Anyone else getting bored with gun shows?

[firedad]

It's winter, tomorrow is Saturday, and the monthly gun show is in Medina. In the past, I would have these marked as can't miss events. We have one in Akron, and one in medina, pretty much every month. After a while, I am getting bored, finding the same thing at every show.The crowds are large and pushy, the same vendors, with the same products, and after you factor in the admission, (or not) deals are few and far between. Has anyone else cut back on the number of shows that you attend, or do you find them better.
Thanks Phil

[b4uqzme]

I've found some good deals at the Medina show but agree it's been stale lately. I think there's a lot of old stuff that nobody wants and the asking prices can be higher than retail. I think vendors need to consider that because guys like you and I are starting to not attend. There was a gap over the summer where they didn't hold any shows. The first one back was pretty good. There were some new good deals.

P.S. Even though they can be rare, finding "your" good deal is the fun part.

P.S.S. The Akron show feels the same as Medina. I haven't been to the one in Berea in a long while...anyone got a report?

[Longitude Zero]

The only gun show I go to anymore is the world renowned Wannemacher Show in Tulsa OK each fall. The local shows have the same overpriced JUNK by the same idiot dealers just churned over.

[yqtszhj]

I only go about twice a year now only when I'm bored or really looking for something.

[Bawanna]

We have a show every month and as mentioned it's usually the same table holders and mostly the same stuff but I still anxiously look forward to it. Still seem to find something new everytime. Usually can't afford to bring anything home but it's close to home, admission is free with membership and kind of a get together once a month.

Our show has slowed down some since the new law requiring background checks on every purchase private or otherwise. They are working to have it repealed and the show/club puts red flags on table holders that are FFL's and will do the transfers. Usually at a pretty decent price. I've not bought anything since the law change. Nothing really changes, many of the table holders are dealers anyhow so no biggy. With a CPL you don't have to wait or anything.

[timboy]

Try going to one in the state of NewYork,boring!!!
Nothing but hunting rifles antiques and a few handguns now since they passed the recent gun laws,FUAC.

[ltxi]

I go on and off. Been much more on than off the last several months as I'm in the market for a few things. Denver's Tanner show is pretty decent. Private sellers with often some interesting stuff and several regular dealers with a pretty fair selection of both simply current and new to the market guns....at decent prices. Lots of ammunition at not rip off price even during the great shortage. And a lot of friendly folk behind most all tables. Free parking, eight bucks admission, and a half hour drive in free flowing weekend traffic. Not a bad way to waste a couple of hours on a weekend day.

[berettabone]

I quit going after they started charging $7.00 to get in, to get bumped, jostled, stepped on............................the Bob and Rocco Show.............................................. ...........

[ripley16]

Anyone else getting bored with gun shows?

Not me by a long shot. For a small fee I get to handle and fondle lots and lots of guns. I'd rather spend money for that that two hours of Hollywood trash. I usually go with a shopping list and come home with something I need or want. The last one I went to, in November, allowed me to reap a seldom seen HK P7M8 for about half the normal price. Same deal for a FN 5.7 a few years ago and a bunch of ammo for it. I'm lucky to have a Expo Hall near me and have between 4 and 6 shows a year that hosts about 700 tables.

I love gun shows. Spent many hours with my Dad strolling along table after table of beautiful firearms. Wish I could do that again.

[Bill K]

Got turned off when I learned that they don't want you carrying at the shows in CT. I'll still check one out every several years and that's enough for the next several years.

[Bawanna]

I find that I troll for idea's a lot too. I see something that someone else has done and cleans out the cob webs in the brain.

I'm fond of old and different stuff and not really anyplace else to look for that sort of thing.

Sometimes one has to be content just to look and absorb.

Far as New York gunshows, I can't even wrap my mind around that. I'd be a wreck anywhere inside the state lines.

Actually I kind of all apart anywhere east of Wyoming, cept Missouri of course, lot of low density kind folks down home.

[AJBert]

I haven't been to a gun show since all the craziness a couple of years ago and the extreme gouging that went on. I might have to attend one up here since the move to see how things are now.

[SIGWolf]

Never been to a gun show. However, if the fare at my LGS is any indication, there is likely not too much interesting stuff.

It used to be that my LGS saw all kinds of interesting and usual used guns for excellent prices. I just don't see that any more and it's been that way for a few years. Most of what they have is new stuff. The prices are still good, but nothing intriguing. It's also the case that if you DO find something unusual, you can count on a high asking price, very high.

[ScottM]

The Dayton Ohio show is pretty good - I enjoy it a few times a year. Lots of everything there, prices aren't out of line and it gives me a chance to catch up with friends on the way there and back.

[marshal kane]

Haven't been to a gun show in 5 years. Admission at that time was $13 in my area while parking was free. The guns I was looking for were going for retail+ so I switched to reloading components. Came home with cast bullets, primers, and powder. I thought of it as just supporting the show and NOT a bargain hunt. Then the reloading components shortage set in and I haven't been back since. In AZ, there's a gun show somewhere in the state almost every week but right now there's a shortage of powder.

[Armybrat]

Haven't been to a gun show around here for maybe 7 years. Don't need any costume jewelry, watches, cheap Chinese knives or leather handbags, and we make our own jerky.

[Bawanna]

Haven't been to a gun show around here for maybe 7 years. Don't need any costume jewelry, watches, cheap Chinese knives or leather handbags, and we make our own jerky.

