No deals at gun shows... where do you go?

[BruceB]

Well, group....

It seems that I'm in a distinct minority here, in regarding gunshows to be, first and foremost, SHOWS.... and secondly as a place that I MIGHT find something that I can't stand to be without. That's fine, since I'm very much a rookie at the gunshow schtick despite my advanced age. This is due to the aforementioned isolation that I endured for so many years.

I believe I've been very fortunate, in that most of my show experience has been at the Big Reno Show, which has consistently satisfied all my reasons for going to a show in the first place. From many comments about other shows, the BRGS is a throwback o a time when gunshows were about..... GUNS! It does NOT have all the junk-and-jerky sellers I read about, and I'd estimate there are well-over five thousand assorted firearms at any of the times I've attended.

I note the comments about smaller shows, too..... here in Winnemucca there's a smallish annual show which is VERY interesting, and which has yielded a couple of very fine guns for me at excellent prices. Other "stuff" too..... like a Lyman 450 in great condition with FOURTEEN sizing dies.... for $35! A nose-pour Hoch 45-425
for SIX dollars, in new condition.... a few things like that sweeten the pot considerably.

[destrux]

I used to really enjoy gun shows. Back when there were crates of various bolt guns, SKS's from 5 different countries, parts kits for dozens of various foreign rifles, and crates of surplus ammo for them stacked in the aisles.... I loved going. Too bad that's about over with.

[Blammer]

I find one or two deals at each show I go to, now weather I want that deal or not is another thing.

Example, I saw a really nice M1 Garand for $700 that a gentleman was selling off his collection. If I was in the market I would have snapped that one up pronto!but I wasn't so I let it lay and sure enough 30 min later it was gone.

found some 223 rem pointed soft point ammo $15 per box, old green and white boxes, MINT condition. bought some, rest were gone in 40 min's...

they are out there, you just have to look everywhere and be ready. It may not be what you're looking for, but there are deals out there.

[onceabull]

I'm still seeing things BruceB's way, and would likely be at BRGS ftit if the overhead was not prohibitive for an out of area seller... Word reaching me over the past few years is that it's mo"betta to buy here and sell there, as a lot of the pricing is geared to the big California market..The storefront dealers here that do go there maybe once a year tell me that they only buy enough tablespace to display items priced at 1k and up...IN that price arena, I'm normally satisfied with the GunBroker or GunAuctions for what sales I do... although a local collector did pay up for my 1886 Ultralight 33 WCF. in the fall of '12... Onceabull

[MtGun44]

I'm with Bruce. Go to gun shows for fun and MIGHT find a deal every so often. Mostly not much.

An afternoon out with my gun show buddy. We have been going for over 20 yrs together, been shooting
together for 34 years.

Bill

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I avoid all of the large gun shows but I love the small country shows. How do you tell the difference? Look at the admission price. Large shows know they are going to gather a large crowd so they can and do charge a higher fee. The smaller shows, usually located in a fire-hall or community center charge a smaller entrance fee in order to attract more customers. I have never found a deal at a large show but the smaller shows with smaller dealers often have good bargains. Larry

Much truth here. and I'll add, in Minnesota anyway, that most gunshows in a metropolitan area or it's suburbs are run so keep out small sellers and private sellers, So it's just large scale dealers whether firearms or non-firearm dealers.

The small shows out in the 'sticks' run by the local sportsman club or similar (for a fundraiser) bring in all the small and private dealers...Lots of neat, unusual, nd old items and great deals. And the entry fee goes for a great purpose, as opposed to some large production company that keeps the small dealers out.

[w0fms]

I do it for the entertainment and to see and BS with the same guys every couple of months. There are a few retired guys who buy large quantities of inexpensive but good handguns to get a deal from the wholsaler, mark them up $50 and even let you negotiate that down a bit. I have bought from those guys. You can still find that if you go to the correct show. Otherwise, I take my kids and let them see every type of firearm in their video games in person... the nicer sellers will even let me handle them to show them. It's cool to see 500 different guns you'd love to have but never will. I like looking at the FNH's and others I'd never buy too.. especially the ones in the video games...

