It's amazing. I've been hearing about how crappy gunshows are for the last 25 years, and in that time my town has gone from one a quarter to 2 a month, and still growing strong. If they were really crappy they'd be dying on the vine, but the facts do not seem to support your observations. AT least not here in central TX.
I am finally Closing the "Gun Show Loophole"!
- Thread starter AKElroy
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jonmerritt
Member.
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2007
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- 463
Try a used pt140 for $440 at a local pawn/gun shop (out the door)
kurt1305
Member
I have to admit, I have found the best way to save money at a gun show is not to pay admission. 
I've seen very few good deals at gun shows. Also, I've recently begun to notice wild prices on local used guns offered in advertisements.
$1000 on a used Bushmaster AR when I could have a new Bravo Company or Colt for that much.
$600 on a used blued Ruger Blackhawk.
$720 on a used T/C Hawken.
I don't know what kind of spray paint these people have been huffing, but I hope they are saving some for the rest of us!
$1000 on a used Bushmaster AR when I could have a new Bravo Company or Colt for that much.
$600 on a used blued Ruger Blackhawk.
$720 on a used T/C Hawken.
I don't know what kind of spray paint these people have been huffing, but I hope they are saving some for the rest of us!
AKElroy
Member
I'm in San Antonio. Let me correct a misconception; I do not think gun shows are crappy, I go nearly every month. Like several have said, I like finding individuals walking around with something I might want to take home, I like seeing the knives & guns even if I am not buying, and I have occasionally carried in a gun to trade or sell. All I am calling out is that in the last 12 months, prices have become plain silly in a lot of cases, selling used guns for WELL above full retail for new versions of the same model.
Twiki357
Member
I have to agree that most of the prices at gun shows are out of control, but I have gotten a few good buys. I quit going to the big ones a couple of years ago; $15/$20 admission and $7/$10 for parking is just not worth it when I can go to a small local show for $5 admission and free parking. Most of my buys have been for the same or a little less than the local stores or on line, but no shipping, FFL transfer fees, and sometimes no sales tax usually make some slightly higher gun show prices a good buy.
RichBMW
Member
Went to the Tampa gun show twice. $5 to park. $8 admission. No bargains.
I won't waste my time again. The internet is my gun shop.
I won't waste my time again. The internet is my gun shop.
MagnumDweeb
Member
To AKElroy
Since the ATF set up a nice table at the Orlando gun show I did more than a few times stop by it and let them know what was happening with a written description of the gentlemen. I pay a lot of attention. It's my nature and I watch people. I remember faces. I remember the first time I met one such character. He wanted to buy my Ruger Security Six for $250 (I wasn't selling and he had plenty of insulting things to say to me so that stuck). After I turned him down I watched him walk up to a young guy selling a Glock 19. This guy didn't have a table. A crowd gathered around them and the buyer guy started getting upset. He talked from his original asking price of $300 to $340 because of the crowd. A couple hours later he told me about how he just sold for $500.
I asked him some questions and then another guy came up next to us who seemed to know him and was talking about another such event. I went to the next gun show and watched both guys and sure enough they did it again. Bought a Ruger P90 off a younger guy, I tried to warn the seller and told him about the previous episode but he got $350 and was happy to have it. A few hours later as I picked through the deals I saw an urban type hand the buyer a bunch of money after he counted it. I asked the buyer what he had got and he told me $600. He bragged about some other deals he had done that day. I told a cop and pointed the guy out and the cop said he'd take care of it.
Now when I went to the last one I didn't see either of these characters so maybe they finally got pinched. There also wasn't a bunch of people selling either privately so who's to say.
When I've gone to gun show I can't help but notice a lot of the cars have plates from Illinois, California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland. Hmm.... Bad things can go on at gun shows, I don't know if they do, but they can. The guys I've bought from ask to see my DL and I also show them my CWP and NRA Pistol Instructor certification card to allay any fears. I'm finally going to join a legit range and I might start teaching classes again for $40 (no including ammo) if the range lets me. So when I do I'll be hunting the gun shows again for beat up Glocks, Taurus PT 92/99, .22s of all kind of flavors. Plus the ocassional older gentleman's collection as I yawn at 7:30 am.
