Disappointing Gunshow Yesterday

[jonp]

Went to the pre Thanksgiving Dixie Classic. First off there was a marked decrease in crowds and people seemed glum for some reason. Few buyers of any firearms or little else. Less venders than at any show I've been to over the years and very little reloading stuff. What little was there was mostly overpriced even in this marked and the prices were all over the place. I watched one guy pay $47 for a pound of H110 when the table next to it had it for $40. IMR4064 priced at $425 8lb keg. I did see a pound of Shooters World for $30, not bad but the Buffalo Rifle was $40. Cheapest primers I found were $9 for Unis Genex, SP. Wanted to try them so bought 100. Others ranged from $12-$18/100. Saw one guy trying to get $200 for 1,000 Gold Medal. I did not see anyone buying powder at all. None. As far as I could tell, no-one bit on the primers except me for 100. Probably others but no 1,000 boxes. Saw only one person buy a firearm and he had 2 both shotguns for rabbit hunting. Used with wood. No AR sales. Venders I normally saw were not there. Lots of perfume, knives, massage lotions other nonsense.

Found a couple of tables with some dies but nothing you couldn't get online, I think. Used very little but did see some odd ones like Sharps and such. One table had a box of used moulds and mostly rusted handles, all Lee. Single cavity and a couple of gang moulds but for mini balls and specialty. Nothing I was interested in. Couple of Lee Loaders for $5 but when I opened the boxes one had parts missing and the others were rusted up. No reloading presses except a couple of Lee's you can get online.

Just a strange experience all around. I think people in the last several years have bought themselves out and the prices for powder and primers if the dealers can get them have priced people right out of the market. The 2 largest powder dealers I used to see at every show were not there. The space on the back wall one used to be in was taken over by a hat and shirt seller.

[kerplode]

I think we've finally reached a point where inflation and rising rates are causing widespread demand destruction. The LSG where I work part time has seen a sharp decrease in sales over the last month and several long standing small businesses in this historically fairly recession-proof town have gone under.

Unfortunately, this is the desired effect of the Fed's actions and what is required to actually reduce inflation long term. When people finally stop buying on a wide scale, prices will come down. It's just the beginning and it's gonna be slow and painful though. Expect a moderate recession and increased unemployment in the next 6 months and plan accordingly.

[Baltimoreed]

I went by Mackeys on the way home from my monthly cas shoot at Manns Harbor, NC. I didn’t wander around the store, just ran in to get some headed decapping pins which thankfully he had. They had very limited powder at 45-48 a lb. Also a limited amount of projectiles. I didn’t look down the ammo aisle. Plenty of new guns on the walls and handguns in the cases. I didn’t even ask about primers. Imo they are very overpriced, always have been. Not very many used guns. I’ve bought reloading supplies from them but never a firearm. When I was in the market for a .22 Springfield M2 they had two. Both were rough, I bought a nicer one off GB for much less. Guess they figure that the Raleigh/Triangle crowd going to their summer beach places have deep pockets.

[jonp]

yes, didn't mention the ammo. Plenty of ammo for whatever you were shooting but at the elevated prices. Guys still sitting on $125 buckets of .22 Rem Golden Bullets I bought at WalMart for less than $80. Still have a couple I bought for $49

[Jedman]

That’s the depressing news today about the gun shows. I may plan on getting one table at a local show in mid December. I usual do pretty good with sales because I sell things for what I would like to pay for them and had many sales to other table holders whom are willing to sit on something for years thinking some dummy with too much money is going to pay a crazy price. I quit driving long distances to find that 2/3’s of the tables have non gun related junk on them. I like antique guns, especially single shots and last year drove about 80 miles one way to a show that was advertised as a antique gun show and was supposed to be 800 tables. Once I payed to get in the table holders were only using 1/4 of the space of the large room they were in. Disappointing, only a small percent of the tables even had a true antique gun or related material on them and once I made one pass I decided to go through and count the tables, 170 was it !
The promoters of this antique gun show had another gun show in another hall in the same building that required paying a second entrance fee to get in. Talk about greed, even if they would have combined the 2 shows in one hall it would not have been close to the 800 table “ Biggest show in Michigan “ that they advertised the antique show was to be. I just left and vowed I would never go back.
Now I just go to a local show that has about 100 + tables but they are always full and not near the junk dealers.

