time) Then they have to pay for their table (and they are still paying for their original retail space) and then they have to cart over what is left.

For all that work the will need to show some profit. realizing that probably only half their inventory will sell they increase the price by about $20