Fed up with gunshows

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  • Last Post 28 April 2016
bandmiller2 posted this 24 April 2016

Everything is over priced there are no deals to be had. Component prices are through the roof. Considering going back to the slingshots of my youth. I saw very few guns being bought, you would think dealers would do better with volume that the one big killing. No more I'am going to try to wear out the guns I have and use almost all cast, I have enough lead to sink a small canoe. Frank C. 

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RicinYakima posted this 24 April 2016

Yep, me too. I can pay haz-mat fees and shipping and still be less than the gun shows. Last local gun show had one table of shotguns, one of muzzleloaders and the rest “black guns", glass cleaners, knives and jerky. So, I drove 300 miles to the Portland, OR, collectors show and found all the old guns. Now I just have to cough up for the membership so I can buy and sell. Leave at 0300 and home by 1800 makes a long day.

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onondaga posted this 24 April 2016

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=5654>bandmiller2

Too bad about your area. The Niagara Frontier collectors shows in my Western New York has terrific gun shows. Giant outlets sports places are in my area too and the show table people know who they are competing with. I think that helps customers at the shows. I get substantial deals on components, firearms and doughnuts with old friends. I don't run tables anymore but know the crowd and who has what I want. Look us up!

Locally it is common to see people with a small sign on their back listing items they are looking for, especially like a particular rifle or a collectable ammunition. I have done that myself and found rifles, brass and powder. It really works.

Gary

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bandmiller2 posted this 24 April 2016

I had a federal lic. for 20 years, wile doing mostly smithing I did sell. The little guy can't really compete with the marts on common stuff but special orders are the mainstay. I would take a reasonable profit but make my money on accessories. I would introduce guys to reloading and order what they needed, no paper work with that. Frank C.

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358156hp posted this 24 April 2016

If you're not a gun show “insider", the super deals can be difficult to find. The dealers/exhibitors usually scoop up most of the low ball deals when they're setting up the show the day before it opens. In my area, they literally prey upon each other during setup, I have no reason to believe that this isn't the case everywhere. It is a good place to find things that you normally wouldn't be able to in your area, especially used and surplus, but real deals are almost impossible to find at times.

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corerf posted this 25 April 2016

I will say this: As an exhibitor at gun shows as a purveyor of second hand reloading goods, for a handful of years consecutively (before and during the “Great Unpleasantness")---- its all about dealer deals prior to the gates opening, daily!

If you want to do well at finding ALL the good stuff, rare, underpriced, properly priced, etc..... you have to pay the exhibitor fee and play at 5:30 AM on Saturday, Noon on Friday, 6:00 AM on Sunday morning. All before the gates open. Its all about “Load IN hours, not show hours". Don't bring your crap in, just buy everyone elses until the clock says stop! Some dealers knowing they would succumb to low balling and shredded prices, refused to pull the drape off their wares until the gates opened. Simply to keep their heads about themselves.

I AVOID all gunshows (NOW), unless acting as exhibitor with a table (not since 2013) and since the laws have changed here for C&R arms, its simply not worth even a dollar to me to go to one. The fun was pulled clean out of the show for me. ABSOLUTE waste of time now. I see a mauser, can't buy it. Gotta pay the State and I won't give the libs a dollar more. Ill do without.

But in the 2 hour window from 5:30-7:30 AM on Saturday at the show, I RAN with a backpack or a cart and $2000 investment cash and went absolutely crazy (usually). Some of my fondest memories are working with my partner, $8000 (partner was a high roller in the trade, I was a working man) and shuffling crap to and fro on Saturday and Sunday, once a quarter. Then sit and people watch, resell that which was purchased, laugh and jest about the deals had, drool over stuff, call each other gougers, then on Sunday afternoon do a count and like a poker game, see who was farther ahead. That MAN CRAP at its finest! Then there was chasing those guys with the rifle on their back from grandpa's estate, sign pinned to there back “for sale” and make a deal for the grandson who thinks an iPhone was more important than granddad's rifle. A high wall at half market (Antique), a roller for $200, Swede Mauser for $175 (mint)-- OY!! Good times.

And thats in Sunny Communist CA I might add.

