Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 BORED to death so I went to a Gun Show today. In the Phoenix area there is usually at least one a month. Have not been for many, many months becase of the great pandemic. About 1/3 the normal number of tables. Less than 1/2 the normal number of people. If there were any bargains they were all gone on Saturday. Several people had primers priced at $150.00 per thousand. Didn't see anyone buying them. Prices as expected were nuts. I have a basic rule. Never pay more for a used gun than you can buy a new one for. A lot of the stuff that was for sale I can go and buy at Sportsman's Warehouse or Cabelas cheaper. The only thing in the whole place that I looked at and thought about buying was an old Savage Model 23D in .22 Hornet. One thing I have noticed is that several shops, even those that normally sell only black guns, have cowboy guns in stock. For some I think they were all they could get for a while. One black gun shop has an iron frame Henry, Henry that has been sitting for months. They also have several Cimarron Wyatt Earp's with the ten inch barrel. Sportsman's has Schofields and a variety of other Cimarron products. At the gun show I saw several of the new Cimarron S&W Model 3 Americans. I was tempted but they were all in .45 and I have sold all my .45 Colt and Cowboy Special brass. The ONLY thing I saw that was genuinely appealing was a tall brunett vendor that was astonishing. I went back several times. Not sure what she was selling but I pretended to be interested. Ten dollars for parking. Eighteen for entrance and I left with nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 I quit going to shows here in fort Wayne years ago. No good deals to make it worth it. Lots on candy and jerky though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badlands Bob #61228 Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 I gave up on gun shows in Georgia several years ago. No good deals to be found and I look at over priced guns at lots of gun stores for free. Usually the parking is free and admission is $10.00 if I recall correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 58 minutes ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said: BORED to death so I went to a Gun Show today. In the Phoenix area there is usually at least one a month. Have not been for many, many months becase of the great pandemic. About 1/3 the normal number of tables. Less than 1/2 the normal number of people. If there were any bargains they were all gone on Saturday. Several people had primers priced at $150.00 per thousand. Didn't see anyone buying them. Prices as expected were nuts. I have a basic rule. Never pay more for a used gun than you can buy a new one for. A lot of the stuff that was for sale I can go and buy at Sportsman's Warehouse or Cabelas cheaper. The only thing in the whole place that I looked at and thought about buying was an old Savage Model 23D in .22 Hornet. One thing I have noticed is that several shops, even those that normally sell only black guns, have cowboy guns in stock. For some I think they were all they could get for a while. One black gun shop has an iron frame Henry, Henry that has been sitting for months. They also have several Cimarron Wyatt Earp's with the ten inch barrel. Sportsman's has Schofields and a variety of other Cimarron products. At the gun show I saw several of the new Cimarron S&W Model 3 Americans. I was tempted but they were all in .45 and I have sold all my .45 Colt and Cowboy Special brass. The ONLY thing I saw that was genuinely appealing was a tall brunett vendor that was astonishing. I went back several times. Not sure what she was selling but I pretended to be interested. Ten dollars for parking. Eighteen for entrance and I left with nothing. $10.00 for parking and $18.00 to get in?? Wow talk about ripping you off from the get go!! Last gun show I went to was $8.00 free parking and three buildings. There was a bout half the amount of tables and it was hotter than H$%# in those buildings! No bargains at all. $120.00 for 1000 primers but they were either Winchester or CCI no Federals to be found. Hardly any cowboy guns either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 Sawmill Mary and I went to a small show in August. No parking charge, $10 ea to get in. I commented to Sawmill Mary we should get $5 back because half the tables were knives. On the way out, she lagged behind but I went on out. A bit later, she came out with two $5 bills. She said she figured to just get guff from her complaints but they didn't argue - just handed her back the two fives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G W Wade Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 Go once and a while just to visit with friends. Did pick up about 700 FMJ bullets for $30 so figured a win-win day GW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 I attempted to go to 2 gun shows in the past year. I didn’t even bother with the last 2. The first had a 1/2 mile line to get into the parking lot. I was on my bike and bypassed that but pulled up the street to line at the line to get into the show. I kid you not, it was 1/8 mile long. I left. For the 2nd one I waited until later in the day. There was still a huge line. I didn’t even bother. The last 2 shows in June and August I didn’t bother. I just went to a couple of gun stores instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassnetguy50 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Gun shows are still good for those of us in small towns. We can see and handle many more models than the local store can afford to stock. Too many times something has looked good in the catalog then not worked