Went to my first gun show...disappointed. - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

crushert · 07-25-2005, 07:53 AM

Are they all such a waste of time? This one wasn't very big (less than 100 vendors I would say, probably closer to 50), but I don't think I'll spend the money to go back to one. Guys selling remanufactured pistols for NIB prices. Ammo more expensive than retail (Ex: Rem 22 bulk packs for $11 that I can get at Wal-mart or Bass Pro for $10). SKS rifles for $200. One guy had a few for $135 each, but even then I wonder if they were 'shooter grades' that you can buy at places like AIMSurplus for $90.

Even saw a H&R M1 Garand for $1100 (

). Can get one of those though the Civilian Marksmanship Program for $550.

I must say I really wasn't really surprised at all this because I'd read more than a few posts that talked about the lack of good deals at gun shows. But I hadn't ever been before and my neighbor invited to go, so I thought I'd tag along.

**Old School** · 07-25-2005, 08:00 AM

Part of the problem with gun shows is the cost a vendor needs to pay, just to setup a 8' table. When your costs to get in the door is $1000+, you need to make up the money somewhere, and most do it in products. This, plus the cost of insurance, legislation, and fear, I feel that gun shows are a dieing breed, something our government seems to be OK with.

I would suggest you attend another, as there are some really good ones.

So Flo · 07-25-2005, 09:49 AM

Sorry you had a bad experience. A gun show gives new meaning to "Caveat Emptor!" You must have done your research if you are going to buy a specific item...or must at least know what is selling for what.

Our shows here in West Palm Beach are usually pretty big, with over 100 vendors. Usually two major companies have huge sections set up...funny thing is, one is always nearly $75 per gun higher than the other one. I don't know how they stay in business.

I usually find at least one or two good deals at ours. It keeps me coming back.

HamsXD · 07-25-2005, 11:53 AM

I like to go to the gun shows in little towns. Stuff is a bit cheaper due to lower vendor fees. Also, like So Flo mentioned, gotta do a lttle research before you go to a gun show. I usually won't buy firearms at a gun show, unless it's Wannenmacher's in Tulsa, but instead mags, holsters, books, and other bits and pieces.

Snake-eater 1 · 07-25-2005, 04:51 PM

The CEGunShows show in Richmond, VA every couple of months is pretty good. Not too many beef jerky and jewelry dealers, and it's possible to get some reasonable deals. For example, Quantico Arms usually has a table there, and they have good prices on XDs. Some vendors have NEW glocks at $459, and you can find good prices on mid-range priced optics.

This coming Saturday, I'm going to CEGuns show in Chantilly, VA at the Dulles Expo Center. Supposed to be over 1000 tables, that's a big show!
Will be interesting to see what the prices, and selections, are like.

I've become disappointed with the smaller shows. Most seem to have a very small selection of guns and accessories, high prices, and a lot more JUNK (jerky and jewels). More of a swap meet. I pretty much don't go to them anymore.

ghouse78 · 07-25-2005, 05:09 PM

yeah i would definately go back to another show because it really does depend on who puts on the show on how it turns out
granted you will find just about the same stuff at both but probably different prices

good example is i found my nib norinco sks for $100 at a show and when the next show came in a couple months later i couldnt find any sks's for under 200

ken_mays · 07-25-2005, 06:15 PM

Where was this show, in Memphis?

The RK shows are usually OK but I haven't been to any lately.

Gun shows around here are no great panacea for ultimate deals, but you can almost always find a few diamonds in the rough here and there if you know what you're looking at and what you should be paying for it.

I've gotten some of my best deals at the Memphis shows -- for example, just a few:

1972 Browning High Power for $375
Customized Colt LW Commander for $550
Remington 20ga 1100 for $250
Swapped an Argentine High Power even for a Browning A-bolt .22 LR rifle

Forget about getting a good deal on most milsurps or collectibles, especially US military.

It's usually the guy with one table and less than a dozen guns that I like to see the most.

manygunner · 07-26-2005, 02:31 AM

Where else can one get Miwall 9mm 125 gr reloads for $75/1000? Also my wife and I like to window shop and generally drool.

**hobocircus** · 07-26-2005, 02:42 AM

Not sure why, but I swear gunshows were better during the Clinton years

Sure it's nice to get ARs, AKs and not worry about magazine capacity these days, but the shows have been bad for about 5 years now

ken_mays · 07-26-2005, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobocircus

Not sure why, but I swear gunshows were better during the Clinton years

Sure it's nice to get ARs, AKs and not worry about magazine capacity these days, but the shows have been bad for about 5 years now

The Internet has put a serious hurt on gun shows. The earnest, knowledgeable gun consumer has decided en masse to bypass the Bubba factor of the gun shows and deal directly with sellers on sites like Gunbroker & Auction Arms. Doubly so for accessories, ammo, and non-FFL items. Why would you deal with an irate, rude table jockey and his dusty, overpriced merchandise at a gun show when you can get the same stuff delivered to your door for the cost of a gunshow admission ticket, with virtually no hassle at all?

Still, I do like to visit the shows locally to see the oddities that sometimes appear, and to pounce on the the occasional Really Good Deal.

