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I read the email about there being a Portland show this weekend instead of just deleting it, and I saw an interesting change. Not only is Blackstone offering CHL classes (edit: with free admission to the show included), but the show is covering OSP's background check fee? That's like getting into the show for free. Might give me reason to wander around on Saturday.

Edit: there's a table up front for people to do their private party transfers with the OSP paid for by Wes. The vendors are not covering the fee.

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With a soft gun market for the next while, folding tables full of generally overpriced goods being sold by grumpy, opinionated vendors isn't going to be the profitable endeavor that it has been.
Now that everyone has their "freezers full of steaks" gun shows are going to need to start selling some "sizzle". They're going to need to put some effort into keeping "butts in the seats", or by-by buyers.
Put the SHOW back in to GUN SHOW.
 
Not to mention you can still LEGALLY sell private party (no FFL transfer, jut the OSP phone call) when you're "inside the building" of a gun show. I wonder if/how they'll pay for those?
 
With a soft gun market for the next while, folding tables full of generally overpriced goods being sold by grumpy, opinionated vendors isn't going to be the profitable endeavor that it has been.
Now that everyone has their "freezers full of steaks" gun shows are going to need to start selling some "sizzle". They're going to need to put some effort into keeping "butts in the seats", or by-by buyers.
Put the SHOW back in to GUN SHOW.
You're making me think of those bygone days when we had a whole enthusiastic team working for us every time we filled up the gas tank. And then they'd give us stuff, like a piece of dishware. The idea was to keep us coming back until we'd collected the whole set.

Wouldn't it be great if the vendors at gun shows started doing something similar... Maybe offering to clean a gun for us while we browse their table. Or give away some Hoppes #9 - anything to get us to shop with them.

If they set up an indoor range, and let me test drive all the guns, I'd probably go.
 
Tempting. I am wondering though, are there tactical/surplus gear vendors there, or is it more like the Polk flea market in addition to guns, lots of generic junk?

EDIT: I like Albany gun shows better than Salem's and Polk County gun shows.... but I wonder if it would even be worth stopping by tomorrow on the way back from Vancouver.
 
Tempting. I am wondering though, are there tactical/surplus gear vendors there, or is it more like the Polk flea market in addition to guns, lots of generic junk?

EDIT: I like Albany gun shows better than Salem's and Polk County gun shows.... but I wonder if it would even be worth stopping by tomorrow on the way back from Vancouver.
There is half a dozen good surplus vendors, and 2-3 really good makers of tactical gear. One guy in particular makes some of the cleanest rifle cases and gear bags I have ever seen.
 
I caught this on a radio commercial the other evening. Great idea.

Doubt I'll go, though. I like to wander around a gun show, but I've got too much stuff to do.
 

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