The Best Oregon Gun Show?

[dustinm]

Growing up I remember my dad taking me to a gun show in Portland and it was a FULL day of walking and looking at guns. I dont wanna say I was tired of looking at guns then, but I was pretty close. I think it was the Rose City Gun Show. I haven’t been back to it since, because of work and family.

I currently live about 3hrs from Portland and have attended several of the Collectors West Shows, every time I walk out with the same amount of money (Minus $9 entry fee) due to ridiculously high prices. I understand that size plays into a factor and Portland is a more competitive market.

Which show is bigger/better in Portland, the Rose City or Collectors West?

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[Swedish K]

I haven't been to either in years. I was talking to a friend yesterday about back when the gun shows were great just about every time. He said that the Rose City show was one of the top 3 on the west coast back when he was doing the gun show circuit. He said that the Portland shows kinda fell apart and he quit going back when the rules started changing every show. They came up one time and it was "no assault weapons" then the next time it was "ok assault weapons are back but no parts for them" after a year of stupid rule changes he threw in the towel.

 

[skydiver]

The Portland shows today are pathetic compared to what they were before they split up into small shows.
$8 to park and $9 to get in and the gas to get there. Kinda shoots holes in any savings. Selection is minimal.

 

[BillM]

Best show in Oregon? I don't know. What I DO know is that there are several shows in the mid/north valley worth going to.
Rickreall, the ARPC show at the Linn county fairgrounds are both good. The East Albany Lions show at the Linn County
fairgrounds is getting bigger, and will probably be on my go-to list. It's coming up this month.

I too remember when the Expo show was an all day affair. NEAT STUFF in every direction, not a beanie baby in sight.
Remember the guy on the left just inside the door with pretty much every variation on the 03 Springfield? Not for
sale, just to show. And the Brit with the little red pom-pom on his hat, and the back wall covered with EVERYTHING
that ever pertained to the Enfield rifle? Again---just to look at, although they both had stuff for sale.

 

[dustinm]

I couldnt agree more. Gun shows are becoming less about guns and more "As seen on TV" flee markets. One Collectors West show I remember a coin collector, eye glass lens cleaner, and jewerly / gold buyer took up one complete wall. Waste of time. I cant make the show this weekend, but have it in my calendar for March. I'll give the Rose City show a shot......Would like to hear feedback from this weekends show if anyone remembers to take note.

 

[Mark W.]

The bownies and Beanie baby sellers were always at the big 1000 table Rose city shows as far back as I can remember. The thing that changed was the loss of the private collectors selling stuff. Once the laws changfed to require BG checks on all gun sales. The ability of the guy selling a half dozen guns from his or his dads collection. came to a very quick hault.

There are no more BIG shows in Portland, Now you have dealers with 25 tables full of new guns. Selling at the same price they sell them in the shop. Nothing wrong with this just not what most of the guys who used to attend shows think of when they think of a GUN SHOW.

 

[Cigarlvr313]

You can always drive across the river and check out Vancouver, it's small but kids under 12 are free, free parking........

 

[fuhr52]

I have stopped going to the Collector West shows as well. The ARPC show in Albany is one I shoot for. Pun intended.

 

[PDXSparky]

The ARPC show in Albany is one I shoot for. Pun intended.

Same for me, plus the Rickreall show because it's fairly close, only $5, and Miwall usually is there with cheap ammo.

 

[ftsdoc]

I to have stopped going to the Portland shows. $20 in gas and about $20 to get in would mean I'm do $40 before i get in the door. I now just go to the Albany shows and The Rickreall ones. Albany and Rickreall don't have the none shooting crap you get in Portland and it only cost $5 to get in and i live in Albany so gas is a dollar or two.

 

[nwo]

The show here in Grants Pass is consistantly a huge waste of the 6 dollar entry fee. I keep hoping otherwise, but to no avail.

Always the same tired vendors trying to peddle the same tired, over-priced used junk, and the same 'new' items as well. Much of the time the new stuff is even priced MORE than you can get it at the actual shop for!

The "Scentsy" vendor was even at this weekends show. Now that's got everything to do with a "GUN show".

Gun shows certainly are not what they used to be.

 

[Greenbug]

Any gun show promoters out there reading this thread? Take note we are tired of paying to see non gun crap at your gun shows!

 

[mason33]

The albany shows are pretty good. But they still have crap at them. When did a banjo become a firearm! Find a good gun shop and make deals with them you are better off!

