Worst gunshow I have ever been to...

[Nathanael_Greene]

A few months ago I went to something called a "Sportsman's Show" in Hillsboro, Texas. This makes me unique as I believe I was the only paying customer.

There were maybe ten dealers in the entire place. One guy with truly beautiful custom knives; a couple of gun dealers with little inventory; a guy who makes custom cowboy boots; a couple of other oddities.

I was hoping to sell a West German (Heym) .30-06 rifle, if not to a dealer than to another shopper (hah!).

When I got to the site, I saw a sign that said any individual trying to sell to a non-dealer would be asked to leave.

A complete, utter, total waste of time and money. To add insult to injury, my wife was with me--so I paid *two* admissions to an event that they should have paid *me* to attend.

I actually felt sorry for the dealers--I'm sure they shelled out a fair amount of money for a table, and wasted two days of their lives on something that was about as popular as an Al-Qaeda rally on Ground Zero.

 

[Onmilo]

Our local promoters are trying like heck to make the Gun Shows just that, GUN SHOWS.
No Flowers, no tomatoes, no dolls.
Swords, knives and NAZI junk are OK but the only guy that sells NAZI stuff is one of the show promoters and in my area NAZI gear isn't popular.
Knives and Swords sell quite well.
Buy a gun, buy a knife, buy a book, nothing wrong with that in my big book of marketing.
The promoters encourage Gun Club members to set up individual tables, to swap, buy, and sell a few unwanted or excess firearms from their personal collections.
Obey the laws, NO, none, read that, not even one, out of state sales as an individual, If the interested party is from Missouri, or Iowa, or Indiana, get a dealer involved, there are plenty at the show that are more than willing to help and they charge very nominal fees for their service.
Buyer must have a current F.O.I.D. card, you must wait a day. (24 hours), before you transfer a rifle, three days,(72 hours) for a handgun but no phone calls and don't come out with the intention of selling 20 of the exact same Enfield rifles in one weekend,The FEDS will get you for dealing without a license.
Problem is, too many gun club members are too chickensh*t. too cheap, or too lazy to do a set up.
They are so convinced that every second guy walking the aisles is a FED and the guy in front is some kind of radical that they are too frightened or frustrated to try it.
Whining, fear and procrastination are killing the gun shows as true markets for afficianados.
If you don't like something about your local Gun Show then do something to change it.
Let the promoters aware of your disapproval of their rules about no individual sales.
Let them know that you won't be paying them attendance fee nor will your friends and their friends if their rules don't change.
If the promoters are making the rule to appease dealers who are dissatisfied with their overall show results then let the promoters aware that 50 individuals who are willing to take the time to set up can more than make up the table rent of a few unhappy dealers.
Unstatisfied dealers need to become aware of exactly why their sales are not stellar and do something to change their marketing strategy.
Everybody working together can make GUN SHOWS truely enjoyable events that are worth looking forward to.

 

[scbair]

Liquid Tension, I believe it was the Frink Street Pawn Shop. A great buy; he said it was a "gun show special," but I'd sure ask him about it!

I have no real interest in a Mak, but must confess I gave these a second look!