Only FFLs at Austin Shows?!?

[majormadmax]

Saw this on a Texas motorcycle forum...

[FONT=Georgia, Garamond, serif][FONT=Georgia, Garamond, serif]

[FONT=Georgia, Garamond, serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]VENDOR NOTICE-AUSTIN SHOW ONLY:​

​

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]At the direction of the Austin Police Department and the ​

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms,​

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif] ONLY LICENSED FFL DEALERS ​

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]will be allowed to set up and sell firearms ​

[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]at the N. Austin Show Location.
​

​

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]What they heck is going on up there?!?

Cheers! M2

 

[TexasRedneck]

Austin strikes again.....

 

[Randman]

OK, well, perhaps I won't be attending...Looks like that liberal anti-gun nuts are starting to throw there weight around...If it's true that is...

 

[TheDan]

I call BS on that. The APD and BATF can't "direct" only FFLs are allowed to sell. City ordinance maybe...

 

[TexasRedneck]

And I don't see how a city ordinance can restrict legal commerce.

 

[TXCleaver]

The original post says "SET UP." I don't know about y'all but when I'm trying to sell something at the show, I just loiter and walk around. NO SET UP NEEDED!

A city ordinance absolutely can restrict commerce...hell, look at the DC gun ban.

An initiative to do this could reflect two things. First, Austin's horrible liberalism. Or second, the fact that the gun show is on the north perimeter of a part of town with more than its share of people are legally prohibited from having them or soon will be.

 

[Renegade]

And I don't see how a city ordinance can restrict legal commerce.

If they own the venue, they can make any rules they want. Dallas does not allow ammo sales at gun shows on their property.

 

[TexasRedneck]

AH - so, it's city-owned property? Then you're right - and they were idiots for signing on w/a lease like that, IMO.

 

[LonghornAR15]

The notice in the original post is taken straight from the Texas Gun Shows website. So I think it's legit...

 

[kurt]

I'm just wondering what ATF has to do with local ordinances.

 

[Shorts]

Who's authority?


Austin needs a house cleaning.

 

[Charlie]

I just sent them an inquiry via their "contact us" email thingy asking who made this decision so gun show attendees in the future could make an informed decision as to which ones we will attend and which ones we will avoid. Kinda' looks like the gun show organizers made the decision for whatever reason and are putting it off on BATF and law enforcement. We will see what they say in any reply (if I actually get one!).

 

[majormadmax]

On the motorcycle forum where I got the info, someone emailed TGS about it and here is what they said...

They replied to the message I sent them, took an entire 7 minutes to get this from them, "I am sorry I feel ur pain! We will still have our show at live oak." They didn't say what the cause of the announcement was.

My suspicious nature leads me to believe that Texas Gun Shows may have regretted starting up an Austin show after SAXET left. I heard the December TGS show was a joke, and maybe claiming this is an attempt to get out from under it.

I don't know the reason for SAXET ending their Austin show, but it appears these companies do not like hosting events in Austin anymore. Even though we have the big SAXET show here in SA every month--as well as the thrice-a-year show at the Alzafar Temple--TGS also closed their show here which used to be at the same location as where the SAXET show move to (the SA Event Center). It was rather small and weak to begin with, but it was nice having two shows a month even though most of the vendors were the same ones as at the bigger SAXET show.

Thoughts?

Cheers! M2

 

[smschulz]

Austin needs a house cleaning.

Agreed. This needs to stop before it infects of the rest of the great state of Texas.

 

[TexasRedneck]

TGS has, to me, steadily gone downhill over the years. For whatever reason, they seem to have a hard time attracting quality vendors, which leads to fewer and fewer folks showing up. Would seem to me that they'd be well-served by having a "blow-out sale" of tables at some shows for a while, offering heavily-discounted admission, and try to get their vendors and traffic count up - but that would seem to be in conflict with their greedy nature. I've attended both for 15-20 years now, and at one time knew the TGS owner and his wife quite well - she was a real sweetheart - he was kinda a jerk, IMO.

 

[Shorts]

I call BS on that. The APD and BATF can't "direct" only FFLs are allowed to sell. City ordinance maybe...

Can city ordinance trump state law?? State says private party FTF sales are legal.

 

[TexasRedneck]

No, they can't - ask the City of SA...they tried that back with their ban on long guns.....

 

[kurt]

Underwhelmed is an understatement. The lady at the door said ATF and APD had 12 cases against the Saxet prior to their departure (for what specifically she didn't say). They threatened to shut down this weekend's show if the terms were not met. It sounds more like a terms of use thing for the venue to me. The cases sound more like individuals selling to ineligible parties.

 

[Charlie]

Pure intimidation!

Edit: ..........if true! Somebody's not takin' care of business!

 

[TexasRedneck]

Uh-huh...an' you actually BELIEVED her?!?? You got to remember that those two groups HATE each other - they'd go 5 miles outta their way just to make 'em stub a toe! The fact that they keep modifying their story tells me that they STILL haven't told the REAL reason.