Worst Gun Show Ever

Gun show here in the greater Cincinnati area a pretty well attended. So well attended that they are typically snout to tail down every row. Most of the prices are crazy high to boot.
 
It has been my experience That 80% of the stuff up for sale at gun shows are not guns. Then in my experience 95% of the guns for sale are junk guns, that a sane knowable person would never buy. Just about the only quality firearms for sale, that i might consider buying are the used guns. I have seen very few NIB quality firearms for sale. If you shop properly, you can normally save at least $75+ by buying firearms over the internet, and save on state sales tax. Normally after 3 to 4 days of online shopping i can save around $150 on a $900 street priced firearm. This has been my 12 years of online buying experience, JMHO:cool:
 
You buy at a show and you will probably pay sales tax and a transfer fee. Some online deals seem cheaper, but when you add in the shipping (Average $35), transfer fee, and sometimes sales tax, it adds up. I noticed that a lot of people that say they "Got a better deal online" fail to add that part in the story.
On the other hand, after years I went to a show last year. It was the second day and slow, so I was catching up with a dealer I knew. I mentioned I was looking for primers and had seen none that day. He told me the Fire Marshall would not allow them in anymore. As, for ammo, I really could have gotten a better deal on line, including shipping.
I lived in LA back in the early 70's and some of the shows were awesome. I can't picture that there anymore.
 
Some online deals seem cheaper, but when you add in the shipping (Average $35), transfer fee, and sometimes sales tax, it adds up
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You forgot to include the 3% fee for using a credit card to make payment.

Oh, it does add up, but when you live in a state with a sales tax, the tax is basically the shipping cost, if it gun price is high enough.

So far, I've never spent a higher total buying a gun online than I would have in store.
 
Sorry young guys, but I have ben going to gun shows since the 60's and there is no question that they have degraded . Of course, I had little money at the time with what seemed to be a giant mortgage, kids and all, but what I saw made my mouth water then and now . I still go but I what I see and what I "need" is less and less and a lot of the vendors who I was happy to see are gone .Like I said it is still worth my time for the entertainment , but great deals on great guns , sadly is history .
 
When I sold at gun shows in the Chicago area a few years back, the gun shows always took a break in June, July and August. No shows were scheduled because the buyers were busy doing other things like vacations, lawn work, etc. The heat was also a factor since most shows had no A/C and it got hot inside the big barns. The last show was usually Mother's Day and the next show was usually in September in time for hunting season.
 
If anyone wants to see a truly sucky gun show, come up here to Massachusetts. Last year the AG banned AR15s and AKs in the state and the next gun show was a complete joke. Generally speaking I think many FFLs are looking to sell to suckers with the prices they have listed on guns, ammo, accessories in the show. That may have worked at one time, but buyers are more aware nowadays. Why spend $500 on a gun when I can get it for $400 elsewhere? Nowadays I go to gun shows to handle something specific to see how well I like it before I buy it somewhere else. I'll haggle with the seller to see how the price goes. There used to be a FFL who was notorious at haggling. After haggling with him for a half hour I think we both were happy with the outcome.
 
The worst gun show I attended was the one lats winter. They canceled it with no public announcement. My brother,one son and myself, we got there and there was a note on the door saying it was canceled due to weather. A number of cars pulled in and then back out.

I am waiting for the next one but I doubt it will be of much value.
 
I've been attending gun shows for a very long time and have seen pretty much everything mentioned here. The only thing I haven't seen is very light attendance.

