Reflections on the modern gun show.

[Moonpie]

Went to a gun show yesterday.
Saw a few things. I am disgustipated.
I guess the question I want to ask is Are gun show sellers out of their goddamn minds?
Ammo has always been crazy expensive at shows. I guess those guys want 100% more for it for hauling it inside?
Anything classic steel and walnut has passed retarded pricing into ludicrous pricing. Absolutely absurd what these clowns are wanting for stuff. It isn’t even rare or unique versions either. It’s plain standard versions. Many are well used. Some excessively so.
For those of you new to the gun collecting world, original factory condition means everything. This is inverse to the rarity of a piece. The rarer the piece the more you let slide condition.
Yesterday at the show i saw numerous examples of heinous “upgrades” on what normally would be fairly expensive revolvers.
In this particular case there was some idiot who had taken a number of S&W Model 66 snubbies and polished them out to a super shiny appearance. Completely wrecking their value.
Then Mr Ghetto Gun had the gaul to ask $2000 dollars for said pieces. This abomination made Moonpie sad panda.
From what all I hear is revolvers are Boomer guns. Only old guys collect them. Younger crowd goes for polymer/hi-cap stuff.

Are these guys really getting the prices they’re asking for this stuff?
I don’t think so.
I overheard a discussion yesterday at the show between two elderly men. They obviously knew each other. One was behind a table covered with really crappy “kit” knives. Think of a table covered with shitty looking kitchen knives all marked $100 per and you’re on the money.
Old guy in the aisle is dogging on Mr behind the table about him not selling much. Maybe he should lower his prices a bit? Table guy goes off. He starts ranting about “F them!” Thats my price! I ain’t budging “ Well. Alrighty then.
Why on earth would a person with a lick of sense pay this yahoo $100bucks for some cheap shit mystery metal knife, one probably made from radioactive metal from China or Pakistan, that could buy a quality made knife from a reputable dealer for less?
SMH.

Sometimes it seems these dolts don’t really want to sell anything. Oh yeah they’ll let it go if some pigeon throws the money at them.
Usually I hear them whining “Nobody is buying anything!” Waaaaaaa

Gun Zone Deals

 

[Army 1911]

My stuff is priceless. Your stuff ain't worth shit. The gun show axiom.

 

[Dawico]

I've never had the inside track to go on Friday when everyone is getting set up and buying all the really good deals from each other.

I never really expect to make any great scores but I still like to go.

I expect the latest talk of gun control is just making it worse.

 

[Geezer]

The last show I went to was a few months ago. There were hardly and Colt or S&W revolvers. The ones that I did see, I have no idea how the owners came up with the pricing. Most were priced several hundred dollars over Gun Broker prices.

 

[wbblazer90]

I stopped going to gun shows a long time ago. Overpriced crap and half the stuff isn’t guns. Not worth the price of admission and parking if you have to pay for that. The best deals to be had are the individuals walking around.

 

[jwhistler]

It's sad when you can get better deal at a pawn shop then from a gun show.
Fort worth will Roger's coliseum 10 dollars to park and 10 dollars to enter your 20 down before you even start to make a deal.

 

[Havok1]

I quit going to gun shows for any reason other than boredom years ago. It seems they expect that they can sell everything for as much as they want since people have already paid to get inside.

 

[baboon]

WTF Moonpie every one knows go on Sunday when the dealers have to sell something to break even, for the weekend. But then again it will be the price of gas to go to the show, that actually kills gun shows off. Few people will go once the roundtrip fuel cost exceeds parking the entrance cost.

 

[Sam7sf]

It starts with the promoter. This even in a good economy is what got out of hand. Renting space has gotten out of hand. Hundreds of dollars a table. Wouldn’t surprise me now if it’s nearing a grand. That’s terrible. There would be no point in going. That’s a lot to absorb.

I just don’t like going to shows as a buyer anymore because of too many people. My social anxiety isn’t getting any better. Plus very few dealers seem like good ol boys anymore. Just another asshole looking to burn people that don’t know any better.

 

[Texasgordo]

Hey Moonpie where was this gunshow so I can avoid it?


Usually go to the gunshow for entertainment purposes not expecting a good deal. Usually overpriced Academy ammo and used guns more expensive than a new one .

 

[Sam7sf]

Also: I understand guns are cleared and flagged before entering...but people’s handling skills have gone to shit. It annoys me.

