Recent Gun Show Experience

[Mk VII]

Motorcycle owner I know takes the bulb off his horn at shows, so many people keep trying to honk it.

[mike webb]

I have run into some really ignorant sellers at shows and can't understand their attitude but it takes all kinds. A few years ago I spent a weekend on the other side of the table and was shocked at the lousy manners of some buyers(not really buyers, just ask endless stupid questions and make insulting offers to buy) so it works both ways. I had a NO.4 LEE ENFIELD on my table and after the third guy asked WHAT CALIBRE IT WAS!! I replied, "It is a .22/250." No one even questioned the reply. I guess if you are stupid enough to have to ask what calibre a Lee Enfield service rifle is, one chambered in .22/250 would not seem unusual.

[WarPig1976]

I've said it before. I've used my smart phone to wheel and deal. Last was on a crate of 8mm mauser. Now, if a guy is ignorant and just doesn't want to do business I move on. I realize he has to eat but so do I. The cranky old farts with inflated prices because they think they have some rare whatever or don't know about the Internet world, I just move on no wheeling and dealing. Fun shows are no different then a flea market in my mind. You either want to sell it or not, but money talks B.S walks.

[Aragorn243]

I spotted an add for an 1889 Swiss a couple of weeks ago. Asking price $700. I thought the guy was a bit HIGH but didn't say anything. Last Friday he lowered the price to $500 or best offer. Seemed a bit closer to me so I sent a reply saying I was interested but my sources put it closer to the $400 mark and that depended on condition. I could see a photo and it looked to be in average condition. He agreed that sentimental value didn't mean much and my price was one he could live with. He sent more photos that showed more but were all a bit fuzzy. Condition wasn't the best. The bolt knob was broken, the stock appeared to have been sanded with a large gouge and the bolt handle and charging ring was rusty and pitted. My price dropped to $300 with that condition level and he passed. This was a rifle that's "been in the family for 50+ years" etc.

Lightning struck twice and I spotted the 1889 at the gun show the next morning. Granted it had the clipped firing pin but otherwise the condition was much better, stock in good shape, bore bright, and no pitting. Some wear to the finish but all in all a nice looking rifle. His price $375. So everyone has their own idea of what something is worse. As a buyer, I'm obviously going to try to get the best deal and so is the seller. I do always try to make reasonable offers and if they say no, that's fine.

At the same show, I was trying to find a box of 45 Long Colt. First guy had them for $45 a box and I'm thinking what am I getting myself into. But 5 more dealers with prices all over the place I found a box for $25. Just have to watch what you are doing/

[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

[Aragorn243]

Went to a small show in Allentown PA yesterday. Nice little show for Milsurps although I came home empty handed. Couple of interesting exchanges. One was for a "cowboy" holster and belt. I've been looking for one of these for a while and prices for new ones aren't worth it to me so $30 for one on the table looked great. I did the usual "can you do any better" and the price was $25. I was just getting ready to make the exchange when I figured I'd best see if it fit. 8 inches too small. Fellow was quick to say that the belt could be lengthened which it could, but then the underlying support leather would be digging into my side. Lesson learned. Don't buy a belt without trying it on first.

The "crook" of the day was a fellow selling slings. He had a couple of Swiss slings and I picked one up to look at the stamp and he was quick to say that it was a Swiss sling. I told him I needed an older one and he went on how this was good for all the Swiss rifles (It was a K31 sling) and I replied that I needed an older one, prior to WWI. Quick comeback was to point out a modern production MAS French sling in that ugly yellow brown and say that was the same sling the Swiss used back then. I passed.

If you're ever in the Allentown area, make a quick detour to Exeter and go to Sarco. They had a pile of milsurps. They are an importer, mostly had Yugo 24/47's but had some Swiss, some Swede, Brazilian, Peruvian, one K98 and some other things. They had all three of the rifles I was looking for yesterday, a Swiss Vetterli, a Dutch Beaumont and a GEW 98 but all were either missing parts or in bad shape. This place sells parts out of Gun Digest I believe. Used to have a shop in NJ but moved across the river into PA to avoid NJ gun laws. They still have a warehouse for parts in NJ.

[joem]

If you want to have some fun at a gun show try to come up with something somewhat rare and expensive to carry in. I brought in a 41 Johnson in pristine condition. Act like dumb farm boy, (I got this here army rifle my uncle left me. He was a Marine and loved this rifle.) Let the BS begin and the dealers make silly offers and you can see the dollar signs racing around their heads. "Gee, that's a really old rifle and not to easy to sell. I'll give you $500.00 cash" On and On, but it was fun anyway.

[browningautorifle]

41 Johnson

I saw something like that very recently actually. It wasn't even a gun show...

[Harlan (Deceased)]

A buddy I've shared tables with for years really knew his 1903's and he had many of them. He was retired and pretty well off, and I think he did shows as recreation more than anything.

He always brought several guns to shows and he priced them reasonable.

He also brought one gun to all shows as a conversation piece of sorts. It was a very old early 1903 made up from ridiculous incorrect parts and accessories and he had a marked price of $10,000 on the rifle.

He never intended to sell it of course, but you wouldn't believe the conversations he got into from the high priced gun. One buyer even told us that he was an expert on 1903's and the asking price was a little high, but he knew how rare it was!!!

[Rhpd201]

I've been going to gun shows for about 20 years and have seen them change quite a bit in my area. In the 90's they seemed to have a lot of anti-government books, etc. and people walking around in nazi uniforms. Today, it's the jewelry, beef jerky, etc. That's okay, if they can sell their wares - why not? I've been one of those idiot buyers, not knowing what I saw, asking dumb questions, etc. I've had patient sellers really take time and straighten me out and I've had them blow me off or tell me off. It's probably just as frustrating for the sellers dealing with the wide variety of buyers as it is for us with some of the dealers. I have a friend who is a dealer and has tables at all of the shows in my area. He's confirmed what I always suspicioned in that the dealers scour the show for deals before the doors open. Most of the good bargains are gone before we get in the door, but I'm not complaining, I understand it. I go to the shows because I enjoy checking everything out and I'm looking for enough parts and other guns to fill the holes in my collection that I find a few treasures now and again. I've also met more good people than jerks and have returned to buy over and over from some of them.