If GunBroker had an actual, physical location.

Knobgoblin · May 30, 2021

Dave Chappelle did a sketch about "If the internet was a real place " back in the day.

My Buddy sent me a bunch of pics from the gun show at Thurston county fairgrounds today. My jaw is still on the floor. Is this what we've come to ?
Would anyone buy at these prices?

Gbirk · May 30, 2021

He's going home with those or I'm going to have a table at the next one. PMR30s are $400 even now.

RVTECH · May 30, 2021

Knobgoblin said:
Is this what we've come to ?

Whose 'We' ? If 'we' already have what we want then pass it by.

If the sellers are 'targeting' new gun owners well, I hope they sleep well at night.

TTSX · May 30, 2021

If the Glock happened to be chambered, by the factory, in something we can't get here, yes I'd pay that if I had the money. But by the number of Glocks I have, I might be considered a light weight collector of the brand. I remember seeing a model 17 factory in 9x21, which was essentially a 9x19 made with longer brass to get by Italian laws. Pretty cool, should have jumped on it but the price was close to 2k

Knobgoblin · May 30, 2021

Gbirk said:
He's going home with those or I'm going to have a table at the next one. PMR30s are $400 even now.

All day, every day on cdnn.
At least 2 colors of the keltec rainbow too.

Knobgoblin · May 30, 2021

TTSX said:
If the Glock happened to be chambered, by the factory, in something we can't get here, yes I'd pay that if I had the money. But by the number of Glocks I have, I might be considered a light weight collector of the brand. I remember seeing a model 17 factory in 9x21, which was essentially a 9x19 made with longer brass to get by Italian laws. Pretty cool, should have jumped on it but the price was close to 2k

If I'm reading it correctly, it's a P80 product. Retro Gen1 glock 17 replica.

I saw one for sale in classifieds here last month for 6 or 7 hundred.

Snip · May 30, 2021

It's a great time to sell.

TTSX · May 30, 2021

Knobgoblin said:
If I'm reading it correctly, it's a P80 product. Retro Gen1 glock 17 replica.

I saw one for sale in classifieds here last month for 6 or 7 hundred.

Yes, that's true. I'm describing a situation in which I'd pay $1300 for a glock. If that were a genuine gen 1, not the modern copy, I might also be persuaded to that price. Again, hypothetical

Knobgoblin · May 30, 2021

RVTECH said:
Whose 'We' ? If 'we' already have what we want then pass it by.

If the sellers are 'targeting' new gun owners well, I hope they sleep well at night.

I don't have a dog in this fight.
My "we" is more like, is the dollar that far gone, are there really no guns available to purchase at regular stores, etc.
No judgment really, just good old fashioned sticker shock.

gmerkt · May 30, 2021

On Gunbroker, buyers themselves establish the price on auction items that sell. On fixed price listings, they can buy it or not, just like at a physical venue.

I think one factor in buying through Gunbroker is convenience. Buyers don't have to travel to get what they want. And as a nation-wide source, the market is way bigger than just around where they live.

Gun show buying is now for the completely uninitiated. As such, it seems to me that the kind of table holders that continue to habituate gun shows are the predatory people that I used to avoid at such places. I quit going to gun shows entirely prior to the Covid thing. Laws in Wash. had a lot to do with the decline of gun shows here.

Knobgoblin · May 30, 2021

I only ever went to this particular venue twice over the last 20 years.
Last time was probably 2013/14 ?

Lewis county fairgrounds is more likely to be my go to . But even that has probably been 5 years ago at this point.

RVTECH · May 30, 2021

gmerkt said:
Gun show buying is now for the completely uninitiated. As such, it seems to me that the kind of table holders that continue to habituate gun shows are the predatory people that I used to avoid at such places.

The gun 'world' has always had it's 'cheesy and sleazy' side - and please do NOT compare it to other industries that have the same - such as the car sales world, or maybe something similar.

The gun industry is much 'narrower' in scope and has always had it's share of 'predatory people'.

