Gun shows dying?

[Yaworski]

So I love going to gun shows - even the tiny charity shows at the VFW are fun, just because it's nice to look things over and talk to people

In olden days, the vendors and displayers were willing to talk to you. They'd tell you about the gun that you were looking at and about what they had still under the table. Now, not so much. It's been my observation that they are more concerned with chatting with the vendor at the next table than engaging customers.

 

[wproct]

For years there has been at least 4 a year that were good shows and within a 30 minute drive for me. I attended them all for many years, but I haven't been to one for about 2 years. First it was co-vid, and now I'm simply aging out. I will try to go to one this year but it's changed for me. First, if I go I should be going to sell some of my guns due to my age, and that's not nearly as much fun as going to try to find that special gun that you could buy.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

For years there has been at least 4 a year that were good shows and within a 30 minute drive for me. I attended them all for many years, but I haven't been to one for about 2 years. First it was co-vid, and now I'm simply aging out. I will try to go to one this year but it's changed for me. First, if I go I should be going to sell some of my guns due to my age, and that's not nearly as much fun as going to try to find that special gun that you could buy.

Know what you mean. We used to hit the Des Moines shows which were the best shows within reasonable driving time. :)

 

[vito]

I never was a big fan of gun shows, for the reasons so well stated by so many here. All of the few guns that I own were bought new, from actual gun shops and with whatever warranty offered by the manufacturer. I'm sure I paid more than I might have had to had I really shopped around, but the convenience made it worthwhile for me.

My only concern about the loss of these shows is: where I will get my replacement ShamWow towels when I need them?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Go to an OGCA show & smile at the fact it's a real gun show.

Unfortunately, the big OGCA "show" in Wilmington, Ohio has been shut down. A sad loss. I believe they use other sites, but I'm not sure where.

The OGCA gatherings are membership-only meetings, with sponsored guests allowed.

 

[RoninPA]

They aren't gun shows anymore. They should be called beef jerky ninja star roasted nut kettle corn shows.

Not at Tulsa, the promoters cap the non firearm/firearm related tables to no more than 2%. You have to hunt for the tables with jerky, sauces and even jewelry.

 

[bobski]

very little show left in a gun show.
its gun sales.
i use to set up displays of my hi standards to inform the audience. it was just (to show.)

 

[Ale-8(1)]

very little show left in a gun show.
its gun sales.

"BUY, SELL, TRADE! DON'T YOU DARE MISS THIS BIG GUN SHOW!"

:ROFLMAO:

 

[contender]

I can fully agree that many gun shows have vendors selling junk, flea market crap.

And I can agree that many vendors are pricing stuff higher than what you may find in a local shop.

The solution is simple. Don't stop at those tables. Don't spend your money with those people.

But do go & enjoy looking at stuff you may find interesting. Go look for the occasional seller that is just trying to liquidate an estate. Dig in the "junk" boxes or whatever for the hidden treasures.

And know that while you may not find something you seek,, you can easily find something,, OCCASIONALLY that you can use, want, or need.

And do not be afraid to offer a more reasonable price on something if it gets your interest. If a seller takes your offer,, fine. But be willing to walk away if you feel the price is too high.

Getting angry at gun shows because they are not what they used to be,, or what you think they should be. Or that you can't find a gun worth $1000 for $100 because you feel you need to get a real bargain on everything.

I've attended gun shows for over 40 years now.
In general,, I have almost always found something that interested me or that I wanted. But I have also found some really great deals by simply going & looking.

I mentioned above,, that I recently found a nice OM Single-Six with factory stags for under $600. The seller didn't know what the stags were worth,, so I came away with a bargain. MORE than worth the $11 to get in, the gas I spent, and the lunch out with a buddy I spent.
Slow down,, and look at the "odds & ends" stuff sitting on the casual seller's tables. You can & will find goodies along with the occasional good deal.

I can recall several good gun deals I've made over the years by simply knowing what I was looking at, and the seller NOT knowing what they had,, etc.

Just remember,, the regular "dealers" who over price the new stuff,, and have a gun shop or whatever,, you do not have to trade with them. It's easy to by-pass those tables.

I always say to my friends who go to shows with me; "Everybody who gets upset at what a gun show has become & doesn't attend,, is giving me the chance to find a deal!!!!"

So to all of y'all who refuse to go to a gun show,, "THANK YOU" !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[contender]

"My only concern about the loss of these shows is: where I will get my replacement ShamWow towels when I need them?"

Amazon!


"Unfortunately, the big OGCA "show" in Wilmington, Ohio has been shut down. A sad loss. I believe they use other sites, but I'm not sure where.

The OGCA gatherings are membership-only meetings, with sponsored guests allowed."

Yes,, we lost the summer OGCA show in Wilmington this year due to (2) STUPID people. One, a vendor who failed to obey the show rules & didn't check to see if a gun was loaded, AND to properly zip-tie the gun. And the STUPID attendee who picked up the gun & pulled the trigger, causing it to fire.

