Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Gun show at Pine City Technical College today

There is always a good crowd of tire kickers. Today and tomorrow.

That would have been a good one to attend.

Do they have realistic prices? Anything at the big Houston show is way overpriced.

I saw a lot of lookers but not many buyers yesterday.

Most of the "gun shows" should be re-named "temporary gun displays".

You guys are looking at guns shows the wrong way. Don't go to look at everything that's wrong, who cares about all the overpriced junk? Don't even look at it. Go for the one or two opportunities you may find that others overlook or aren't interested in. Sometimes it's a matter of having a thousand dollars to spend while most other guys can only muster a couple hundred. You never know what opportunities are there if you don't go. If you shoot a .256 magnum and need flat point 60 grain bullets, you may find an odd box here and there. Or a set of 250 Ackley dies. Or steel die lock rings to replace the aluminum ones that come on new dies. Stupid stuff, but it all helps get you to your end goal.

I go to provide opportunity the chance to meet need. Recently scored this little honey, one I've been wanting for decades! Buncha guys looking at it, literally, no one coming up with the cash. A 50 year old brand new O/U .410.



Finds like that keep me going back. Usually though I'm the guy that sorts thru the junk boxes, looks at all the holsters, sorts thru the bullets and ammo looking for small items.

One show a guy walks in carrying a Savage 99 in 250-3000, wants to sell it, $600. BOOM!



Another show I was set up at a table with an FFL and had a gun for sale. Guy asks if I'm interested in a SxS 12 gauge as trade. I say sure, why not? He goes home and walks back in with grand dads 1961 brand new Savage Fox. Only good thing to come out of the entire show, the rest of the show was so bad it could have pissed off anybody.







Go and ignore the bad, wait for the opportunity. Lots of like minded sportsman around is never a bad thing. IMHO.

FIREBALL2
You have it nailed.
That is how I found my Belgian Browning Safari Grade 30-06.

I lusted after one in high school but couldn't afford it.
Then I found one at a gun show many years after Browning stopped importing them.

Yippee!
Whelennut

I was down there with a pocket full of money hoping to find a little .410 SXS but none was found. I did see two or three over/unders. There appeared to be .22 shell hoarders were there trying to unload.

Fireball, you have the right idea. I don't go to so many shows anymore, but there is one show that occurs every three months that I try to make. I have found some goodies at fair prices there. I am a lefty into oddball calibers, so some of the stuff that almost everyone else walks by has a chance to go home with me. In the spring of '08 I found an 8# box (yes box) of HP 38 that was shipped in the 1970s. The box was stained and battered, but I knew the powder was stored in an anti-static bag so it would be good. The price was $50. Today's price is more than double that. It kept me shooting during all the Obama induced shortages.

I was down the street at the show in Anoka today. The only thing of interest I saw was a 99 chambered for 25-35 in average condition, but Bubba had restocked it with some really ugly custom work. If I'd have bought it, I'd have to find some correct wood for it. The stock was really ugly.

I was there, sold a decent amount5 of stuff and bought a few things.

Anoka or Pine City?

Do they still sell arms without background checks or ID?

If you buy off the floor, or find a "hobbyist" who's "just selling some of his personal possessions", otherwise, it'll be on a form.

Fireball nailed it.

Look past the overpriced stuff and the junk.
I have found many a treasure at gun shows.

One time I found a McMillan stock for $65.00 brand new.

Next show the same fellow had another McMillan on the table brand new for $65.00. I asked him how many he had, he had 8 of them at home, I offered him $50.00 each for the whole lot. He took the deal and I passed them on here at a fair price and a nice profit. Win-Win.

I purchased all my Mauser actions at shows for bargain prices.

Again go past the junk and look for jewels.

I don't find much I want to buy at shows but I have fun chatting with the sellers.
I like to take something I haven't shot in a while and see what's for trade.
Skip the tables of candles and magnetic bracelets and pain relievers and Jerky.

The dealers ask what I brought and how much?
I reply, "I'm not trying to sell, I'd rather trade, what have you got?"

Have fun with it and you'll feel better about the guns you bought cheap and kept, when you see what they cost now!!

Yes that is correct. If you hold an FFL, you need to have 4473's with you. If you are a private seller disposing of some hardware, no problem. By the way, you can easily distinguish the non-FFLers as those wearing either a Peelosi or Feinstein lapel button with a frown.

I've bought a lot of hardware at the Pine City show over the years. That and any of the Minnesota Weapons Collector shows are more hits than misses.

If suddenly run short of, shudder, turquoise jewelry or ninja throwing stars I hit up the Crocodile Productions shows.

I went yesterday. Got an 8lb jug of powDer a loopy scope and a book . 10 years ago I missed out on a winchester 71 for 200