Poll: Do you attend gun shows?

[jvbutter]

it seems like the prices are not the "hot buy" they use to be. Its not like its a "latest technology" items for sale. I would hope there would be some better pricing. Not all vendors have full markup pricing, some do have sales. Not enough for me and my son.

 

[FireArm]

Yes I go from time to time. My Father started me on them at a young age, when you started as young as I did they are hard to kick. He was one of those "loophole" people, the loophole closed (he died). I go normally if a friend asks, otherwise I dont drag my woman and kids to the shatshow, or as I call it the "SCUM SHOW". I went to the last one in Canby because a friend was and parkings free plus its only a 15 min drive for me. My buddies cousin bought a Taurus PT something in .40s&w and I laughed. Same people with the same stuff, in my defense it was just before the election. I carried my AR15 pistol painted camo a few hits no bites it was the cheapiest AR15 in the place with better parts then all. Saw tons of AR lowers complete in the $175 range. I dont go to portland unless a few people I know are going and even then I normally dont go, id rather go to a few gun shops and/or pawn shops. Better chances finding something I want. I think I just talked myself out of going ever again.

 

[orygun]

Almost 8 years ago I attended my first gun show in well over a decade. I talked to @Joe Link and another guy and gal at their small table against the wall. I traded a S&W 500 to a dealer for an 50s vintage 1911.
Since then I've probably been to a dozen or so, including several to the Oregon Arms Collectors. The OAC holds theirs at the armory and charge $3 to get in. Very small, but often interesting. The one in Canby at the fairgrounds is only $6 or so with free parking. Another small show, but I've done some deals there, too.
I always bubblegum to myself about the price to park and enter the show at the Expo, but like mentioned, what's it cost to see a movie?
I see a gun show more as entertainment than a chance to buy something. Maybe that's everyone's outlook, too?

 

[guitarguy]

I go to Gun Shows with friends just for fun, with no expectations of finding a killer deal. Private party sales on this forum typically yield better deals than most shows because the sellers need to raise prices to cover the table fees. I enjoy talking to gun guys and occasionally find something interesting to pick up. I have been to very few shows in the past year but recently have gone back to the little ACSSW show,

 

[Mikej]

i'll go to the EXPO show, maybe four times a year. One thing I noticed this last show, and I hadn't been for a few months, is that the $50.00 pound of 231 wasn't there! That pound of powder had been there since early 2013 I believe.

I if you've given yourself the okay to buy a new gun but need to look just a little more. Go right when they open and go to the Kieth's table first, while they have eight guys, and no one's really at the tables yet. You can get some better "Hold-your-hand" service than at their store!

I don't really care if they have nuts and beanie babies, I don't have to look at them? It's a shame that the Hall A is only two thirds full now though. The Wess Knodel show used to be the best/bigger of the two.

It's still cheaper than going to the bar for a game or something, or a movie, or out to supper for two?

The OAC shows are cool, and don't cost much. I'm looking forward to the Carson show, my first time, this weekend. I'm going to bring a young pup, my foster son, with me. He's 42!

 

[Hawaiian]

Since I am not looking to buy any more guns at the moment, I only go twice a year.
When the hot rod show is at the expo, there is a gun show next door.
Oregon Knife Collectors Assoc. has a huge knife show in Eugene in April and there is a gun show next door. Since I am already at these two events, I might as well walk through the gun shows and look around.

 

[Mecanik]

I like the small ACSSW show mostly. It's cheap to get in and has friendly people. Don't buy that many guns anymore but I like to chat with like minded people. Discussing politics and gun designs and what not's is fun and really in the end it's all about having fun. When the entrance fee's are 8 dollars on up it's hard to have fun at the bigger shows. I find the prices at the ACSSW show are really quite fair when you consider the jump firearms took over the last 20 years or so. Of course the bottom just fell out of the firearms market recently so you're going to see a dramatic drop in prices across the board for the next many many years. I would expect all the "dealers" are crying in their beer over that but for us consumers it's heaven. Wait 6 months and you're going to see 400 dollar AR-15's all over the place. I would expect to see a 25% drop in all gun prices within a year.

 

[WAYNO]

I gave up on shows long ago. For many of the same reasons I've given up on local gun shops. In the old days, we'd attend the gun shows to find the stuff that the local dealers refused to carry. Now, the vendors carry the same black and plastic stuff as dealers, without carrying the "special" stuff that I originally attended gun shows to find. And, there's no way to expect "better' prices at the gun shows. The vendors at gun shows buy at the same prices as anybody else. Unless you expect them to sell at less than they paid, pretty much everybody has the same price. And I'm not talking about the scalpers. They don't count.

Most of the last whole bunch of guns I've bought, I've bought off the internet. Again, local dealers don't carry what I consider to be "neat stuff", so I have no option other than to buy off the internet. This would be an opportunity for gun show vendors to think out of the box. Instead of showing 20-black rifles on a sales table, maybe show 15, plus 5 non-mainstream guns, and just see if their sales figures change. Knowing I could go to a gun show to find things, instead of ordering on-line, might cause me to return to gun shows.

Lastly, many of you dislike places like The Gun Room. I see many of the fellers sitting behind their sales tables at gun shows to be as arrogant. They see themselves as the knowledgeable good old boys, and they are "above" their potential customers. These snobs have no idea how many knowledgeable people they chase away from their tables. They don't know just by looking at a customer, if he's a lifelong collector, or a first time buyer ready to be cheated. So they treat everybody as a first time buyer. Look down your nose at me, and I'm gone. Just like car salesmen that prejudge their customers.

