Prof Young-
I didn't realize you were in this area. I usually try to attend the Belleville gun show when I can, just to look around if nothing else. Hey, even to you naysayers, any gun show is better than mowing the lawn.
I do like antiques, knives, tools, and like the treasure hunt of rooting through junk to find that one really interesting widget. And even if prices are generally high,
somebody has a deal on
something.
I usually get powder and primers at shows, because I don't wanna pay hazmat shipping, and because it's rare that any one store actually has the exact 4 things I'm looking for at the same time. It's also nice to save shipping on heavy stuff like bulk cast lead bullets or ammo by the case. I do order stuff online as well when the lower cost justifies it, but there's usually at least one vendor at a show with competitive prices.
I discovered a bunch of guns that I now own at shows- things I'd never heard of, or never realized how sweetly they balanced until I handled one, or ruled out guns I was interested in after I actually saw how poorly they were machined, etc.
I didn't go to this one because when everybody was sure Hillary would win, I stocked up on everything I thought I'd need or want for the next several years. And I'm still pretty well stocked. But when I heard there were gonna be protestors there, I almost wished I'd gone.