Gun show dealers are so polite!

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

stevekl

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2004
Messages
394
I was at the gun show today in Richmond, VA and I went to a table that had a bunch of ARs and stuff like that. They also had one of those FN-2000 rifles which I have seen but never touched, so I picked it up.

The dealer guy comes over and starts a conversation. This is the entire conversation as best as I can remember it:

Dealer: "*tells me about its features*"
Me: "Yeah, it's really neat. I've never handled one."
Dealer: "I could set you up if you want."
Me: "Yeah, well, I don't have any money" (This is true.)
Dealer: "Do you have a credit card, then?"
Me: "No." (This is a lie.)
Dealer: "Then don't play with my guns if you don't have money or a credit card."

And then he literally makes a shooing motion with his hand, like he's sweeping me out the door with a broom.

Now, I don't have any money. But my dad does. And remember how I said this guy was selling ARs? Well my dad's in the market for an AR. But we will never buy an AR (or anything else) from this guy, ever. And combine this with the fact that there are at least 6 other tables selling big stocks of ARs, and countless small dealers selling small numbers of them. It's not like we don't have choices.

So good job losing two customers for life! :D

Edit- By the way, this was some outfit called 'Rabbit Ridge Guns'
 
Wasn't Dark Sun Surplus was it? They are a bunch of a-holes!!

Never mind, just read your last sentence...
 
I can understand what the dealer is saying. If you and three thousand other guys that have no money come in and bang the guns around then the guns looked used and he loses money. People should have the courtesy to keep their hands off the guns they are not there to buy.

I have seen a guy pick up collector NIB Colt SAAs and spin the cylinder like they saw on tv.. I would rather lose a sale than let people ruin my stuff.

Besides do you go out and burn up a bunch of dealers gas to try out cars you have no money to buy??:D:D

jj
 
I never understood that logic. If the weapons aren't behind/under glass or behind a counter, I consider them to have a "TOUCH ME!" sign on them at a gun show. I usually don't handle them willy-nilly, but if I were a dealer, I'd expect it.
 
I usually ask if I could handle anything before I pick it up. I thought that was typical unspoken etiquette. However the guy running the table obviously didn't flip out when you picked it up without permission, so that wasn't the problem. It isn't your property so would think most people would inquire about handling first.

Gun shows are filled with odd folks. Sometimes you find beat up stuff at stupid high prices, and you meed some weird people there. I think it's part of the experience.
 
That's fine Jim, but they don't have to be jerks about it. Sooner or later Steve WILL have the money. Guess where he is NOT going to buy from??
 
You can expect a man who has money to touch your stuff but if you have no intention on buying it while you handle it a real buyer may walk on by. People shouldn't need a sign to know it isn't theirs till they pay for it and if it isn't theirs then it is only polite to leave a mans stuff alone. Especialy if you have no money.

Damn they pay good money to set up a table, do they got to let people who have no intention of buying beat up their stuff????

jj
 
So you need to say: "Excuse me, I have money, can I touch the guns?"

That is just stupid. If you lay out 40+ guns at a gun show, expect them to be picked up. If the gun seller doesn't like that, DON'T SELL AT GUN SHOW.
 
I have seen guys go to pick up a mans gun and drop it right on the rest of them breaking one and scaring others. The man paid for nothing cause he had no money. LOL next time one of you guys want to sell your gun, ship it to them before you get the money so they can handle it all they want.

The dealer was rude because he was mad and he was made mad because someone is wasteing his time and money who had no intention of buying a gun.

jj
 
You go to sell your car used are you going to let the kid with no money drive it around for a while??

jj
 
Those are two completely different things. Selling at a gun show is like selling your wares at a flea market. People WILL want to touch, hold, feel inspect your items. I'm not going to stand there 40 minutes waiting on the seller to show me a Glock under glass if he is filling out paperwork. That is just silly. You will lose sales by doing this. Now, I can understand higher priced pieces under glass, but not your basic Glock, Taurus, Springfields, etc.
 
^^^^ the kid can come sit in it can't he? as long as he isnt bothering you or it.

I recently noticed some dealers might be over protective of hot-new stuff, like the fn2000. They practically let you juggle mil-surps, but you cant touch the fn2000.

fn2000 is just fun to say.

"I'm going to go buy a 2000."
"A what?"
"An FN2000!"

long slow day....
 
I have been on both sides of the table. I set a table up twice a year to support my gun club that I am a life member of. I don't set up a table anywhere else.

Guys come in and handle your stuff with no intention of buying. They just want to show it to a friend or see if a holster fits or any number of reasons. In my opinion unless you want to buy something and you "HAVE" the money then don't touch another mans stuff.

Guy has 40 guns on the table are you going to handle them all just cause you can??

jj
 
He was indeed rude, but handling of a gun does reduce the price it can be sold for. So the dealer was just trying to protect his livelihood.
I've always thought that it's common courtesy to ask before you handle someone's stuff, regardless of whether or not you're in a gun show. Even if everyone else is being impolite and it's tolerated, that doesn't make it okay for you to be impolite.

What I'm trying to say is that the dealer was rude as a direct result of something impolite that you did. Yes, maybe a glass case would be a good impediment to people randomly picking up guns they don't intend to buy, but the lack of a glass case does not equal a TOUCH ME sign.
Try to put yourself into the dealer's shoes.
 
Steve,

Sorry about what happened. This is the typical "Gunshop Bully" people talk about - absolutely no excuse.

