Gun shows...I just don't get it.

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bearmgc

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Just returned from one of the biggest gun shows in Wyoming, and I just don't get it. 2 buildings full of dealers with WAY over priced guns, and frequent smug, stupid comments by sellers and buyers. I tried to sell 2 very nice revolvers, each for at least $150 less than the best price going at the tables. Only one casual inquiry, but lots of sarcastic remarks by both sellers and buyers, about my sign simply advertising what I had for sale which I was carrying. A small sign used to be a very common practice at gun shows by people wanting to sell or trade. Today, I noticed, I was the only person walking around with one. Geez, I really want to finance a new O/U, but came up zeros. This is big game Wyoming, and the number of gun shops has drastically decreased, to a couple of limited inventory, overpriced franchises, whose clerks don't hestitate to remind us that they're the only game around. Yet, nobody was even remotely interested in what I had to sell at the show.
The atmoshere has changed, and I don't get it....
 
Ya know Wolf, I was wondering about that. This show just didn't have the local camaraderie of hunting/shooting types. Yeah, and I paid money to be insulted...what was I thinking.
 
yep gun shows ain't what they used to be. and from what i read it is like that around most of the country. even here in the hospitality state guns shows suck quite often.
i asked a guy about an m 1 carbine one time to see if he was interested in a trade. he asked what i had and before i even finished telling him about my derringer and waved his arm and very disgustingly said he didn't deal in that
---T.
 
Sorry to hear you guys had a bad time. I got back from a show today and found it very enjoyable. I didn't buy anything today due to lack of funds but I got a great free education on the function and disassembly of the SKS. I take gun shows for what they are. A great place to look at all kinds of firearms, accessories, knives, etc. with the occasional good deal or diamond in the rough. At the very least I find I've learned something new.:)
 
Mooseman, a year ago, I posted a similar response to yours. I could always find something interesting at every gunshow. I believe there were no deals to be found at this show after spending most of the day there, and the education I got today was in the ignorance and poor manners of people. Of the many stupid comments, one in particular was of an ammunition and gun parts dealer telling a 30ish looking fellow with a pregnant wife and 2 kids to get away from his table because he was too young to buy ammo. The fellow calmly replied, Sir, I'm 27years old, and if you don't want my money I'm fine with that. He pulled out his drivers license and placed it eye level at the dealer and then walked away.
 
Maybe I'm just cynical, but after hearing enough from around the country about gun show experiences, I've decided that a majority of them now days are just so dealers can get together and play show 'n tell. The only postive experiences that seem widespread are the off-chance private party deals.
 
Too bad!

Bearmgc--Condolences that you had such a rotten experience @ what is supposed to be a mini-vacation. I've encountered jerks of various stripe @ gun shows, but so far (knock on wood) they've been well outnumbered by decent people, who are there because they like dealing with firearms--buying or selling or using or all 3.

I have yet to go to a gun sho where I didn't learn something useful. And sometimes a whole bunch of B. S. to go with it! :D

When I carry a sign and a shoulder bag of stuff to sell, I get asked about the stuff, and usually no takers, but NEVER anything unpleasant. I'd keep on carrying a sign when I have stuff to sell, were I you--how the heck else are potential buyers going to know?

Mebbe I've just been lucky. And it's true that I've never attended a gun sho in yr state of WY.

I thought that The West was where there were MORE gun people, not less.
 
i only go to the big crossroads show here in phx in december. even then it's
a struggle to have to pay to be insulted..........
 
Around Maryland, this problem is pretty prevalent unless one chooses to stick to the largest of gun shows.

Add to the fact that the laws in our 'Free State' add significant hassle to the purchase of a handgun or 'regulated' long arm, and you create the possibility for great disappointment at such a show.

Most tables around here have either a bunch of cosmo'ed milsurps (my lifeblood), or identical remchester-style no soul hunting rifles. Mix in a few handgun dealers, a few EBRers, and an odd old fellow who only sells Savage 311s, and that's the typical fare.

I think when the shows are relatively small (<300 tables), dealers basically know that they are the only, or one of the only, sellers of their specific merchandise, and charge as such. At large shows (500-1200 tables), there usually is enough competition to keep prices down.