So the $7 it costs me to get in is cheap entertainment and occasionally I'll find a deal. There are two shops who specialize in reloading stuff that are always there... more expensive than Midway or Brownells usually.. but if I need one of something or want to avoid a hazmat, they are cheaper than the LGS's by a little and typically have more selection.. especially on the Friday nights before the sell out of powders.

I'd also say "a gun show in 6-9 months"... prices on everything at the last one-- except 380 ACP and .22LR ammo were almost back to pre-Sandy Hook and it looks like FFL's are starting to get stuck with inventory. One other suggestion.. the last show of the year before the "summer break", particularly on Sunday.. usually is a good show to go to if you want to wheel and deal... I think this year could be extra special in the last show too because I sense a buyers market coming up now that the crazy **** is slowing down..

[FISH4BUGS]

Know what you want and probably more importantly, know what it is worth. I collect and use Hensley & Gibbs moulds and will occasionally see a good one and might even be able to get it on Flea Bay at a reasonable price. Last one I bid on was a 4 cavity 38 special 158 gr round nose mould that went for $160+. More than I wanted to pay. I'll keep looking. Those deals pop up on occasion.
I don't go to gun shows any more because I don't want to be insulted by the huge asking prices, and have to stand in line for 2 hours to get in.

[CastingFool]

I usually don't go to many gun shows, but there is one at the fairgrounds not far from my house that's open maybe twice a year. I like to go just to look at stuff, not necessarily to buy. Last time, I used a coupon for a $1 off, from their website, and when I went to pay, the gal said, you get another dollar off for being a senior. That was fine with me.

[Boyscout]

I don't enjoy doing the slow shuffle, belly-button to butt with strangers. My bullets are nicer than the cast I find for sale at the Indy 500 Gun & Knife Show, primers are over priced, and jerky has too much sodium for my high blood pressure. I did do one smaller show this past year and got a good deal on Starline 44 Rem Mag brass. They are just too crowded and I don't find them very entertaining anymore.

[longhorn]

I agree with Blammer; I've been a gun show addict since the mid 70's, and they've surely changed, but I've never been to one that didn't have at least 1 real good deal, whether it was something I would buy or not. Think Sherlock Holmes: many look, few truly SEE.

[Monttexan]

If you have patience then you can and will find deals at gun shows. I've missed some, and gotten some deals. I like going to them just to go and see what's there. I miss the gun shows of my youth and even into my teens. They were actually shows then. Folks had collections of firearms on display. Heck my dad had 2 different Walther pistol collections over the years. He won awards at gun shows for the quality of his collection and display. He has a couple of bronzes on shelves in his office that he won for his displays. I remember seeing collections of old Sharps rifles, Winchester lever actions, Colt revolvers, S&W revolvers, and a huge Luger collection. The Lugers would have taken up 5 or 6 tables laid out on their sides, but he had them vertical, slid down onto blocks that went into the magazine wells. The blocks were all part of the larger display, in layers, with each model labelled. You don't see displays anymore, and there aren't as many deals. A deal is what you make of it though; if both parties are happy, then it's a good deal. And it's still fun to go look!

[quilbilly]

Personally, like others have found, I have decided "the bigger the gun show, the fewer the deals". I go to look for a particular item or just to experience the variety. I find my deals at one particular smaller gun show that happens twice a year. At that one I have always found some "screaming deals" where I felt like running like a thief after purchases such as $5 for a wonderful old 6mm Loverin style Lyman mold or a guy who wanted to get rid of some old brass Lyman 22 cal gas checks so gave me 3000 for one dollar.

[bob208]

I quit going to the big shows. there was one I even used to set up at. but then they started to charge to park and then get in. others turned into black rifle shows with the mall ninjas running around in full dress. there is one guy started a new show circuit. admission is $5. they run about 60 tables. they are nice shows. he has one this weekend.

[JWFilips]

The past few of them up here in the Scranton PA area! 20 minutes max until I walked out .......What a waste of money...( Unless you want to buy a over priced handgun on the quick!) Asked about Handgun brass & Boolit moulds & was informed I was in the wrong place! Way better luck here!

