worst 12$ I ever spent. entry prices keep going up and the shows and people get worse. when I go it's to buy and sell, usually not guns but more of ammo or odds and ends but normally carry more than a couple of guns and other things to sell. yeah I'm sure I may stand out in the crowd and look like a one man band, but there used to always be many others doing the same thing. not so this time. very few people carrying stuff to sell and nobody selling holsters which is why I went and had 2 nice classic S&W,s hanging off me that almost everyone asked about, and an SKS I might sell. less than 30 seconds in the door some big mouth says Bubba give me a camera, I gotta get a pic of this guy, purposely loud enough for me to hear. now I'm in no shape for a fist fight even if I weren't weighted down with all my wares, and reply anyway just as loud your first gun show?, people come to sell as well as buy. bricks of 22's were selling like hotcakes at 100$ per and up. another 30 seconds I'm at my first table a Father and son deal and the big mouth son asks how much for the SKS? I say it's a yugo with lots of mods and time into it: new firing pin, squeaky clean no cosmo, razor sharp bayo. sculpted grip, refinished wood, 3 boxes of ammo and 10 stripper clips for 500$ (now that's the first, asking price). he rolls his eyes and says I'm crazy. I'm crazy (well actually yes but), you're selling 22's for 100$ a brick, that Colt agent in 60% you have tagged at $650 is worth $250 if you're lucky, and I'm over priced. the ol man and I got along fine and bs'd a while. most people that knew anything about anything would see the S&W's and knew that I knew a thing or 2 and I got some respect and had some good conversations with several guys. very many of the guns were worn out broken or both. the worst I saw was a Ruger very bottom of the line mk3 22 semi with the fixed sights and pencil thin bbl in rough shape, he had it marked $750, lol. only 3 guns in the whole show I would want and they were overpriced.
I hear you. Every show I have been to since around mid January of 2013 to present has been like this. I haven't been to a show in over a month because of it. I normally hit 2-3 shows every month looking for quality old Winchester's. The last quality Winchester I saw with the exception of the Lakeland Rifle and Pistol Club Show in January, I bought. The Lakeland show always has quality guns but it's a "collectors" show, with mostly collectors and there very decent collections. They all are trying to sell "collector" pieces at full retail blue book and most guns go home unsold. Therefore, it's more of a show and tell, then a gun show, at $60.00 a table.
gunshows: places for the yuppies and dipshits go buy overpriced 22lr ammo these days..
I went to a new venue in VENICE last week that was suppose to be larger/better then the other local one.. almost all crap and overpriced everything.
only guy that I noticed was never not calling in a background check for a sale was my local one man operation gun shop (has his buddies help him at the shows) and thats because he hasn't raised any prices..
Was going to try the palmetto gun show this weekend. Mothers day killed that. Maybe next time.