Yes,, OGCA does have other venues for their excellent GUN shows. Wellington, Hamilton, Columbus, are (3) towns in Ohio where OGCA has meetings/shows. Yes, you have to be a member or a sponsored guest. And OGCA has strict rules about vendors & products. Well worth it to be a member or a guest a few times.
The Wilmington summer show will be moved to Hamilton I believe.

And from what I know,, the Tulsa Shows are very similar.

"i use to set up displays of my hi standards to inform the audience. it was just (to show.)"

Excellent. Often folks who just display will get a reduced price on their tables by the promoter. We do this at the shows where we ROCS members set up.
This has led to MANY good deals offered to displayers by attendees who bring goodies to sell!
Just last summer,, at OGCA/ROCS,, I purchased a NICE Ruger Red Label,, for $900 because I was in the ROCS section & the seller came to us.

Yep,, gun shows can still be excellent,, if you want them to be.

 

[Randyzzz]

About 40-50 years ago, when I was working out in California, they had a big gun show out in Pomona (IIRC). It was popular; I remember standing in long lines just to get in (one time with a friend who was carrying a Bushmaster arm pistol, hoping to sell it at the show ;^). You really needed a couple of days to see everything, which was kind of fun if you had the time, because prices tended to drop Sunday afternoon! Still kicking myself for not buying a .30-40 Model 1895 Winchester late one Sunday, that was half the price it had been the day before, because the owner didn't want to take it home (I was young & clueless ;^). Unfortunately, I heard the crazy left-wing politicians out there killed that show off, years ago...

I remember Pomona in its glory days. Absolutely amazing.

 

[Huskerguy72]

Count me in the group who doesn’t frequent them as much these days. A couple people at our private indoor range sponsor local gun shows. I will occasionally attend the one that charges $5.00 admission verse the one for $10.

The cost of door monitoring liability insurance and advertising is ridiculous for the sponsor so he jacks up the fees for tables, then the vendor has to make more money to cover his table costs plus travel, hotel for two nights and food which have all gone up.

Then along come people like me looking for a bargain! Not likely to happen in this current environment. A couple of brothers I know have been hitting area shows, writhing 3 hour drive, for years and have quit because their expenses were simply too high and they weren’t selling large volumes or high end stuff.

My wife and I attended the Tulsa show every spring and made a weekend of it. We went the first year after the kids took it over in November for the first time and came away very disappointed.

So, yes I would agree the shows are on their way out but a few will always be around for old codgers like me as long as there are old codgers.

 

[wproct]

I just want to add a comment or two on how much these shows have meant to me over the years. The anticipation of what you might find at the show. Then when you find something early in the show, do I jump on this now or save my money for something in the next row of tables that I would like to save my money for. The times that I decided to wait and then when I returned to pick up that great deal I saw earlier it was gone. :mad: And sometimes waiting was better as I truly did find something better by waiting. I still have memories of the ones I let slip by me by waiting. And then almost every gun I own now has a story behind how I made the trade/purchase. It just adds to the pleasure of owning the gun. Another side of my earlier comment about me not going as much due to my age. My wife was always supportive of my going to the shows, and each year one of my favorite shows would be on her birthday and she was ok with me going to the show. Now, the kids are gone and it's difficult for her to walk that much and I don't want to leave her at home while I go to the show. We do other stuff instead and she deserves that.

 

[WAYNO]

In my area, I have completely given up on gun shows.

However, the show I attend in the Boise area each year, concurrent with the Ruger Display Show, is actually a pretty decent gun show, reminiscent of past shows here.

So I guess it matters where the gun show is.

 

[ArizonaTea123]

I remember Pomona in its glory days. Absolutely amazing.

It was called "The Great Western Gun Show".
Largest gun show on the left coast. Pomona Fair Grounds. Eight huge warehouse buildings. You could not walk the entire show in one day. You had to come back a second day to see all the tables and exhibitions.
Absolutely amazing gun show.
The Marxist liberals shut it down because it was in LA County.
Yes, liberal Democrats shut down the largest gun show this side of the Mississippi. They didn't care that it brought in millions in revenue for the area because, well, guns bad, guns evil.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I still go. Quality varies. Best one near me is the one in Hoover (Birmingham suburb). 75% of the tables i can walk by at a fast walk to get to the few with items of some interest to me. I still find a jewel now and again, without the hassle of online sales, waiting for shipment, and transfer fees and paperwork. In my home state, the most I'm ever asked for is to see my driver's license or CCP. The dealers at the show where you have to fill out a 4473 are the ones with stacks of Glocks and black rifles.

 

[KIR]

Went to one once. Never again. Parking was outrageous for something that would be free at any and all my LGS'. Although older firearms might be of interest, am not that well versed if they were in good condition. I have purchased a rifle and a handgun that I could handle to my heart's content and see that it was in good condition. The prices were less expensive as well.