[HeavyMetal]

A deal is where you find it and depends greatly on what you consider a "deal"!

Used to go to every show but I got a family and other bills so it slowly dropped off.

Last show I went to was in Costa Mesa last June, 12 to get in 10 to park. had a good time looking and found a few casting items.
wasn't looking for a gun but saw a deal or two had I been looking.

Costa Mesa is up again the end of this month, passed on the location a couple times last year ( just no time) and I may be in the market for a 410 O/U shotgun.

Two years ago Found a deal on a Star lube sizer, 140 as I recall, used it for awhile and traded it off for a PW shotgun press which I still have.

Wouldn't have found it if I hadn't been going slow and asking dumb questions, LOL!

Deals are where you find them!

[oldfart1956]

Fellers something to bear in mind is that a lot of the entrance fee is going to whoever owns the building. And they might even get a slice of the sales pie as well. That being said bargains are where you find them. I found a new group that has really impressed me...Hunters Gun Show. They have a website...google it. I went to their event in Shippensburg a while back and I am impressed. This is a group of old coots mainly and they have STUFF. Lots of stuff. I saw more reloading stuff than I ever knew existed and prices were, by and large, very reasonable. One fellow must have had a metric ton of dies, some for calibers I've never heard of. I saw beam scales from $30 and up most like new. Dozens of powder measures! I passed on a as new Lyman Great Plains with peep sights and a huge box of acc. for $300 and should have my bum kicked. I did drag an ammo box full'a lead out of there for $50 (if memory serves) and they said it was 50 lbs. I believe it was considerable more. Nice ingots and a 10lb. roll of roofing lead. The ammo boxes were selling for $15 so I actually paid $35 for the lead. I found a bunch of Hoppes Lead Remover kits for $5 and bought 3. (same as the Lewis) I'd rate these guys as excellent. By the way, if you're within driving distance of Gettysburg they have a show scheduled for this Sat. if memory serves. Check the website or google for gun shows in Gettysburg before driving. Also I do generally attend the Greencastle gun show. Lots of junk at that one but having built a friendship with Ed Kennedy there I got a bargain Remington R1 1911 for $475 out the door. (new) Get to know you vendors and don't treat all of they as rip-offs. Audie...the Oldfart..

[bob208]

that is the group I was talking about. their show is this weekend.
it is in the reddings auction service building.
1085 table rock road
Gettysburg pa.

[Thin Man]

My story is a "then and now" experience. THEN: I started going to gun shows over 40 years ago looking for gun parts, reloading and casting materials, and firearms that simply attracted me (and there were a lot of these). Traveled up to 3 hours one-way to interesting shows, went to every show I could get to, made a lot of friends, learned which vendors were honest and which ones to avoid, spent more $$ than I could justify buy always enjoyed the experience. NOW: I find that the older really interesting firearms from years ago are all bought up and gone (I've often said that now all of the really interesting firearms are in collections or estate sales), most current firearms do not reflect the quality I expect, sellers over price their merchandise, but worst of all many of my gun show friends have either retired from the busy life of the shows or have passed away. That last note really slows me from going to a show. Now I get to one show every 3-4 years if even that frequent. Have I just bought up all I would ever need? Probably, but I can still go through a show and hear 1 or 2 items quietly whisper to me - "Take me home with you. Liberate me." So I pick up the chatty item to give it look-over and a voice says to me "yield not to temptation." Almost as quickly as that voice stops I hear a second voice telling me to "go ahead and yield to temptation, you neven know when you will have the chance again." The fun continues, only at a different pace.
Thin Man

[captaint]

Similar to what MtGun said regarding who we go to shows with and the social aspect of that - A few years ago I lost my great friend and gun show buddy. He was considerably older than me. We always had a great time at the shows. Anymore, I go to get primers and powder to avoid the hazmat. Needless to say, I don't go to many shows lately.
I had always seen myself selling most of my guns at shows. Now, with the plastic and all that stuff, I don't know if any younger guys will be interested in wood and blued steel. I guess we'll see.
Mike