Recent Gun Show Experience

[TDH]

Several months ago as I stood in line to get into a show I frequent often I was talking to several of those surrounding me I asked if anyone remembered when we used to come to shows to find a deal. I suppose some of the prices I see are a deal for the times but still anywhere from 30 to 50% marked up from where they were prior to those people in Washington that are presently there. I have come to a few conclusions over the years.
Rudeness comes from both sides of the table.
Some people have over inflated prices because they don't want to sell (Gee honey I don't know why no one wants to buy it I have a good price on it)
Everyone wants to get every cent they can.

I once looked at a leather holster for a 1911 that was so dried up that it was curling up and when I asked the price he said $85. I said thank you and walked away. Every month for the next year that same holster was there on his table for the same price and every month it curled a bit more. For months I was looking for either a mini 14 or a Keltec and the only ones for sale were way over priced until that fateful day. For months I looked for a lever action 357 carbine and the prices for a used one was up in the $700 to $800 dollar range until that fateful day when I walked around the corner and a young man had what I was looking for and I gave him $375 in heart beat. When it comes to shows and over inflated prices remember the words of Michael Valentine Smith "Waiting is." You will find what you want eventually for a price you can live with.
One last incident. Several years ago I went to the North Store at Camp Perry and purchased my Carbine and an 03A3 but lacking one piece of paperwork needed I had to return the following Friday. At that time I saw a Ford 1 ton dually with the bumper sagging toward the road being loaded. Crates of Carbines and 03's and M1's and cans of ammo, that was when a can of loose HXP was $78 and a spam can of clipped 06 was $82. The next day at the gun show I saw the same guy with that truck load of $500 rifles and they were marked up from $900 to $1200 and those cans of ammo were marked up to $140 a can.

I'm sure we have all seen the horror stories from gun shows