 

[Sam7sf]

It's sad when you can get better deal at a pawn shop then from a gun show.
Fort worth will Roger's coliseum 10 dollars to park and 10 dollars to enter your 20 down before you even start to make a deal.

Man words of truth. A pawn shop that regularly gets firearms can be a great place to get good pricing.

 

[Moonpie]

This was the Pasadena show.

I guess I’m trying to understand the mentality of the vendors.
It’s like they don’t really care to sell anything except for that one monster deal.
They will not bargain. They will not trade.
It’s pay me asinine amounts of money or go away. K then. Bye.
Some of the knife guys are just as bad. Chewed up b at to hell blade. $800.
Come on man. I can order the knife new on-line for 2/3’rds of that.

 

[Sam7sf]

Gun shows are dead.

 

[Tnhawk]

I haven't been to a local gun show in over a year and haven't bought/sold anything at a gun show in several years. The admission prices have been a waste of money.

 

[Darkpriest667]

Gun shows are dead.

The last gun show I went to was with you. When was that?

 

[justmax]

There is a darker underside of the Gun show "circuit" that most do not know anything about unless you set up at them regularly...It's mostly about the promoters! Having been in the industry for 15 years on a national basis, I have seen things at all levels from several perspectives.

I am not talking about the local Lions Club, DAV, or Shooting Club that hold their once or twice a year fundraising shows, but the "big" promoters. Although the same applies to most every major city, I will take for example Houston. There are no less than three promoters vying for venues. They all seem to need to snatch up any open venue that can hold a 300+ table event. The market is saturated. Other than the dog days of summer, one can usually find a gun show within an hour of downtown Houston, at least 3 out of 4 weekends. The attendees have no incentive to buy anything today, as it will be there next weekend.

These promoters have a sort of control of the larger FFL dealers that have all the new products. The smaller 1-3 table "dealers" that are adjusting their own collections on a private sale basis are effected in a second hand manor because if the big boys don't come, attendance drops. Also, some of the promoters will try to punish, for lack of a better term,the dealers should they set up with a competitive promoter.

These promoters have consistently raised their table prices considerably over the last few years. They are the only ones that consistently make any money. When you factor this into the overall situation, yes, all prices are going up, as high as the market will bear.

The best way I can think of to combat the rising prices, is for those you you complaining and wanting "the good old days" back, please feel free to contact me with a list of guns you are willing to sell to me at half of what you paid for it at least 3 years ago. If enough of you walk the walk, this should act as a reverse stimulus program and prices should cycle back down again. So, who is going to be first?

 

[Moonpie]

There is a darker underside of the Gun show "circuit" that most do not know anything about unless you set up at them regularly...It's mostly about the promoters! Having been in the industry for 15 years on a national basis, I have seen things at all levels from several perspectives.

I am not talking about the local Lions Club, DAV, or Shooting Club that hold their once or twice a year fundraising shows, but the "big" promoters. Although the same applies to most every major city, I will take for example Houston. There are no less than three promoters vying for venues. They all seem to need to snatch up any open venue that can hold a 300+ table event. The market is saturated. Other than the dog days of summer, one can usually find a gun show within an hour of downtown Houston, at least 3 out of 4 weekends. The attendees have no incentive to buy anything today, as it will be there next weekend.

These promoters have a sort of control of the larger FFL dealers that have all the new products. The smaller 1-3 table "dealers" that are adjusting their own collections on a private sale basis are effected in a second hand manor because if the big boys don't come, attendance drops. Also, some of the promoters will try to punish, for lack of a better term,the dealers should they set up with a competitive promoter.

These promoters have consistently raised their table prices considerably over the last few years. They are the only ones that consistently make any money. When you factor this into the overall situation, yes, all prices are going up, as high as the market will bear.

The best way I can think of to combat the rising prices, is for those you you complaining and wanting "the good old days" back, please feel free to contact me with a list of guns you are willing to sell to me at half of what you paid for it at least 3 years ago. If enough of you walk the walk, this should act as a reverse stimulus program and prices should cycle back down again. So, who is going to be first?

If this is the case then why do the old codgers even rent a table at a show?

 

[skfullgun]

If this is the case then why do the old codgers even rent a table at a show?

Because it's better than sitting at home listening to the old lady tell you the same stories over and over again while complaining about why you haven't mowed the grass?

AND, you occasionally see something old, rare, and unique. And then there are the scantily clad, tatted-up wimmens...

 

[Sam7sf]

The last gun show I went to was with you. When was that?

Oh man...2018?