If I were this guy, I would have taken the time to talk to both you and your Dad and figure out how to convince you that I could eventually help you when you were ready to buy....but, that's just me.

NASCAR
 
I can see Jim's point. I have been "behind the table" and once had a 20-something deadbeat pick up a cased SA Colt revolver and spin the cylinder wildly. Idiot.
 
For those of you that have never sold at a show
It is a long grueling weekend of dealing with gun gurus and know nothings that all want to tell you how you should be selling

I have have given empty pockets the go ahead to look at a gun, turn my head for a second and he has my gun taken half way apart, he was just looking not buying

I have watched as interested customers have given up because a fondler with no money is monopolizing the table

My guns are not there for you to fondle and play with, that is not even implied anywhere in my contract or on your entrance ticket
Normal etiquette applies at gun shows just as it does in real life

If you want to look it is as simple as looking me in the eyes pointing at the gun and getting a nod

I have never sold at a show where I was not asked before my guns were played with by the majority of the players
I can also say that the majority of yahoos that assumed that this is their right almost never buy
Real gun people act like gun people

If you don't have the money to buy say so
If I have the time I'll talk with you about what I know about the guns
That's the only enjoyment that I get from these shows
If you are looking for your father say that also
I don't have time to play twenty questions to find out what your buying status is
 
Maybe "Gun Show" isn't the correct term for this type of event...
Click to expand...

When you go to a dog show do you walk everyones dog around to see if you like it even when you have no money? When you go to a car show do you drive everyones collector around to see if you like it even when you can't afford it?? A gun show is to show guns that are for sale, if you have no money then don't handle the guns.

jj
 
In defense of the OP...he didn't have the money, but his dad was in the market. Maybe he could have mentioned that in his conversation with the dealer to smooth things out. I can understand the concerns of a business owner, since my dad is a small business owner. Still no excuse. If it would have been just a never seen, never touched, I wonder what it's like, that is one thing. When you are doing some amount of research or window shopping, its another.

I'm looking for a truck to replace my car. It's probably not going to happen till the summer, but I am still doing the research. A few months back I had a day off, drove to some different dealerships to see what is in the area and what prices I could expect. Every dealer, some more than others, were polite and courteous and wonderful to deal with despite no cash on hand.
 
I sell stuff for a living and I don't care if someone wants a bit of my time even if they're not buying right at that moment. Experience has shown me that those people often turn into my best customers later because they remembered how nice I was to them, instead of giving them a cold shoulder. If I'm pressed for time sure it can be a little difficult. But it's better than closing doors.
 
I can understand if people NEVER have the intention to buy, it can be frustrating to see them messing with your stock. On the other hand, gun shows are the best way to see tons of different pistols/rifles, etc. You may want to think that this "bum" with no money may be coming into some cash soon. Maybe he wants to see what he/she likes, then go to your store and buy it when they DO get the funds.

Now, there is the whole etiquette thing. Yes, there is un unwritten law about handling firearms, especially other peoples firearms. When I look, I always handle them as if they were made of glass. I respect the owners firearms and handle them accordingly. Just because I handle them, does not mean I'm going to buy it. Do you go to a shoe store and pick out shoes without trying them on?

If I was looking at someones guns and they asked me if I had money, I would be VERY offended and never buy from them. You can be polite and ask the person looking to be careful and not be an a-hole regardless of their financial situation.

You are going to have dumb people everywhere. That is understood. But if you want respect, give respect.
 
If you are an attendee...

What is it with people who think that it's okay to go around fondling stuff you have no intention of buying just because it happens to be on display? If it ain't yours and you have no intention of buying the gun, keep your grubby mitts off it. Doing otherwise is rude, inconsiderate, and just plain unneighborly. Being offended when someone suggests you exercise said polite consideration is juvenile and selfish.

If you like it and have a reasonable desire to purchase it (or one like it), then follow a little personal etiquette and ask if it's okay to handle it.

If you are a dealer...

Presume that there are selfish retards who are going to fondle, drip on, smudge, smash, scratch, spin, dissasemble, and otherwise manhandle your merchandise. If you don't want it to happen, case your guns. If you choose to case them then have plenty of staff on hand handle questions and request to see stuff. One person working a hundred-gun three-table display is not conducive to getting much of anything sold. Be prepared for the dumbest of dumb questions. And teach your staff how to diplomatically end a conversation with a time-monopolizing non-buyer. That person may well come in tomorrow with a roll of hundred dollar bills. Or they may be a prolific poster on many gun enthusiast web sites.

If you're on either side...

Be realistic in your expectations, considerate in your actions, and pretend like you are talking to Art's Grammaw, not like you just crawled from under some rock. A little courtesy, tact, and respect for the person across the table would work wonders.

See, that's not so hard.

Brad
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Selling at a gun show as a non-dealer......
Replies
24
Views
1K
FROGO207
FROGO207
C
  • Locked
Why are so many gun dealers dishonest?
2 3
Replies
59
Views
3K
Elmer
E
P
  • Locked
Gun Show Observations,
Replies
3
Views
509
pty101
P
G
  • Locked
Harrisburg PA Gun Show
Replies
7
Views
1K
Sig 226 .40
S
Kentucky_Rifleman
  • Locked
Gun show incident - Opinions?
2 3 4
Replies
87
Views
4K
Sam1911
S
Back
Top