Houston HGCA gun show?

[wally]

Anyone go to today's HGCA gun show at NRG Arena?

These used to be "the show", if you were only going to go to one gun show a year, one of the three HGCA shows had to be it.

NRG Arena is a dump and the HGCA shows have been on a downward spiral for several years, but if they are turning it around, I'd like to go tomorrow afternoon. But more of the same crap as last year I don't need.

 

[Chaparral]

I went today. “Downward spiral” is a good description. NRG arena was cold and poorly lit. Fewer tables than last year. $15 to park. I did pick-up a hard-to-find S&W, but was generally disappointed. A visit to Collectors Firearms probably would have been a better use of my time.

 

[sparkyv]

I dislike going into downtown/uptown and dislike paying for parking so I won't go. But I do like going to Collector's Firearms! DROOL!!!

 

[wally]

Thanks guys, my wife drops me off at Holly Hall so I don't pay the parking, and I get some nice exercise, but sad to see the downward spiral continue for this once fantastic show.

 

[CapnMac]

I have many fond memories of making the two hour drive down to the AstroHall for the HGCA shows.
They were huge affairs, and had a number of repeat vendors of good character and quality.
The Joe's Crab Shack was one of the better ones in the Harris Co area, too.
Bellaire was not a bad side of town (other than the having to drive past Galleria and all that stupefied traffic) to get there. No where near as sketchy as going to George R Brown there at the intersection of the 4th & 5th Wards. (GRB shows were no ammo and zip tie everything, and that was before LTC, so extra sketchy as it got dark.)

I know that I learned, quickly, that the best method was to walk all the way to the back, and work forward, so you did not have to leg it through the entire show to leave.

Mind, that was back in the days when there would be 4-6 guys with nothing but milsurp parts to pick over, too. And some real militaria vendors as well. Only place I've ever seen an M-8 Carbine grenade launcher for sale , too (stupidly left that on the table for being $200).

When they moved to NRG Hall, they were laid out in an "L" which made for an annoying route to try and walk. There was no rhyme nor reason to the vendors, the HGCA members were not all piled up at the "'front" of the show; the traveling vendors were not at the "back," so it was utterly disorganized. Those shows also seemed to be about 75% of the AstroHall shows, and that only decreased over the years.

I'm glad I never had to pay for parking, because that would have been a bummer.

 

[Alte Schule]

There was a time in my life when the winter HGCA show was always circled on my calendar. I believe I went to every one from 1990 to 2015. With a stop afterwards at Pappadeaux's (seafood) or a German restaurant in Magnolia it was usually a good day.

When the venue changed to Reliant/NRG Hall the shows, in my opinion, went into a slow death spiral. As mentioned $15 parking on top of $10 admission = your out $25 before you walk in the door. The last HGCA show I attended was at the height of the manufactured ammo scare. Unscrupulous vendors selling 22 LR CCI Mini Mags at $20 for 100 rounds and steel case 9mm at $25 for a box of fifty. Add $5 for brass case. What was sad was people were lined up with money in their hands.

The military surplus vendors were about 1/3 of what they were previously as well as the good mom & pop tables with an occasional gem. Replaced by plastic fantastic firearms at LGS prices and let's not forget the cheap knives, jerky, antique china, $4 bottled water and the $10 inedible sausage wrap.

 

[Shimitup]

I went yesterday and accomplished a couple of things. Sold a couple of guns taking up room in the safe and got a few AR parts. I didn't get what I was hoping for on the guns but they were inexpensive and it just didn't make sense to hold on to them (barely). Still lots of militaria, prices on ammo and guns however weren't as good as local stores, in a nutshell it wasn't worth my while, I left quite disappointed.

 

[bdickens]

I haven't been to a gun show in years. You been to one, you been to them all. Same-old same-old every time. None of them has anything - or at any better prices - than Collectors Firearms has every day of the week without having to pay to get in.

 

[CapnMac]

I believe I went to every one from 1990 to 2015.

We crossed paths during that time, for sure; and were traveling the same roads, since I was coming from Brazos County.

 

[Alte Schule]

We crossed paths during that time, for sure; and were traveling the same roads, since I was coming from Brazos County.

With the new road improvements going to Houston now takes about an hour and a half (non rush hour) and with the new toll road at Hockley and Hwy. 290 you can shoot down to Galveston in two and a half hours. When I first moved here in 1980 the population in CS was 50,000 and a big game at Kyle Field was 35,000. Now the population is 150,00 and Kyle Field can hold 118,000. Times be a changing.
You would think with all that growth we would have more gun stores. Still two local gun stores and a new Academy.

 

[CapnMac]

Still two local gun stores and a new Academy.

Burdett's and Champion?

 

[Alte Schule]

Burdett's and Champion?

Yes sir. Loyal customers and new customers every fall semester keep them in business. Having the only indoor range within 75 miles also helps.
Three years ago a couple of young veterans opened a store catering to the tacticool crowd. They went out of business within 18 months. Champion handled the liquidation.

 

[CapnMac]

Three years ago a couple of young veterans opened a store catering to the tacticool crowd. They went out of business within 18 months.

Heard about them, had to pry into that a bit as it was being confused with my old go-to from the 90s, Tres Agggies Guns (which was two vets and their buddy). Jeff had to move out of state for family reasons, and Don left for Oklahoma. They were early in on the milsurp bargains, and did pretty well with that. I certainly helped keep them afloat []

And, in some fairness I also helped keep Eddie Sullivan in business, too, until he decided to focus only on archery.

 

[Alte Schule]

Did Tres Aggie Guns have a storefront? If so where?

Yeah that Gun Corps fiasco was a real mess. Most of it documented here.
https://www.google.com/search?sourc....0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131j0i10.eTISUxqOP6k