Worst Gun Show Ever

[Groundhog34]

The frenzy is gone. I went to a local gun show in a town of 50,000 in rural Alabama. It was the WORST show I have ever been to in my 60 years of going to gun shows. There were a good number of vendors the prices were reasonable. But there were no attendees. I went at 2PM and there were maybe 10 or 12 others there, seriously. The vendors said business was non existent. A large dealer I know who has good prices said he sold 2 guns. I saw 1 transaction take place in the 1.5 hours I was there. Has gunbroker and the election killed gun shows?

 

[TruthTellers]

yes

 

[dahermit]

Or maybe it was the vendor's high prices?

 

[zoomie]

Was there a $10 cover charge?

 

[Schavox]

Odd, I live in the south-east and every gun show I attend is crawling with people. Especially in Georgia, it can be a tight fit walking around.

 

[FITASC]

Was there a $10 cover charge?

And another $10 to park?

THAT is what killed gun shows (along with idiotic pricing and bad jerky)

 

[ThomasT]

THAT is what killed gun shows (along with idiotic pricing and bad jerky)

The jerky is good. Its just everyone walking around with jerky breath after they sample a few pieces.

I haven't been to a GS in a long time. Yep its the parking fee AND the entrance fee to get in. Plus the high prices and pure junk some people have for sale. I don't get charging an entrance fee. I mean would you pay to walk into a Cabelas? Walmart, local gun store or any other place that is trying to seperate you from your money? No you wouldn't. The vendors pay to rent the tables. That should pay for the use of the building. And why should a kid under 18 have to pay to get in? He can't buy a gun. He probably can't even buy one of those crappy knives made in Pakistan that won't cut cheese without getting dull.

But one good thing about going to the GS and seeing the over priced junk makes me appreciate what nice guns I have at home.

 

[Itsa Bughunt]

I cancelled a 150+ mile round trip to Denver to attend a gun show to stock up on ammo. Fortunately a popular online supplier had what I needed for less and delivered it in 3 days.

 

[TXAZ]

I believe the internet and prices at or above retail have impaired / are killing off gun shows.

Kinda like Amazon vs. many retailers.

 

[g.willikers]

Gun shows seem to have gone downhill ever since they got too expensive for private parties to attend.
Regular folks selling and buying made gun shows fun.
When the shows became all dealers they lost much of the appeal.
Expensive tables, insurance requirements and entrance fees have really hurt them.
Alternatives, like online sources are just too easy to do.

 

[Metal god]

Alternatives, like online sources are just too easy to do

yep the internet and smart phones make the venders look bad . We all or at least I am always looking online for deals . So when I go to the gun show I know what constitutes a good price or not . Even if you're not sure , while standing at the booth you can quickly google the product .

Two months ago I was with a buddy at a show looking for a reloading kit ( Lee classic turret ) . We found a new in box kit and the vender had a price tag of $310 . I asked if he could do any better and he said no that's the best price I'll ever see . I then googled the kit and found three different sellers advertising the same kit from $210 to $265 . Not one was over $300 . I just pushed my phone in his face and walked off . You see that type of thing constantly at the shows . Those types that know they're talking out there rump erk me and I don't forget .

 

[bamaranger]

gunshows

I've not been to a lot of shows here in 'Bama, but the ones I've been to in the past 10 yrs or so were disappointing:

-gun prices from dealers were all high, maybe this will change
-pvt individuals selling guns, either from tables or in the crowd, were few
-there was a bunch of non firearm junk for sale that I did not give a hoot about
-lots of black guns, not very many old, interesting (to me) sporters and hunters
-ammo availability was slim, prices were high

A friend who made a lot of shows and often got a table and sold/traded a few guns advised that the cost of a table, and the concern for harrassment from agents (real or imagined?) convinced him to give shows up.

'Bama is not a wealthy state, and costs ,prices at shows has likely run more than a few good blue collar, working class folks off for good.

 

[TruthTellers]

I've been to about half a dozen shows, but haven't gone in over 2 years now. Takes 2 hours to get to one and what's there isn't of any interest to me. When I want an old, out of production gun, the best place to go is gunbroker.

The problem with that is it's mostly revolvers that I want and I can't test the timing or lockup until after I get it. I'd rather inspect that before I have to pay for and do fill out paperwork. In that regard, I like having a place with the gun that I can look it over in person.

But, I can never find those things at a show. When I go to a show, the guns that dominate them are AR's, cheap bolt guns with polymer stocks, mega old double guns, and 1911's.

Add to the drive, the lack of interesting wares, and the $8 entrance fee, the long wait lines, the crowds... nah, not interested anymore.

There are ways to Make Gun Shows Great Again but the powers in charge aren't going to change anything. One person mentioned that there needs to be more private sellers at shows, and I'll agree with that. Private sellers looking to actually sell guns will mean competition and thus, lower prices.

 

[44 AMP]

Expensive tables, insurance requirements and entrance fees have really hurt them.

That's true in my end of the country (WA). Simply finding a venue that allows them at a reasonable cost is tough. One of the places shows used to be held was fine with having the shows, but lost them, when the city attorney decided that every vendor at the show had to carry $1 MILLION dollars insurance for the duration of the show, and that included the hot dog guy and the T-shirt lady!!

At the time, a 3 day $1mil policy cost $80-90 and that seriously ate into, or ate up the profits of the little guys, when it was a good show. And when the show starts costing you money, you stop doing them.

