gunshow observations

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standingbear

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well,now I know why I stopped going to these things.went to the show intent on swapping my marlin for something else.there was always one or another reason why it was worth little,wrong model,the new one with the cross bolt safty was worth more,"Ive got 6 of these at home and no ones buying anything here..Ill give you 200 for it and the stuff" even though he had 1 on his rack and was asking much more than I was.a 450 dollar used ruger p-90?

typical pocket knives,swords,crystal do dads with little lites underneath.videos playing on monitors,little cameras and other odds and ends.a waste of 6 bucks but an entertaining afternoon none the less as the prices were unbelievable and the stories entertaining.


nothings changed in 5 years.
 
I sure have admit that over the last 24 years gun shows have gone downhill. I attribute that to over the last ten years to the internet. The internet is good, not bad. But, a person can look at Natchez or Cabelas online. Save sales tax on some things. Get heavy stuff delivered to your door. I used to have to bring a wagon with me to get my bulk orders of bullets from a guy. No more!

I think that the surplus market has exploded. Good deals on rifles abound.
Many gun shops do not take trades. And, many will limit what they can take on trade. So there is still use for gun shows.

But, the crap that let into shows is a waste of floor space. Example, a wire stripper was being hawked at the Croc. Productions show at the St. Paul Armory.
 
I took an 'extra' Colt Sistema to a gunshow and tried to sell it to a dealer. My Sistema is in excellent condition, with the crest on the side and it functions perfectly, all matching numbers...I was asking $450.

One dealer had a couple of Sistemas that he wanted $650 and $700 for...both were the 'commercial' model with no crest. Completely beat up and I doubt they even functioned based on how they looked. Numbers did not match either.

Anyway, I told him what I wanted for mine ($450) and he handed it back like it was on FIRE. The same two Sistemas have been at his table for a few years now. :scrutiny: I still chuckle every time I walk by him!

The only thing I get at gunshows anymore is bulk milsurp ammo, bulk reloading compenents, and cashews. ;)
 
The local show here always has people wanting exorbitant prices for guns and accessories. There are the usual $800 Garands that are much worse than the one I got from the CMP for $400. AR clones for $1200 and more, along with uppers for anywhere from $500 to $800 :eek: .

I found a Ruger P89TH just like mine that looked like it had been left in a pig sty for a year and the guy said it was LNIB and he wanted $475 for it. I took mine out of its holster (and after 3 years and careful handling, there are no marks on it) and showed it to him and asked what mine would sell for. He didn't answer but he offered me $300 for it.

Junk Chinese optics for the same price you would pay for name brands through Midway or other internet sources. One guy last month had a bunch of Boyd's stocks that were in original boxes where he had glued on his own labels and was charging 10% more than the Boyd's website. :scrutiny:

Then there are the trinkits, cheap jewelry, quilts, jerky and summer sausage, automotive tools that look like Harbor Freight rejects, model cars and airplanes.

I guess the shows just want to fill up the hall and make money by selling table space. It seems some shows are about making money, not about guns and the shooting sport.

The only reason I go now is to buy cheap ammo or watch the people.
 
Some shows are better organized than others, and have less of the flea market stuff. But, hall rents in some areas are high enough that the promoter has to take in the junk dealers in order to make any money.

What I've never understood--and I started getting a gunshow table back 30+ years ago--is why guys are so pricey about their stuff, particularly guns. There just can't be that many suckers out there, can there?

I usually put a little sign on my table: "This ain't no museum. This junk is FOR SALE". I've always tried to buy right from individuals, whether single guns or an entire collection, and make an honest profit on my deals. I like having comeback customers instead of tire-kickers. I'm not trying to make a danged house payment from the profit on one gun...

Mostly, nowadays, if I don't have a tableI look for parts and pieces and maybe used scopes and reloading stuff I might need.

:), Art
 
Must be something wrong with me. I still like the Dayton gun shows. Only went once to the one in Wilimington, it was a nicer building but all the same stuff inside.

There seems to be more 'garage sale' junk each year. I must admit I don't go there to buy home made pillows, quilts or even a rare coin.

But, I can still get most of my reloading supplies and save on shipping costs. There are usually two or three good holster vendors, one knife vendor that will order whatever you want from SMKW and his prices are cheaper (again no shipping), and about a half dozen or more local gun dealers, most of whom I've done business with.

