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What the crap? (Post Gun Show Rant)

I too have given up on gun shows. Seen and handled enough guns in my life that just going to do that ain't worth the price of admission. Last few ones I went too, there were no deals, very similar to the OP's observation. That is, unless you went for the Turkey jerky and the Chinese Camo. If some folks still enjoy them, good for them. But for me, my LGS and the internet will get me anything I want for a better price.
 
The OP’s experience mimics mine at the last gun show I attended. But that was in about 1994 LOL. Haven’t been back. Sellers seemed to think their gun displays and pricing tags were part of a museum display and didn’t want to actually sell anything so as to prevent disturbing their display :D
 
It would take me a full day of driving to 15-20 different shops to see the same number and variety of guns I can see in an hour of walking the aisles at even the very worst gun show. Even the very worst show offers the possibility of finding something cool, unique, or that you’ve been trying to find for years.

I once went to a truly terrible show at a nearby National Guard armory. There were maybe 30 tables and most only had 2-3 guns. I was just about getting ready to ask for my admission fee back when I came across an old guy who was selling a bunch of Lyman and Ideal bullet molds for $5 each. In an instant it went from one of the worst shows ever to one of the most memorable.

Even the worst show beats most of the alternatives.
 
The OP’s experience mimics mine at the last gun show I attended. But that was in about 1994 LOL. Haven’t been back. Sellers seemed to think their gun displays and pricing tags were part of a museum display and didn’t want to actually sell anything so as to prevent disturbing their display :D
There is something to that. High prices and glass deter unserious lookyloos from handling guns they have no intention of buying, thus putting wear and tear on the item. Its entirely possible to scratch or damage a collector piece, especially a revolver, through careless handling, thus reducing the condition and value.

Honestly, when the time comes to sell mine off, Im tempted to put up a "Looking is free, touching requires $100 deposit." sign.
 
There is something to that. High prices and glass deter unserious lookyloos from handling guns they have no intention of buying, thus putting wear and tear on the item. Its entirely possible to scratch or damage a collector piece, especially a revolver, through careless handling, thus reducing the condition and value.

Honestly, when the time comes to sell mine off, Im tempted to put up a "Looking is free, touching requires $100 deposit." sign.
I was making cash offers well within a reasonable price range. Nobody even blinked. Nobody sold a thing. It was like the gun show was “show and tell with other tables” day
 
I was making cash offers well within a reasonable price range. Nobody even blinked. Nobody sold a thing. It was like the gun show was “show and tell with other tables” day
For sure that happens too.
I once had a guy let me thoroughly inspect a S&W .38-44 for 5 minutes before informing me it wasn't for sale, and he had only brought it as a "conversation piece." :fire:

Gunshows are what they are, and they ain't what they used to be, but I still like going.
 
I went to our local gunshow in March and there were two tables with powder and primers. One was brand new powder and he said most was close to $50 a pound and all the primers he had were large rifle for $80 per 1000. Those aren't bad prices at all in this area but he had no powder that I needed and I have more LR primers than he did. He pointed out another table that had primers but that turned out to be only shotgun primes and I didn't even ask the price. There was also a surprisingly large number of revolvers, both new and used but the prices were very high. I left with nothing but did get to see quite a few interesting older firearms. The same company has a show this weekend in the larger town just south of me and it will have more tables. I am skipping it as we are replacing the old cushions on out patio chairs. Had anyone looked at the price of good cushions these days? No mad money will be left this month after buying 5 cushions.
 
NYS guns shows suffer under our laws. The local ones have lots of old bolt guns and shotguns. Some ancient handguns. Very few new guns. I haven't been to the big local show, last one was clobbered by the weather.

Now in TX, there were lots of tables with new modern guns. You had to price shop. Some tables had decent deals, some were exhorbitant and you could do better at Academy. Some were thieves and con man. My favorite was a guy in the throes of the Obama panic was hawking some Kimber 1911 in a camo finish. Said it was only one of the three in the USA from a run used by the super secret super soldiers in the SAND BOX! Very pricey. Saw a dude buy one and then the dealer take out another!

If I were to buy a new standard gun, I would check the shows out. However, some stores would match. Nowadays, I shop on line and have it sent to a LGS FFL. Not a hassle as the LGS is near a good BBQ joint and it gives me an excuse to gorge.
 
I dunno. I saw two guys in the parking lot carrying rifles to their cars. Not sure if they bought them or had taken them in to sell/trade them and we're leaving unsuccessful. I saw one guy filling out a paper 4473. There was a 4lb jug of 4064 for, I think $120. I thought I'd bid on it if it was still there on my way out. An hour later, it was gone.

It was busy. There was basically a conga line throughout the entire building. Saw a lot of fondling of the merchandise.
I wouldn't have expected it to last long. You should have just bought the 4064 if you wanted it or needed it because that's cheap at 30 bucks a pound these days.
 
I think gun show prices are fast to rise and slow to fall relative to the market. The prices I've seen recently at gun shows would be more appropriate for the depths of COVID and the riots of 2020.