I've had this gun trading hobby a long time, and years ago I had sales tables at gun shows somewhere, year-round. I was the guy that carried collectable Rugers when nobody else saw the value or interest. And I respected folks.

WAYNO.

 

[PaulB47]

I'm going to have to try the Rickreall show again one of these days. A smaller show like that is usually a lot friendlier, and you don't see so many weirdos in them. Just old farts like me.

 

[Member 5605]

Over priced, pay to enter, pay to park... (except ARPC ones, member benefits)..

Gun shows are just that... shows. People don't want to sell stuff when you look at their pricing.

 

[Mecanik]

I started selling my stuff online now. I like the shows for reasons other than the guns. Lots of gun related stuff like reloading supplies or reloading tools and camping equipment. If we can just kick out the democrats we can change the laws back to what's reasonable again. Get out and vote Republican or quit whining about the laws. A democrat has no business walking into a gun show.

 

[ditchtiger]

Used to visit all I could find. They were like a flea market for all things gun related. Finding stuff in boxes under tables. Lots of old, used, surplus, just made them fun to attend. Now it's mostly new retail, jerky, cheap jewelry, etc.

 

[Mecanik]

I think part of the problem is the rental prices on tables is higher than it use to be. "dealers" need to pay for the rent of the tables so they have stuff that has a high mark up to help pay for that. The rent for the buildings I'm sure isn't cheap and the show organizers need to all make a profit. ACSSW is a non profit and tries to keep it as cheap as possible, So I like it better.

 

[Spanishammer]

I hit as many of the close ones I can, it's nice to see what's out there. Sadly, the big box sporting goods stores can sell stuff so much cheaper than what travelling ffl vendors usually can, so new guns appear particularly over priced at most shows...cash still talks a bit though which is nice.

 

[Ironbar]

The title kind of says it. Do you attend gun shows? If so, why so? If not, well, why not?

• I have to pay for parking
• I have to pay for admission
• The prices are no better than anywhere else
• OVERpriced
• Beanie Babies
• Hot dog vendors
• Gourmet nut vendors
• Cheap Chinese-made garbage- EVERYWHERE
• Obnoxious stun-gun vendor pulling the trigger and making 100db crackling electricity sound every five seconds

 

[orygun]

Lastly, many of you dislike places like The Gun Room. I see many of the fellers sitting behind their sales tables at gun shows to be as arrogant. They see themselves as the knowledgeable good old boys, and they are "above" their potential customers. These snobs have no idea how many knowledgeable people they chase away from their tables. They don't know just by looking at a customer, if he's a lifelong collector, or a first time buyer ready to be cheated. So they treat everybody as a first time buyer. Look down your nose at me, and I'm gone. Just like car salesmen that prejudge their customers.

WAYNO.

I could have not said it better myself. You must be my long lost brother, @WAYNO .

 

[ParkerBoy]

I didn't realize that the shows out there are so different from the ones we have here in Minn. Minnesota Weapons Collectors has a limit of the amount of non gun stuff allowed on tables, so there is not that "problem". But that can also eliminate a lot of firearms related things, like books and western collectables. Dakota Territory Shows allow more of that and still are my favorite, but the good ones are 5 hours a way in mid winter. Most of the small shows(150-200 tables) here have a little of the non firearms related stuff, but not really that much to be a pain.

Black guns are ever present and I'm not a huge fan, although I am learning.......pretty good for an "old guy". I actually find most of the guys with that stuff very knowledgeable and extremely willing to take the time and explain things. And I'm beginning to take some interest in that sort of thing.

A couple years ago I went to a very small show in Kennewick, with my son-in-law. We were out there for Thanksgiving. It did feel a bit different than I'm used to, but I did find a set of dies to buy. It was about half the size of the "small shows" that I'm used to, but I have no way of knowing how it would compare to your show size in general. Over all, I'd say THAT show had very few "collectable guns", a lot of gun related things, some flea market stuff and not nearly as many handguns as I would have expected, even for a small show.

 

[The Heretic]

The clubs like WAC often say "no non-firearm related stuff" but apparently the people who rent the tables ignore it because I have never seen a show since they made that rule that didn't have at least several tables of stuff that was totally unrelated to guns.

 

[Alexx1401]

I'm really curious about this statement. Where can you find 9mm 115 Grain TMJ Copper casing for less than $10.00 per 50 shipped? I have been searching everywhere!

-Greg

By copper case I take it you mean brass as in re loadable? If you want 9mm you can't re load but is FMJ The USA Forged (Winchester) is $31 per 150 to your door from Academy at normal price. This is steel case, FMJ so not re loadable. The Imported steel case stuff is about a $1 per 50 cheaper. I have been burning up a LOT of the USA stuff since I found out about it. When I want brass cased re loadable I normally use Graf. Can get it starting at a $1 per 50 more than the USA, that price is shipped.

 

[Joe Link]

About 7 years ago I attended my first gun show in well over a decade. I talked to @Joe Link and another guy and gal at their small table against the wall. I traded a S&W 500 to a dealer for an 50s vintage 1911.
Since then I've probably been to a dozen or so, including several to the Oregon Arms Collectors. The OAC holds their's at the armory and charge $3 to get in. Very small, but often interesting. The one in Canby at the fairgrounds is only $6 or so with free parking. Another small show, but I've done some deals there, too.
I always bubblegum to myself about the price to park and enter the show at the Expo, but like mentioned, what's it cost to see a movie?
I see a gun show more as entertainment than a chance to buy something. Maybe that's everyone's outlook, too?

We really need to get back to doing an NWFA table at the local shows.