OT: Gun Shows

[Rodgervich]

I think the same thing for the most part, way overpriced for what they have to offer. I still go just to get out of the house and still best prices for cheap plinking ammo, even after the admission price. The local shops don't carry a huge selection of shooting stuff so it's the best place around to get some "hands on" a wider variety of items. More gun books to thumb through, more old and odd stuff to look at, more pieces and parts to see than any other place. For those reasons they are still worth the time and trouble for me to wander around a couple times a year. There is tons of crap and toys and junk and stuff, way overpriced used guns but I do find an occasional good price on some things. Over here the Big Show is held in one of the Resort/Casinos so closing day some dealers have lost a few bucks at the slots or table games and are willing to cut deals to recover at least a few of their lost dollars.
Just have to shake head at the airsoft guns, lame swords, jewelery and cheap sunglasses while looking for the good stuff.
I have also found that sometimes the lamer show with more junk also will have more private sellers with better prices on used guns than the big show. The big show has been drawing more "sellers" with $5k Winchester lever actions and $2k AR's than dealers selling $300 used Remchesters.

[foxhunter]

Paul, I bought a Winchester 94-22 22 mag lever action and a case of ammo off a dealer at the Denver gunshow for 150.00.
he hooked up with a hooker and her and her pimp mugged and rolled him for several thousand dollars, he was selling anything and everything for what ever he could get to keep his wife from finding out. seems she tracked his dollars but not his guns.

if you're going to play ya got to pay, I slept like a baby that night.

[jim barker]

Why is that what they have is junk and what you have is gold? I and a couple of buddies have had a table for about 15 years now. Sell mostly odds and ends reloading stuff that we no longer need and once in a while a firearm that is no longer of use to us. What I've noticed at lot is that there are a lot more jerks visiting the shows, rude with no manners. Always having people stop in front of our table BSing making it impossible for others to get to our table and then they are offended when asked to move. They want to pick up and handle everything then say that they have one just like it at home and just wanted to know how much theirs was worth. They want what I have for just a little but that POS Ruger 77 in 270 with a swift scope that they brought to the show is $600 because they want what they paid for it. As far as some table holders asking way to much, make them an offer if your interested. Maybe that Ruger #1 could have been had for $500 and don't be offended when they offer less than you want for yours.

[georgeld]

I've gotten where I call a dealer I buy most of my supplies from and arrange for him to put my name on his list for n/c addmittence. Then get what I want from him and wander around looking for things that might fill in a blank at a fair price for something else I'd like to have.

Not often I buy much other than the supplies from him. He's in Denver 120mi from me, so meeting at the show half way between his place and mine save's a bunch of driving time and distance. Especially since he's moved 20 mi east of the hwy from where he was.

By the way, what's primers going for now at shows? I just got a good stock of them, but, still need some of one size yet.

George

[Mntngoat]

George, I just paid $16.95/ 1000 on Saturday. Picked up 5K.
Wasn't worth the $9.00 admission price!

ML

[foxhunter]

jim, i have worked and been a gunshow promoter on occasions since the early 1980's,or should i say the gunshow games, i'll try and answer your question though it is not clear from the way you phrased it what your question is.

most dealer has what he calls his trade price, that's the high price we all complain about, marked on the table. the price is marked high just for the guy with the 600.00 p.o.s ruger you referred too. the dealer is 150.00 higher than his for sale item is worth and the guy with the ruger is asking what he has into the rifle on trade. a smart dealer usually comes up with an excuse why he doesn't need the ruger, i.e. don't want to carry another long gun from show to show this far from deer season or the last one in that caliber he dragged to 10 show before he sold it at a loss.
so dealer reluctantly offers against his better judgment to allow the customer 500.00 for the P.O.S ruger, mainly because it's a p.o.s ruger and the stock is beat up from hard use, not what the customer wanted but it only hurts 100.00 worth. besides he got to shoot it for three years, small price to pay for his shooting recreation.

now lets wash out the deal, the dealer traded for the p.o.s. ruger, he padded his price by 150.00, he got the customer to take less then he wanted for his rifle, he made his profit on the whatever he was selling and was able to (acv) actual cash value the p.o.s. ruger at 350.00, in business this is what you would put the p.o.s. ruger on your books at.
an hour later the same customer's brother who came to the show separately, spots the rifle on the dealers table, the only difference is (and here is the alchemy from garbage to gold comes in) the ruger is no longer a p.o.s., it's one of the greatest rifles ever made, the stock is no longer beat up and those scratches on the stock are just handling marks. the brother buys the p.o.s. ruger from the same dealer for 600.00 because his brother has one just like it and he absolutely loved the way it shoots.

jim is right though there are a lot of good honest people working the gunshows, deal with those people and stay away from the guys with the shark fins sticking out of their backs, they usually but not always hang around the entrance to the show and snag every one thet comes in, they will eat you alive if you are not careful.

most people working the shows for any length of time have learned how to read people by how they ask questions and body language, buying or selling at a gunshow is a poker game, you have to learn to hide your tell, this is true whether you are the buyer or the seller. i've seen guys get happy feet when they spot an item they can't resist, they literally can't stand still, they will usually pay way more than they needed for what they want.

hummm now that i think about it, sure sounds like the used car or pawn business.

remember the definition of a good deal is when the seller and the buyer are both happy when the deal is done.

one more thing i would like to point out, as a person who has put on gunshows as well as worked behind a table and walked the aisles, if the jerks that hang around in front of your and my table stop going to the gun show and paying their entrance fee, the gunshow would be a foot note in history of something we once had, remember it's all about the Benjamin's

[Brooks]

the gun shows in West Texas and Ft Worth were the only place to buy guns, excepting the Pawn Shops. Those old guns shows has sometimes 50 or 60 Anschutz and always a few real varmint guns. 220 Rocket made by Ackley came into my possession at one of these shows. Old Unertal and all. Oh yes, the pawn shops out in Odessa sold me something over 10 Anschutz back when they were Savage/Anschutz. Those were the good ole days. Long gone now and I have not been into a gun show in 15 years and have no intention of doing so. The pawn shops have not become almost exclusivly RG dealers so the net seems to be the place to buy my guns.
Oh well, everything must change.
Brooks