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Observations from Last Sunday Gun and Knife Show

select-fire
Usually the show in Columbia is super busy.. hunting season coming in draws huge crowds. Not this time.
1. Dealers were just standing behind tables.. looking puzzled, but still saying hello and Is there anything I can help you with??
2. Low lighting inside.. maybe the promoter forgot to pay the light bill or they wanted to make the firearms look better if you couldn't see them.
3. The folks that were walking around were just looking. Like it really was a show not a place to buy.
4. Didn't see anyone buying any firearms in the two and a half hours there. I even backtracked to pick up some ammo I had purchased and left at the dealer.
5. I bought 5 boxes of 25/06 Ammo that was clearly a steal. I ask Dealer if he just laid it out or it was there Sat? Told me he didn't have 10 people ask about any of his table full of firearms all day Sat. At $10 a box I would have bought more if he had it.
6. I observed one .22 rifle I might have bought .22 Browning gallery special ..shorts only but the price was completely out of hand. Rest of firearms I did stop and look at were all retail for used prices.
7. Noticed some of the older dealers were not at the show. Maybe they were smart to stay home.
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • mac10
    it is summer time folks out doing summer things gunshows are a fall winter thing...went to one during a hundred degree day two weeks ago the place was air conditioned lots of empty tables and sparce crowd
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  • WearyTraveler
    With all the ?we must DO SOMETHING!? hand wringing that?s going on, I?m confident that sales and gun show traffic is going to improve most ricky tick...
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  • US Military Guy
    select-fire wrote:
    Usually the show in Columbia is super busy.. hunting season coming in draws huge crowds. Not this time.
    1. Dealers were just standing behind tables.. looking puzzled, but still saying hello and Is there anything I can help you with??
    2. Low lighting inside.. maybe the promoter forgot to pay the light bill or they wanted to make the firearms look better if you couldn't see them.
    3. The folks that were walking around were just looking. Like it really was a show not a place to buy.
    4. Didn't see anyone buying any firearms in the two and a half hours there. I even backtracked to pick up some ammo I had purchased and left at the dealer.
    5. I bought 5 boxes of 25/06 Ammo that was clearly a steal. I ask Dealer if he just laid it out or it was there Sat? Told me he didn't have 10 people ask about any of his table full of firearms all day Sat. At $10 a box I would have bought more if he had it.
    6. I observed one .22 rifle I might have bought .22 Browning gallery special ..shorts only but the price was completely out of hand. Rest of firearms I did stop and look at were all retail for used prices.
    7. Noticed some of the older dealers were not at the show. Maybe they were smart to stay home.
    Number 6 will explain numbers 1, 3, and 4.
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  • chiefr
    select-fire wrote:
    Usually the show in Columbia is super busy.. hunting season coming in draws huge crowds. Not this time.
    1. Dealers were just standing behind tables.. looking puzzled, but still saying hello and Is there anything I can help you with??
    2. Low lighting inside.. maybe the promoter forgot to pay the light bill or they wanted to make the firearms look better if you couldn't see them.
    3. The folks that were walking around were just looking. Like it really was a show not a place to buy.
    4. Didn't see anyone buying any firearms in the two and a half hours there. I even backtracked to pick up some ammo I had purchased and left at the dealer.
    5. I bought 5 boxes of 25/06 Ammo that was clearly a steal. I ask Dealer if he just laid it out or it was there Sat? Told me he didn't have 10 people ask about any of his table full of firearms all day Sat. At $10 a box I would have bought more if he had it.
    6. I observed one .22 rifle I might have bought .22 Browning gallery special ..shorts only but the price was completely out of hand. Rest of firearms I did stop and look at were all retail for used prices.
    7. Noticed some of the older dealers were not at the show. Maybe they were smart to stay home.
    Number 6 will explain numbers 1, 3, and 4.



    Yep, I have not been to one in almost 2 years now. Powder $35, 22LR bricks over $35, I wont go into the prices on guns, but sellers must think Obama is still POTUS. All my purchases gun and other are on line and I am satisfied,
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  • Ditch-Runner
    many years ago I enjoyed going to the local ( 45 miles ) gun show I would spend both days some times trading so much stuff and so many tables , but the last 5 years I have been to none .
