Gun Show origins

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Donald McCaig

Member
Joined
May 20, 2012
Messages
22
Dear Experts,

I can't remember gun shows being part of the Montana shooting scene in the 1950's. When did they get started?

Donald
 
I'm sure soldiers bought firearms and reloading supplies layed out in tables at the local church prior to going into battle against the Brits.
 
Most likely after the 1968 GCA banned direct to you mail order gun sales and started requiring FFLs for everything but same-state face to face transactions. Gun shows became a fairly convenient way for companies and individuals to offload the oodles of surplus firearms floating around at the time.
 
One of the oldest yearly gun shows in Minnesota started in 1960, so I would suspect other states would be about the same.
 
My first gunshow was at the Beckly WV national Guard Armory in the late 70s.Its the building that looks like an alien spaceship that has landed.Like the other poster I think most gunshows came after the GCA'68.
 
Unless the gun show provisions were added to the law subsequent to the enactment of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (I'm having trouble finding the original, unamended 1968 text), there must have been a significant number of gun shows prior to 1968 to merit their inclusion in the law.
 
My guess is that most started as collector's clubs. Like any other collectable, the collectors started trading among themselves, and some vendors showed up to make a profit. Eventually the vendors outnumbered the collectors.

Not unlike rock and gem shows, stamps, sports memorabilia, etc...
 
One of the largest shows in the country, Wanenmacher's Tulsa Gun Show, started in 1955.

Tanners show in Colorado started in 1964.

rc
 
Regardless of when they started, it's undeniable that gun shows have changed a lot over the years. Many of the smaller, friendlier venues have been squeezed out by the competition from the big, commercial shows. Table rents have gone up, and so the mix of table holders has skewed more and more to commercial dealers and less to amateur hobbyists. As a result, it's much harder to find any bargains at the shows. The big reason for going to shows, at least for me, is that I can find a variety of things under one roof. I can often find the rarity that I'm looking for at a large gun show, whereas there would be no hope of finding it at a local gun shop. And at a gun show, as opposed to seeing the item online, I can actually inspect it in person. The downside is having to wade through tons of non-germane stuff, including jerky, trinkets, political bumper stickers, etc.
 
I actually remember when there was not a cover charge to attend gun shows and all the shows around here were held at the National Guard armory. now they are all held and hosted at trade centers or community arenas and always cost a cover charge.
seems to me they would get a lot more attendance if that silly cover charge was done away with. I mean it is not like they are not already charging the vendors for table space.
I guess everything is about the Ka ching factor these days:rolleyes:
 
AlexanderA said:
Regardless of when they started, it's undeniable that gun shows have changed a lot over the years. Many of the smaller, friendlier venues have been squeezed out by the competition from the big, commercial shows. Table rents have gone up, and so the mix of table holders has skewed more and more to commercial dealers and less to amateur hobbyists. As a result, it's much harder to find any bargains at the shows. The big reason for going to shows, at least for me, is that I can find a variety of things under one roof. I can often find the rarity that I'm looking for at a large gun show, whereas there would be no hope of finding it at a local gun shop. And at a gun show, as opposed to seeing the item online, I can actually inspect it in person. The downside is having to wade through tons of non-germane stuff, including jerky, trinkets, political bumper stickers, etc.
Click to expand...
the things you listed is the exact reason i hardly attend gun shows any more I can actually get a better deal these days just shoping around at my LGS or pawn shops.
there is hardly such a thing as a bargan at gun shows any more unless you are a dealer or have an FFL.
Oh and did i mention the cover charge?:scrutiny:
 
seems to me they would get a lot more attendance if that silly cover charge was done away with. I mean it is not like they are not already charging the vendors for table space. I guess everything is about the Ka ching factor these days
Click to expand...

There is absolutely nothing stopping you, or anyone else, from organizing and promoting your own gun show, without an admission fee. Go for it.
 
I can recall setting up in 1961 for gun shows in South Carolina and North Carolina, and they were well established and long-running even then. I think youngda9 has it right about trading stuff before going out to meet the British, and probably even earlier than that. When did the second rifle come to America?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top