Jedman

[fc60]

Greetings,

I visited the Centralia, WA Goon Show yesterday.

Primers still high ($120/1000); but, cheaper than buying from online sellers. No HAZMAT nor shipping nor tax to deal with.

Powder is starting to reappear. Prices ranged from $35 to $50 a pound. Quite a few 8# jugs of both rifle and pistol powder.

I got lucky. Bought a large ladle, about 6" across, for $20.

The next table had a plentiful supply of the obsolete Hornady 45 cal 185 grain jacketed semi wadcutters for $20/100.

Looking to returning in January 2023.

Cheers,

Dave

[gc45]

Guns in general have faded so much in quality now as makers strive for cheaper production firearms. Anything carbon steel has faded in handguns, rifles have cheap stocks, poor finishes and reduced craftsmanship all around. Not 100% mind you but much of what we see meets my thoughts. Shooters in general are not rich folks, we reload to save costs, we scrounge where possible but where I live they have stopped selling recycled lead to anyone shipping it to the few smelters left in America or to China. America is being forced to change by globalism and the greenies who are running the show now and why they hate Trump IMO..In general, I can buy factory 9mm and a few others if paying ridiculous prices but no primers, powder or brass cases. No primers is slowly collapsing everyone in the gun world, it is the mainstay of the industry, without them we are doomed and the World knows it. This will continue as long as these idiots keep voting for Dems, including the many gun owners who also vote left. The lack of the Red Wave proves my point. I think Dems would starve before voting for the right..

[buckwheatpaul]

Worked a gun show as a strapper of weapons being brought in yesterdat.....I strapped a lot of guns and since I sat at the only exit I saw a lot of ammo and weapons go out. I got to the age that a lot of interest in buying in minimal. The crowd was good but there was virtually no reloading anything available. I think it was a good show overall. Lots of AR's and black rifles as well as Henry's.....to me there were more rifles than handguns and shotguns came in last for sheer numbers. The venders and customers were very relaxed and cordial.

[Winger Ed.]

I pretty much quit going to the gun shows around the DFW area a long time ago.
They have evolved into nothing but over priced flea market trash.
Any guns you saw were so expensive, nobody but a fleeing felon would pay the prices for them.

Most vendors would have one or two junk rifles they didn't intend to sell anyway on a table of
crap like used garage sale tools and fake Indian jewelry made in China.

[jonp]

I didn't mention the optics. One business was there as usual selling the chinese junk and that's all. I've bought a couple to test out and they seemed to hold up ok but you would never confuse the sight quality with a Leopold or even a Tasco. I bought one for an AR to try that has multiple reticles and green plus red. Seems to be holding up pretty well for the money I paid.

One table that is always there sells Osprey. I bought one and will not recommend them to anyone. Not impressed at all.

A different business was there that sells higher end optics like Trijicon, Nightforce, US Optics, Zeiss etc. His prices didn't look elevated to me from before the crunch but I don't spend much time on that as it's over my price.

I'm still depressed Nikon exited the market as I've had great luck with their scopes and binocs. Wanted an African for my 416 but none to be had so got a Leopold Pig Hunter 3 post which was pretty close. Very satisfied with it. Wrote about the binocs here before I think. Took to Africa on safari and others had Zeiss, Swarovski etc that cost many times mine. As people do we swapped around to try others out and they were amazed at how good the Nikons were. I really couldn't tell the difference and neither could they. Of course the same people were dressed out in brand new Patagonia, North Face, Mountain Hardware etc while I had on my trusty LLBean actually used outside at home and all over the world. Guess who stayed dry and warm climbing Kilimanjaro? Thrifty Yankee to the end I guess, lol.

