Recent Gun Show Experience

[garrettbragg12]

Went to the Saxet gun show here in town today around 11. I was highly disappointed to say the least. I will give credit where it's due, $5 admission with free parking is very, very fair, especially compared to what I've seen others post. But as to the rest...

It seems like these shows are becoming more and more about scentsy candles, jewelry, and arts and crafts than guns. I went looking for M2 Ball and .30 carbine. Found allot, but the prices were enough to make me laugh out loud to myself and walk off. The first table had a bandolier of '76 Lake city M2 for $40 which I picked up as I left just to make the trip worth sometbing.
I saw other tables with 240rd HXP spam cans for $275!! I was amazed. Cans of loose 200rd HXP from CMP had stickers for $190!
I mean I know these guys have to make a profit, but that's insane. The best was 2 20rd boxes of Lake City for $35 each that were so corroded you couldn't tell the bullet from the casing. Lastly were a few loaded enbloc clips for $15 each and 200rd machine gun belts for $400. All the ammo I saw minus the bando I bought were still there as I left the show.

Is this typical at other shows?


On a sidenote, it amazes me how badly sellers will try to scam an 18 year old kid like myself. Had one guy try to tell me CMP was out of ammo and no longer selling so that's why he had prices so high. Another guy tried to tell me that the 200rd loose cans were "bring back" ammo from a vet which is why it was so much more expensive. The best was the guy who heard I was interested in Garands, and tried to sell me an "all matching numbers, all original bring back".... With a commercial stock, refinished parts, and a criterion barrel.
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[jonnyc]

Yeah...........sounds pretty typical...........unfortunately.

[Vincent]

Is this typical at other shows?

Ammo price gouging is still pretty common in the Houston area. But prices are starting to come down. People are just not paying those crazy prices now.

On a sidenote, it amazes me how badly sellers will try to scam an 18 year old kid like myself.

Better get used it. There are people like that everywhere.


Gun shows are where you go to negotiate. You take that knowledge you have and you use it. It's like buying a used car... only fools pay the sticker price. You always offer less than you would pay and go from there. Be polite, but firm.

Bottom line is don't go to a gun show expecting to just find a good deal. Sometimes you can make a good deal. Sometimes you can't. Same as buying a car or a house. You get what you negotiate.

[Aragorn243]

I had a bad experience myself yesterday. I went to a large show near Philly that I've gone to in the past and am familiar with. I am not actively looking for any rifles at the moment which I know is unusual but my funds are tapped out and I need a GEW98 which is not going to be cheap. But I had hopes to pick up some small accessory items and ammo.

I was in a pretty good mood, enjoying the day and came across a guy with M1 Carbine and Garand parts. I spotted half a dozen Garand tools in his case and ask him how much they were. He responded that it depended which I wanted as they were all expensive and prices were different as they were different manufacturers. No price offered. So I told him it didn't matter to me which manufacturer as I didn't consider it important. His response was "Then go buy some Chinese crap". Now I'm ****ed but I kept cool and said I have no interest in Chinese crap, what is his least expensive. Finally got a price out of him which I considered ridiculous but I politely thanked him and said "That's all I needed to know" and walked away.

I was then left in a bad mood for the rest of the show. I've seen this guy three times with the same stuff, same cases, same spot, etc. Doesn't look like he ever sells anything and I can tell why.

Ammo isn't too bad in PA anymore but I didn't find what I was looking for. Wanted to get more Privi Garand ammo as they were selling that for $12 a box and it worked great. I bought some at the last show I went too.

All I bought was a stick of sweet bologna and a Garand double ended plastic cleaning/oil bottle with brush and pull through. Didn't find anyone else with a tool.

I did find two GEW98's but the first was out of my price range on a good day and the second had something very bizarre done to the end of the barrel. It did not look cut but it was actually belled out slightly all the way around, the muzzle looked sanded or ground and it looked like someone made a 1/4 assed attempt to counter bore it. If he knocked $200 off it for that I might have considered it. He claimed he didn't notice it before which is possible. He said he was selling it for a friend.

In general, I have decent experiences at these shows. There's one guy that wanders around always with something I like but his prices are about 40% too high and I've learned to not bother asking because he starts insulting you if you don't buy it and heaven forbid you tell him he's too expensive or you just bought the same bayonet for half the price on ebay. Ebay isn't real you know. What's the internet.