out once in hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 6 hours ago, Michigan Slim said: I quit going to shows here in fort Wayne years ago. No good deals to make it worth it. Lots on candy and jerky though! Slim, you forgot to mention the T-shirts. I haven't been to a show in years, but I noted back in the 1990's that they were mostly about jerky, candy, and T-shirts. With a few folks selling greatly overpriced gun stuff. I agree with Larsen; I cannot understand how some folks price old, tired firearms higher than new ones. They can still be fun and interesting - but it's been a looong time (like the 1970's - 1980's) since I've found any real bargains at gun shows. Reminiscing, I just recalled a tragically amusing sight at a show in Fresno, back in the late 90's: Someone had taken an otherwise decent looking Rolling Block, drilled a hole in the barrel toward the breech, ran a cord up the barrel and literally turned it into a floor lamp - complete with some sort of stand and a socket and lampshade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 Don't forget all the "hand blown" glass animals and plates. In the good old days lamp guns were fairly common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said: it's been a looong time (like the 1970's - 1980's) since I've found any real bargains at gun shows. At a gun show more than a year ago, I bought 200 new Starline 38WCF for about half price. It was new in factory bags but so old it had tarnish spots. Next trip into Grafs, I told Rick about my bargain. When I told him the price, his eyebrows went up. "Boy! You really did get a bargain!", he said. I said, "Yeah, got that and a quart jar of local honey for $12. It just cost me a tank of gas getting there and back, $10x2 to get in, lunch on the road and a full day wasted.". We both got a laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Larsen you can amortize some of the entry/parking $ with the eye candy. Imis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashknife Cowboy Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 I stopped going to gun shows a few years back, nothing there that I am interested in and lots of inflated prices. I rather shop on the wire...… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 15 minutes ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said: Larsen you can amortize some of the entry/parking $ with the eye candy. Imis That's why I went back three times. Brought my cost down to less than ten dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warden Callaway Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 We've all but given up on gun shows. And online deals. And on big box stores. Instead we have have a several good "toy stores" we frequent on a rotational basis. And do a little trading among cowboy friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowdy Ranger Rick Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Gun shows are just now getting started back up on south side of Atlanta. Went to my first one in over 2 years this past weekend, $10 entry. No interesting used guns, no t-shirts, no eye candy, 100 primers for $30, no large tubs of gun powder but did have 2 venders with reasonable prices on 1 pound gun powder, no bullets or brass. A larger show at different location this coming weekend. RRR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubious Don #56333 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 I've done gun shows for decades. Arizona Arms Assn, McMann's, Termark, Crossroads. I didn't always get deals, but overall, I paid for my hobby and enjoyed the time doing it. The last show I did with my buddy was 12/2019. Had a pretty good show even though they screwed up our reservation and we had to "make do" with a hastily setup corner table in the back forty. Actually, we did really well and I'm looking at the fancy antique clock I scored at that show. Despite what some say about Mr Bob, his ladies run a fantastic show. 2020 was hard on everybody. I didn't do any shows last year because I'm not paying $300+ for a 10x10 tent in the parking lot. I didn't even attend any shows this year mainly because I have other things going on and two, there isn't anything I need. If you go, you'll notice some things. Parking and get-in-the-door fees are up. Advertising is down. I know why, too. The promoters got the squeeze right along with the rest of us. That's why. I would love to support them, but I got the squeeze too. Maybe next year. Right now, my local guys storefronts get the business. Prices are up. That a frick'n surprise, LOL. Y'all know why people are buying this stuff, no need to go into it here. I'm starting to see more stuff. It's like being back in 2013 LOL. Or 1995. Powder/primers? maybe next year. yeah, they're still making cartridges like they're stocking for D-Day. Just like always, the scalpers might make a quick buck but most of'em'll get stuck selling at a loss eventually. It's ok. Remember who deals square and who doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Sheridan Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 22 hours ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said: The ONLY thing I saw that was genuinely appealing was a tall brunett vendor that was astonishing. I went back several times. Not sure what she was selling but I pretended to be interested. What... you went back several time and never got her picture? We need PROOF, man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 She could have easily kicked my butt and her boyfriend/husband was huge. I am merely a humble shriveled up peasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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