I only go when I'm taking a new owner with, to figure out what they actually want. After they finger fuck the one they like, I tell them where to go get a realistic price on it.
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Maggie’s Px bumping, maybe you are too high?
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I only go when I'm taking a new owner with, to figure out what they actually want. After they finger fuck the one they like, I tell them where to go get a realistic price on it.
That's what the democrats tell you to get all the stupid "good folks" to willingly toss over their freedoms to the Government.
The actual fact is most criminals wouldn't be remotely interested in paying gun show or even normal used prices.
They buy stuff dirt cheap from their buddies that steal things for a living or steal on a professional organized scale.
We are talking 20% to 30% of normal prices because nobody legit will touch those things.
Gun owners that support prohibiting offense bs are worse than leftists
Owner of LGS once told me their busiest days are Saturday afternoons where the gunshow is in town.
Many years ago, we found a left hand Remington Model 1100 in 12 GA that we bought for our left handed son. We were joking with our LGS owner about it and his words were, “That is something you could only find at a gun show.”
Been to several since. they used to have some good stuff at the show at Wichita, Kansas. Prices in line as well. Our son left the Air Force in 2016 so, we haven’t been up that way since. In these days, going to a gun show means you will look at endless counters of polymer framed handguns, lots of decorative knives and swords, a small counter with primers priced to make a (Wealthy) King wince, and of course, lots of handgun ammo in zip lock bags. Total waste of time, money and the gas to drive to them.
Save the planet, don’t waste energy driving to ‘GLOCK-Shows.’
Been to several since. they used to have some good stuff at the show at Wichita, Kansas. Prices in line as well. Our son left the Air Force in 2016 so, we haven’t been up that way since. In these days, going to a gun show means you will look at endless counters of polymer framed handguns, lots of decorative knives and swords, a small counter with primers priced to make a (Wealthy) King wince, and of course, lots of handgun ammo in zip lock bags. Total waste of time, money and the gas to drive to them.
Save the planet, don’t waste energy driving to ‘GLOCK-Shows.’
- Nov 3, 2010
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Gun shows are like pawn shops now. You usually won’t find a screaming deal, but you might just find something worth coming home with and not have to feel bad later.
- Nov 3, 2010
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Oh and this site has a 4800 hour bump rule. Bump this thread again and it will be locked, and you will be banned for 24 days.
Or some shit like that
Or some shit like that
- Nov 3, 2010
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I think Eddie may have been ribbing you about the 200 days?
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That's kinda the point. There's nobody getting a table that is worth what they paid for entry.
That's one thing that just needs to die.
It's true but a joke both ways, actually every way. The dealers, the customers AND even the promoters.
I used to sell at about 1 show a month. I had other vendors get pissed because my prices were way lower (I was reasonable). I have better days in the shop from people coming to my store after the show than I would being at the show because 90 percent of the customers are a joke there as well. No one really comes to buy anymore, so I (and a lot of other dealers) stopped going. It's a viscous cycle too. Less dealers come so less actual buyers come and so on and so on.
90 percent of the customers just come to bitch about the old guys lugging all the same overpriced guns to the same show over and over and complain how it's all knives, beef jerky and pickles.
So you end up with lower attendance, less real dealers and then the promoter starts charging more for tables because less people are walking in the door. So more dealers pull out. I was paying 50/table years ago and usually had 5-8 tables for the weekend. Now it's a 100 plus per table.
The big show around here used to be 5 bucks to get in and now it's about 15 I think.....to walk around and look at a lot of nothing.
Sadly gun shows will die out and the anti gun folks will think they got a win. The reality is there just isn't any money left in it for most of us so we don't bother.
So how would you recommend improving gun shows? We host a small show for my kids 4h club as a fundraiser. It's suffering all the problems you are talking about. Last year we did get a couple precision rifle builders and PRS gear type vendors to show up, but other than that, it seems like something straight out of the 80s and interest is dying for both vendors and customers.
fair question. i don't know. never really sat at a table til about 1 yr ago. got on with some buds that buy weird stuff and try to make $ on it. they end up with a bunch of S that doesn't and won't sell. i usually go just to move stuff i don't use and am prepared to lose $ in the process. the shows around here are as described,same dealers same silly prices time after time. i don't think small shows will ever improve. some of the big ones here are still viable but big table $ = prices too high. i went to many years ago when i was into C&R. desirable stuff could be found at decent $. no longer in the era of $500 refurb 91/30s.