Since the ATF set up a nice table at the Orlando gun show I did more than a few times stop by it and let them know what was happening with a written description of the gentlemen. I pay a lot of attention. It's my nature and I watch people. I remember faces. I remember the first time I met one such character. He wanted to buy my Ruger Security Six for $250 (I wasn't selling and he had plenty of insulting things to say to me so that stuck). After I turned him down I watched him walk up to a young guy selling a Glock 19. This guy didn't have a table. A crowd gathered around them and the buyer guy started getting upset. He talked from his original asking price of $300 to $340 because of the crowd. A couple hours later he told me about how he just sold for $500.
I asked him some questions and then another guy came up next to us who seemed to know him and was talking about another such event. I went to the next gun show and watched both guys and sure enough they did it again. Bought a Ruger P90 off a younger guy, I tried to warn the seller and told him about the previous episode but he got $350 and was happy to have it. A few hours later as I picked through the deals I saw an urban type hand the buyer a bunch of money after he counted it. I asked the buyer what he had got and he told me $600. He bragged about some other deals he had done that day. I told a cop and pointed the guy out and the cop said he'd take care of it.
Now when I went to the last one I didn't see either of these characters so maybe they finally got pinched. There also wasn't a bunch of people selling either privately so who's to say.
When I've gone to gun show I can't help but notice a lot of the cars have plates from Illinois, California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland. Hmm.... Bad things can go on at gun shows, I don't know if they do, but they can. The guys I've bought from ask to see my DL and I also show them my CWP and NRA Pistol Instructor certification card to allay any fears. I'm finally going to join a legit range and I might start teaching classes again for $40 (no including ammo) if the range lets me. So when I do I'll be hunting the gun shows again for beat up Glocks, Taurus PT 92/99, .22s of all kind of flavors. Plus the ocassional older gentleman's collection as I yawn at 7:30 am.
We have several here in the Tulsa area including Wanenmacher's. Nothing great about them. Guns for the most part are drastically over priced. It's got so bad many go to laugh at the vendors and the bubba's that know it all. I have not bought a firearm at Wanenmacher's in at least 10 years. The others I just don't bother with.
Wanenmacher's use to be the crown jewel and it's still a sight if you haven't been. It use to be like a mini SHOT Show in some ways. The big time uber collector groups use to be there in force. Yeah there still there so to speak. But nothing like the oldin days. I have seen LGS or there reps' there if that's what you call them there hawking wares out of the shop marked up big time. REAL GUN SHOW TIME,,, MARK IT UP FOR IDIOT's, so to speak.
On the upside there are a few staple vendors that can be delt with if you want OEM period, say Winchester lever action parts and accessories. I have a buddy that comes up every 2 years to deal with this vendor and always walks away happy. But hes not looking for a Glock or his next new fangle deer rifle. Or over priced Tacticool junk. There is a elderly couple that have been setting up a table for years. And they have the same pair of engraved Colt Pythons at a insane price. They are a pair, engraved to beat heck Pythons. Nice pistols. And they want so much for them folks blow them off. Last show they had some nice Smith's in beat up old presentation box's. They didn't have what I wanted in large frame .357. But there leader pythons were making folks walk on by. Nobody was stalking there table. I had my eye open for a new set of stocks for my polished up new 686P. Every thing I liked I could pay full local tax on and buy local retail cheaper. Forget the net.
As for GB, GA and Buds. Unless it's something special there is no reason for me to bother with them. I have a local FFL I can purchase from that slams those folks, prices, tax, shipping and FFL on current production stuff. I can stay in my local market retail on new retail or used and do good. Good to the point the only thing I get beat on over all is tax. I will pay tax to support my local market if Bud's only saves me $15.00 on a OTD sale over all verses buy a gun blind against looking at, inspecting one out of the case or safe.