I'll agree they have gotten a lot worse in the last 10 years or so, but I still like em!
 
My favorite shows to go to are the ones organized by the MN Weapons Collectors Association. They are all fine shows with most of the flea market stuff kept to a minimum. I have been to some shows that pissed me off more then anything. I know which shows I don't like and now just avoid them.
 
Drove 90 mi to my last gunshow in Lincoln looking to buy components.

City of Lincoln requires a hazmat license from the fire marshall, pricey and hard to get I was told.

No powder or primers available in the whole place.
 
The last show I went to I was able to find a Ka-Bar with U.S. Army markings rather than Marine Corps. Not that I have anything against the Marines, but I was in the Army and I wouldn't want any of you USMC types to think I was trying to impersonate a Marine. I've never seen anything but the USMC Ka-Bars in the catalogs.

Other than that -- a lot of junk.
 
Enjoy what you got, no gunshows here on Hawaii Island, :) pop. approx. 148,000, area approx. 4,037 sq. miles. Gotta get our jerky at WalMart.
 
I was in Kona a few years ago and there were some guns, not an official gunshow, but there were some shotguns, 2 pistols and 4 rifles....it was nice.
 
The gunshows in the Pacific Northwest have morphed into something else. Now besides a steadily declining selection of any quality firearms related items you can get:

1. Your glasses cleaned;
2. Rugs
3. Obsolete technology flashlights
4. Jerky
5. Second hand (probably unsafe) body armor;
6. Cheap imported knives; and finally,
7. The most powerful laxative on the planet disguised and sold as the "gunshow hotdog";
 
I agree with sturmruger, the only good shows in MN are the MNWCA shows. The Crocodile Productions one are amusing, but I usually avoid them. I have picked up ammo and such at them, but they have far too much non-gun stuff. I passed on the St. Paul Armory show. I'm waiting for the MNWCA show at the Hippodrome. ;)
 
the only good deals ive seen at a gun show were the two benchmades that are in my pockets right now. i paid $175 total for a 9050SBT auto and a 553SBT Grippi. i hate all those cheap knifes and "tactical gear". Last show a lady tryed to sell me a plastic mag extension that looked melted and she said it held up better than metal???
 
George S and Zip06 must be going to different shows than I am. :confused:


I see quite a few bargains at every show. But I take my time and look a lot and it helps to know which dealers to avoid altogether.
Of course since I am broke I seem to find more than usual. :cuss:
 
My wish is that the promoters of these gun shows would put all the guns, ammo and gun stuff in one area or row and all the rest of the flea market stuff in another section. If everyone that goes to a show would let the promoters know this request, maybe it will sink in. I mean, what do gold pendants and time shares in Hawaii have to do with guns. :banghead:
 
The Saxet, High Caliber, and "Real Gun Show" shows here in east Texas aren't too bad. I tune out the jerky, trinkets, and Chinese tool tables and just walk by the tables where the guns are way overpriced ($245 HiPoints, etc.) without a second glance.

I've always either paid a fair price or actually got a pretty good deal at a show.
 
7. The most powerful laxative on the planet disguised and sold as the "gunshow hotdog";
Click to expand...
yup...and those "gut-bombs" disguised as a hamburger..innocent looking but a gastric disaster in the waiting.clears out the area faster than anything.
 
I think it's worth the $5 admission just to get a good dose of humor looking at some of the overpriced stuff. Last show, I saw a WASR-10 at a Vietnam type display table. They guy was selling lots of tiger-striped gear and vietnam era stuff. The sign on the WASR said "AK-47 - $550". Hehe...it was a post ban model with no muzzle brake or bayo lug, no accessories except 1 30rd mag, and no sling. The sights were canted, and the wood looked like it was rough cut plywood. If he sells it for that I'm sure he'll see a healthy $300 profit on it.

I go to get cheap ammo and look for the rare deal. They're out there for those willing to wade through the con-artists, trinkets and jerky.

Besides, the way I look at it, let's see....rainy Sunday afternoon.....go to a ridiculous movie, or go to the gunshow? No contest. It's cheap entertainment, if nothing else. :)
 
It is surprising that so many of the comments are the same as I have been hearing here in Michigan for the last 10 years or so. Maybe there are only 2 or 3 people in the country putting on gun shows.
 
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