I used to do a couple shows a year, local to me, odds and ends from my collection, things I was done with, or excess to needs and use. Would take cash but did mostly trades on guns, cash for ammo, smaller items, etc. but I didn't do it for the cash, I did it for access to other guys like me, collectors and traders, not new gun FFL dealers. We'd talk, see who was looking for what, maybe trade this for that, etc. Of course, that was back in both the pre-internet, and pre-"assault weapon hysteria" days...
If I made table cost, and breakfast, it was a good show. I do miss them.

Now days, where I am, you can't even legally trade guns at the shows without FFL conducted background checks.

the latest show was $10 to get in , 1/3 of the tables were a single FFL dealer, 80%+ stuff was "black rifles" and accessories, 15% was non gun crap.

Just not worth it anymore. Sad to live through the end of an era, even sadder those getting into the hobby today will never know how good it used to be.

 

[TruthTellers]

Sad to live through the end of an era, even sadder those getting into the hobby today will never know how good it used to be.

Yeah, I would have loved to see the days of these epic gun shows with great deals and tons of meaningful merchandise, but at least I'm glad I never had to live through an AWB as an adult or a time where certain states literally had No Concealed Carry law.

I'm already going through the "end of an era" situation for non-gun things and the only thing I can figure is all good things gotta end sometime to make way for something new.

 

[mag1911]

A buddy and I have a table at about 10-12 shows a year. We do it mainly just for entertainment value but do buy something or sell something occasionally. His sales normally cover his half of the table rent since he has lots of small stuff out but mine usually don't.

10-15 years ago there were only 5 local shows a year. The promoters started having about 10 per year. The public is only going to spend X dollars on their hobby. They might pay $10 to go to the show but only buy something significant at about half of them; at the rest of them they just wander around. That means the vendor costs have doubled without much increase in revenues. That led to fewer vendors with good stuff and more tables with just junk to churn.

The public watches the internet but so do the vendors. Some vendors price their stuff at Gunbroker + 15% to try to cover the additional expense. The public sees that and just walks on by.

We have a local issue with venues. 10-15 years ago we had 4 places to have gunshows. Now we're down to only the worst one due to limited parking. The public comes, circles the parking lot a few times looking for a spot, gives up and goes home. Couple experiences like that and they won't bother the next time.

 

[Schavox]

Like the guy said before me about too many black guns, it's definitely a bummer! Now ARs are great, but do we need table after table of them overpriced to hell by the businesses that bring them. The best things I can find at a gun show nowadays are hidden away at the small private seller tables, and the front is full of AR15s and Glocks, like I haven't seen them enough.

 

[Screwball]

While I detest going to gun shows, being I usually am shaking my head most of the time, there is the ability to find guns that I won't normally see at a local FFL. Wanted a PW87 a few years back, and got one at a decent price.

I go to the Oaks gun show in PA, which is just $10-12 depending on show size (live in NJ). Parking is free, and usually isn't a bad thing to do on a Sunday (live by the shore, so traffic works great in summer months). There usually is a wide selection of things there, but when you see refinished Mosin Nagants going for $400... it gets old. Plain Russian models, but the smell of stain is so fresh/strong, you get a headache before you even get to look at the price.

I'm far from a cheap person, but if I'm looking at a few things that I see higher priced, and ask what the total is for the lot... if the price is exactly the addition of all the items' tags, I usually say, "no thanks." As stated, online prices aren't usually higher, and most are lower. If the seller doesn't want to take a few dollars off to make a sale on the last day of the show, he can take the stuff back with him... and I'll look for free shipping/a coupon for it online. But that is rare anymore.

I don't mind the jerky or pickles... tasers constantly going off is a little obnoxious. Cannot stand the BS talk to make a sale on high priced garbage, though. Had one guy telling my that my Yugo M48A could only use the ammo he was selling because of a small variation of the cartridge... because he had a $70 box of 20 rounds that look like it went through a flood (and with the damage with the box, he refused to allow me to check the rounds to see if they were ok). Told him it fired Yugo surplus ammo fine, as well as a few commonly available commercial ammo that is way cheaper... and he gave me an attitude for it. Sorry that I don't want to give $70 away.

I usually go for specific things, like I wanted to have a Kydex holster made for my CZ, which is far from common. But most days, I figure it is going to be a wash... and spend the $10 or so for basic amusement.

 

[FITASC]

Sad to live through the end of an era, even sadder those getting into the hobby today will never know how good it used to be.

When I lived out West, pre Al Gore Internet days, Shotgun News was the sponsor of a great show in Reno - two huge rooms with everything. No powder, but primers and ammo everywhere, guns from pre Revolution through the Nazi stuff to modern day - rifles, shotguns and handguns. I too, believe those days are long gone

 

[Rancid]

I still go to a few shows but only if my friends decide to go. It's cheap entertainment. Where else can you spend the afternoon having fun and cutting up in public with your buddies for under $10. We usually try to find the most outlandish price on a particular brand or model of firearm. The last time it was a Remington 700. One guy had a plain jane ADL brand new in the box for $799. He called it the "Show Special". Ha! Once we find the dealer with the highest price we take turns asking him why his prices are so high. Can you imagine 3 or 4 differennt guys coming by your table over the span of an hour and all asking to see your overpriced rifle and then giving you grief about the price. One maybe, but 3 or 4!

We rarely buy anything except perhaps reloading components. Once in awhile you can still find a deal on powder or primers. The best part is going out for a brew or two afterwards and discussing and laughing about the yahoos trying to sell their overpriced crap at the show.