So for me a gun show is just, a SHOW now days. And a poor one at that more times than not. And the NRA barkers are awful and should be slap'ed silent. It's got worse than the Home Show, Boat Show, Auto Show's. Heck the Chile Bowl is better than the Giant Gun Show.... The world's Biggest and Best. LOLOLOLOLOL
Wanenmacher's use to be the crown jewel and it's still a sight if you haven't been. It use to be like a mini SHOT Show in some ways. The big time uber collector groups use to be there in force. Yeah there still there so to speak. But nothing like the oldin days. I have seen LGS or there reps' there if that's what you call them there hawking wares out of the shop marked up big time. REAL GUN SHOW TIME,,, MARK IT UP FOR IDIOT's, so to speak.
On the upside there are a few staple vendors that can be delt with if you want OEM period, say Winchester lever action parts and accessories. I have a buddy that comes up every 2 years to deal with this vendor and always walks away happy. But hes not looking for a Glock or his next new fangle deer rifle. Or over priced Tacticool junk. There is a elderly couple that have been setting up a table for years. And they have the same pair of engraved Colt Pythons at a insane price. They are a pair, engraved to beat heck Pythons. Nice pistols. And they want so much for them folks blow them off. Last show they had some nice Smith's in beat up old presentation box's. They didn't have what I wanted in large frame .357. But there leader pythons were making folks walk on by. Nobody was stalking there table. I had my eye open for a new set of stocks for my polished up new 686P. Every thing I liked I could pay full local tax on and buy local retail cheaper. Forget the net.
As for GB, GA and Buds. Unless it's something special there is no reason for me to bother with them. I have a local FFL I can purchase from that slams those folks, prices, tax, shipping and FFL on current production stuff. I can stay in my local market retail on new retail or used and do good. Good to the point the only thing I get beat on over all is tax. I will pay tax to support my local market if Bud's only saves me $15.00 on a OTD sale over all verses buy a gun blind against looking at, inspecting one out of the case or safe.
So for me a gun show is just, a SHOW now days. And a poor one at that more times than not. And the NRA barkers are awful and should be slap'ed silent. It's got worse than the Home Show, Boat Show, Auto Show's. Heck the Chile Bowl is better than the Giant Gun Show.... The world's Biggest and Best. LOLOLOLOLOL
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AKElroy
Member
I appreciate your detail; but I stand by my earlier comment expressing anger at your assumption in your initial post that these "urban types" were obviously paying very high prices to avoid NICS, implying that this is why prices have gone through the roof at GS's. All of the tables I see at my local shows are FFL dealers, and they run NICS on every sale. You are calling out individuals that have sold individual items, and painting the entire event with a broad brush, including calling out the out of state plates in the parking lot?? Are you serious??
Dude -- You need to find something more productive to do with your time. I would venture a guess that many of the folks reading this thread are screeming at their screens for you to MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, and stop looking for shadows and inuendo to exploit among those I assume you claim to support.
To be blunt, these types of allegations play into the arguments of our opponents, and we must be CERTAIN before making such statements. I am also observant, I am friends with many of these GS folks, and I have NEVER seen what you describe. If I came down a little hard, it is only because one reading your posts would find little difference between your views and Michael Bloombergs.
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oldbear
Member
IMHO, common sense left the firearm market in 2007 - 2008 and has not returned. And it will not start to return until the gun buying public starts to refuse to pay the current inflated pries.
Shadowdancer
Member
The only things, lately, that were worthwhile were the range bags, gun cases, and ammunition. A lot of the show was old guys with boxes upon boxes of rusty parts that look like they were dug up from a cornfield.
Buck Kramer
Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2009
- Messages
- 683
550 is cheap for an SVT-40, I would have snagged that in a heartbeat. I don't think its just the gun shows, here in Cedar Rapids they are asking $687 for glock 19's!!!!!!!!
loadedround
Member
When I need a good laugh, I attend a local gun show. I had thought the price of gold was out of sight, but then found out that the dealers are selling their firearms by weight. LMAO when leaving!
PreMod70
Member
Gunbroker was great a decade ago but it too has been overrun with dealers and their tactics. Soon Gunbroker will be no different than the gun shows with the overpriced, overrated junk that nobody wants except for the novice that is easy prey.
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