Decent Show/Small Crowd

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pyscodog

Active member
Pretty decent gun show this week-end but the crowd was small...very small. Several dealers left really early due to the small crowd. Several said they thought maybe it was because school was starting and families needed to spend extra money on the kids. We have several shows a month. Are there to many shows these days? Or is everyone afraid wondering what going to happen with all this gun control stuff going on?
 
I hit up some of the larger shows in Tulsa where I’ll usually buy a box of ammo or two. A few guns over the years. I usually find the same gun online for much cheaper or I’m dealing with a cranky old man who doesn’t want to give me the time of day. I can hardly justify driving the 45 minutes for one.
 
We have so many shows in Tulsa that its usually the same people with the same stuff. One show promoter lets in the old women and their jewelry. I guess a table is a table but I can go to WalMart to see that crap. The table costs and the price of admission makes it hard to deal as they have so much invested in tables they won't hardly dicker on prices that are usually over priced to begin with. Usually $14 to get in but its also for Sat. and Sun. so thats not to bad if you go both days. Coming in on Sunday afternoon then its kinda high priced. JMO, but the dealers should have to stay the day till close. Many were leaving around 2.
 
Yeah, it’s unfortunate. The junk tables are annoying but I’ve gotten good at ignoring them. I usually figure it’ll cost me $50 to go to a gun show between fuel, entry, and lunch. And like you said many won’t budge on price. Last time, I was going to buy a buckmark if the guy would come down to a fair price. He seemed almost offended that I wanted to negotiate. I’m all for shopping “local” but if I can save $100+ by shopping online (single income household), then I certainly will.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogWe have so many shows in Tulsa that its usually the same people with the same stuff. One show promoter lets in the old women and their jewelry. I guess a table is a table but I can go to WalMart to see that crap. The table costs and the price of admission makes it hard to deal as they have so much invested in tables they won't hardly dicker on prices that are usually over priced to begin with. Usually $14 to get in but its also for Sat. and Sun. so thats not to bad if you go both days. Coming in on Sunday afternoon then its kinda high priced. JMO, but the dealers should have to stay the day till close. Many were leaving around 2.

It sounds like you're starting to figure out gun shows. So they still have them? It's been years on my part.
 
The best deals are people walking around trying to sell. Usually there is a deal to be found from them. Once they hit the tables, the price goes up.
 
I was just at one this weekend in central PA, and they said it was very busy Saturday, and Sunday was slower. I think w/ the US Senate and the White House being (R), and the recent MAJOR dropping of prices, and increased availability, with most folks that care having already "stocked up" on what they want. Couple all this with the interweb being the most efficient means to purchase new and used weapons these days, and you see why gunshows will prob die a natural death in so far as new stock items. For old gun and accessory collectors, they will prob continue - dickering deals are best made in person. The guys making money in the gun biz are generally moving bigger volume at minimum profit, hustling like crazy, and not dickering much on individual items.
 
There were lots of AR's and AR parts.One dealer had complete AR's for $399. I didn't see a lot being sold but like I said the crowd was small.
 
I was at a show in central IN about 1-2 months ago and I think I saw one AR lower. It was a smaller show, but very overpriced. Especially ammo. FMJ’s for hunting bullet prices. I pretty much only go to shows for older guns or reloading supplies.
 
I hope to make it down to the BIG Tulsa show one of these years, but it may not happen soon enough. To date the biggest gun show I've ever been to was the October show in Wichita. That's been 25 years ago...
 
The small shows I go to here in Minnesota, not much for AR parts,lowers or whole rifles. You need to have carry or handgun purchase permit for AR rifles. The reloading supplies have also have dropped off in last 10 years.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogThe best deals are people walking around trying to sell. Usually there is a deal to be found from them. Once they hit the tables, the price goes up.

I've seen some of those "deals" walking around gun shows and once maybe 20 years ago I injected myself into a conversation where two cocky dudes walking through the gun show were trying to relieve an old man walking the aisles of his very nice Win 94 in 32 WS. They were hard at work low balling him in the aisle when I walked by. I casually listened to their sales approach from nearby and after realizing what was going on, I asked the older gentleman what he wanted for his rifle.

He stated that he wanted $XXX but he wasn't real sure if that was fair or not. His price was more than fair but was much higher than what he was being offered as the rifle was in excellent condition for its age. Because it was irritating watching the other two dudes, I offered him his very fair asking price plus $150. He gladly accepted after telling me if I "was happy with the price". I told him under the circumstances I was more than happy with the price I offered (even though I had no intention of buying a Win 94 that day).