The guys who are there to show off their collection make me laugh. Why do they bother putting a price on anything? They're not there to sell.

And yet, bargains are there to be had, if you shop. I found two pounds of H4350 for $25/lb. at a recent show.
 
To me gun shows used to be about finding things that your LGS might not have or be able to get. I never went looking for deals, although you could occasionally find one. Anyway, the internet has changed that for good.
 
Gun shows have ALWAYS been this way. You're not likely to find the average gun show prices to be less than LGS prices on many things...guns, ammo, components, etc.

If I can buy ammo at gun shows for the same price as the LGS, I'm likely buying at the LGS because at least there I'm not paying a cover charge just to get through the door.

I will say, however, that ammo prices at the last one I went to was much more reasonable and if I had been in need I works have bought quite a bit.

I go to gun shows for entertainment, see if anything I like is there, and to find guns I'm considering buying that I can handle to see if I'll actually like their feel.
 
Also, if the show allows private sales, some folks will pay a premium to avoid Imperial Entanglements.
That option is now off the table in Virginia, since private sales have to go through a background check at an FFL dealer, or the State Police who are required to have a table for this purpose at all Virginia gun shows.
 
Although when I do go,I go Sunday at noon and do catch a deal or two because they will be packing up.
Yes, the strategy for a gun show is to either go very early (for the maximum selection) or very late (for the bargains, if there are any). I like the 3-day shows because you can go on Friday when attendance is sparse because most people are working.
 
the collector pieces: M1 Rifles for $1500, Pythons for $3k.
Cheapest I saw yesterday in Fort Worth was US$2100, same table had a ho-hum 1917 tagged at US$1125
The dealers would have snapped up $1500 M-1 rifles Friday afternoon.
Saw a couple of Pythons for under $3K.

Now it's a geekfest. No thank you
Dunno, if you can/care to, come visit a Premier show in Fort Worth. Or the show out in Allen. Yesterday's show was fun and engaging. If nothing else, University and West 7th is a fun part of Fort Worth to come visit.

I think gun show prices are fast to rise and slow to fall relative to the market.
Yeah, that's the nature of the biz. "The bargain is in the buy" applies. If you bought for $1 back in the crazy times, it's tough sledding if the prices are now 75¢.
But, after renting those $80-100 tables, not making any sales is not making you any money. Nor paying the bill for the motel, or the gas to drive the truck & trailer to the event, or spending 2.5 days unloading and loading back up.

It's a complicated biz to be in. Your customer base winds up being either stone ignorant or really well informed--both are like to have unrealistic expectations on how you should be selling your wares. The Promoter of the show really, really matters, too. Fleabag promoters have flea market shows, whic hseem to attract flea-ridden vendors.
 
Pirates! I stopped going to gun shows because I don't want breath the filthy air that the criminal vendors exhale. For those who still go to the shows, be sure to get the vendors' cards. Some day we will post them on a wall of shame. They are not our friends and allies in the firearms community during these trying times. They're turncoats.
 
There seems to be zero connection (0) between

Today and

“back in the day”. Comparisons are an exercise in futility.
And if only the milsurp-or Any- gun bug had bitten me before being middle-aged.

Today resembles a step into a diluted, much less dramatic version of “They Live”, a sci-fi movie with the late Roddy Piper.
 
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Dunno, if you can/care to, come visit a Premier show in Fort Worth. Or the show out in Allen. Yesterday's show was fun and engaging. If nothing else, University and West 7th is a fun part of Fort Worth to come visit.

I used to go to all of em within an hours
drive, including the FW Will Rogers
Just me- I don't care for the socializing
and window shopping. I've had tables
myself years ago, and the thing that
rips me the most is the yuppie with
the 2 or 3 in tow sucking on the ear
piece of the glasses that should be
on his face, and marches straight up
to your table and mounts his
glasses/pacifier and proceeds to
give the peanut gallery a lecture on
how big a POS your ( whatever) is,
and how he saw 4 of those last
night on gunjoker for half of
your asking price, and the ones
online were mint and NIB
I'm not very tolerant of looky loos.
They usually muddy the water
of any dealmaking that you might
have had in mind for a purchase or
trade you might have been considering

If I had a way to turn the clock back
to the 1980's gun shows, I would
probably start attending regularly
again. Probably 90% of the attendees
were there to do business instead of
wasting their time and everybody
else's. I probably bought as much
from people waiting in line to get in
over the years as I did inside the
building
 
Where I live, all the gun shows are 1.5-2 hours drive up the road. And sell the same stuff - 1911s, Glocks, clones of Glocks, ARs, and AKs. I can get those locally.

Now, we have to face facts - an all-metal pistol costs $800-1000. Period. The price can be knocked down to $600 if you settle for a polymer frame, or potmetal, or cheap manufacture quality. And a lot of the younger dealers have no real idea of what the prices on used guns, especially the older guns, ought to be.

I go...to work the Maryland Shall Issue table, buy magazines, and buy fudge. There's a dealer at the Dulles show that has really top-quality fudge.
 
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