Gun shows ... What gives?

[Boriqua]

I have been to exactly one gun show since coming out here. I am all about doing things just for the experience of having done them and when I first came out and saw an Ad for a gun show I decided neat.

My previous experience with gun shows was a guy standing next to an open car trunk and you got to peruse the wares that lied within. There were some old used guns, some new in box and usually some range ammo but .. that was a gun show.

So when I first came out here and saw an Ad for an Actual Gun show I had to see what it was about.

First thing .. some unpleasant "guard" at the door takes my gun and puts a zip tie through it. Now .. accidents happen and I suppose that measure lessens them I guess .. but a grumpy dude taking my gun and making it worthless during my ultimate celebration of living in a 2A friendly state doesn't start my experience off well.

Inside was packed and You had to fight to get near any table. People manning the tables were mostly miserable fuks. I chalked it up to gun people being generally grumpy for some reason.

Mostly I shuffled down the center of an over crowded aisle. There was a bunch of people selling non gun related Flea market junk like those little helicopters and there was some guy in a small booth with a nazi flag on it selling nazi stuff. Walked over because I have a friend here who collects WWII stuff but it was mostly tee shirts and other junk and nothing cool like knives or guns.

It was basically hot noisy and crowded and I didnt see a thing that resembled a bargain outside of reloaded ammo.

So whats the lore. I am not a collector .. is it the search for older guns that are no longer available? Is it habit. I didnt get it. That was some 16+ years ago and I have been invited to go to others but that was the only one I ever went to. Anything available new can be had local or online at what I saw was a similar price.

[MarkItZero]

Gun show bingo, Google it

[Boriqua]

Gun show bingo, Google it

Actually finding some really funny posts from other boards!!

I laughed at this one

-------------------------
Gun show bingo!

Free space
Beef Jerky stand
Scented candles
300 pound man selling “fighting” knives
Incredibly overpriced Colt memorial 1911
Someone trying to pass after-market part as milsurp on a rifle
Guy wearing a sleeveless shirt with an eagle/American flag on it
Nazi memorabilia
A $25 ammo tin (sans ammo)
Vendor suggesting Taurus Judge for self defense (Nate)
Obviously fake medals being passed as real.
Entire row of overpriced, used magazines (nate)
The Island of AR Accessories (Usually NcStarr, etc)
A bored looking bearded man sweeping the entire crowd with his finger on the trigger of a gun
The “I used to be a federal agent/seal/spec ops/special forces” guy
Cover this tile if you hear “It'll drill the same hole all day long”, etc accuracy claims
A sporterized Enfield
The “Never been fired” gun that's clearly been through hell.
The “custom” mauser that's been at the mercy of gunsmithing's version of josef mengele
Cover this tile if you hear “Well forty-five's really the only choice for self defense” etc (nate)
Somebody covered head to toe in either OD green or camo
Someone pointing a rifle at a group of people to “check out the sights”
A strangely out of place jewelery stand (all handmade, all crappy) (nate)
Five dollar hotdogs
A row of bayonets, each one apparently used to kill enemy combatants (sometimes in the wrong war)
A counter of ammo 300% inflated in price.
“Yessir, this round will knock a man right to the ground”
The sound of tasers being tested CONSTANTLY

[That Guy]

I have been to exactly one gun show since coming out here. I am all about doing things just for the experience of having done them and when I first came out and saw an Ad for a gun show I decided neat.

My previous experience with gun shows was a guy standing next to an open car trunk and you got to peruse the wares that lied within. There were some old used guns, some new in box and usually some range ammo but .. that was a gun show.

So when I first came out here and saw an Ad for an Actual Gun show I had to see what it was about.

First thing .. some unpleasant "guard" at the door takes my gun and puts a zip tie through it. Now .. accidents happen and I suppose that measure lessens them I guess .. but a grumpy dude taking my gun and making it worthless during my ultimate celebration of living in a 2A friendly state doesn't start my experience off well.

Inside was packed and You had to fight to get near any table. People manning the tables were mostly miserable fuks. I chalked it up to gun people being generally grumpy for some reason.

Mostly I shuffled down the center of an over crowded aisle. There was a bunch of people selling non gun related Flea market junk like those little helicopters and there was some guy in a small booth with a nazi flag on it selling nazi stuff. Walked over because I have a friend here who collects WWII stuff but it was mostly tee shirts and other junk and nothing cool like knives or guns.

It was basically hot noisy and crowded and I didnt see a thing that resembled a bargain outside of reloaded ammo.

So whats the lore. I am not a collector .. is it the search for older guns that are no longer available? Is it habit. I didnt get it. That was some 16+ years ago and I have been invited to go to others but that was the only one I ever went to. Anything available new can be had local or online at what I saw was a similar price.

I just love it when someone moves to Arizona and one minute after they trash their New Jersey turnpike E-ZPass start bitching about how we do things out here (like all the rust belt refugees who whine that Arizona doesn’t have daylight savings time).

