I'm cured! No more gun shows for me...

[camslam]

Quick report on the Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix today.

$7.00 for parking, followed by a decent walk to get into the building.

$11.00 for ticket, even with the whopping $1.00 discount coupon I had.

Then spent 2 hours looking for ANYTHING that came close to a bargain from what I can find on the internet.

About the only thing I saw you can save much money on is certain types of ammo, but even then the savings are only about 7% compared to what I can find on the internet, most including shipping costs.

The last gun show I went to was probably a year and a half ago, but I was amazed at the prices of what people were asking and charging. I realize people need to earn a living, but all of the stuff I looked at was overpriced.
-ammo - cheaper at best by 7% than what I can find elsewhere. Plus then you have to lug it out to your vehicle. 5 or so vendors with prices varying all over the place.
-mags - tons of mags, but price wise, only a couple of vendors with prices as low as the internet, most were a minimum of $5.00 to $15.00 to $20.00 higher than I can find elsewhere.
-optics - I recently bought an Aimpoint red dot scope and found 2 at the gun show that were priced $150 and $170 higher than I got mine for. The vendors claimed this was as low as they could go and disputed that I paid as little for mine as I did. Hilarious!
-spare parts - decent selection, but none priced competitively compared to internet.
-miscellaneous items - Some great t-shirts, bumper stickers, and gun info. That was about the only thing worthwhile. Ridiculous amounts of junk and trinkets that have nothing to do with guns or firearms.

I'm just a bit shocked. I know there have been threads on gun shows as I have read them with interest. I think I am now firmly in the camp that if I have $12.00 burning a whole in my pocket, and I want to walk around and see SOME interesting stuff, but mostly people hauling around their junk, then the gun show MIGHT be a place to go.

I'm not trying to whine, and obviously nobody put a gun to my head, pun intended, but I guess I am just a bit disgusted at wasting time and money on a whole lot of nothing today.

Your experience may be different. If you are thinking about hitting a gun show to find good deals, don't expect much. Good luck.

 

[wideym]

I like gunshows mainly for the variety of weapons and rare military gun displays you won't find outside of a museam.

It also gives me a chance to personally check out guns I see advertised in the Shotgun News, but no one carries locally. I was undecided about an STG-2000 and after I was able to check out the rifle at the Tulsa gunshow, I picked it up, actually $60 dollars cheaper than advertised in SN without shipping.

 

[VARifleman]

I only go to big ones. IE...the one at dulles. They had a group of tables held by these guys: http://class3only.com/

Either they, or someone else like them, had an L-39 Lahti on display. That was cool and definitely worth going for. Plus I brought home a .300 Win Mag...which is burning a hole through my pocket with mods...oh well.

 

[ramis]

An Ode to the gun show By McUZI (edited)

Saturday's a coming And I can't wait
Gunna hurry on over, Cuz I can't be late
I'm going to the place We all love and know
The local overpriced nightmare gun show

I had to park my car twelve miles away
The walk to the door takes me half a gosh darn day
I go to the door and pay my entrance fee
Walk around the floor, to see what I can see.

I get a sample Beef Jerky that taste old and stale
Some lady's selling left over garbage from her last garage sale
I see a table with some hardware that's looking mighty fine
I pass a pair of homies gawking at a Tec-9
I get to the table and what do I see?
A gun I've always wanted. There just for me.

I ask the dude behind the table, (How much is this thing)?
I was hoping that the price was right and wasn't going to sting
He thought for a second, and rubbed his Grizzly Adams beard
His demeanor got somber, and his face looked weird

"This very gun was used by a NAVY SEAL
but I'm in a good mood, so I'll cut you a deal
Ordinarily, I'd need to get a grand for this gun
But I'll sell it for $800, howse that sound to ya son?"

I about soiled my pants!
"$800? EAT MY SOCK!
It's a worn out police trade-in ratty old Glock
I think you were drinking when you wrote your price tags
So you can keep your stupid Glock and your lame post-ban mags"

But I didn't despair, I just went on my way
The Class-3 table ought to brighten my day
The man behind the table was a sketchy old cat
With dark tinted glasses and a MOLON LABE hat

He stood there looking proud at all his full-auto goodies
The kind of guns that could give a gun-nut woodies
I asked him how much he wanted for the Colt M-16?
He snapped his head around and started to scream

"THESE GUNS AREN'T FOR SALE!
DIDN'T YOU KNOW?
I ONLY SHOW THEM OFF AT EVERY GUN SHOW!
I HAVE NOTHING IN THIS WORLD, NO KIDS, NO WIFE
WITHOUT MY MACHINE GUNS I'D HAVE NO LIFE!"