The last time I attended a big Gun Show, by the time my son and I got in the door after paying to park and a long walk, it was $35.00 or so. It was Summer, and inside were what seemed like thousands of sweaty people, who apparently didn't bathe regularly, with the kind of vendors, for sale items and trash mentioned by others. The gun shows of olden days I attended were not as big as some of today's shows, but they really were more fun and interesting to me. There used to be a lot of new and used guns of all descriptions, never cheap, but at prices that seemed at least sane to me. I bought several guns at such shows. Today: tons of AR stuff, black tactical everything, Chinese optics and fantasy knives, plastic pistols by manufacturers I never heard of, general non-gun trash of all descriptions. There are always some non-plastic new guns and some clean pre-owned, non-plastic guns, priced at only twice or so what the market will bear, etc. Unless it's a small show nearby, I don't attend much anymore.....ymmv
 
I'm kinda surprised to read all your comments. I live in NY and gun shows here are PACKED. The two worst things about them are:

1. Waiting an hour in line to walk through the front door.
2. Trying to navigate through the insane clustermuck of people clogging every isle.
 
I probably did better on guns and parts at flea markets 20 years ago.
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Oh, the tragedy.
Once upon a time, long long ago, flea markets had rows and rows of gun stuff.
Now, even the flea markets are pretty much gone.
 
The bigger gun shows shows pull in LOTS of attendees. If the vendors aren't selling their wares, its because the prices are simply too high, not because of lack of attendance.

The smaller gun shows are worthless, however.
 
I will go when I am looking for something and having a hard time finding it. Otherwise I will order in whatever I want and pay a few more dollars. Don't save anything on a new gun by the time you pay parking, admission, and the drive.

That and the political activity at them annoys me.
 
I got into guns after the Internet took everything over. First gunshow I went to was probably 2005 and it was pretty cool. No KILLER deals, but it was fun and I ended up getting two pistols that I was happy with the prices.
Last gunshow I went to because my Dad dragged me to it and offered to pay my entrance fee because he wanted my opinion on stuff. I didn't buy anything, but he bought a bunch of reloaded ammo he was happy with. That was probably 4 years ago. Likely won't be going back.
Between the gas money, entrance fees, parking fees and sales tax it kills any deals you would get over online with shipping fees included. I can get ammo shipped to my door cheaper than I can get at the funshow.
 
The local Lion's Club puts on a gun show twice a year. They charge a $5.00 entrance fee which is used to help needy kids so I certainly don't mind paying. But the prices are ridiculous. I was looking for a particular gun and found a used one for 520.00 at the show, but declined. Later that day I found a new one in a retail store for $410.00.
 
I got into guns in 07, I've yet to be impressed by gunshows.

Prices for new guns are usually higher then LGS's.. thats not to compare them to internet prices which in the last few years has become my preferred method of buying.

Occasionally you would see a decent deal on a used gun.. But you pretty much had to be willing to accept what you found.. I made the mistake a few times going to a show looking for something specific.. not even rare just a good deal on a specific few guns and was disappointed every single time.

I bought more non gun stuff at shows then I have gun stuff.
Jerky I will admit.. is awesome at gun shows.. they should just start calling them the jerky show.

Many times I'd walk away with nothing more but some ammo cans, I've not been to a show in a few years so I don't know if it's still a good place to get them or not.
I also found them good for soft goods, surplus stuff.

I will say the shows was always packed when I was going to them though.. and It is interesting to walk around and check out the wares.. sometimes you see some really odd stuff..

But for actually buying/selling.. nah.. waste of time and money (admission fee)
 
I set up tables at gun shows in California years ago, and was quite successful with my endeavors. A lot of guys could be heard complaining about the lack of money floating around, the bad economy etc... but I just kept buying and selling at fair prices. I quit doing shows many years ago, but still attend them.
I went to a show in Dallas today, and what a joke. I have really enjoyed that show in years past as it was two fairly large rooms full of stuff to dig through. Today it was less than one full room of stuff with not only high prices on stuff, but outrageously high prices. I was sorta looking for a 3" barrel Smith 10 or 13 and didn't see any. One guy did have a well used 3" in 9mm, that he wanted 1,200 bucks for.
I bought a new S&W M&P 2.0 at a show as soon as they hit the market for 439.00, but gave it to a friend and thought I'd buy another. I found them priced from 489.00 to 517.00.....I doubt they sold many.
Attendance was very light at the show and lots of empty tables. Dealers are shooting themselves in the foot as far as I am concerned.
 
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