Anyone else getting bored with gun shows?

[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.