His arms were flailing 'round like a bat out of hell
And just at that moment, I caught a horrible smell
I felt kind of bad, but it still made me laugh
What he has is machineguns, what he needs is a bath

So I pulled up my shirt to cover my face
My eyes were tearing up like I got nailed with mace
I walked off quick, the smell was just too rude
Till I got to the table of the C&R dude

"This rifle is handpicked and personally chosen
by the Czar of Russia as the Worlds finest Mosin
Now lest you think it's out of your price range
I'll let this gem go for $200 and change"

I said "Dude, your nuts. Out of your freaking mind.
Those guns sell for $50, for the exact same kind"
He got really mad, and threw a hissy-fit
So I told him he could keep his outdated old kit

I needed some ammo, so over I went
To the ammo display in the green army tent
The ammo guy named Tom told me to come in
And look through the baggies in the little blue bin...

He said his 10mm ammo should be somewhere in there
Loaded by his drunk brother Willie, hot enough to kill bear.
I politely declined, and wandered back out on the floor
And slowly but surely made my way back to the door.

As I left the building. the promoter said "Have a nice day"
To which I replied "Your gun show was lame"
They asked if I had plans on ever coming back?
Yeah. Maybe the next time I'm strung out on crack

The moral of the story is "modern gun shows suck"
And are no longer the place to go if you want to save a buck
While there are things there that we'd all like to get
It's all just overpriced crap bought off the internet.

 

[blkbrd666]

Ah, but if you want to feel good about the "gun show", you should shop the used gun case at my local gunshop...I think they price used stuff 5% off the new retail price in the next cabinet over no matter how beat up it is. They make the gunshow look like a flea market from 30 years ago.

 

[marktx]

The internet has really changed things for the average gun show type dealer.... I doubt that guns shows have any more "gougers" than they used to, it's just that everyone can buy things more directly on the internet directly from the source. And I doubt that they are any more full of BS than in the good old days, it's just easier now to educate oneself and gather information on forums like this.

 

[Bartkowski]

ammo - cheaper at best by 7% than what I can find elsewhere. Plus then you have to lug it out to your vehicle. 5 or so vendors with prices varying all over the place.

Can I go to this show? The ammo I look for is usually not cheaper, unless Dan Tobin from dan's ammo is there.

And gun shows are the only place where I can compare hundreds of guns, ammo, accessories, and not have to pay for shipping and tax.

 

[Deer Hunter]

The internet has mostly made the gun-show obsolete.

 

[Bartkowski]

The internet may have caused a loss in interest in gun shows, but the internet will never provide what a gun show does. You can look at what you are buying, not pay for shipping 50lbs of ammo. Sure you pay for gas, but it usually isn't as much as the shipping of ammo.

 

[orionengnr]

Wow, glad I live where I do (Texas). In more ways than one

We have gun shows at Mesquite, Fort Worth and Dallas. Most months we have two, some months we have threee or four. Occasionally we have only one

Free parking, admission is typically $7, but coupons for $1 off are available. Less than you would pay for a movie, and honestly, most of what passes as entertainment in your local theater is agenda-driven crap.

I'd rather spend a leisurely morning or afternoon in the company of like-minded people (and yes, some of them are blatant over-the-top capitalists, but I can walk on by). I almost always find something worth buying or someone worth talking to.

For what it's worth, I have had the same experiences at gun shows when I lived in IL, CA, TN, FL, CT (this covers the last 40 years or so). Maybe it's just my state of mind...your mileage may vary.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

I go to see some folks I don't get to see very often. I go to hand select magazines for my AK's AR's, etc.. I go to look for a certain gun I want.(been successful a few times). I go to get ammo and ammo cans that I can personally pick, and not pay shipping on. I go to get stripper clips, chamber brushes, MREs, even a range bag or pistol rug at a price that can't be beat.

All this from vendors who remember me from previous gun shows. A few times I've put in a special request for something from a vendor I deal with consistently. Without fail, next gun show they have it for me.

Sometimes the deals are there, sometimes they're not.

I DO get annoyed with the tables of stuffed animals and jewelry. But I also see some wives and kids with stuff to keep them busy while dad shops.

 

[huff]

Everthing said is about the same as my local show, except one local ffl dealer who is a LEO, good prices, and the custom leather guy. That is about all.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I used to go to most of the shows. Honestly I never found a bargain and I know of a bunch of guns from shows end up at my local gunsmith.

 

[davepool]

After two years of searching on the internet and the Crossroads gun shows in Phoenix, i finally found the magazines i was looking for. I have a russian VEPR .308 and only bought two magazines when i bought it in 1997. On the internet all i could find was two used ones for $150.00 each. At the last Crossroads show i got two new ten round mags for $50.00 apiece at the 50BMG stand, he had four but would only sell me two. There were a lot of folks there that had brought their guns with them to sell,most were over priced.