For instance, the last show I attended was somewhere in Virginia, close enough to make this story relevant. I was in the market for some spam cans of 7.62x54r to feed my hungry devil, the mosin. Out of maybe 800 tables, only ten or so sold ANY milsurp ammo, and only four or five had 54r. Of those, all but one were charging $70-80ish for the 440 round can, an outrage as far as I am concerned. Still, I kept the faith, and eventually located a table selling such cans for the local accepted rate, $35/440. I bought him out.

Just gotta look around, and GET THERE EARLY! I know I made the show a bad experience for the next fellow looking for 54r, as I bought all the good stuff... tough luck. =)



-mike
 
I agree with Wolf also, gunshows used to be geared toward knowledable gun euthesiests but today they seemed more geared toward making a few more dollars off the gun noobs. In fact, the last gunshow we had most of the venders were local gunstores selling their good for the same and in some cases more than they sell in their stores. There were a few exceptions but not many.

I also see the same change in customer base with many gunshops as well. But then again, a knowledgable gun owner can find an FFL holder to do dealer transfers through and get a gun for almost as cheap as a gunshop can. I guess it would be hard for gunstores to make a profit off of people that can get guns so close to thier cost.
 
Sorry to hear about your experience among the imbeciles. Here in my neck of the woods it is about the same. We have a stretch of tables at my local show that I call "Crazy Old Man Row", this is where crazy old men ask rediculous prices on mid-condition crap and offer you pennies on the dollar for your good condition guns. If you really want to be insulted, go and ask them what they would seek for a trade +/- cash. And if you refuse, you are either treated with disdain or contempt. Better yet, when they do it to someone new to the shooting world and then laugh at them after they leave and talk about how they just ripped them off while folks are standing around. Funny, these are probably some of the same folks who complain that it is harder to get new shooters/customers to the shows. But at least all of the mall ninja gadgets and throwing stars are getting to see the light of day outside the mail orer catalog. Now, if only we could keep folks from accidentally discharging pepper gas at the mall ninja tables, we could get back to looking at firearms priced $300 over what any sane man would pay. Rant over. I hope that your experiences at future shows improves.
 
I don't mind gun shows. At the larger ones most of the local dealers, including the smaller ones, bring the bulk of their stock and we can check it out in one convenient location. At the smaller ones the mil-surp guys and a few regular dealers take their wares to one convenient location.

Are the prices better than in the store? No.

However, I can meet dealers I might not otherwise (found my favorite dealer this way) and I get a chance to fondle a bunch of different guns at one time and plan out my next few purchases without having to drive to a dozen different locations.

If you take them for what they are, they do serve a useful purpose (but then, I'm one of those rare individuals who actually enjoys going to car dealers to shop for cars).
 
I think the only reason I'd go to them now is to look for Ranger ammo, which local stores won't sell anyone but LEOs.

That, and to laugh at the prices. $250 for cosmoline-caked SKS'es with the surplus supplier tag still on it, and $595 for a Kahr CW9. :what:
 
I used to really look forward to the shows and loved looking at all the beautiful hardware and see some good deals. The last two I went to were garbage and I'm finding it hard to justify spending the $15 or so for parking and a day pass to look at overpriced pistols and overpriced beat up rifles. It seems like the quality and quantity of guns at the shows have dropped and the prices are almost laughable in some instances.
Who wants to buy a beat up Glock 17 for $499, or a 10/22 for $225 when I can run down the road to G.I. Joes and pick one up for $180?
I guess if you like jerkey and model cars they are still ok.
Bearmgc, I hear ya. There used to be tons of guys walking around with signs pinned to them of what they had to sell and they used to get a lot of bites. I can't remember seeing a single one at the last show (and I almost did the same thing to sell a .380).
 
Gun shows are a place to have fun.

Activities you can do at a gun show:
1. Carry around a very rare/desireable firearm throughout the show trolling to the private sellers/dealers that walk through the crowds looking to snatch something cheap from some unsuspecting person. They usually hand around the entrance way or outside. Mess with them a little bit.
2. Try to keep from laughing at those tactical morons wearing the latest and greatest gear and talking about their lastest A-Team adventures while though they weigh over 400 lbs.
3. Argue with a neo-nazi about the authenticity of his Knights Cross. Comment about how the upon closer inspection of the cross, comment about how the rims don't add up. That will usually chap their hides. Bring a fake Knights Cross and argue to him that yours is the real deal.
4. Watch the lone moron trying for 4 hours draggin their decked out DPMS AR-15 with 15 lbs. of cheap generic junk trying to sell it for $1,300. Talk to him several times as he trouts proudly throughout the show. Eventually he will get tired of it.
5. Eat some beef jerkey (its good).
6. Wonder which fool will purchase the off spec AR-15s becuase its cheap.
7. Look at chicks wearing skimpy clothing.
8. Gawk at the airsoft tank capable of shooting a pellet at 800 fps.
9. Wonder if the Chinese vendor (straight from China's) stun gun is actually effective.
10. Look at more chicks.
11. Bump into a seller that is actually selling a decent firearm at a good price. (well to me it seems like real life dating).

