I love gun shows but alot of the comments above apply, especially "most of the goods deals happen between dealers before and after the show". When I was helping my FFL at shows we did real good that way. You'd be surprised what you can buy at closing time that they don't want to pack up and take home. The best are the old guys that are done shooting and are liquidating their inventory of reloading supplies and gun baubles. You never know when those guys are going to be there so you gotta go.
I usually take a firearm as a conversation starter, maybe one I would trade or sell if the deal was right. As a gag I took a Savage MHG once, which stands for Montreal Home Guard. Told all the dealers I was looking to pick up the bayonet for it. 800 rifles made and even less bayonets, and most of those got ground into Rambo knives after WWI, so basically unobtainium. Believe it or not this knife dealer says, "Yeah, I got one of those at home I'd sell ya for 500 bucks." They normally sell for $3500 when you see them. I about schit myself. He called the next day,"Uh, I guess I must have traded that off, I don't see it anywhere".
Yeah right, more like, " I got on the innerweb and realized what a dumbschit I am and decided not to sell it".
Anyhow, it's all fun and games if you keep the right frame of mind. If you love guns it's like rolling in cheerleaders coated in oil. Well, almost. At least it's not working.
_______________________________________________________ An 8 dollar driveway boy living in a T-111 shack
Yeah i got this red ryder bb gun once owned by sitting bull...he left it out in the rain for 180 years...but i got 500 in it so ima gonna hafta have 799 for it...
Well I'm glad most of you guys hate and don't go to gunshows. I don't like big crowds to move thru when people count is low I can move thru a show at a faster pace noting and assessing things I'm interested in.low crowd numbers more tractable dealing. A guy who rents a table to clear out his extra guns and stuff can be rewarding to deal with especially so if he brings his ODC wife with him who his pushing him to sell that junk so she can spend the cash on rubber dog sh*t from wallyworld. You get to see people you have known for years as a social thing of course these gunshows are mostly small town shows. And last but not least you occasionally score a really nice piece for your own use from non dealer types without all the fugging baggage. I am glad all you smart guys don't go to gunshows. Mb
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Last edited by Magnum_Bob; 02/23/21.
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
Components and ammo are through the roof. Going price for .223 ammo was $1.25 to $1.50 per round. People wanting $300 for one brick of primers.
However, I was a bit amazed at some of the prices on S&W revolvers and older long guns at the last one. Not bargain basement deals but one or two hundred under the least I would have expected. I've noticed sales of various handguns have slowed down in the local classifieds - people can't buy ammo so they aren't buying guns. There is a small show this weekend about 40 miles away that's usually pretty good. Only about 100 tables but no junk knife or jewelry dealers. Also another of the 400 table shows in early March. Going to go to both of those and see what's cooking.
Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery. Hit the target, all else is twaddle!
Worked for a guy that did gunshows for several years. He would usually have 35-40 tables. Very often, somebody at the far end,40 yds away, would pick up a rifle, and motion me to come down. When I would get there, they would be holding a rifle ,like a Win. 94,rem 722,etc, and then state," I used to have one of these long time ago' . Then walk off. Then there was the same guy that came to almost every show we did, would pick up every shotgun on the table, shoulder it, and make the boom sound and even imitated the recoil ! I would approach him and say,'kicks kinda hard, dont it ! ' We called him 'pointer '. Never bought anything. Boss finally told him to not handle the guns. Then there was other stuff! fun times, sometimes.
A few years ago a guy had a nice Winchester 71 Deluxe, priced about 3x market. I looked at the guy, didn’t say a word. He just smiled and said “I don’t want to sell it.”
Brilliant.
Obey lawful commands. Video interactions. Hold bad cops accountable. Problem solved.
Saw the very same counterfeit Snider & Glasseck ( and a very poor counterfeit one at that) confederate revolver on antique road show that had been in the shop (with 3 different owners in as many weeks) about 25 years earlier. Mentioned to the wife that it had sure made the rounds.
Undeniably the same damn gun! I remembered the way they had stamped the modern block lettering on it!
Did the seller leave happy?
None of the individuals I dealt with were happy! 🤣
I believe it was a live and learn moment for the TV person!
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
One of them asked to see that “Dillinger” there on the shelf. So I handed him the one he pointed at. He slobbered and oggled it. And said to his bud, “I always wanted one of these Dillinger!" His but retorted “you know that’s Derringer and not Dillinger!" To which the oggler replied “yeah, I know. But I like calling them Dillingers!"
Founder Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester
"Come, shall we go and kill us venison? And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools, Being native burghers of this desert city, Should in their own confines with forked heads Have their round haunches gored."
I watch Antiques Roadshow from time to time and one of the firearms appraisers (don't know his name but he has a bit of southern accent) seems to be pretty sharp especially on civil war era guns, sabres, etc, but therd is another one sometimes that I am doubtful about.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.