The future of gun shows

[deen_ad]

FTF transactions are legal in Arizona.

As they are in WA for WA residents.

 

[deen_ad]

My mom has a house full of antiques that are worth half of what they were just ten years ago. I am no expert though just a casual observer of what is taking place.

Same here, wife has a collection of Hummels, we carry a rider on our home insurance just for them as fine artwork. Now worth far less than we paid for them, let alone insure them for!

 

[deen_ad]

No. This is the "gunshow loophole" you hear mentioned in statements from the media, politicians, and anti-gun groups.

If you're an FFL nothing changes, you still have to do background checks at a gun show just the same as at your storefront. Private sales by private owners done at a gun show must go through a state background check in OR. In WA the rules for FFL's are the same, background check required, private sellers selling their own collection are not required to do a background check. That's just like selling your car as a private individual.

 

[GTeye]

No. This is the "gunshow loophole" you hear mentioned in statements from the media, politicians, and anti-gun groups.

I hate when they use that term, glad you used quotes around it!

I mean it really isn't a loophole at all, the only difference is that at a gun show there is a bunch of people who get together with similiar interests where in face to face sale it's just a few people.

The law is identical in both cases so in essence there is no loophole.

 

[Rem725]

I'm going to Albany despite all the reasons above. I miss the days when they were more like big swap meets. You know, good old boys swapping/selling good old stuff. I would go "swap" a couple M70s and stuff if I felt like sitting there all day long. Maybe I will find a SA Rem 725. Ha ha....

 

[teflon6string]

Not much more I can add to the discussion, but the reasons I hate gun shows these days are:

1) Overpaying for parking
2) Overpaying for admission
3) No deals to be had
4) Rude a-holes working the tables
5) Ignorant a-holes working the tables
6) Table after table after table of useless, worthless, JUNK. It's a gun show, not a damned flea market!
7) Table after table after table of political crap, survival food, or beef jerky.
8) Tactical, tactical, tactical, EVERYWHERE!

These are the reasons I stopped going, and will never go again.

May I add all that ugly zombie stuff to your fine list?

 

[raindog]

The best gun show here in the PacNW is the NorthwestFirearms.com classifieds

 

[PDXSparky]

The best gun show here in the PacNW is the NorthwestFirearms.com classifieds

Only slightly after the ARPC show in Albany, IMO.

 

[Ironbar]

After having been to the ARPC show in Albany this past weekend, I have one more thing to add.

The general impression I have going in to a gun show is that it's a "sale" environment. Any of the items seen at a gun show, I could get online or in a store of some sort. At a show, I guess I expect prices to be discounted over what I can get elsewhere. So far, this is not the case. In fact the opposite seems to be true. Prices are generally inflated. The only guy who was actually offering a discount over their normal prices was the retailer out of Bend who was selling the concealed carry vests & jackets. I almost ended up buying one, but decided at the last minute that I needed ammo more than clothing.

Why the hell should I buy at a gun show when I can buy elsewhere for less money? Because of the ambiance? Hardly. At least half of the folks I saw walking around I would classify as "Yee-Haw" rednecks, gun nuts, or tacticool wannabe's.

 

[TonsOfOregonBrass]

I feel the biggest problem with the gun shows are they are held to often. Once a month is way to frequent for larger out of state vendors or people to attend. One of the draws of the reno show is it is only held a few times a year, and people travel from all over to attend it. Right now rose city and collectors west have a show going every weekend somewhere in oregon. Vendors cannot attend all of them let alone the smaller ones as there is not enough buyers going to them to make it worth while.

As for prices, i know i have to raise my prices to attend. For me to take 1/3 of my inventory to a show, i have to sell around half of it just to break even on the cost of tables, plus another employee to keep an eye on everything plus answer any questions. So if i sell that much, i am down 1/6th my store inventory and have no extra to show for it. So you have to elevate your prices to try and make up for the lack of buyers. Most go to the gun show just to look.

So to make the gun shows better, only hold them every three months. this gives people a chance to save up some money to spend there plus makes it more of a special event. Lower the cost to get in, park and for vendors tables. This would encourage more people to go, and more vendors to attend.

