What I Learned at the Gun Show

[Ohio Gun Guy]

1. Whatever I have is somehow worthless.
2. Whatever they have is somehow "Rare"
3. There are versions and varriations of everything. Nothing is absolute. Not every gun of a certain type was made at xyz factory, with this or that stamp, and this or that feature. Although, you will be told that this is the case.
4. Buy on condition, condition, condition!
5. Hitler personally owned a lot of guns.
6. Anything in really bad condition is a "Last ditch" rifle. Even if its not German or Japanese.
7. In general, people walk in crowded isles like you drive. However, there is always that one guy who does not realize this and screws everybody up.
(If you just realized this, I'M TALKING TO YOU )
8. If you are not embarrased to make the offer, your are offering to much!
9. If they wont drop in price, leave and come back with what your willing to pay in cash. Let them see the cash. They usually start to want the cash.
10. If all else fails, get a hot dog. Thumb up someone elses gun and call it a day.
11. Nope, you cant sell that mosin nagant for what you paid for it.
12. No matter what, your wife will be mad. So pay a little more for the nice one!


I acutally like going to gun shows. I just try to make it a point to target a sertain gun or type of gun that I am looking for and research the crap out of it. Otherwise, unfortunately you just cant trust what you are told. The majority of folks are good enough not to rip you off, but there is that 10% who seemingly make a living doing just that. If I hear the same thing from several other guys (Not dealers) attending the show, it rises to the level of a possibality to be reasearched later.

 

[Cannonball888]

I learned to never ask the boy or the wife who's watching the man's table anything about the items for sale.

 

[crankshop1000]

I'm in the line waiting to get into the local "gun show" and strike up a conversation with the guy behind me. He has a Remington Apache .22 nylon stock rifle in a case he is going to sell. I ask him how much and he says $100. I said "sold". The idiots at the check in desk try to void the sale saying that it is illegal to sell that rifle without going through a FFL at the show.Apparently the dealers have rewritten Michigan law and think that person to person sales are somehow banned. I paid the guy and walked away with my deal of the day.

 

[Code3GT]

Mullets and wallets with chains will never go away

 

[pbearperry]

I go to Mass. gunshows for the entertainment aspect.I have never seen any bargains at any of them.Everything is either overpriced or just plain old junk.

 

[GingerGuy]

I still go, where else can I utilize the gun show loop hole ?

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

does anyone know when the next one will be in the Council Bluffs Iowa, Omaha Nebraska area will be? I wanna get in on this BS myself.

 

[GEM]

I won't go to the gun show because I thought the Heller decision would enable me to buy an Atomic Cannon at the next show and Scalia didn't say that!

So if I can't buy an atomic cannon, we have made no progress on the RKBA - so I will go live on a mountain and off the land.

Or maybe I will go the next show and meet my friends and smooze.

Such choices.

 

[22-rimfire]

Gun shows are fun, but they can be annoying at times. I liked this quote earlier about how gun shows aren't popular any more...

As Yogi Berra once said, "Nobody goes there any more, it's too crowded."

It never fails that if I only take $100 with me, I see the greatest collector piece that I have been searching for years for sitting there at a fair price... and I can't buy it....

What is not to like about Gun Shows? Big Crowds of sweaty bodies in a poorly ventilated building. Beef Jerky. Fake Nazi memoribilia. The occasional good looking woman that everyone is jawking at. Good stuff!

How much ya want for your Colt, Dude? Can I see it? (Hell no, I just bought it!!!!!)

 

[LiquidTension]

There are a couple of dealers at the Columbia shows that are pretty good. I've bought 3 or 4 guns from one guy in the upstate that always has decent prices. They're only a little bit more than what you'd pay online plus shipping and transfer. Because of this he does pretty good business. Upstate Armory is also a pleasure to deal with.

Then there are the people that think $400 is perfectly reasonable for a stock Sig Mosquito. They don't do much business and leave confused as to why

As for things I've learned -
1) Trying to sell a $550 rifle for $325 only constitutes a "fair" price to dealers, while it is a steal for the guy walking the isles looking for one.
"How much you asking for that?"
"Three and a quarter."
"That's a fair price."
"No, that's a great price."
Five minutes later I sold it to someone who was looking for that exact model and recognized that he was saving about $200 dollars.
2) A $75 markup on a $300 gun is not acceptable. As in, trying to sell a dealer a gun for $250 that will then be put on the table for $325 is unreasonable.
3) No, the price isn't wrong on that $500 Witness. When it doesn't sell for 2 years, it's OK to package it with a .22 conversion kit and mark it at $800.
4) No, you don't need to actually be at your table at any point during a 30 minute period when someone is trying to give you money.
5) Dealers don't have any idea what guns cost or what they are worth. The guy at one table will call you a liar and state that whatever price you're looking for is "below his cost." Then you move one table down and find a dealer that is selling them below the other guy's supposed cost and can order them at that price all day long.
6) The price in the Ellett Brothers catalog is gospel. It cannot possibly be found cheaper anywhere else. If you point out where the item can be found cheaper (or two or three places), you are a liar.
7) My suppressors are illegal.
8) My subgun is illegal.
9) My SAR1 is worthless crap, but HIS SAR1 is worth $600.
10) Aimpoints are overpriced. NCStar red dots are just as good.

 

[Even11]

I actually enjoy gun shows quite a bit and attend them as often as possible, but there is always a story behind them. The last collectors show I was at was great, it seemed like wyatt earp must've owned an arsenal, and no one has kept any of them, because ALL of his old guns were there.

I walked in with a Winchester shotgun in 95-98% condition, carrying it for my handicapped friend. I can't attempt to explain how many people walked up to me and asked "how much do you want for that beat up old shotgun?" with a straight face.

I was looking at a table where the guy had 5 boxes of 7.65 argentine with a sign marked $8 a box, and no other ammo on the table.
I pick one up and he says: "I'm makin deals today, I'll sell you all 5 for $50"
I reply: "Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy it by the box then?"
Him: "Good luck finding it cheaper anywhere else"
I hold up the sign and show it to him:" your price is $8 a box, but if I buy it all its $10 a box?!
He then kinda mutters something about the sign belonging on the next table down and someone must've switched them. The next table was the one selling all the airsoft junk and chinese sunglasses but no ammo.

Then theres the table that has 2 sorta matching Remington Rand 1911 parts guns where the slide is the only thing thats RR. They have had the same $699 tags on there for as long as I can remember going to gun shows, Probably at least 8-10 years now. The tags are all taped and creased up, the ink is faded, but they wont come down on the price one cent. They must've been owned by Wyatt Earp. Apparently that beef jerky was too, yuk!!

-Dane

 

[qajaq59]

I don't bother going any more. But boy, it's sure entertaining to read about them in here.

 

[SCPigpen]

I was at a gun show the other day & I heard these 2 old guys talking over in a corner. One of them said, "what can we talk about thet will be overheard by them internet geeks to cause them to panic and make thread after thread on them damn web sites they got too".

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

A fool and his money wiil soon part can be said at gunshows. I have gotten to themm early and found good deals, esp on consignments.
The electricity in the air is charged up and people want to buy. Sellers just have to throw the hook out there for the unwitting.
Have a money limit and a plan, stick to it and you will not have buyer's remorse.

 

[unspellable]

The Luger

Then there's the totally mismatched parts Luger with a shot out bore and very heavy handed use of the grinder to get the rust pits out before it was nickle plated. It was an "Officer's special", only the officers had nickle plated Lugers. Only $600! $300 might have been OK if you wanted a rain resistant knockabout for rabbits.