Gun Show - Dayton

[Shawnee]

Hi Y'All...


Well, this is a great show if you are into T-shirts, nutso bumper stickers, cordura-everything, WWII rifles, all manner of WWII "miscellaneous", AKs, "tactical"-everything, $20 swords, two-for-$5 butterfly knives, ancient .35 Remington Contender barrels, 10-year-old ammo at nearly-current retail, piles of black/stainless Bad-Axx-looking handguns, and overpriced cheap muzzleloaders - most at full retail or more regardless of condition.

The relatively few tables with actual hunting guns were mostly fair-to-miserable condition old shotguns and poor-condition old .22 rifles - all at current retail minus 50 cents. The few hunting rifles were either used plain-Janes with cheap scopes priced above $600 or beat-up Win. 94s and Marlin 336s priced mostly at about $450 or higher.

There is something about a .300 Win. Mag wearing a Simmons 3x9 scope and medium-sized Cokes for $4.00 that gives me the vapors.

Bummer to say it but, being just a hunter and pistoleer, I am pretty tempted to just write the Dayton shows off as a total waste of gas and time.

 

[strmday]

Bill Goodman show?

 

[mc223]

What an excellant description of every gunshow I have been to in the last 5 years all around the country. I guess I'm done with gunshows. They have mutated into a circus atmosphere and in a lot of the shows I've gone to had more cookies and cheap jewelry than guns.

 

[highorder]

glad I skipped it. I'm waiting for the Sharonville show (Cincinnati).

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Highorder...

Sharonville ??? Is there any reason to think that show has more for the plain ol' hunter/plinker than the Goodman shows at Hare with their emphasis on paramilitary/military surplus market ?

Hi Pancho...

Ever been to the Sharonville shows ???

 

[Super Trucker]

The shows in MI are the same. I went to one about 3 months ago, looking for a new buckmark camper stainless. Out of 30+ vendors, 1 had it but it was 35.00 above MSRP. I asked why and he said the cost of rental of booth plus gas prices make them charge more. Also it is 7.00 to enter the show to start. I am not going back, they are a waste of time.

 

[Kman]

Both shows are Goodman's, same show different location, same vendors. I go to both regularly, know many of the vendors.
Shawnee, what were you looking for?? of the many vendors only a few price their stuff to sell quickly, some happen to like to "collect" more than sell.

 

[rambilt]

Are all Gun shows like that? Because I'm about to go to one right now here in Belton, TX.

 

[Shawnee]

Hi Rambilt...


I haven't been to a gunshow in Texas in three years but used to go there a lot. There was plenty of the paramilitary stuff but there was usually also plenty of plain hunting stuff to be worth the trip.
Times change, however. I hope you luck out.

Hi Kman...

If you know the Folks I'll assume you're right about your friends being more "collecters" than buyer/seller types.
But with that said - why do they subject their "collections" to the damage potential from being at, going back and forth to, shows? Why do they spend money to rent at a public show ? Why is there so little there that is obviously collectable ? I can't answer those questions.
My pal was there looking for a target rifle, in either 22/250 or 25/06. Found just a couple that were in decent shape but the prices were ludicrous.
I had a Ruger .22 auto pistol that I thought I'd trade and would have let it go very, very reasonable against any of several types of guns (IF I had seen them) - but when there were so few sporting guns there, and most were in sorry condition, and every beater gun there is priced over $400 there is simply no point in going.
Somebody else enjoys it, I'm certain, and congratulations to them. But it's definitely a place where people such as myself are wasting their time.

Hi Super Trucker....

The guy was just blowing the usual gun show smoke at you. I've had those guys try to tell me their gun was worth more because it was "Pre-64" - trouble is, it was a Marlin, not a Winchester. Also had one knucklehead try to say his gun was worth more because it was a "Belgian made". That is (somewhat) applicable if his gun was a Browning but we were talking about an Ithaca shotgun. Best one was one guy who had a copy of U.S. Grant's autobiography on his table that he was asking $250 for. A lady was looking at it and on one of the leafs inside the front cover there is a reproduction of Grant's signature. He was telling her the book had actually been signed by Grant - and she was swallowing it. I couldn't let it happen and stepped up to point out that Grant died the week after he sent his manuscript to the publishers'. The guy hated me but the lady loved me.

 

[Avenger]

Try the PRO gunshow at the Westland Mall in Columbus on the 24h and 25th. The last couple shows have been pretty decent.

 

[Starter52]

That was a great description you gave, Shawnee. I had to smile. I've been to some shows like that in recent years.

 

[Shawnee]

Agreed Avenger.... I went to one of the PRO shows last Spring and it was mucho better. Still some high prices but not pure Insanity.
Thanks for the reminder !

 

[Commander Guineapig]

sounds like our show here in western CO...
lotsa cheap crap, and lotsa crap that cost too much.
Few deals, and plenty of BS.
GP

 

[mickmten]

My son and I just came back from the Dayton show, and sorry to say, it wasn't the greatest in the world, but it was better than the one they had there last month (and the month before that).

Case in point, one guy had a TOZ .22lr for over $200 (something like $230) -- you can get the same thing from Centerfire for $99. Even with shipping and transfer fees, which is the better deal?

They're driving us away.

Mick