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.