? about the guys with tables at gunshows

[Moonpie]

Do ALL these dudes smoke crack?

Moonpie just back from small town gunshow.
Is it some unwritten rule thing that every firearm be priced 100% more than it should be?
Fudd guns. Fudd guns everywhere. Very overpriced Fudd guns. Unless you like bolt action shotguns. Even the .22lr rifles were off the chain.
If I see one more Bubba'ed .303 Enfield for $600 I'm gonna hurl.
Sheeeesh…….I should get a table and sell at those prices. I could retire.

 

[PhulesAu]

Not a good day to be a Moonpie.

 

[oldag]

And what else is new?

 

[ZX9RCAM]

What round for gun show tables?

 

[lbbf]

That's why I quit going to gun shows. Last one I was I at I was looking for a Glock 34. Found one on gunbroker that I thinking about getting but decided to wait for the next show. Found the same dealer from gunbroker at the show and they had the glock I was looking for. Price was $70 more at the show! When I asked about it they said it was a different gun and used in the add. I then pulled up the add and showed them the serial numbers matched. They actually told me to go shop somewhere else. So I did. After stopping at ALL the tables with glocks for sale I finally found 1 that was willing to deal and I got a decent, not smoking, deal on a G34. Not worth the hassle.

 

[SQLGeek]

You didn't invite me? I'll spring for funnel cake next time.

 

[TxStetson]

They all think they’re guns are gold plated, and gonna bring pre-Trump AR prices.

 

[V-Tach]

Open a cold RC Cola..............

Agree on the prices though.......haven't been to gun show in a while...lost the urge...

 

[Ole Cowboy]

I too quit going for the guns. MSRP has no meaning...help me understand Sir, you want $1900 for a gun that MSRP's at $1599 and 'streets' for $1400 +/- $25. Is it a special edition or comes with a scope or anything? crickets chirping!

Used guns: Most of them are priced near MSRP and I call them 'U-Haul' guns. I was looking at one and told the dealer that it looked like a U-Haul gun. He asked what is that? That is a gun someone owned and tied to a trailer hitch and drove around with it. I told him, look at it, look like its got road rash and you are asking MSRP!

You can get a good deal of some stuff like laser stuff, as every guy has got a table full of them.

 

[Kar98]

That's why I quit going to gun shows. Last one I was I at I was looking for a Glock 34. Found one on gunbroker that I thinking about getting but decided to wait for the next show. Found the same dealer from gunbroker at the show and they had the glock I was looking for. Price was $70 more at the show! When I asked about it they said it was a different gun and used in the add. I then pulled up the add and showed them the serial numbers matched. They actually told me to go shop somewhere else. So I did. After stopping at ALL the tables with glocks for sale I finally found 1 that was willing to deal and I got a decent, not smoking, deal on a G34. Not worth the hassle.

What IS a good deal on a 34?

 

[MTA]

I am going to the greenville and mesquite gun shows tomorrow. I am pre-gaming my disappointment by reading this thread.

The mesquite gun shows are the only gun shows in DFW where I have found decent deals in the last year. Hoping tomorrow allows me to find a decent deal on a Glock 21 or 41

 

[majormadmax]

Small gun shows are notorious for such issues, larger ones allow the opportunity to compare prices.

Also, vendors tend to be consistent with what they ask for but private sales can be all over the place. The good thing is the latter can be more willing to negotiate and usually there is no sales tax involved.

There are also a few tactics you can use to put things more in your favor as a buyer. First is the Gun Deals app (https://gun.deals/content/apps), which lets you know how much online dealers are asking for a firearm. Obviously you cannot expect local businesses to compete with big vendor prices, but it does give you some negotiating leverage remember there will be no shipping or transfer costs involved. Secondly, and most importantly, is to remember you can always walk away. Some people get "target fixation" when they see a firearm that really revs their engine, but many times it's worth it unless it's truly a rare weapon.

Lastly, remember the goal is to achieve a mutually-beneficial deal where both the seller and buyer are satisfied with the transaction. I know some buyers believe their only objective is to get the lowest price possible, but keep in mind that such situations are detrimental to the local firearms community in the long run. Businesses need to turn a profit to survive, and failing to do so will results in their going under. While big chains like Academy might have better prices, they don't provide all the services or selection as gun shops. The demise of the brick and mortar gun store will have a negative effect on all of us, so sometimes it's a good investment to pay a little more and ensure they are around when you may need them in the future!

Cheers! M2

 

[The.Other.Jared]

My last gun show was the same. Found a used Bersa 380 for 375. Walked two tables down and found a new one for 279.

Saw plenty of rusted old rifles that must have been found in the river with $700 price tags. Saw a cardboard box full of incomplete pocket pistols from 250 to 600. All junk. Too many shot guns. Almost no ARs. It's like they expected a ban and went all fuddtard on everyone.

Did find an HK USP with 5 mags for 550. Kinda wish I bought it. May have been stolen...

Found 2 SKS rifles for $650 apiece. Yugos I believe. Also some IO and century AKs for $750. Honestly I think some of these people try to work on the impulse buy and hope no one researches anything. Sadly I remember guys talking about getting good deals back in the day. I have a Chinese SKS my dad bought for $100 at a gun show in the late 80s early 90s. There's some insane prices in gun shows these days. They're probably too used to Obama gun sales and haven't adjusted yet.

 

[Renegade]

Do ALL these dudes smoke crack?

Moonpie just back from small town gunshow.

You are back and posting at 10:06am? That is small.

 

[oldag]

The private owners with tables are normally not too concerned with selling. This is sideline for them. If they sell at a serious profit margin, great. If not, no skin off their back. They are working on the PT Barnum principle.

Professional sellers need to make a significant margin because it is their business. Low margin sales will put them under, as they cannot cover their fixed costs.

Last couple of gun shows I went to had relatively few individuals carrying in guns to sell. Not like it was a decade or two ago. But maybe that is not the case for other shows.

 

[Moonpie]

You are back and posting at 10:06am? That is small.

very small. maybe 20 tables.

Me thinks these guys are shooting for pigeons.
One sale makes the weekend for them.

 

[Inspector43]

There was a time when I didn't miss a gun show. Then came all the public interest in guns and legislation. This brought buyers out from under the carpet. They are only interested in a popular gun with a low price. They don't understand the options available. The dealers then had to start filling their tables with the stuff the amateurs were looking for. They didn't have room for anything that might be unique, special or collectable. And, there are so many people crowding around each table with their children that a serious shopper can't see the offerings. I quit going since they became more of a circus.

 

[Inspector43]

very small. maybe 20 tables.

Me thinks these guys are shooting for pigeons.
One sale makes the weekend for them.

True. At a small show in South Central Texas I stopped in late on Sunday afternoon just before ending time. I found a very nice 1943 era FN 1927 with all the Nazi proofs. The seller and his wife were at the table. He hadn't sold anything the entire weekend and would like something to at least pay for the motel. I got it for a very reasonable number.

 

[Jigo23]

Yep, the best deals I’ve gotten at gun shows have been on Sundays about an hour or so before closing. More eager to make a sale at some profit at least and reduce the number they have to pack up, haul home, then unload Sunday night.

 

[BRD@66]

What IS a good deal on a 34?

Cue the 1911 guys-