- Nov 3, 2010
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It's been many years but there was a time to get a deal at a show. Sales tax in TN is almost 10% so even if you were buying at regular prices and not paying the sales tax you saved money. I saved a boat load on powder/bullets/primers before the Kenyan price jump. Once the insanity started I only went to get knives sharpened and look through the side items. I picked up a field jacket with liner for $15 and admission was $5.
TTT
TTT
This is how bad gun shows are here in Louisiana, I went to one because I knew a loser that owed me money went to those, and he didn’t even show up!!!!?
Did he look like he was from a foreign country, have a slight stutter and wear a track suit?
If so, he might have been busy mowing a lawn or two...
I always tell people, vote with your money bro. Walk past the NC Star scope dealers and Chinese made Japenese katana swords and Howdy Doody belt buckle collections and give your time to the guys who do right. Some customers are right to bitch. 95% of tables are Gun Stores/dealers who already have an internet presence (if they have any brains at all) and this is just them getting away from the wife for a few days.
If you weren't gonna buy their shit off gunbroker at 20% mark up online.....you sure as fuck weren't gonna when he's drove across the state and paid money to be there.
We had our biggest gun show of the year last weekend. It was moved from the biggest most modern arena in the state. To local fairgrounds. Turns the arena wanted to charge the Association heading the event $11,000 per day. And each dealer $89 per table (most have 2-5 tables). Show was still by far the biggest. But 500 tables didn't show up as a response.
It's a business like anything. The dealers will vote with their money too. This is how markets works.
You aren't going to fix it.
The internet killed gun shows just like it's killed so many other things. You shop from home for what you want. You research from home what things are averaging. You hunt through forums that have classified and comment sections dedicated to whatever niche thing your into. The consumer base has evolved.
Gun Shows are usually best served for finding oddities, rare items unknown potentially even to the dealer, or items you have to have hands on time to justify the risk of buying or the exorbitant price. Those items that just never show up in whatever podunk town we all live in.
Gun Shows still service the older crowd who have no desire or skills to fuck with the internet.....they quite literally are a dying breed. They are also often guys with systemic knowledge because they are the only ones still holding onto the things and have actually ran them. Your not gonna find a guy at Cabelas or Scheels who knows how to put this thing together from parts. But 6 old dudes with tables in a massive gun show will.
You want to fund raise for your kids 4H.....thats laudable. And setting up a table at a gun show is not stupid. But you need to post radio ads, tag board ads in grocery stores, post in local area Facebook/Instagram/Twitter groups, get your local TV station to do a feature on your club. Things that get mass eyeballs with not that much effort.
Setting up an entire gun show just to promote 4H. Your effort I think could be better served doing other things for the eyeballs.
Perhaps you have your 4H shooters help RO shooting events. They can promote 4H. While the local PRS or 3 gun event gets your added manpower and the potential future competitors. In return, the event can hold a raffle to raise money or use a small portion of their entry fee to go back to your 4H club. Matches are always looking for help that doesn't require massive amounts of skill to operate.
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That's a great idea to have them help out at matches. Although there aren't any that are "local", that is the right mind track.
I don't have anything of value to add but since we're in the pit, I will anyway 
I've gone to one or two gunshows and they were exactly as described. Mostly the same stuff you can buy almost anywhere, but more expensive. I stopped going.
Even my LGSs don't really have much interesting anymore, unless your idea of interesting is $5k Atlas 1911s and $8k Beretta 687s. Though once I did spot a Sako 461 Vixen in .222 Swift that might have been a neat buy.
The other weekend I went to my local hydroponics store to get some indoor grow gear for a keylime tree I bought. 50% off sign out front. Turns out the guy was going out of business after 16 years and it was his last day open. Said he started it after coming back the middle east. He said over the last several years, in-store sales have been progressively decreasing and increasingly, anyone coming in has bought a bunch of stuff online and now want to know how to use it. I talked with him awhile and scored a grow tent at 60% off.
More and more seems all this kind of gun show, second hand, thrift stuff is dying off. It's all just garbage because the good stuff is cherry-picked and sold online and the dregs are dumped at the show. Like I see people talk about finding "vintage cast iron" at thrift shops and I have to wonder when --all that stuff goes for $$$ online now.
I couldn't even get dull kitchen knives at either of my two local Goodwill locations this weekend.
I still do go to some industry type shows or the like, knowing it'll mostly be a waste of time, but I convince myself it's worthwhile from a social perspective.