[G W Wade]

To me gun shows are just a place wander around and visit with friends during the winter months GW

[atr]

I stay away from gun shows. Nothing I have ever seen at a gun show was priced in a reasonable way. And I reject the idea that someone can buy supplies when they are cheap and then turn around and try to sell them to me at a inflated price. I will stop shooting rather than give in to that kind of price gauging.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving all
atr

[Handloader109]

We started to go to the Wanamaker show in Tulsa a couple of weeks ago, but bailed. Didn't need anything, and just didn't feel like spending $20 to get in,$10 for tolls to get there and a $40 odd dollars for gas. Figured that money could go towards a Ruger mkIV which I got this week. I've still got more powder than I'll probably ever use, and a goodly number of primers.

I figure that prices will start slowly coming down as our economy sinks next year.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[BLAHUT]

For me gun shows = junk shows. Never go any more.

[jsizemore]

I think that was Kenzie Optics with the high end and some thermal. I got a hundred of the Unis SPP and SRP to test @ $9/100. I did get a lb. of Shooters World Precision for a friend and myself to see what's all the noise about it in the Creedmoor's. $53/lb and $410/8lb jug. I saw the SW AR rifle powder for $30/lb. I saw those rusty dies for the D series RCBS cartridges. The fella selling the Lee molds wanted $35 for a smoked and rusty 45-70 2 cavity. $9 to get in and half an hour to find parking at the fairgrounds. There was the flea market, a coin show, cheerleader competition, and a horse show. Almost forgot the Korean foodfest. Blue Ridge road had a detour around the fairgrounds added to the traffic fun. At least nobody was making a left. Not the least attended show, but awful close.

[deces]

I remember going to funshows in the 90's as a teen. Wow, what a totally different scene that what it is today. There actually use to be military surplus of all kinds, everywhere. I should have bought boxes of AK bayonets when they were at $5-6 each.
I can barely even find AR stripper clip spoons anymore it seems.
Now it's just boring ARs and fud guns, the SKS even is becoming a rare find.
The last score I had was an like new Aerial bayonet for $45.

[racepres]

That’s the depressing news today about the gun shows. I may plan on getting one table at a local show in mid December. I usual do pretty good with sales because I sell things for what I would like to pay for them and had many sales to other table holders whom are willing to sit on something for years thinking some dummy with too much money is going to pay a crazy price. I quit driving long distances to find that 2/3’s of the tables have non gun related junk on them. I like antique guns, especially single shots and last year drove about 80 miles one way to a show that was advertised as a antique gun show and was supposed to be 800 tables. Once I payed to get in the table holders were only using 1/4 of the space of the large room they were in. Disappointing, only a small percent of the tables even had a true antique gun or related material on them and once I made one pass I decided to go through and count the tables, 170 was it !
The promoters of this antique gun show had another gun show in another hall in the same building that required paying a second entrance fee to get in. Talk about greed, even if they would have combined the 2 shows in one hall it would not have been close to the 800 table “ Biggest show in Michigan “ that they advertised the antique show was to be. I just left and vowed I would never go back.
Now I just go to a local show that has about 100 + tables but they are always full and not near the junk dealers.

Jedman

Where is this smaller show you speak of please..
We Have a Fun little show over in Hesperia.. really small but fun... much too far of a Drive for you however..

[Frosty Boolit]

I don't like paying to get in and find a bunch of rubbish. But I have pulled a couple real nice s&w .38 specials that are older than me out of my local shows. They are excellent and some of my favorites.

[DougGuy]

I'm glad I bought all the crap I'm gonna use for a while before all the dumb **** started. I've been sitting on brass, primers, powder, bullets for 300BO this was the last round of adding a new caliber that I did a couple years ago. I have bare minimum enough to last me for a while of primers and powder, just siting on it, scared to shoot it up.

I actually have some great memories of gun shows in Virginia, tables full of old Colts, bins full to overflowing of milsurp 1911 parts, vintage magazines, barrels, on and on and on. I think I value those memories more than I value the disappointment of seeing the condition of present day gun shows.

[Ithaca Gunner]

Yes, they sure have changed. I used to go a lot and come back with powder, primers, bullets, ammo, and often parts. Now I go to one or two a year, only when my brother needs an advisor. He drives, pays my way in and springs for lunch. I do go to two anual sportsman's club flea markets/swap sales. Just members selling off stuff they no longer use at fair prices. I still find bargains there. Lately I've bought most of my guns at these meets.