 

[GasGuzzler]

Quick internet search shows the Lewisville show is back and in a different (larger) venue. I guess what was Vista Ridge Mall in my youth is now mostly abandoned but this show is in the old JCPenney section of the mall. Might just make that drive almost an hour south come early December.

@Kevin interested?

 

[gnappi]

They aren't gun shows anymore. They should be called beef jerky ninja star roasted nut kettle corn shows.

Let's not forget jewelry, handbags, soap, hot sauce, and cheap knives.

Add to that the overwhelming number of plastic guns, people pushing children in carriages, and fat stinky dudes fresh from working under their car taking up the whole aisle all make for a "gun show" that has gotten to be less interesting than in years gone by.

The infrequent real firearm and SCABBs (scantily clad and busty babes) are not good enough reasons to make going to one as frequent as they once were.

 

[Tuluk]

I still enjoy them. I found an original Hawkeye revolver at the last one I went to, they aren’t all bad.

 

[rcs9250]

Gun shows have been dead to me for over a decade. Over-priced guns and a lot of crap that has nothing to do with guns.

Also, an admission charge to enter a place where you are going shopping? A place where discounts are few and far between?

I have better things to do with my time

I hear you on an admission charge. The biggest reason for admission charge is to keep “the element” out. Whenever something is FREE things crawl out from under rocks to come in. And they are typically pick pockets and thieves looking for an opportunity.
Cleveland often had industrial (manufacturing) shows that were free.
Not any more, there’s an admission fee and it’s usually $10 or more. Crackheads aren’t going to pay $10 on a maybe. But if you are in the industry, you can usually get free admission tickets online. You only see people there that belong there. Well, except for the eye candy girls drawing you to certain booths.

 

[Yaworski]

I hear you on an admission charge. The biggest reason for admission charge is to keep “the element” out.

When I worked the gun show circuit, the promoter told me that the admission fee is where he made his money. The table fees paid for the billboards, the venue and staff. However, you are right, an admission fee does help keep the riff-raff out.

 

[Rum River]

Overall I enjoy gun shows. That doesn't mean I enjoy all gun shows.

To me the promoter is what makes/breaks a show. For example, like everyone else here I like restrictions on how much non-firearm stuff is allowed. I don't want to see taco sauce, jewelry, or a bunch of other junk. Poor lighting, poor heat, tiny aisles, street parking that begins a block away, etc., etc.

On the other hand - expecting free admission? Free parking? You only want to see the firearms you personally enjoy? You want the prices at or below wholesale? You want the condition of all the firearms to be at or above 85%?

Of course you'll be disappointed with all gun shows.....

 

[Klugman]

I go to them in winter months to get out of the house. Once in a while I will come home with something.

 

[OVERLOADDED]

I can’t stand gun shows. All the loud mouth know it alls who stand around and talk about how they know all the answers mixed in with the tacti-cool crowd. Yuck.

And as mentioned, why is there a cover charge?

However, I would like to go to Tulsa sometime just to see it for an hour.

Tulsa, well worth the trip, huge building, multi level, not much non gun stuff. Have bought and sold there, Dealers and individuals. Have never seen it all in 1 day, don't stop and talk to anyone that does not have what you are interested. Keep moving, elbow to elbow, push and shove, push and shove. Overloadded

 

[wproct]

The politics of gun shows. I have friends who are afraid of guns and are not for gun shows on public property, and they have no problem with waiting periods. I try to explain to them that if I go to a gun show in central Iowa and I see a gun that the table owner lives in Sioux City, with a 3 day waiting period I'm going to have to drive to the corner of the state to pick it up later. All the while I have a carry permit that I had to have a background check and waiting period to get. I try to compare it to some interest that they have if they had to go through the same inconvenience, but you just get a blank stare.

 

[prickett]

They died 25 years ago as someone previously mentioned. The last few times I went to buy a specific gun, nobody had it. Everyone sells exactly the same things: Glocks, M&Ps (but only the 9mm version), and Taurus. Then you have all the tables of junk guns and gun adjacent things (tee shirts, carvings, accessories, etc). IF you find anything you are looking for (ammo or guns) don't expect a bargain. Their prices are pretty much the same as you'll find anywhere else.

 

[gramps]

It has been since 2018 since I went to a gun show, and probably 5-10 years before that for the next one. When the price to get in is the same as a box of premium ammo, and then the same to park, there goes my discretionary funds for the month. Then they want me to give up my second Amendment rights. Therefore I don’t go!!!
gramps

 

[bigbillyboy]

I still attend , not as many as years back. I found parts such as sights etc. So , still worth while for me .........

 

[Longcarbine]

I just quit going to them, most just want too much for their stuff in particular ammo. I can find about anything I need online cheaper. Even the gun shops are getting ridiculous, I would rather spend my money at a mom and pops but not going to buy over priced goods just out of convenience.