Sad Gun show

J

jag2

New member
The weekend after Thanksgiving has always been the time for the largest gun show in Dallas. Always seemed to be the best, some times they would even open up an additional hall for the overflow of vendors. First bad sign, they shut down one of the entrances so I had to go all around the building to get in. Once inside I would guess there were about 20% fewer tables in the main hall than usual and it seemed like a lot more crapola. (bamboo pillows?) There were large areas where they didn't even have tables set up. So I'm guessing the firearms boom we've enjoyed for the last 8 or 9 years is about dead. Sadly the vendors that were there seemed to think they could still keep their high prices. Primers that were $20 ten years ago just aren't selling for $30. Same thing for powder. All that being said, I'm hearing right now on TV that gun sales for the weekend were a record. I don't really follow pricing on new gun sale prices but I'm guessing they were more competitive. Certainly didn't see that on used guns.
Other main factor, we're running out of old white guys that want to haul their heavy inventory around, especially if they have to haul it all back out on sunday afternoon.
 
Online sales for new guns do appear to be a record. The Cabelas catalogs I had been continuously receiving faster than trains run on NYC subway lines are showing a ton of new rifles and shooting accessories. Not to mention cool camping gear like those portable Li-ion battery packs that can keep a 17" screen laptop running for 8+ hours.

I think, and I have posted on GorillaGunworks' thread a few mins ago, that there is just a shortage of older professionals to the sport, who actually attend physical gun shows. The new trend seems to be beginners who are learning the whole thing by watching Youtube videos. When these beginners become professionals, after a few hunting trips or big competition shoots, I think a lot more will be gathering at gun shows to exchange gear and advice.
 
203,000 guns were sold this Black Friday.

Dealers at shows don't have the deals. The Internet does, and small dealers can't compete with online Gun Titans.

I've been saying for years that the Gun Shows are dying off. I'm at the point where I probably won't go anymore, which is a shame since I started going as a kid and was always in awe of them.

:(
 
The crowds, the crap, the prices and entry fees... Sorry but I do still enjoy them and will continue to attend.
Just never know what you're going to find that you're happy to pay for.
I would say that I find something that I'm willing to pay for every couple of three shows, though it's not always an actual firearm.
This past Saturday it was an old magazine for a Marlin 34A 22.
Being that the vendor had to ask me what rifle it fit, I was very happy with the price.
There is one fella that still sets up at about half the local shows I attend.
If he's not got a few tables his son does.
I bought my first center fire rifle from him and my first semi-auto shotgun from him almost 30 years ago, and several others since.
His face and others I look forward to seeing and to sharing a little friendly conversation with... maybe even find a deal that just can't be passed up.
Gun shows are not what they were when I first started attending them by any stretch, but they're still not all that bad and I certainly do enjoy them enough to keep attending.
 
Last edited:
Dealers at shows don't have the deals.
Click to expand...

That's it in a nutshell. They have stuff, and you can handle the inventory, but real deals... no. I kind of think gunshows are turning into swap meets, no one goes there to buy guns off the tables, unless it's something specific you are hunting for.

I've been to the Dallas GS Thanksgiving weekend a few years ago... had to wait 1/2 hour in line to get in, and it was packed, including the overflow area. Not any more, the times they are a'changin...

Of course, I also remember the guys selling bricks of .22LR ammo for $100, and the guys that have every single piece on the table marked 'RARE!' with a price to match.
 
I don't go to gun shows around here for 1 reason. They do not allow lawful open or concealed carry. I boycott them the same as I do anyone else who does not allow it.
 
"203,000 guns were sold this Black Friday."

Not quite accurate. That was reported to be the number of NICS checks. Within that number there were denials and some multiple gun purchases. In addition, I don't think the NICS figure includes state check systems or purchases where a permit was used in lieu of a background check at the point of sale. And there is no record of all the FTF sales that might have been made in states that allow that.
 
Gun shows around here are hit or miss most times. There is no panic driving impulse sales. More people are doing research on things like prices. So they go to a gun show and see overly inflated prices on ammo, accessories, and guns. They don't buy anything and either buy local, or go online. Fewer sales means fewer vendors. I no longer waste my time with gun shows. You see the same stuff, the same people. With higher prices than the local shops.
 
