Expensive tables, insurance requirements and entrance fees have really hurt them.
That's true in my end of the country (WA). Simply finding a venue that allows them at a reasonable cost is tough. One of the places shows used to be held was fine with having the shows, but lost them, when the city attorney decided that every vendor at the show had to carry $1 MILLION dollars insurance for the duration of the show, and that included the hot dog guy and the T-shirt lady!!
At the time, a 3 day $1mil policy cost $80-90 and that seriously ate into, or ate up the profits of the little guys, when it was a good show. And when the show starts costing you money, you stop doing them.
I used to do a couple shows a year, local to me, odds and ends from my collection, things I was done with, or excess to needs and use. Would take cash but did mostly trades on guns, cash for ammo, smaller items, etc. but I didn't do it for the cash, I did it for access to other guys like me, collectors and traders, not new gun FFL dealers. We'd talk, see who was looking for what, maybe trade this for that, etc. Of course, that was back in both the pre-internet, and pre-"assault weapon hysteria" days...
If I made table cost, and breakfast, it was a good show. I do miss them.
Now days, where I am, you can't even legally trade guns at the shows without FFL conducted background checks.
the latest show was $10 to get in
, 1/3 of the tables were a single FFL dealer, 80%+ stuff was "black rifles" and accessories, 15% was non gun crap.
Just not worth it anymore. Sad to live through the end of an era, even sadder those getting into the hobby today will never know how good it used to be.