Gunshows are the epitome of the free market. I despise it but I also cherish it. Ill admit freely to making significant money on 22LR when it didn't exist, 30 cal bullets, 22 cal bullets, primers, powder, dies...... People spazzed out about the economy, politics, etc in a buying frenzy. I bought low, second hand, in quantity from estates, etc and sold at what the market would bear. Is that shameful, I don't think so. I leveraged thousands of dollars of CASH speculating and ..... Considering I was selling MY PERSONAL ammo which could not be recovered w/o luck, hard work, countless hours of running down leads and traveling to buys.... I worked my ass off to find the goods and those hours needed compensation. fact was I had 22LR and the Ammo dealers (big boys with freight trucks) didn't so I was providing a resource that was like a hens tooth. I personally stopped shooting rimfire for 5 years now. Im not willing to pay the $50/500 at ANY store, its not worthy (in my life). Ive also stopped working the “biz” as it were, and am content with having NOT and content with the status quo. It is likely that I shoot less in a year (for the last 5 years) than any one of you shot guns in your mothers womb as a fetus!! That is a serious trigger time drought!! I have to be content now with “contemplating” shooting rather than actually pulling the trigger, which is I'm sure for some, considered a metaphysical state. For me its boredom and disenchanting.... Contemplation can be productive, RIGHT? I digress.....

My last comments- $150 plus to get a table at the show. I personally don't have $150 dollars worth of profit to take from anything gun related, THAT WILL ACTUALLY SELL HERE at a gunshow. Id offer a few antique guns (and I have a quite a few) but in CA if its not aluminum, in 308 or 5.56 and hosting a flash hider, its nothing more than something for every neophyte to walk up and pick up even though the sign says HANDS OFF, ding the hell out of it, then put it down and go buy what??? JERKY!!

Jerky MUST SELL in quantity enough to allow the seller to return a profit or they would QUIT. So all of you that say Damned Jerky/Chinese Helicopters, stung guns, noise makers, laser pointer, advanced toilet plungers, SALT SHOOTING GUNS, WTH??? You must pipe down! Those dealers are actually turning a profit so there is a market full of buyers for this crap and sufficient to keep the vendors in fuel, food, drink and clothes. And the COMPANY running the show has the RIGHT TO EXCLUDE AN EXHIBITOR. They won't as they will lose revenue as the SALT GUN GUY still pays the $150-500 for table(s) and that pays rent and advertising, etc.

If anything, the minds of the “shooting public” need to be changed for the gunshow environment to ever change and move back to a firearm focus. NOBODY UNDER 50 KNOWS (except me) WHAT A HIGH WALL IS. Or a 71 mauser, or rolling block, or a flobert and nobody cares about the 1810 flinter for sale (Didn't Moses Shoot a filter when they crossed the Red Sea into Canada? I may have just defined TODAY"S average gunshow participant's level of education and awareness). Milsurp and mil spec or everybody is ignorant baby (id use other words but Id hurt feelings here).

Apparently I have deeply rooted problems with our current state of affairs and its coming out in my dribbling here. My sincere apologies.

Pretty soon Chinese toilet brushes will be sold right along side the jerky and the remote control helicopters at the show. Every prepper needs a good toilet brush to go with their pallet of 5.56 and Zombie Targets and Rio brand buckshot (and Sweet/Spicy Jerky too).

Signed- An anonymous Gunshow Exhibitor in Retirement who will remain nameless. (I never even sampled the jerky, EVER!)

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Dirtybore posted this 25 April 2016

I attend the Cascade Mountain Men's Black Powder, Muzzleloader, Buckskinner show every year. As far as those other gun shows, I haven't attended one for about 8 years. The prices were so inflated, that even ammo and primers were out of this world.

Traditional caplocks and flinters still sell at the CMM show mentioned above. As far as anything else, I've also noticed that if it isn't black plastic, chambered in 308, 5.56, or some outlandishly huge smokeless caliber, there isn't any interest.

I'm sure gun shows are just like any other swap meet type show, the vendors comb the place for the good deals before the doors open. I attend model railroad shows with a friend and we share a table. Sharing the table reduces our cost, allows us to sell a few items but most of all, you bet you, we get to comb those tables before the public gets in.

That's better than being at the head of the line waiting for the doors to open while your dancing around with your legs crossed because as soon as they open the doors, you have to bee line it to the men's room. Been there a few times.

Even at the railroad swap meets you can find cotton candy, dolls, jewelry, and T shirts. :) I haven't seen jerky yet, though.

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Bud Hyett posted this 25 April 2016

Gun shows are becoming social events and not buying events; the prices are often ridiculous.

Added that I am looking for specific items (S&W 25-7, Ruger #1 in varmint calibers, SAKO L461 in .222 Remington, etc.), there is little chance I will find a bargain.

