gun shows are becoming a joke
I've all but given up on gun shows.
Too much junk, first of all. WAY too pricey for too much junk, second of all. Then, there's the camo-dressed yokels you seem to see at every gun show wearing their Special Forces "Mess with the best, die like the rest" shirts--in reality, the yokel wearing the shirt was in charge of cleaning the grease pits in the galley. But these heros always have some sort of black gun or Mini-14 slung over their shoulder and tote it up and down the aisles.
And when the press gets there to do the obligatory "The gun nuts were out in full force today at the civic center market hall. . ." reports, these grinning buffoons and their SF shirts, camo and black guns gravitate towards TV cameras faster than tort lawyers to a car crash.
Last gun show I went to was in Fort Worth and it cost me freaking twelve bucks just to get in. Cost me five bucks to park. Got thirsty and a small coke cost me two and a half bucks. Glad I didn't have to visit the restrooms, even though the coke was small. . . .
Everything I saw at the show was significantly overpriced for average retail, let alone online. Picked up a beat-to-hell Browning Hi-Power, made in Argentinia. Had a price tag of $749. "What's your best price?" I ask the dealer.
"You're looking at it," he replied, seemingly not giving a damn if he sold ANY of the dozens and dozens of guns he had out on his tables. "That there is a rare gun," he added. "And better than them Belgium made copies."
See ya later, alligator.
I used to know a few dealers who'd make some of the shows every year, but they've quit going. They do their business out of Shotgun News and by word-of-mouth.
Shame. I used to really enjoy hitting the gun shows.
Jeff