Particpation at a Gun Show

[Colt Delta Elite]

My question(s) to the board:

Have you ever rented a table at a gun show?

If so, what was your purpose (trade for different weapons, sell to make $, show your stuff off, or what)?
How successful where you?
Did you run into problems (ie. dorks damaging your pistols, belligerent shoppers)?
Were you worried about security issues (theft)?
How many people manned your table?
How did you keep items from walking away?
Was it money/time well spent?
Any other observations?

I am considering it, and would be most interested and appreciative of your personal experiences. Thanks in advance.

 

[Tamara]

I've shared table space with friends before who have let me toss out a few things on their table in exchange for a hand with setup and teardown and minding the store for them while they browsed or made potty. It's always been a positive experience. Usually I'm just trying to turn a few things that have become surplus to requirements into guns I want.

If you're going just to horse trade, see folks you like, and eat some beef jerky, then it's a very enjoyable way to spend a weekend.

 

[10-96]

Like Tamara, I have helped run tables. It's a great experience (self professed hob-knobber and occasional tall yarn spinner... Texas thing). It's not hard to keep your eye on stuff. If you're worried, you can run a cord through the trigger guards so that it must be untied to allow a firearm to be shown. Keep the knot below the edge of the table- nobody has to know it isn't attached to an alarm of some sort. I've seen many a little signs that read to the effect of: "Do Not Handle Without Permission."

Be double sure that you find out beforehand what all the gunshow presenters requirements are. Ours mandate that ALL actions be cleared and rendered inoperable by means of a zip-tie holding the hammer down, or action open, or in some other way to prevent a cartridge from being inserted into the firearm and being made ready to fire. And any ammo for sale there must be taped shut to prevent opening.

If you get there and you feel overwhelmed- simply place some of your stock back into it's cases beneath the table. That way, you have less out and less to watch/worry over.

You're the seller- you don't have to take any cr@p off of any customer. If someone feels the need to be a jerk- simply tell them you have nothing to discuss and strike u pa converstion with another attendee.

I've looked after up to 3 3'x8' tables by myself and I've felt comfortable enough.

Damaged stuff? Not personally- with the cord method I mentioned above, if someone wants to see something- they can wait till I get to them to show it to them. The vast majority of the folks who attend our shows are pretty good folks who are already familiar with firearms and are not likely to goober one up.

Other vendors are usually good about helping you keep an eye on things if they're not buisiness owners. Offer to help the guy next to ya and he may return the favor and knock the price way down for something you've take a shine to.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Erich]

Back when I managed a gun store in the late '80s, we routinely took ten tables at local gun shows. Later, when I was in law school, I worked shows for the owner when he'd run 15 tables.

Purpose was to make money, to create buzz about the store and to move dead stock - always worked well.

We were successful.

There are always idiots you'll have to deal with in retail. I don't recall anything getting broken.

We were always very cautious with security and had people there from the moment the building opened until the moment it was locked. There was armed, bonded security guarding at night. No guns stolen on my watch.

We would try to have at least one guy present per two tables. Sometimes it gets hairy.

Would keep items from walking away by paying attention. Talking to everyone who stopped to look.

It was time/money well spent, but we were a business.

 

[Tamara]

Yeah, working tables as part of a retail establishment and as a private collector are two very different gun show experiences. An FFL for whom I used to work had a setup that got carried in a huge box trailer to each show; usually took up 13 to 15 tables. That was work!

 

[sheepman]

I have rented a table at gun shows in Washington. I sold some guns that I had gotten tired of and traded some as well as some brass and reloading equipment that were no longer used. The wife helped me with the table and we were able to down size so we could RV full time (not much room in a Fifth wheel) we priced to sell at fair prices and sold out on first day. There are people that try to make a business and you see them at every show with the same guns priced at new or above prices. If you use gun shows to sell your surplus guns and equipment they are a lot of fun and you can get better prices that trading them in to a dealer. Good luck and have fun; Bill