MeekAndMild
New member
As one who's been interested in gun and knife shows, flea markets and general people watching since the 1950s I've noticed a few differences recently. I would wonder if these are generally seen or just a product of the shows I've visited. Or a product of my imagination? 
First of all there are more people setting up tables, long tables to be exact, which carry nothing but replacement magazines at excessive prices. I can see charging an arm and a leg for hard to get vintage mags, but not for USA mags and 10 round AR mags.
There was an initial shortage of ARs and now there seems to be a flood of them, at higher prices, but with a lot of private citizens selling them as well. There are more preban low serial number ARs than I recall seeing in a long time. But parts have essentially vanished, especially things like antiwalk hammer pins, stock screws and retainer springs.
There are more Garands and M1 carbines than I ever recall but the guys I talk to about them don't seem to be collectors at all. Every now and then you'll see somebody who knows them but not at all like you used to.
The supply of cheap commie guns hit a peak a few months ago which rivaled the mid 1990s and seems to be sharply diminishing. Good ammo is harder to find but there are some people selling tons of corrosive commie ammo. And like the supply of commie guns, the supply of cheap commie pocket knives and mall ninja stuff seems to be drying up as well.
On the other hand there are more custom knife makers and suppliers than I've ever seen before. Down in Birmingham last month there were even people selling billets of damascus steel for knifemaking. Some shows, not just gunshows but arts and crafts shows and cultural festivals, have so many knives that it would seem the knifemakers could make a go of setting up a knife-only show.
First of all there are more people setting up tables, long tables to be exact, which carry nothing but replacement magazines at excessive prices. I can see charging an arm and a leg for hard to get vintage mags, but not for USA mags and 10 round AR mags.
There was an initial shortage of ARs and now there seems to be a flood of them, at higher prices, but with a lot of private citizens selling them as well. There are more preban low serial number ARs than I recall seeing in a long time. But parts have essentially vanished, especially things like antiwalk hammer pins, stock screws and retainer springs.
There are more Garands and M1 carbines than I ever recall but the guys I talk to about them don't seem to be collectors at all. Every now and then you'll see somebody who knows them but not at all like you used to.
The supply of cheap commie guns hit a peak a few months ago which rivaled the mid 1990s and seems to be sharply diminishing. Good ammo is harder to find but there are some people selling tons of corrosive commie ammo. And like the supply of commie guns, the supply of cheap commie pocket knives and mall ninja stuff seems to be drying up as well.
On the other hand there are more custom knife makers and suppliers than I've ever seen before. Down in Birmingham last month there were even people selling billets of damascus steel for knifemaking. Some shows, not just gunshows but arts and crafts shows and cultural festivals, have so many knives that it would seem the knifemakers could make a go of setting up a knife-only show.