I have been going to gun shows since the 1970's and have seen them degrade over the years, but the worst decline was after the '94 AWB when attitudes about gun ownership began to change dramatically - and ushered in an entirely new 'population' of 'new gun owners' as well - and the industry capitalized on it.

Call it good, great for the 2A etc. But the fact remains the gun industry is NOT what it used to be and in some cases may have become its own 'worst enemy' - and those are not just MY words - but many others on this forum have inferred the same.

TTSX · May 30, 2021

RVTECH said:
The gun 'world' has always had it's 'cheesy and sleazy' side - and please do NOT compare it to other industries that have the same - such as the car sales world, or maybe something similar.

The gun industry is much 'narrower' in scope and has always had it's share of 'predatory people'.

I have been going to gun shows since the 1970's and have seen them degrade over the years, but the worst decline was after the '94 AWB when attitudes about gun ownership began to change dramatically - and ushered in an entirely new 'population' of 'new gun owners' as well - and the industry capitalized on it.

Call it good, great for the 2A etc. But the fact remains the gun industry is NOT what it used to be and in some cases may have become its own 'worst enemy' - and those are not just MY words - but many others on this forum have inferred the same.

I'd really like to time travel to see what it was like in the 70s. I'm sure the culture was very different. The 94 AWB came and went before I'd ever so much has seen a real gun, let alone firing one

gmerkt · May 30, 2021

RVTECH said:
Call it good, great for the 2A etc. But the fact remains the gun industry is NOT what it used to be and in some cases may have become its own 'worst enemy' - and those are not just MY words - but many others on this forum have inferred the same.

One look at the latest issue of Guns and Ammo magazine illustrates this condition. 95% "tactical" crap, assault-type weapons, plastic pistols, etc. Pictures of tough guys in their off-road vehicles, tac gun racks on the backs of the seats, etc. There isn't much to represent the hunter, target shooter, etc. To be fair to gun journalism, their content is about what people want to buy. It's no wonder that this emphasis scares non-gun people.

RVTECH said:
The gun 'world' has always had it's 'cheesy and sleazy' side

My own experience of gun shows dates to the 1960's. Yes, there were sleaze-balls then too, but a minority presence compared to what I've seen in recent years. Until I quit going anyway. The hobby table holders have been discouraged by new laws and no doubt many have been priced out. This is why we've seen more and more FFL dealers at gun shows. In my earlier experience, an FFL dealer at a gun show was very rare. Unless it happened to be an advanced collector who had a license as a matter of convenience, not primarily as a business.

TTSX said:
I'd really like to time travel to see what it was like in the 70s. I'm sure the culture was very different.

It's pretty sad. Going to the gun show was a way of life for lots of gun hobbyists. Like weekend golf for some people. It's pretty much gone down the terlit on the west coast. I had pals who used to save up their money for the "big show" in Columbus, Ohio which was well known for turning up lots of collectible arms. They'd go, then come back and show me the goodies they'd picked up. Long before background checks, etc. There were gun shows nearly every weekend in so. Calif. The "Great Western" gun show in southeast LA was a biggie that was looked forward to. Miles of tables. You'd see actors there, like bumping into Clint Walker and other guys from 1950's westerns. I've lived in Wash. for over 34 years, never wanted to drive 2,000 or 3,000 miles for a gun show. But I've attended the big Reno show (Grand Sierra Resort) several times and the Las Vegas show. In recent years, the Tulsa, Okla. show is supposed to be one of the better ones but, again, it's too far for me to go. I'll have to ask my pal down in Chino Valley, Ariz. if the Phoenix show is any good these days.

RVTECH · May 30, 2021

gmerkt said:
It's pretty sad. Going to the gun show was a way of life for lots of gun hobbyists.

Ditto this and all the rest of your post!

If some people could see the shows you are referring to (and some I have attended as well - OK City in the early 80's was fantastic!) most would be 'dumbfounded' ! Heck even the little 'Ol Redmond, OR gunshows were actually pretty good back in the 'day' !

Gotyoursix · May 30, 2021