    I use to find good deals and odd ball as in not popular models for cheap
    last ones I went to even finding a decent deal with some one just walking in wanting to sell was impossible the dealers flock around the door or close to it like a lot wait at the mail box at the first of the month :shock:
    I liked the face to face deals as most no dealer looking for a killing on one sale , and the private sellers with a table set up get a premium for no paper work ( there was always a lot of tables of selling private collection no paper work and had signs stating it )
    I think the gun shows will fade into history soon the internet killed them like it did the flea markets
    if they pass a every gun has to go thru a dealer it will be a huge blow to the local shows ( at least states where its still legal to do face to face sells )
    just open th edoor to make crooks out of thousands of honest people
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  • Mobuck
    I haven't attended a "gun show" for close to a decade. Overpriced guns, ammo in tattered boxes, knockoff scopes, and far too much plain old junk and trinkets. Why drive 50-100 miles and pay to get into the building when you already know it's not going to be worthwhile?
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  • Smitty500mag
    After the next democrat is elected president the gun industry will be back to it's old self. Gun shows will flourish, gun manufactures will be working overtime and happiness will once again return to those camo wearing gun store G.I. Joe's. :D
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  • shilowar
    Gunbroker has gutted gun shows like Ebay has gutted Flea Markets...it's easy to know what something is worth today, and easier to find obscure things, the "hunt" is no longer required when you just have to hop on the internet. Every Labor Day I go to Hillsville Gun Show and Flea Market, mostly out of tradition, and every year I see the same sellers, mostly the same items with the same ridiculous prices and I wonder why i come back...but it's the concern of it going away that draws me to spend half a day walking around. Hillsville used to be wide open, folks walking around with guns for sale, tables and tables of "private" sellers, then 4 years ago the ATF showed up and put the hammer on folks, especially the out of state violators...it's never recovered. It's dominated by food vendors and chinese junk now. Times have changed, everything is available by internet via UPS. Trump is going to end private sales, even though everyone acknowledges that it will have little impact on preventing a mass tragedy. The end of private sales will really kill gun shows, which will thrill the left.
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  • Mobuck
    We had a "gun and dog auction" about 75 miles away that was THE PLACE to buy/sell/trade guns for years. It grew and morphed into a "flea market" with a wider array of items and sellers but still a good place to buy or trade guns. Things got a bit wild for a few years and ATF stepped in with pages and pages of violations(some well deserved) and now the place is a rat hole of junk tools and T-shirts.
    I try to make the pilgrimage once a year to restock lost tools and shop rags.
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  • mmppres
    I am at a gun show almost every weekend since i became unemployed an disabled. The sales have been down all summer. Alot as stated due to nice weather an vacations. But also the Trump slump. No one is worried right now. People have to want the item or price is a steel. Promoters are raising door prices too high. Table prices are crazy at some places. Dealers worry about straw purchases, which is out of control. I have some high end firearms on both Gunbroker an at shows at same time. Thats what the GB tags are for. Yes too many non firearm are sale tables. But the pure gun collector shows are very very hard to sell at. Most of the collectors are in there 70's or older. They just want to look not buy. The show season here in Pa will start next month.
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  • hillbille
    agree with the last poster about straw/out state sales, we have so many out of state pipeline, oil/gas well drillers in area now, younger kids with pockets bulging with money. most don't want older guns most want black plastic rifles and pistols, few of the older foremen on the crews will pick up older stuff, model 12, 97's, 88's ect. saw two fellows walk up to a guy who comes to all the shows with overpriced older shotguns some are nice, some refinished, two fellows almost bought up his entire table, spent 7500-8500. same guns he would bring to every show then take home for the next one. he told me after they left he thought he was done with shows getting to old and laughed and said he finally got rid of all his junk!!!!! told me he kept his good stuff for his kids. haven't seen him set up table since, though see him every now and then walking around the aisles.
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  • JasonV
    Been going to gun shows in South Dakota for 30 years and never bought a gun at one. They are shows and not for selling I think.
    Save a lot of money buying any new gun from any retailer than a gun show.
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