07-25-2005, 07:53 AM	#1
crushert XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 274	Went to my first gun show...disappointed. Are they all such a waste of time? This one wasn't very big (less than 100 vendors I would say, probably closer to 50), but I don't think I'll spend the money to go back to one. Guys selling remanufactured pistols for NIB prices. Ammo more expensive than retail (Ex: Rem 22 bulk packs for $11 that I can get at Wal-mart or Bass Pro for $10). SKS rifles for $200. One guy had a few for $135 each, but even then I wonder if they were 'shooter grades' that you can buy at places like AIMSurplus for $90. Even saw a H&R M1 Garand for $1100 ( ). Can get one of those though the Civilian Marksmanship Program for $550. I must say I really wasn't really surprised at all this because I'd read more than a few posts that talked about the lack of good deals at gun shows. But I hadn't ever been before and my neighbor invited to go, so I thought I'd tag along. __________________ XD9 Service Model "The State is the great fiction by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else." - Frederic Bastiat, 19th century philosopher-economist

07-25-2005, 08:00 AM	#2
Old School XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 7,629	Part of the problem with gun shows is the cost a vendor needs to pay, just to setup a 8' table. When your costs to get in the door is $1000+, you need to make up the money somewhere, and most do it in products. This, plus the cost of insurance, legislation, and fear, I feel that gun shows are a dieing breed, something our government seems to be OK with. I would suggest you attend another, as there are some really good ones. __________________ Visit www.pistolgear.com for all of your XD needs!

07-25-2005, 09:49 AM	#3
So Flo XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Wellington, Florida Posts: 12,321	Sorry you had a bad experience. A gun show gives new meaning to "Caveat Emptor!" You must have done your research if you are going to buy a specific item...or must at least know what is selling for what. Our shows here in West Palm Beach are usually pretty big, with over 100 vendors. Usually two major companies have huge sections set up...funny thing is, one is always nearly $75 per gun higher than the other one. I don't know how they stay in business. I usually find at least one or two good deals at ours. It keeps me coming back. __________________ No Guns, Know Crime. Know Guns, No Crime! http://militarysignatures.com/signatures/member3984.png

07-25-2005, 04:51 PM	#5
Snake-eater 1 XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Quinque, VA Posts: 2,653	The CEGunShows show in Richmond, VA every couple of months is pretty good. Not too many beef jerky and jewelry dealers, and it's possible to get some reasonable deals. For example, Quantico Arms usually has a table there, and they have good prices on XDs. Some vendors have NEW glocks at $459, and you can find good prices on mid-range priced optics. This coming Saturday, I'm going to CEGuns show in Chantilly, VA at the Dulles Expo Center. Supposed to be over 1000 tables, that's a big show! Will be interesting to see what the prices, and selections, are like. I've become disappointed with the smaller shows. Most seem to have a very small selection of guns and accessories, high prices, and a lot more JUNK (jerky and jewels). More of a swap meet. I pretty much don't go to them anymore. __________________ ----------------------------------------------- "Too soon, old. Too late, smart" anon

07-25-2005, 05:09 PM	#6
ghouse78 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: SC Posts: 104	yeah i would definately go back to another show because it really does depend on who puts on the show on how it turns out granted you will find just about the same stuff at both but probably different prices good example is i found my nib norinco sks for $100 at a show and when the next show came in a couple months later i couldnt find any sks's for under 200 __________________ XD-40 SOLD Desert Eagle (baby eagle) 9MM Chinese (Norinco) SKS w/ Drag. stock Savage MarkII Hi Point 9mm Carbine w/ATI stock Ruger 10/22

07-25-2005, 11:53 AM	#4
HamsXD XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Okc Posts: 323	I like to go to the gun shows in little towns. Stuff is a bit cheaper due to lower vendor fees. Also, like So Flo mentioned, gotta do a lttle research before you go to a gun show. I usually won't buy firearms at a gun show, unless it's Wannenmacher's in Tulsa, but instead mags, holsters, books, and other bits and pieces.

07-25-2005, 06:15 PM	#7
ken_mays XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 401	Where was this show, in Memphis? The RK shows are usually OK but I haven't been to any lately. Gun shows around here are no great panacea for ultimate deals, but you can almost always find a few diamonds in the rough here and there if you know what you're looking at and what you should be paying for it. I've gotten some of my best deals at the Memphis shows -- for example, just a few: 1972 Browning High Power for $375 Customized Colt LW Commander for $550 Remington 20ga 1100 for $250 Swapped an Argentine High Power even for a Browning A-bolt .22 LR rifle Forget about getting a good deal on most milsurps or collectibles, especially US military. It's usually the guy with one table and less than a dozen guns that I like to see the most.

07-26-2005, 02:31 AM	#8
manygunner XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Pacific North West Posts: 2,036	Where else can one get Miwall 9mm 125 gr reloads for $75/1000? Also my wife and I like to window shop and generally drool. __________________ CZ-Kadet CZ-52 CZ-83 CZ-75B CZ-85 Combat CZ-452 HK USP Compact Walther P99 XD-9 Service XD-9 Tactical Glock 17 Taurus PT-92 AR Taurus .44 Mag Mossberg 500A Remington 870 AR-15 16\" fluted AMD-65 Dragunov SVD STG-58

07-26-2005, 02:42 AM	#9
hobocircus XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The Nevada Desert on a Dry Lakebed. Living in a trailer with thunderstorms looming in the distance. Posts: 3,347	Not sure why, but I swear gunshows were better during the Clinton years Sure it's nice to get ARs, AKs and not worry about magazine capacity these days, but the shows have been bad for about 5 years now __________________ Ported V-10 XD9 Service SOLD Tactical XD9 in Basic Black I like to shoot Wolf ammo out of my Hi-Point pistol and rifle.

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