Have fun at a gun show. Good exercise.

The customer there is always wrong.

Kenneth Lew
 
Out here the Guns shows are pretty good. I usually find the guns or ammo I'm looking for a lot cheaper than I would in any of the stores in the area. There are 2 vendors in particular I look forward to seeing at each show. They are a bit too far for me to trek out to but are really great people an very helpful.

People walk around with signs all the time. There are a bunch of private trades/sales going on all the time.

Of course there are the people who suffer from Garage Sale Lady Syndrome. You know the old bat who bought a polyester shirt in 1978 for $3 at K-Mart and figures that, adjusted for inflation, the cost should be somewhere around $20 now and wouldn't budge from that price if the fate of the world hung in the balance.
Me: "A Davis .380 for $250?"
Vendor suffering from GSLS: " YES! They don't make 'em any more!"
Me: "Very rare then?"
GSLS Vendor: "Very! It's $250 Firm!"

Sadly, my local shops are way over priced both in ammo and guns. I pretty much have to go the gun show route. And no... the few shops within driving distance are not worth spending the extra $50 - $80 to keep open. They are any combination of rude, Mall Ninja ridden, Black Helicopter seeing, and/or way too Tacticool for me.
 
Last "gun" show we went to was 2% guns and the rest stupid looking huge knives that were obviously made in China. Waste of money to get in, and the next show they had we didn't even bother with.
 
I've been going to shows for close to 30yrs now. Yes they have changed.
You guys pretty much nailed it.
Long ago shows didn't occur very often. Just a few times a year. The tables were occupied by gun/shooting bugs. They got together to swap/buy/sell.
You have to remember in those days there wasn't anything called an internet.
Back then you had to have an FFL to buy brass, bullets, primers, powder. Mail order stuff was very restricted. Not like today where the only thing actually regulated is the serialed part of a firearm.
Along about the time of the first G.Bush things began to change. The old time gun nuts/FFL guys started getting hammered by ATF. These were the guys who had FFL's to further their collecting/shooting/love of guns.
They were squeezed out by guys who are only driven by profit. These people care nothing for the hobby. All they want is to make a killing off of every single person they can.
Theres still an occassional bargain to be found but you have to be in the right place at the right time with cash in hand.
Oh..and my favorite thing to do is walk in with a Colt 1st SAA and watch the lousy bums swarm like flies.
It usually goes like this:
Dealer "You selling your pistol?"
Me "Maybe"
Dealr "What you want for it?" As he reaches out for it while his eyes bug
Me "Make me an offer"
Dealer "I don't play that game"
Me "Then hand it back NOW"
LMAO
 
If you don't go to gun shows, where would you buy candles?
Click to expand...
I can't imagine buying candles at a gun show....

now, beef jerky, candy by the piece, and WW II mil-surp medical supplies from third world countries, yeah. That's the ticket

And I'd agree about the Chinese knife with the 30 inch blade and the fake gold handle. Fella can't have too many of those.

never though about it until now, but I think the above post is right. Gun shows used to be special because they were "special". Only had a few a year. A few hundred mile trip was a big deal because we didn't have the roads and cars we do now.

Today, most people are gun buyers, not shooters. Look at how many 20's-50's era guns were used and used hard. Our gun shop takes in more unfired or barely used guns than ones that show virtually any type wear.
 
Yet, nobody was even remotely interested in what I had to sell at the show.
The atmoshere has changed, and I don't get it....
Click to expand...
Well there is nothing to really understand. Sometimes no matter how nice something is or how low it's priced it just won't sell. You can't blame anyone for not having any interest. Also if you read thru the gun forums you should notice a lot of gun savy people don't go to gunshows anymore. A lot of the newer shoppers that seems to make up the majority of the attendance are afraid of getting a stolen gun, a gun used in a crime, or a gun with problems. They have been programmed not to trust private sellers and only go to the dealers. They also not only want a gun, but also service should it be needed.
 
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