Gun Show. I bet a lot of you guys do this too..

[tj3006]

Went to a Oregon arms collector show today.
   I was home watching a guy shooting a Marlin 39A Remembered the gun show grabbed cash out of my safe and hopped in my old jeep. 
   There were no 39s at the show. I looked at one of the old Marlin 22s with.  the long octagon barrel I forget the number, 93? 97? Cool but not very practical.
    There was a couple other guns I liked but not enough to spend the money.  
    But I did buy a Buck 103 skinning knife, I have a ton of knife's I will never use, already, but that's what I often do when I come home without a new gun.  Sorta scratches the itch.
                          ...tj

[squawberryman]

Every item you spoke of can usually NOT be found at what the "gun" shows are around here anymore. There's a buried nut every now and then but I really wouldn't know because I haven't been. Good story by the way.

[bigbrowndog]

Yep, I had that conversation with the wife the other day, even our rural “gun shows” have become 1/2 BS crap, trinkets, jewelry, food, etc. 1/4 dealers selling tactical crap and new guns, then the last 1/4 actual regular folks selling guns, but mostly stuff I don’t need, then maybe two or three folks with interesting tables. After paying the 10.00-15.00 to get in and the 45 minutes to see everything, I feel cheated. I’ve stopped going, I can’t recall the last time I set foot in one, maybe 2017 or 2018.

Trapr

[jeffh]

Jan 28, 2024 18:50:37 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

...I can’t recall the last time I set foot in one, maybe 2017 or 2018.

Trapr

Right there with ya,... or without ya.

The shows I've been to in the last fifteen years have been very disappointing for the same reasons.  Don't plan on going to any more, at least I HOPE I don't have to anyway.

[gtojim]

I stopped going to gun shows because I will leave with a gun.

[doninnh]

Sometimes I wonder where they get the balls to hang the tag "GUN SHOW" on these things. Have a nice day Don K.

[giblett]

I went to one last weekend and bought a few primers. Main reason looking for that needle in the haystack. Did see the new ruger marlin 357 and 44 lever rifles. I was impressed with the fit and finish. Dang near brought that 357 home. Every now and then i find a goodie or 2 like some brass or bullets. Also collect shell boxes so usually find them at the shows.

[Fowler]

When I was a young guns shows were great, people haggled good naturely, and everyone would leave happy.

Now it is a sea of black rifles, military wannabes, and and snake oil salesmen. The last one I went to had a guy with a table full of primers and powder for $300/k when the first big shortage started 5 years ago. Seems every table is trying to screw shoppers over and the good natured gun traders of classic guns are gone.

Once a year the gun collectors guild has their show and its juice is worth the squeeze but I haven’t been to it since before Covid. I should go to that one this year.

[seminolewind]

I took my 10 year old Grandson to his first gun show Saturday. He was in awe of the tables full of guns and knives, even if they were mostly black guns and Chinese knives. He did get to handle some older military guns that he especially liked. He picked out an air soft gun and actually haggled with the dealer on a price. I was proud of him and we plan to go again when we get a chance. The prices on reloading components and guns I had an interest in were ridiculous and I didn’t buy a thing.

[kevshell]

The last gun show I went to in North Carolina, I went in and one of the first tables was a gentleman with a table full of unique firearms. Not much that I wanted but still better than all plastic and AR platforms. As mentioned a lot of the rest of the show was the same stuff I could get at shops readily and for the same or a higher price. I went to find the needle in the haystack. I didn't find what I wanted (wasn't even sure what that was) but my wife coerced me into buying a nickel 29 8 3/8" on the way out.

The last show I went to in Montana was great. It reminded me of the shows from 15-20 years ago. Lots of desirable firearms and components. None for a steal but definitely a good show. I could have easily dropped $10k at that show and it was a small one.

[45MAN]

I LIKE TO THINK THAT "ANY GUN SHOW IS BETTER THAN NO GUN SHOW" BUT HAVE NOT BEEN TO ONE SINCE PRE-PANDEMIC. FOR YEARS THEY HAVE BEEN TRENDING AS OFTEN DEPICTED ABOVE SO IT HAS BEEN HARD FOR ME TO START GOING AGAIN.

[sharps4590]

Ours are still pretty good. There is a lot of black, plastic-fantastic, ninja, Rambo, Sooper-Dooper Double Nine, Look How Cool, (stupid), I Am crap but still, over half of it is like they have been for years. I have yet to see tables of jewelry, jerky and junk.  Two vendors are mostly knives BUT, the vast majority are vintage knives and of interest.  I've never bought one.  Those two usually have a few antique firearms which indicates to me they aren't FFL's and, that's fine.  Some vendors are expensive but, some always were. Some ARE greedy, some aren't. I've found that of they are approached and a conversation started, if they have something you want, prices quickly become reasonable. Start off telling them how crazy, greedy and expensive their prices are and yeah, they're probably going to stay that way.

[kevshell]

Jan 29, 2024 8:21:48 GMT -5 sharps4590 said:

Ours are still pretty good. There is a lot of black, plastic-fantastic, ninja, Rambo, Sooper-Dooper Double Nine, Look How Cool, (stupid), I Am crap but still, over half of it is like they have been for years. I have yet to see tables of jewelry, jerky and junk. Some vendors are expensive but, some always were. Some ARE greedy, some aren't. I've found that of they are approached and a conversation started, if they have something you want, prices quickly become reasonable. Start off telling them how crazy, greedy, expensive their prices are and yeah, they're probably going to stay that way.

A pawn shop near my house in NC always had nutty prices but he expected to dicker. I got several good deals there. It's a conversation and it goes somewhere or it doesn't.

[prisedefer]

"He picked out an air soft gun and actually haggled with the dealer on a price"

You've done well with that one seminole.

[axman]

I try to support them as much as time and limited $$ allows.
We set up once in a while and go to some.

Deals are still to be had, Ruger 357 Ross model last year.
Bottle of Trailboss for $30 in sept last year.

You never know.