The only dealer I knew who made a consistent profit had gun cases, cheap but sturdy, on his table and sold to the people buying a gun and now needing a case to take it home.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 25 April 2016

gun shows are like marriage ..

lots of fun at first... then after it gets highly organized, it becomes something you do out of habit ...

sometimes you need to know when to quit ...

ken

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cbshtr posted this 26 April 2016

Last gun show I went to, outside of Philadelphia, was like 4 years ago. I waited almost an hour in line. Once inside it was shoulder to shoulder people. No chance for leisurely shopping. No way to look around with anyone else either. Prices were crazy. Not a fun experience. I did manage to talk down a Marlin 444 over $60 from what the dealer was asking. I have gotten a few good deals over the years but not enough to want to go back any time soon. If you spend enough time online you can come up with some pretty good deals in the comforts of your living room. It is nice to see things in person but there are times it's just not worth it.

Robert Homan

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John Carlson posted this 26 April 2016

Dakota Territory Gun Collectors puts on what I consider some pretty good shows, but then I'm not looking for deals, more there to see the exhibits (even though they're pretty much the same as last time) and bump into some friends.

John Carlson. CBA Director of Military Competition.

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Ed Harris posted this 26 April 2016

I have made some excellent deals on GunBroker over the last several years and in the process met some honest dealers in antiques and militaria who are within driving distance of me. So about once yearly I meet some of these fellows for breakfast and pick up powder, primers and goodies, and occasionally consign a safe queen and leave a list of dreaming material. Sometimes you get lucky too!  Latest acquisition, a January 1941 Winchester Model 70 in .30 Gov't '06 with stripper clip slot in receiver!

It did have a few “issues” which was why I got it so cheap.  It is currently off to John Taylor to make a new firing pin, epoxy inject and cross-pin some stock cracks, pull and replace its salt & pepper original barrel with a new, unfired, but period, pull-off bought from a retired military armourer who cannibalized a Model 70 years ago to build a target rifle and he saved the old barrel.

This will become an Old School Boltgun cast bullet plinker to put on the rack next to my 1934 vintage Winchester Model 54.  Frank Marshall would approve...

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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giorgio the slim one posted this 26 April 2016

I am full of envy ,for your luck,in finding such a classical piece . Or more honestly your knowledge in looking into the right spots to find gun and spare parts . I have located a pre 64 Winchester rifle in 300 H&H , with an ugly german style stock and aweful German scope bases , but the asked price is in another planet . I'll just sit on the bank of the river Po and wait .

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M3 Mitch posted this 26 April 2016

Ed, is that a Lyman #48 sight on that Model 70? Quite a find, sorry it was in such bad shape when you got it, but like a sick cat it came to you because you can fix it up.

As to salt and pepper barrels - I have a .22 rimfire Marlin 97 (predecessor to the 39 and 39A) with a barrel more in what I would call “dirt road” condition, the first 1/3 has little discernible rifling, but it is better towards the muzzle. While it won't win any matches, it shoots better than you would expect. Cosmetically very good, I figured I could sell it on to a pure collector if it didn't shoot. Lucky me.

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JPnewhampshire posted this 27 April 2016

I have been to 2-3 annual shows here in NH just to browse --this time to sell a cpl revolvers to get a new one //- I stopped at 3 tables showed the gun and got exactly the same price from all three guys. --had a young guy follow me cause he liked the gun. At the end of the day he offered $25 more and took it home//

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Ed Harris posted this 28 April 2016

Sight on the Model 70 is a 57.

My Winchester 54 has a 48 long-slide and Lyman 17A front.

I figure even with the cost of repairs I will have less in the Model 70 than had I found a really nice one and paid the prevailing market price. This one was listed with “repaired” (silver soldered) firing pin and nobody would touch it. I clicked on the “watch this” icon and emailed John Taylor about pre-64 vs. pre-war Model 70 firing pins. He said that he had a pre-64 firing pin assembly, was not sure if the very early ones were different, he would need to examine gun. He figured he could either make the pre-64 assembly he had work, or worst case make a new one from scratch. So I waiting until the last few minutes before the auction closed and got it for $750. Paid $150 for the mint condition pull-off barrel. Shipped whole kaboodle off to John, who now has it. The salt & pepper barrel on it would probably shoot OK, but having the new barrel in hand and shipping rifle to John anyway, I decided, so it all now...

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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