Oh, by the way-it gets really hot in the summer too…….

[QuietM4]

Gun shows haven't been a place to go find deals since Internet shopping was invented. Years ago, the city of Phoenix started cracking down on collection of sales tax, so that little savings went away. Every year I see more and more non-firearms related tables with glass figurines, shitty Chinese optics that are crazy prices, crappy toys, jewelry, etc.

For most shows, my only purchase is beef jerky or popcorn...those tables do a great business at the shows. They can stay...we all need snacks.

But they serve a purpose...I look at the gun shows as a large moving gun shop where I can see thousands of guns for sale at one place, instead of driving around from shop to shop.

Plus, it's good people watching.

[underw0rld]

Don't forget all the people who smell like a bums @ssh0le

[62Grains]

I personally enjoy the gun shows. Sometimes I go just to be a looky loo though. I have found some good deals on things but that usually happens when I engage in conversation with them. After you go to a few you will know who the guys are that just like to setup shop there so they have something to do and who the gun shops are and who the ones are that want to unload stuff. It also helps keeping your eyes open for the people that walk around privately selling. A lot of times its pretty cool just to be able to shop in one place rather than 10 different shops in town and also depending on what you're looking for, they might not have much of it here in state in an actual shop.

But if you want to go to the best show, go the SAR show in December. Its by far the biggest and has lots of stuff to see and buy. I tend to buy VLTOR stuff there because they will bring in their blems and stuff they are marking way down. Either go right when they first open so you have a wider selection or go at the end of Sunday and you have a smaller selection but better deals because some of them dont want to haul that stuff home.

[Boriqua]

I personally enjoy the gun shows. Sometimes I go just to be a looky loo though. I have found some good deals on things but that usually happens when I engage in conversation with them. After you go to a few you will know who the guys are that just like to setup shop there so they have something to do and who the gun shops are and who the ones are that want to unload stuff. It also helps keeping your eyes open for the people that walk around privately selling. A lot of times its pretty cool just to be able to shop in one place rather than 10 different shops in town and also depending on what you're looking for, they might not have much of it here in state in an actual shop.

But if you want to go to the best show, go the SAR show in December. Its by far the biggest and has lots of stuff to see and buy. I tend to buy VLTOR stuff there because they will bring in their blems and stuff they are marking way down. Either go right when they first open so you have a wider selection or go at the end of Sunday and you have a smaller selection but better deals because some of them dont want to haul that stuff home.

A buddy of mine has been asking me to go to the SAR show for years. Maybe this year I ought to take him up on it and give at least one more show the go.

[WyattBurp]

Gun shows 20 years ago were the bomb, you could get tons if stuff on the cheap,. I remember each time they came to where i was living at the time, I roll a hand truck full of ammo out to the car, it was half of what a store would charge and good deal on guns as well. Those days are long gone with the internet. I wont go now, 30 bucks in gas, 20 to get in and 10 bucks to park. Just for a privilege in paying 30 plus percent more for a gun at a show. There are a lot of dudes trying to sell their old POS guns for twice what they are worth, lots of junk out there.

[knockonit]

wah wah wah, buncha whiners, lol

[pneuby]

1* Every year I see more and more non-firearms related tables with glass figurines, shitty Chinese optics that are crazy prices, crappy toys, jewelry, etc.

2* But they serve a purpose...I look at the gun shows as a large moving gun shop where I can see thousands of guns for sale at one place, instead of driving around from shop to shop.

3* Plus, it's good people watching.

1- They must be making the money, else they wouldn't pony-up the fees to be there.
2- Yes, and when new guns hit the market...it seems you see them at the show/s first
3- This

Don't forget all the people who smell like a bums @ssh0le

..and you know this HOW ?

wah wah wah, buncha whiners, lol

YUP

[Tacticalplinker]

If I'm being honest, I've not been to an Arizona gun show. Always meant to, but never got around to it.

Anyway... I used to frequent the gun shows back in California. I also worked the CalGuns table at several shows preaching tovthe quire. I rarely bought anything other than overpriced food from the vendors.

Having said that, I absolutely agree with the OP's experience. I'm certain it has influenced my reluctance to attend gun shows, regardless of their location.

[Ballistic Therapy]

I have probably only purchased four or five items from people set up at guns shows over the years.
On the other hand I have purchased quite a few items from people just walking around trying to sell something.
The people walking around selling stuff can make the show worthwhile.

[samnev]

I haven't gone to a gun show in over 5 years. Was tired of seeing the same vendors, for the most part, selling the same old weapons etc at inflated prices and the big increase in swap meet items. The last show I went to was the SAR show but wasn't impressed with what they had for sale for the prices they wanted. But that's just me YMMV.

[omegaman]

I always go to SAR and the local shows here in Prescott. The past 2 shows up here I just walked around didn't buy anything. One at the horse track this weekend, I was thinking it would be the same. Then I find a vendor with some old school strait mp5 mags at a decent price. So it was a good find. Every once in a while you'll find something cool to buy.