 

[mkwerx]

It has been about 7 years since I bothered going to a gunshow. The last three I went to were the Collector's West show in Portland (a bust. I was trying to sell my Century HK91 clone, but there wasn't a single looker after walking around the hall for about 3 hours. Lots of dealers there - selling a bunch of new guns at new gun prices, very few used guns, and the used guns were overpriced), the gun show at Washington County's fairgrounds (also, IIRC Collector's West?) - which was half the size of the Portland show. Waste of admission fee. The last gun show I went to was in Canby, and it wasn't bad. Small hall, but full of vendors. Some honest deals to be had - but I wasn't actually looking to buy - I'd popped down there for something else and saw a "Gun Show" sign and followed it.

There was an AR guy there from Washington building guns on Oly Arms upper and lowers - but he refused to put the upper and lower together because he'd be charged the excise tax. He sold you a separate upper and lower, and you had to be the one to fit them together for the first time. Of course you couldn't do that until they were paid for and the background check was done. His guns were way overpriced for what they were.

They just were all a bunch of overall disappointments - and I decided that if I want to ogle guns I'll go into the local shops and fondle them, BS with the clerks, and not pay $10 to get in the door. If I'm looking for a good deal on a used gun - there's a number of online forums I belong to that I can find guns on, and a few shops I can usually rely on to have something of interest. I'm over gun shows.

 

[cowboygraphics]

Went to PDX/Expo gun show this weekend - pretty sure my last for quite awhile. Son mentioned hadn't been for awhile so we went. Dad & son time made it worthwhile - money I WANTED to spend stayed in pocket. Great to see him using biz/logic and calling out that most prices were "silly" (I'm being polite). "yeah, I remember, Keith's used to have some deals".
Bought a scope to help justify fees to get there & in ($8 parking - never again) and took card for a Eugene shop with fair prices & nice, knowledgeable guys (Oak Grove ...something). Undecided on whether to call about the Sig they had or just wait till next time down that way. Will try smaller shows but the Expo got their last $8 parking from me.
$4 - ok, gotta pay ... for the pavement. $5 - What are you doing to justify $5 parking way out here - it's not DT. $7 - really?!?! $8 and a crappy attitude - turn off the oven, I am done.

 

[BillM]

When did a banjo become a firearm!

"Firearms and firearm accessories" In some parts of the country a banjo qualifies. Think "Deliverance".

 

[Cigarlvr313]

After giving out my "free" advice my wife and I decided to go to the Clark Co. Gun show. The only thing "new" since the last show was the Ron Paul booth.....we were in and out in an hour.

 

[CWI guy]

Never in the history of Collectors West has a gold vendor taken up a whole wall. Mark W. knows what the "Good Old Days" were like and the toys and stuff were always there. As a promoter I would say the shows have "changed" because all the old timers with the "good deals" are dead or dying. As for the "seen on tv" vendors, they take up space. At the Grants Pass show we had 2 vendors with health issues and 2 more that just canceled. If you popped your head in and the show was half empty we wouldn't get you through the door. For a gun show there sure were a lot of GUYS buying candles.

For you folks that haven't been going to the shows for decades, new vendors with new products are extremely hard to find. The shows haven't gotten worse, the demands have changed and inflation has bumped the prices up on every firearm. If you remember big 5 sold a mosin for $49 bucks 10 years ago. Back during '96-'2001 the shows were pretty bad, then all of a sudden the interest in firearms came back. say what you will but the interest in anything come in waves. (mainly when democrats get elected)

As far as the ARPC, Lions club, Rickreall, and most other club shows have 70-80% of the vendors that are at Collectors West shows and RC shows. And just to be clear there is no one person that profits from parking at the Portland shows, Portland METRO gets ALL profits. the promoters gain ZERO from parking charges and have no control over the cost. Even if you don't want to support us, doesn't mean any of you need to bad mouth and lie about our shows. Stop the "fish tales" already.

 

[JedB]

One solution that I have to avoid parking is take the MAX. You can park right near the Raceway, hop on the Max, and it drops you off right there.

I have taken the following things on the MAX with no issues.
1) AR-Upper (no case, just in my hand - maybe not the brightest choice in retrospect)
b) Shotgun in box that I bought there.
iii) Full ammo can of 5.56 & 7.62x51

Saved me the parking $$.

Just a thought.

Too bad that the laws/show rules changed, as I can imagine that individuals selling parts of their collections would add to what's available.

 

[Burt Gummer]

1) is hard to believe with all the ignorance public on the Max. Surprised you made it without someone calling the cops carrying an exposed upper.