This wont happen though, the promoters will not have that happen. They have a recipe that makes them money and that is exactly what the gun shows are about now. The promoter and expo center making money.

I personally hope the people quit going to the shows to the point they are no longer held for at least a year. Then when it is brought back it has a chance at being what it was.

 

[iamme]

The best gun show here in the PacNW is the NorthwestFirearms.com classifieds

This post should deleted and purged. if you don't know why I'm sorry but THIS is the issue I'm honestly worried/waiting for something to change

 

[lstetz]

hello

new to guns and i wanted to go to a gun show to see what the vendors had, i am waiting for my paperwork and i already have a gun which is being held by the guy who is going to train me, new but sold as used good deal from what i was told, i wanted to see if i can get anything at gun shows as we have one that is held at the National guard in north East Philadelphia my huband sees the signs everytime they have one and they charge $7.00 a person to get in and he told me the sign says sale, buy and trade, do these shows carry other things like supplies one might need for the gun, for example eye and ear protection, safes for the home and something to carry to and from the Range, and by the way i am in NJ but husband works in Philadelphia, are these shows worth going?

Lisa, Hamilton NJ

 

[Jammer Six]

No pictures. No phones that take pictures.

No carries.

Nazi "memorabilia".

Not interested in any of it.

 

[IXFE]

I went to the Expo Center gun show a few months ago determined to buy my first AR-15. I had been discouranged by the lack of inventory at the local stores I had been too. Most had one or two AR's, and nobody had the stuff I was reading about in the mags or on the web. I really wanted to see and feel LOTS of AR's before I plunked my money down on the perfect one. So I went to the show thinking I'd be able to see and compare lots of different models. Candidly, I really wanted to see a Stag 3G. Surely it would be at the show.

What I found was just as you all described... the same stores with the same limited inventory and the same prices. But I still walked every table, asked questions, got lots of attitude and misinformation (more on that in a sec).

And then I saw it... a Ruger SR556E. I knew a little about the SR556, but not the "E" model. The price seemed really good (but I was comparing it in my head to the regular SR556). Obviously I knew it was piston driven, which seemed like a nice feature, right? It was on the table of one of the bigger stores in town. I asked the guy a few questions about how the "E" model was different. He said it was just the quad rail (which could be added later) and the lack of flip-up sights and extra mag. "Sweet," I thought. "It has the chrome lined barrel." I walked away, checked out the rest of the show, then came back an hour later and took the plunge. They absolutely would NOT budge on price. Oh well.

When I got home I started researching more about this gun that I just bought. Perhaps my purchase was premature. It was certainly spontaneous as I hadn't considered the SR556E before that night. I soon learned that the gun did NOT have a chrome lined barrel (something I thought I wanted). So I called the dealer's store several weeks later to see about an exchange (not a refund) for a different model. Mind you, I had not shot it yet or mounted an optic... it was still in the box. They told me I could NOT exchange it, but I could trade it in for much much less. Needless to say, I have a bad taste in my mouth for both the show and the dealer. I feel like they misled me, then refused to set things right. But I'm also mad at myself for not being educated and getting caught up with an artificial sense of urgency. Lesson learned.

Since that day, I've found several smaller shops that I'm determined to support. For me, it's not longer about the cheapest price. I want FTF support. The gun show doesn't foster that. Quite frankly, I don't think many of our local dealers do either.

BTW... I still haven't handled a Stag 3G yet. And, I still own the SR556e, unless somebody makes me an offer... ;->

 

[IXFE]

I should also add, it wasn't all frustration at the show that day...

While they were ringing up the SR556E, I asked them if they had any Kimbers (also on my wish list that day). I had a few models in mind that I wanted to see, but never showed up in stores. One was the Tactical Entry II. As luck would have it, they had a slightly used one that had been traded in the day earlier. I could tell it was practically brand new just by looking at the lack of wear marks. They wanted $1,200 for it. I offered $1,000. Afterall, I was already buying the Ruger from them. So we settled on $1,125. I think I did okay on that one.

So I spent over $2,000 that day at that table, and they still wouldn't allow me to exchange the Ruger. Sigh...