Wow, we got a lot of those exact tables up here too. Some even have a few guns mixed in. Some think it might help to get wives to come to the shows, I've never got mine to go but a lot of women there, funny thing though, they are looking at the guns too, not the other stuff.

[Longitude Zero]

I quit going after they started charging $7.00 to get in, to get bumped, jostled, stepped on............................the Bob and Rocco Show.............................................. ...........

Wow that is cheap. Locally it is $10 and up per person including kids.

[deadeye]

Last gun show I went to, two guys who claimed to be brothers tried to sell me a used CM9. They went to great lengths to tell me how excellent the German engineering was in this fine weapon. They said they had just come back from Germany and was given a free tour of Kahr's "state of the art" factory. The guns are assembled by old world craftsmen by hand. They only wanted $575 for it. I didn't tell them I had bought a new one a year ago for a lot less than that. Made in America by a fine old German named Moon. Just grinned and walked away. It cost me $20 to get in and the only thing I found I wanted was a magazine pouch. Got it for $2. Only $22 for a mag pouch!!!! Not again.

[ltxi]

The Dayton Ohio show is pretty good - I enjoy it a few times a year. Lots of everything there, prices aren't out of line and it gives me a chance to catch up with friends on the way there and back.

Haven't been to the Dayton show in over 20 years, since back when I lived there. I thought it was pretty decent then. Good to hear it still is.

[ESAFO]

Not me by a long shot. For a small fee I get to handle and fondle lots and lots of guns.
I love gun shows.
could'nt agree with you more, i'm like a little kid on x-mas morning when i get in a gun show.
i have no problem walking around 5 or 6 times & spend many hrs just hanging out.

[tomrkba]

I generally do not buy guns a shows because my LGS **guarantees** all guns that leave the shop. I returned a bad 1911 after a year (I was working with them on it) and he cut me a check for the gun, used recoil spring assemblies, mags, holsters and other parts.

I go to shows for only a few reasons:

1) Look at any books that are not available at stores. Sometimes I am not sure of the content and there is no ebook available.
2) See what is new and handle those guns and gear.
3) See a wider selection of guns, knives and gear.
4) Assist at the VCDL booth or other RKBA related booth.
5) Get a holster since there are several vendors that carry a huge selection of holsters.

[b4uqzme]

I went ahead to the Medina show today. I saw some interesting stuff. There was a Sub2000 in .40 that takes Glock mags, a PMJ9 blunt nose, and some other stuff. I've been looking for a 4 inch Redhawk in .45 and there were two of them (but the price is still a little too steep for me). I will repeat what I said earlier: some of the vendors want well over new retail for used guns. They need to re-think that. Regardless, there can be some good deals if you dig for them and I had a good time.

[TheTman]

I haven't been going as near as often as I used too. They used to have most of the gun shows about a mile from my house and I hardly ever missed one. Now they have moved most of them to the down town area of the city I live near. So now you have to pay for parking, as well as the cost to get in. I've only been to one of those so far, and wasn't impressed enough to drive farther and pay more just to get in. I don't like to go unless I have at least a couple hundred to spend. I hate to waste the entry fee just to go and look. I at least want to come away with some ammo, or accessories or something useful. I used to track of what surplus Mausers and other rifles or pistols had been imported in large numbers, and were available for decent prices, and go look to see if there were any at the show. I've picked up a few decent Mausers that way, and it's always nice to go back a couple years later and see something I paid $75 or $100 for, now listed at 4 or 5 hundred dollars or more. Not much of that surplus action on anymore. I guess most of the stashes have been found and sold. So I've lost a lot of interest on that issue. Now there's not much left of the old WWII bolt action rifles anymore except for the Mosin Nagants. And they usually are listed for more than you can order them for and folks don't seem to want to negotiate much.
And you have to be on your toes, and know your prices pretty well, as prices are all over the place. Like was said above, higher than new prices for well used guns. Bargains seem to be harder to come across. Especially if you aren't there at the opening. Sometimes if you drop in Sunday afternoon, some start being a little more flexible on prices.
I don't buy new handguns at the shows, because my background check always delays me for at least a couple of days anymore. So I have to find a local dealer that will agree to accept the transfer. I used to have some good friends with FFLs but they've all given them up, so now I have to find a local dealer that will do the transfer for a reasonable price, and it's just too much trouble or they want too much money. I can usually find the same or better deal on new guns if I look around online and have it shipped to my favorite FFL shop. They don't do gun shows often, so I can't count on them being there. I tried to figure out why my background check was holding me up, but got tired of being put on hold and transferred around from one nitwit to another. The dealers say my name is too common, so it takes them awhile to sort through everyone. It started out, if I bought on Saturday, I could pick it up Sunday, but now it's stretched out to 2 or 3 days or longer. So if it's not used, with out any paper work, other than the seller wanting my name and address for his records, then forget it.
The BATF has sure ruined it for a lot of the people I used to deal with. The mom and pop type shops. That's the number one reason I get when I ask someone why they went out of the gun business, tired of the BATF hassles and their attitude. Like they are just there too look for a reason to shut them down, over any insignificant violation they can find, and they act like total jerks while they are inspecting the place. The smaller the shop, the more attitude they give. Like they are on a mission to drive the small guy out of business, which I imagine they probably are given the current political climate.