Folks,
It was billed as one of the biggest in the area. I paid $8 and went inside and joined the crowd. What a disappointment! Yugoslav 24/47 bolt action rifles in NRA very good condition had a hang tag price of $410.00. The seller offered the rifle to me for $375.00. I did not tell him that I bought 2 unissued 24/47 rifles recently for $170.00 each with bayonet, sling, ammo pouch and cleaning kit. I just moved on.

Another chap had a pair of 1903-A3 rifles in military stocks that were drilled and tapped and had blued Redfield bases installed. They were counterfeit 1903-A4 sniper rifles being offered for $1,495.00 each. Another good reason to move on.

The classic was a reblued P-38 with a tag that read $2,500.00. I asked what made it so expensive. the answer given was that the pistol was made between 1942 and 1944 and was a Walther. I asked what date was stamped on the frame and there was none. I then asked if it had the Walther "ac" code"and it did not. Pass on that bargain.

There were a lot of lookers, but very few buyers. The last time I went to a gun shop was over 5 years ago. I do not have to attend another one until after I retire in 2010. All the best...
Gil

Gil...You are absolutely right on that one... I go to the one here in Ventura, ca only when I need to restock powder and primers. I can get it much cheaper there then at the gun shop. Most everything else there is mostly junk or very much over priced. I get to the fair grounds before the parking ticket office opens and save $5.00 for parking and usually have a discount coupon and pay only $7.00 entrence fee. Buy pound canisters of powder for around $13 to $18. Primers a 1000 for about the same. Spend time looking around and bulls**tting with friends over a beer...Makes for a good Saturday morning...

I don't go really go because of that reason.

Last time i went to one in my area it was like a scene from Sanford and Son....although with good 'ol Fred having better....JUNK.
While there were a few good dealers, most were trying to sell roughly, pieced together pistols and rifles as orginal and for $$$.

One guy in particular was selling a heavily used, surface rusted, Colt marked "Early 1900's Colt 1911" with the first part of the S/N being 70B10 These guys usually feed of the phrase "there's one born everyday"!

Hey If there wasn't one born every day I wouldn't have a cheap place to buy powder and primers. You just have to KNOW the ins and outs of what you are looking for. As you noted. If you didn't know Colt .45's you wouldn't have noticed that little discrepency....

I learned about Colt from the history channel

Hummmm....Where is it??? I had it here a while ago...Now where is it?

Your brain?

No!!! My deploma from "The history Channel", "A & E", "National Geographic" and "The Discovery Channel"...As I have told my children...These channels are my college education and surviving 63 years...

No way........My diploma came from college......and guns and ammo magazine

Gun Shows: I love them and try to hit all the major ones in our area. The big ones have hundreds of exhibitors, enough to fill three huge convention halls.

Junk? Oh yeah, there is a lot of junk and a lot of non firearm related products, china dolls, beef jerkey, etc. But, here is what keeps me coming back everytime --- I've always found something worth the price of admission and at a fair market or below fair market price. Sure, the asking price always seems steep but for the astute gun show junkie, knowing how and when to approach a seller makes all the difference. Among sellers are the professional gun show exhibitors that travel the circuit and many private and local exhibitors. Let The Buyer Beware, 'cuz cousin there are some bad apples.

As an occassional exhibitor myself, the other side of the story is the endless succession of Lookie Lews that would try to barter down an item marked "free". Literally, this has happened to me! Or, someone will approach the table and ask if you would take $X less than marked for an item, you say "yes" and they say "I'll think about it". Or the underclass that tries to steal an item when they think you are not looking. Let The Seller Beware, 'cuz cousin there are some bad apples.

Mostly, however, you have sellers trying to make a buck and buyers trying to either save a buck or find something unique and different. And, there, deals are made. Too, another aspect of any show is when the sellers barter amongst themselves or try to trade for items of specialized interest. There is a lot of that before and after hours and a lot of "networking" of dealers that will refer buyers to other exhibitors if specific items are sought.

Many exhibitors could learn to smile and greet people approaching their tables; alas, some never have. Many buyers could learn to smile and say "hi" when they stop at the tables; alas, some never do. If you really want to find something special and buy it, it is always appropos to make that known to the exhibitor. If you want to get a better price, it is always best to show your money, cash, not plastic.

Gunshows are what you make of them. This last year at local gunshows I bought a pristine Ruger No1A, a Smith & Wesson 25-5, a Model 71 Winchester and a Colt National Match all for significantly less than fair market value and for much less than the asking price.

For me gunshows are a hit or miss proposition. Mostly miss though. I find very few bargins and a hole lot of very expensive stuff. For example. I was offered a once in a life time opportuniy to purchase Remington Target 22 ammunition for $ 5.00 a box. I asked what made this so special. I was told ( in low voice ) they don't make it anymore. All I could do was tell him to sell all he could while he had time. Because I had two bricks at home I just bought for $18.50 each. His eyes glazed over. Then there are the $1,300.00 wwII rifles/ canoe paddles. Army surplus junk ect. ect. Every once in a while you find a deal like the used Savage 270 I bought including scope and sling, at $265.00 I couldn't pass it up.

I like to go, but it seems like more times than not a ask myself why I keep going.


longwalker

Having been on both sides of the table I can tell you this, be fair, be polite, and have a good time. There are some bargains to be had if you look hard enough. One man's junk is another man's treasure.

I've been to my last gunshow here... absolutely nothing but trash. The only thing I was even remotely interested in was a little .32 black powder revolver that looked interesting.. but it had surface rust and I could clearly see corrosion around the nipple from usage... and this was supposed to be a "new" gun. $170? No thank you mam.

I have better luck at pawnshops.


-DallanC

In the last few years ours have gone from great to garbage .. Do we see a nationwide trend here ??
Only thing I can say is , if you're looking for something specific , know what you're looking for , and what the current market is ..
You can find deals , especially around closing time on the last day ..
Usually , I'll give 'em five smackers just to go feed the hunger of looking at the stuff , but if I'm buying I usually have something in mind before I get there ..
Like yawl , there are some deals , but most are ripoffs ..
Jack

I shop on Guns America for what ever I am in the market for as far as guns go, If its available it's on there. You can e-mail back and forth with the owners and usually get a good idea of the Item your interested in, I recently got a Ithica Model 87 Deer slayer for 200.00 because the owner was in need of quick $$$$.