[garrettbragg12]

I had a bad experience myself yesterday. I went to a large show near Philly that I've gone to in the past and am familiar with. I am not actively looking for any rifles at the moment which I know is unusual but my funds are tapped out and I need a GEW98 which is not going to be cheap. But I had hopes to pick up some small accessory items and ammo.

I was in a pretty good mood, enjoying the day and came across a guy with M1 Carbine and Garand parts. I spotted half a dozen Garand tools in his case and ask him how much they were. He responded that it depended which I wanted as they were all expensive and prices were different as they were different manufacturers. No price offered. So I told him it didn't matter to me which manufacturer as I didn't consider it important. His response was "Then go buy some Chinese crap". Now I'm ****ed but I kept cool and said I have no interest in Chinese crap, what is his least expensive. Finally got a price out of him which I considered ridiculous but I politely thanked him and said "That's all I needed to know" and walked away.

I was then left in a bad mood for the rest of the show. I've seen this guy three times with the same stuff, same cases, same spot, etc. Doesn't look like he ever sells anything and I can tell why.

Ammo isn't too bad in PA anymore but I didn't find what I was looking for. Wanted to get more Privi Garand ammo as they were selling that for $12 a box and it worked great. I bought some at the last show I went too.

All I bought was a stick of sweet bologna and a Garand double ended plastic cleaning/oil bottle with brush and pull through. Didn't find anyone else with a tool.

I did find two GEW98's but the first was out of my price range on a good day and the second had something very bizarre done to the end of the barrel. It did not look cut but it was actually belled out slightly all the way around, the muzzle looked sanded or ground and it looked like someone made a 1/4 assed attempt to counter bore it. If he knocked $200 off it for that I might have considered it. He claimed he didn't notice it before which is possible. He said he was selling it for a friend.

In general, I have decent experiences at these shows. There's one guy that wanders around always with something I like but his prices are about 40% too high and I've learned to not bother asking because he starts insulting you if you don't buy it and heaven forbid you tell him he's too expensive or you just bought the same bayonet for half the price on ebay. Ebay isn't real you know. What's the internet.

This post sounds exactly like our recent shows. Except the seller isn't a jerk, just ignorant. There's an older guy, probably early to mid eighties, who has a table with Garands and Carbines. He was the one asking $190 for loose HXP. And he too refuses to accept that things can be found almost a 1/3 cheaper online. Now I will give him credit on one thing: the moment you approach and take interest, he gives you full permission to handle anything on the table, and strip it down to check parts, condition, etc. Due to his prices though, I have watched his stuff sit for the past 3 years. His M1D put together for $4,000 has been there for 4 years. But oh well. I do enjoy looking them over every show, and chatting with the guy.

[WarPig1976]

I went to a large show near Philly

I was there too, picked up a crate of Romanian 8MM. Guy wanted $420 for 680rds, whipped out the iPad showed him I could get it for $375 shipped...iPads rock!!!

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Apparently gun shows are the same to some degree everywhere as the decriptions here could be mine other than the fact that I cannot remember being insulted. CMP resellers and the exagerated prices on lots of things seems to be the norm. Bargins can be found with paticence,perserverince,knowledge and a heathy measure of good luck. I find the Standard Catalog of Military Firearms to be a handy resource to establish at least a ballpark estimate of value and it also helps fill a void in knowlege if you encounter somthing you are not familiar with.
I have also met some very nice folks at local shows both vendors and regular attendees.

[Anzac15]

Ditto on all the candles, jewelry, etc.
I spend practically EVERY weekend at gun shows, so I know just about every dealer at every show, and they in turn know that I know my stuff. Research, research, and did I mention research anything that you might be going there for. Most of those guys are like cheap used car salesmen, and they almost blow a gasket when they run into someone that they can't take advantage of. Know your stuff!

[Aragorn243]

The tool in question that I was asking about I can get for 60% less on the internet. Not ebay but a standard milsurp site and it's legit, not Chinese crap.

[Salt Flat]

I have been going to the shows since the 60's and I have experienced all of the above at one time or another. I think some people like being cantankerous and just being a pain in the arse. After awhile you learn which dealers are reasonable folks and which ones are not worth even slowing for down as you cruise past their table. But overall most are fun to talk and deal with. I have a hard time with sticker shock with todays ridiculous prices and the idea that "a Colt just like this just sold for 20000 at auction so mine has got to be worth the same (even though it sat in a wet basement for 100 years and has "minor pitting!".) Salt Flat