One of the dudes told me that they were "negotiating" with the old guy and I should stay out of the conversation. In the time I heard the conversation, they had offered him about 1/3 what the rifle was worth, and I bluntly told him that they weren't negotiating; they were trying to steal the gun with false comments about the rifle being made to someone who had no true knowledge of what the rifle was worth. After staring at each other for a few seconds, they two guys moved on. It turned out that the older guy was selling the rifle for needed food money for he and his wife as they had "hit a hard time" according to him.

So much for gun shows and bargains............

btw - I've never shot the rifle myself but one of my sons has and it shoots great. He now has it.
 
Originally Posted By: SubpaRI hope to make it down to the BIG Tulsa show one of these years, but it may not happen soon enough. To date the biggest gun show I've ever been to was the October show in Wichita. That's been 25 years ago...

You live close enough that it will be worth the drive for you. If you never been to the Wannamacher show, its something to see for sure. Advertised as "The Worlds Largest Gunshow" and it very well may be. I know it takes all day if you try to see everything there. I usually walk one floor on Saturday and come back Sunday and walk the other floor. Its in a building with an upper and lower level. Every year I say I'm not going but some how manage to end up there. Admission is actually the cheapest show that comes to Tulsa, been $10 for years and years.
 
Winny- 20 years was a long time ago but we still have "low ballers" at every show. Today with the internet, most have a pretty good idea of what their firearm is worth. What its worth and what they sell for is kind of a moot point. Some "good deals" come from people that have found something they just have to have and are willing to take a lower price just to make up the difference on that firearm they just have to have. Been there done that! LOL! I sold one last Saturday for less than it was worth just to keep from putting more money in it. I put a rifle together and didn't like the way it turned out and didn't want to invest more money in it. A guy made me an offer and even though it was less than my asking price I took his offer. I figured it saved me money as I didn't have to spend more to get it like I wanted it. Money lost was minimal compared to what a new stock was going to cost me. Ones that low ball me to the point of an insult, I just tell them No Thanks and keep walking.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogWinny- 20 years was a long time ago but we still have "low ballers" at every show. Today with the internet, most have a pretty good idea of what their firearm is worth. What its worth and what they sell for is kind of a moot point. Some "good deals" come from people that have found something they just have to have and are willing to take a lower price just to make up the difference on that firearm they just have to have. Been there done that! LOL! I sold one last Saturday for less than it was worth just to keep from putting more money in it. I put a rifle together and didn't like the way it turned out and didn't want to invest more money in it. A guy made me an offer and even though it was less than my asking price I took his offer. I figured it saved me money as I didn't have to spend more to get it like I wanted it. Money lost was minimal compared to what a new stock was going to cost me. Ones that low ball me to the point of an insult, I just tell them No Thanks and keep walking.

20 years was indeed a while ago, and I'm pretty sure that old man has passed on. But even today one person's gun show "low baller" is still a scum sucker to others when they try to cheat someone else like that old man. Gun shows seem to attract those types who try to "low ball" others on both sides of the tables. There's nothing moot about that.

Nothing has changed in 20 years for someone like the old guy that I saw. They still exist today.
 
Not disagreeing at all. The worst are the ones setting behind the tables, not in front of them.

I took a hit on the rifle I sold Saturday. The guy low balled me pretty bad until I started to walk. Then his table buddy offered me more money which was still under my asking price but it was close enough. I heard later he sold it for twice what I sold it to him for. I don't know if I was just being messed with or it was true but didn't really matter to me as I got close to my asking price. The worse are still the ones behind the tables. There are a few stealers that I won't even stop to see whats on their tables. A few years ago, I had a Rock River AR with a bunch of add on's. Had a guy interested and I had it priced fair. Out of no where a dealer walked up and told the guy he had the same rifle in his store for half what I was asking for mine. I knew that was a lie cause you don't see many RR AR 15's for under $600. I told him I had 2 grand in my pocket, lets go to your store and I would buy three. Even drive my truck to get there. He quickly backed out of that deal. I then politely, as possible for me, told him to mind his own business. Needless to say my buyer back out. He's one that I don't do business with.
 
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Our local shows run $8 to get in. I view that as entertainment money, if I go at all. Not many deals to be had, and a strange crowd leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogThere were lots of AR's and AR parts.One dealer had complete AR's for $399. I didn't see a lot being sold but like I said the crowd was small.
Was it Advance Combat? They were selling some at last fall's
Wanameicker show for $349.
Bob's Guns usually has good prices he marks them low enough and
sells a lot.
 
Yes it was Advanced Combat. I'm probably wrong on the price, just glanced at it walking by. $349 sounds more right. Bob's guns been around a long time. He sells a lot of guns.
 
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