I agree with you 100%. I use to go to the Forks of the Del. shows in Pa. they had everything. I bought a "REAL", matching # Enfield #5 jungle carbine, a matching # late WW1 Enfield #3 rifle with original brass butt plate and ID disk on the stock. There were parts kits and gunsmiths, everything you could wish for. Last summer I drove out to Harrisburg Pa. for a large show. The majority of tables were venders. There were tons of AR's, Chinese made sights and ammo but very few private sellers and everything was super expensive.
Gun shows nowadays
It has been a long time since I have been to a gun show. The last gun show I went to I was VERY disappointed. There were a lot of Knick knack tables...flea market type of items. I have been reading that a lot of this has been cleaned up.
But I think my biggest disappointment was paying $10 or $15 per person to get in and finding that everything in the show was VERY over priced. It was during the time that gun sales and prices were through the roof but I could have driven to an LGS just down the road and paid considerably less for the ammo and guns that were for sale.
So I am curious if all of this has changed or will it be more of the same?? I remember a day ( loooong time ago ) where you could go to a gun show and find deals on things you were looking for.
But I think my biggest disappointment was paying $10 or $15 per person to get in and finding that everything in the show was VERY over priced. It was during the time that gun sales and prices were through the roof but I could have driven to an LGS just down the road and paid considerably less for the ammo and guns that were for sale.
So I am curious if all of this has changed or will it be more of the same?? I remember a day ( loooong time ago ) where you could go to a gun show and find deals on things you were looking for.
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The last one I went to was hawking those bamboo pillows.My experience has been exactly the same. The only items I have found that I was remotely interested in were used firearms, but invariably priced way out of my range. All new firearms were priced at least $100 over prices easily found on the internet. Newly manufactured ammunition was also grossly overpriced.
Most tables have nothing but junk knifes, belt buckles, a bunch of completely unmarked and worn out pistol magazines, reloaded ammo, and other stuff I have absolutely no interest in. I have stopped attending.
Don't forget the overpriced food at the concession stands.The worst part is the non gun junk to me. Scentsy candles, some survival gizmo, clothes, purses, etc. There seems to be less and less guns at every show I got to.
Gun shows these days are for uneducated buyers and impulse purchases. I think the only thing worth going for is to find something somewhat uncommon, but not highly valuable.
And they are garbage knives at that.Agree there are few if any bargains any more. And I don't get why there are so many knife sellers. I almost never see anyone buying a knife, much less even looking.
Some years ago I scored an old Savage .22 rifle that was in rough shape cosmetically. The show was about to close and the seller had it marked for 200 bucks. I offered 100 and he took it in a NY minute. I had the stock refinished for 20 bucks and it looked brand new and shot perfectly. One of the best buys I ever made.
That's the best way to look at it.You go with a bunch of your shooting buddies. Have breakfast on the way out,
pick up a little bit of ca ca at the show, and have lunch on the way home. After
you come home you feel like you went somewhere.
Zeke
1 - 5 of 136 Posts
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