Gun shows never fail to amaze me ........................

[Jack Stanley]

I set up a table at the gun show today , first time in three years . I set out some reloading supplies that are excess to my needs right now . I've read on the local forums how powder is so hard to get but the eight pound jug of AA2230 and the IMR 3031 aren't in demand . At least not when they are priced below what places like Natchez sell it for .

One fella suggested I raise the price to thirty-five dollars a pound

Lots of lookers and touching , but no money .

Jack

[Winger Ed.]

I'm surprised the 3031 didn't turn.

[RKJ]

I'm surprised the 3031 didn't turn.

I was thinking the same thing. Thought it would go pretty quick.

[NyFirefighter357]

One fella suggested I raise the price to thirty-five dollars a pound Jack

That's the normal price for powder here in NY

[stubshaft]

WOW, I would have jumped on both of those!

[1Hawkeye]

Funny I got an 8 pound keg of 3031 at the nations gun show friday night and at a good price too.

[schutzen-jager]

put a box of CCI 200 rifle primers on my table at FDHA meet yesterday priced at $50.00 + i went home with them - priced less than 1/2 of what they are selling for if you can find them - lots of activity + lookers but few sales -

[4719dave]

Yes, I think people are getting sick of paying all the high prices for everything it’s hit or miss

[Jack Stanley]

I wonder if they think because the price is so low there has to be something wrong with it . I can remember having a rifle priced way lower than what they were selling for once . It just sat on the table for two different shows . I raised the price to twenty bucks less than the show average and a guy offered me the price I had been asking before

Jack

[JoeJames]

I'm surprised too on not turning the 3031. That's one of my favorite go to rifle powders. I'd have bought it.

[gc45]

When I was doing our local 800 table show for 30 yrs, I learned that if putting high quality firearms up for sale, those we consider collectable or even hard to get, I often took them back home. Once in awhile someone serious about their guns would come by and were happy to see what I was selling and would by a Smith, Colt or Winchester as that was all I bought, sold or traded for. I also learned that most gun shows visitors are looking for lower priced stuff, and if something was pre owned why was the price so high? when our show club forced sellers into be an FFL, I and many like me stopped going and turned to the Internet in 2014 and never looked back as many real collectors or buyers of nice stuff or hard to get items are lurking there, me included.
Gun show owners, those who run these shows are all about table rentals, they care less about quality on the table so have now turned to jewelry, toys, stuffed animals all all else but gun related stuff. Put one old piece of junk firearm on the table along with your jewelry and you are now a table holder. Background checks have also hurt, many sellers like me did not want to be an FFL just to sell at the show even though a background check was required of us and all our members, so many sellers dropped out. Today, the show is maybe 1/4 of what it once was.
Folks, this all because of politics and the people being put in office, wake up America!

[JoeJames]

When I was doing our local 800 table show for 30 yrs, I learned that if putting high quality firearms up for sale, those we consider collectable or even hard to get, I often took them back home. Once in awhile someone serious about their guns would come by and were happy to see what I was selling and would by a Smith, Colt or Winchester as that was all I bought, sold or traded for. I also learned that most gun shows visitors are looking for lower priced stuff, and if something was pre owned why was the price so high? when our show club forced sellers into be an FFL, I and many like me stopped going and turned to the Internet in 2014 and never looked back as many real collectors or buyers of nice stuff or hard to get items are lurking there, me included.
Gun show owners, those who run these shows are all about table rentals, they care less about quality on the table so have now turned to jewelry, toys, stuffed animals all all else but gun related stuff. Put one old piece of junk firearm on the table along with your jewelry and you are now a table holder. Background checks have also hurt, many sellers like me did not want to be an FFL just to sell at the show even though a background check was required of us and all our members, so many sellers dropped out. Today, the show is maybe 1/4 of what it once was.
Folks, this all because of politics and the people being put in office, wake up America!

Well when you have something a bit unusual like my K98K Bnz, all it takes is one buyer!

[gc45]

Well when you have something a bit unusual like my K98K Bnz, all it takes is one buyer!

True. But you still need that one buyer to show up and if the show has pushed him and others to the Net then he won't be there is all I'm saying.

[lotech]

I really enjoy doing gun shows and have done them for forty years on a very irregular basis, and only large shows. I've found that if you have good quality guns rather than lesser stuff and it's priced right to begin with (seldom done at gun shows), you'll often sell at least half of what you brought to the show. Handloading equipment and components? Always very hit or miss with maybe the exception of primers these days, but few want to price them fairly. I used to take old presses, bullet moulds. etc. to the shows, but people expect you to practically give that stuff away. Many like to finger bullet moulds endlessly but regardless of what it is they couldn't imagine paying more than $25.00 for a mould. Leave the heavy stuff home and sell it on a forum like this one. You'll do much better.

[JoeJames]

One other point: Over the last few years I have regularly helped my cousin who normally has two or three tables at the local show. And, most of the time I have made my best deals with other dealers before the public was allowed in.

[Soundguy]

I'm surprised too on not turning the 3031. That's one of my favorite go to rifle powders. I'd have bought it.

Agreed.. A good price keg of 3031 would have went home with me.

[Murphy]

3031 has long been in my inventory of powder I keep on hand. While it isn't the end all, do all of rifle powders, it's sure worked well for me over the years in the few rifle calibers I load for.

Gun shows I lost interest in long ago. Sure the price of admission has gone up, but hasn't everything over the past few decades? I'll turn 69 in a couple of weeks, those shows 20-25 years ago were some dandy's. When I first started noticing the 'flea market' invasion of tables that had nothing to do with firearms, I hoped it was a passing fad. Sadly, we see how that has turned out.

Primers? I don't think there is anything to be said that hasn't already been said.

Murphy

[Hootmix]

Hey Murphy, have a good Thanksgiving & "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

coffee's ready, Hootmix.

[Soundguy]

The biggest problem I have with gun shows lately is you get in there and about 3/4 of the gun show are knives beef jerky purses and jewelry and then somewhere around there you might have a gun or some gun supplies oh let's not forget a couple rows of nothing but optics for guns which almost count but come on I don't want half my gun show to be Scopes I want to see some actual guns or reloading supplies.

[Murphy]

Hey Murphy, have a good Thanksgiving & "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

coffee's ready, Hootmix.

Thank's my friend. I'm looking forward to both. May you and yours enjoy a fine Thanksgiving.

Murphy