Other than this experience i do agree with camslam, there are better deals on the internet

 

[jdc1244]

It’s a good place to take my teenage sons (less expensive than most other places around here) and buy reloading supplies. Other than that we just look at the different firearms and accessories.

 

[stampsm]

the only good deal i have recently seen at a gun show was a bolt action 20 gauge mossberg in near perfect condition for $69. toss on the 25 dollar background check fee and tax and it came out to just under 100. the cheapest i saw for 7.62x39 ammo was 225 for a case.

 

[GRB]

The only good deal I saw at a recent gun show in mIddletown, NY was on ammo cans. I picked up 4 of them for $20.

I have to admit though the $9.00 entry fee, and free parking, sure beats the fees charged out in Arizona.

 

[Thernlund]

I posted this very thing once, about this very show.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=364826

Still didn't stop me from going back.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=387708&highlight=crossroads

I find my experience with the Crossroads show to be inconsistent. Sometimes it's in the 10 ring, sometimes it's a flier. Can't know until you pull the trigger, eh?

I'll go if I need something or maybe if a bunch of buddies are going. But I don't fall all over myself to make it to the show.


-T.

 

[Loomis]

If you think gunshows are outrageous, try going to a gun auction. People just don't know when to quit bidding.

 

[camslam]

Thern:

I read your previous threads and I would have to agree with what you had said. I could have saved some time and copied and pasted your original.

I did do search on gun shows, but didn't go back far enough I guess.

I know it doesn't do any good to complain, but what stood out to me today at the Phoenix Crossroads was the following:

-Lousy venue for a gun show. Dark, hot in many places, spread out all over the place, interesting smells, and right in the middle of the hood. I had been to numerous Crossroads shows in Salt Lake over the last 5 years and they were much better for parking, cost, organization, cleanliness, AND prices.

-As I mentioned before, I don't begrudge anyone making money and a profit, but the prices that were available to me today tell me that these are not very good businessmen. When I can find the same items for the same cost or cheaper, including shipping, on the internet; what is the point of buying after being into the show a minimum of $18.00 from the start.

-The other thing that throws me off, do the vendors even bother to check what the competition has, what they have it priced at, or what things are going for on the internet? I had 4 guys tell me today that there was NO WAY I got the item we were discussing for the price I purchased it for. In the last 2 months I bought an AK-47, twenty 30 round magazines, 8K rounds of ammo, an Aimpoint red dot, several Glock magazines, and found an AR-15 for my brother-in-law. All of those items took some time and research, but I didn't find a SINGLE item at the gun show today that even matched what I got each of those items for.

For those that continue to have success at the shows, enjoy. Over the last 4 to 5 years I found several good deals at the Crossroads show in Salt Lake, I guess that is why I am kind of blown away by what I saw today. I told my brother not to bother going to the show next week in Salt Lake because it will be 90% the same vendors that were here today.

Rant over.

 

[Rugerlvr]

it will be 90% the same vendors that were here today.

Oh I dunno, I would probably peg it lower than that.

I'm going, but I'm not taking much cash, and I don't plan on buying a gun.

 

[Fleetwood_Captain]

I've found that the best deals are gun shows are usually walking around in the aisles. You never know when you'll find something you never knew you wanted.

However, it does suck when you drive out and don't find ANYTHING.

 

[CRITGIT]

The internet has mostly made the gun-show obsolete.
__________________

True! Thankfully the internet can and probably has revived gun commerce.
The alternative modes have become all but obsolete. They are conservative and no longer very relevant. Gun shows are history ...an important history but nonetheless history!

CRITGIT

 

[retgarr]

I go to gunshows for different reasons than just buying. If I do buy something that is usually incidental. What I'm really there for is the social experience with friends and to just look, touch, and handle. One thing the internet lacks is the ability to let you touch before you buy. Go to a show, look at what you might want, go home, buy it.

 

[Vonderek]

I only go a couple times a year for entertainment value if I have a couple hours to kill or to bring a new shooter looking to buy his first gun into a quick immersion of what is available (it's fun to watch their eyes widen.) I can't remember the last time I actually bought a gun at a gun show.

The vendors are all mostly hobbyists and it is not their main source of income. I think they are buying their inventory from the same distributors we buy from... online and through Shotgun News and Gun List. Obviously they are not going to sell to anyone for less than what they paid. They have to pay for their table, gasoline, and if they are from out of town their hotel room and meals and hopefully go home with a few extra bucks in their pocket. No deals to be found. The most redeeming value anymore is the social aspect and the oddball factor of finding stuff out of the ordinary you didn't know existed.