"203,000 guns were sold this Black Friday."

Not quite accurate. That was reported to be the number of NICS checks. Within that number there were denials and some multiple gun purchases. In addition, I don't think the NICS figure includes state check systems or purchases where a permit was used in lieu of a background check at the point of sale. And there is no record of all the FTF sales that might have been made in states that allow that.
Click to expand...

It was an easy number to spout. :) But you are correct, while it's no accurate it gives a quick feel for the state of gun sales.
 
Gun shows have been a controversy for quite some time. Due in part by the so called shady behaviour of some sellers catering to characters having far less than a upstanding reputation. Honest sellers observing such behaviour don't want to be in the same building let alone the same room with such tacky individuals. "And I don't blame them." So, the honest sellers simply sell off their stock and wears and call it a day.
 
By the time a seller buys the tables, pays for food and lodging and gas to get there, he is somewhere between $500-$1000 in the hole. So, he ups his prices a little to cover that. Then he knows most gun show folks like to haggle, so he ups them a little more for wiggle room to come down. Except today, everyone has a smart phone and is immediately checking what Bud's or similar is selling that gun for and he's losing. The only folks who seem to do well at shows are the guys selling used and/or collectible guns
 
As long as I reload, I'll keep going to my local gun show. There are two cast bullet makers that set up there. They make pretty darn good bullets, both of them. So I save on shipping fees. Also, I can get powder and primers cheaper at the show than I can shipped. Plus, it's only $2 to get in the door. Fondle and drool on the guns, then buy one on line. :o
 
Gun show attendance rises and falls over time. The fact that they are on a low part of the cycle right now doesn't mean that they're dying out any more than the fact that they were at a high point on the cycle a couple of years ago meant that they were going to keep on growing at that rate forever.
Honest sellers observing such behaviour don't want to be in the same building let alone the same room with such tacky individuals.
Click to expand...
Gun show transactions are observed by more than just the attendees and the sellers. Any dealer that doesn't follow the transfer rules won't stay in business long. The idea that honest sellers are boycotting gun shows to avoid the very few sellers that are bending the rules doesn't wash. If an honest seller sees something irregular going down, there's a much simpler and quicker solution that doesn't involve them having to turn their back on a ton of customers. And it has the added benefit of getting rid of a competitor that isn't playing by the rules.
Except today, everyone has a smart phone and is immediately checking what Bud's or similar is selling that gun for and he's losing.
Click to expand...
Not everyone does that, and the online prices aren't always the best. A lot of the volume sellers at the local shows can put VERY attractive prices on their guns and the added convenience of buying in person can make buying online less attractive. I don't know about other areas, but in this area, it's possible to get real deals on new guns at the gun shows.
 
I went to a gun show last weekend.
I haven't gone to a lot of gun shows here where I live now, but I have been to this particular show before and it seemed to be about the same as it was last year.

I see stuff at gun shows that I didn't even know about, or maybe it's something I knew about but had never actually seen. Another thing is that my interests in guns vary and seeing something at a gun show rekindles my interest in it.

I actually bought a gun at this gun show. I have gone to hundreds of gun shows and spent a lot of money at gun shows, but I very seldom ever buy an actual firearm at a gun show. I have wanted a Glock 17L for years. At one time I saw them fairly often and I thought about buying one but didn't pull the trigger. Then all of the sudden, I didn't see one for years. I see them for sale on-line but I don't have an FFL here where I live now to order it through and I guess I don't want one bad enough to track down an FFL to order it through. So, long story even longer, I went to the gun show looking for a Remington TAC14 and didn't see a single one there. So, rather than return home empty handed, I saw a dealer that had a few Glock 17Ls that were actually priced LOWER than what I see them for on Gun Broker. So, I bought it.
 
Since I am only interested in 'old' arms and 'old' ammunition, gun shows are de rigueur for me. Cabellas and such are nice places for some items (components and equipment) but do not have much interesting.

I also enjoy the people at the gun shows.
 
gun shows use to be about showing guns, not just selling them.
when it went to 99% sales and no guys who loved collecting a certain type of gun showing them for educational purposes (and selling them)....gun shows died.
dealers today just sell what sells.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top