I've gone to one or two gunshows and they were exactly as described. Mostly the same stuff you can buy almost anywhere, but more expensive. I stopped going.
Even my LGSs don't really have much interesting anymore, unless your idea of interesting is $5k Atlas 1911s and $8k Beretta 687s. Though once I did spot a Sako 461 Vixen in .222 Swift that might have been a neat buy.
The other weekend I went to my local hydroponics store to get some indoor grow gear for a keylime tree I bought. 50% off sign out front. Turns out the guy was going out of business after 16 years and it was his last day open. Said he started it after coming back the middle east. He said over the last several years, in-store sales have been progressively decreasing and increasingly, anyone coming in has bought a bunch of stuff online and now want to know how to use it. I talked with him awhile and scored a grow tent at 60% off.
More and more seems all this kind of gun show, second hand, thrift stuff is dying off. It's all just garbage because the good stuff is cherry-picked and sold online and the dregs are dumped at the show. Like I see people talk about finding "vintage cast iron" at thrift shops and I have to wonder when --all that stuff goes for $$$ online now.
I couldn't even get dull kitchen knives at either of my two local Goodwill locations this weekend.
I still do go to some industry type shows or the like, knowing it'll mostly be a waste of time, but I convince myself it's worthwhile from a social perspective.
Here is the problem.
It's much like malls, most malls have completely failed and with a few exceptions folks don't care.
I pretty much only go to Gun shows if I want to take some new person who has never been to one, to walk around and admire all the stuff.
Or if I'm going there to specifically meet up with a vendor that is going to be there and pick up something I talked to them about.
For the past years, I have found I get way better deals at my local gun store than at the gun show. I often even get better deals from them than the online sales.
If I want something new, my LGS can probably order it and sell it to me cheaper than anybody at the gun show will.
If I want something used, chances are I might find a great deal at my LGS or online.
It's mostly about price.
All the small guys with the good deals were run out of the shows by greedy promoters wanting big bucks and playing favourites with their big spenders.
Now it's mostly just all the stuff you'd see at the gun store but 20% higher priced.
The same with ammo, it's all over priced or junk ammo and I can get better deals online or at my LGS.
I'm not sure it can be turned around.
They will always probably exist for fun as some folks will go to them, but most folks are going to be of the opinion of why bother.
All good points. We have ONE sorta decent show in this area. One I used to do completely went away. I agree the internet is killing a lot of things, just like video killed the radio star. It's evolution.
I have a retail store and a very small internet presence (I won't pay for seo yet because it isn't worth it yet). I am really small but I enjoy what I do. I started my business really small because my wife is active duty so I got handed the stay at home raising the kids duty. When my son was 6 months old I took a lay off and started my FFL.
Now the kids are 9 & 12 and I opened the retail storefront about 5 1/2 years ago. Shows were something for me to do to get out of the house in the beginning and towards the end, getting out of the house was more important than making money.
Now the store keeps me too busy to do shows. I still wish I had time to do them. I have a number of friends that are dealers I only see at the show. We go out to dinner etc and I miss it. But I know I would lose money after expenses compared to just keeping the shop open (I have to close my retail store to go do a show).
There are some good things to be found at the shows from time to time...but those times are getting fewer and fewer. It's sad because I enjoy being there but it just isn't what it used to be, at least not in this area.
as an aside at the dinky rip off shows i have been to recently there are always 1 or 3ish very uncommon unique pieces that i have never seen or only seen once. never anything i would buy but interesting and sometimes educational in a gun nut sense.
One good thing about gun shows: If you are searching for an antique, you can actually look it completely over instead of having to rely on photos online. The downside to that is ... You're going to pay 25%+ more to buy it there too.
I think that a lot of guys probably list their stuff high in order to start haggling with passers by.
I did the Wannamacher's or whatever it is called in Tulsa a few years ago. A couple of attendees were offering good deals on older handguns out in the line as we were waiting to get in. That's where you'll find anything with a decent price, but I'd be willing to bet that the chances of said items are hot significantly increase too.
I think that a lot of guys probably list their stuff high in order to start haggling with passers by.
I did the Wannamacher's or whatever it is called in Tulsa a few years ago. A couple of attendees were offering good deals on older handguns out in the line as we were waiting to get in. That's where you'll find anything with a decent price, but I'd be willing to bet that the chances of said items are hot significantly increase too.
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