What's happening to our gun shows??? I have been to 2 gun show in the last 2 months ,the prices were not bad,I could have picked up a 300 savage for $450.00 . Most of the vendors say the crowds are small and they are not buying just lookers. This the first time that I have been to the gun shows and did not buy a single item. These two gun shows I do visit every time there in town. I have never seen a Gun show so empty of people

Worse, many are giving tables to sellers with tough-guy knives and t-shirts instead of FFLs. The Salt Lake City gun show is still ok, just not what it once was.

The gun show near to me has slowly withered. Nothing much of interest. Nothing of quality. Everything leans towards tactical this, and tactical that. Ho-hum.

For the most part, they are a waste of time here unless you are looking for jerky, tactical junk, concealed carry purses, t shirts, etc.
The internet has pretty much killed them.

Yep,it's a shame.A lot of locales are even forbiding them in their towns or making it so difficult that it is not worth the effort.We used to have a great semi annual show at the Austin convention center.I went to one in Astro Hall in Houston in the mid 70's that took you 3 days to see everything.We had a great one right down the road here at the HEB convention center in Cedar Park.It was enormous;unfortunately there was an AD in the parking lot. I knew the guy. His son in law shot him with the proverbiable 'unloaded gun'.That shut down that venue as well.It is really a shame because that was always a great fun thing to do on a weekend + I used to find bargains.Besides as you say,now there's all those T shirts + jams +| jellies.That's all well + good that they can invade the gun shows but heaven help us if we tried to sell a gun at a SAMMI show.Dbl. standard.

I worked guns shows nearly every weekend with SWFA in the early to mid 90s during high school. I can count on one hand how many I have been to since. I did go to Dallas Market Hall to pick up a gun I had already bought. It was a shell of itself. However, I did find some great salsa picante and later ordered a case from the guy. I also found a cool leather bandolier style shots hell belt that fit me. The guy was asking $15. I didn’t even haggle.

Ever since they let dealers sell at the shows they have been going down hill.

Why should one go to a show when one could just go to their shop.

I've seen the decline, too. When 30 percent of the tables are junk knives, scented candles and T-shirts, it's more a third-rate flea market than a gun show. The other thing I notice is how so much of the stuff is just overpriced. I walk down an aisle and the phrase "What on earth is he thinking?" comes up over and over again in my mind. So many sellers rely on the blue book pricing instead of paying attention to pricing for the buyers standing right in front of their tables. Kind of a Mexican stand-off.

I stayed at the Adams Mark to attend a convention for work, extended the stay for a weekend to go to the Market Hall show. This was in the 90's.

There was a show in the Westchester, NY for many years then after the Sandy shooting it closed down. The quilting and computer show never brought in as much money :-). They restarted it for a few years then stopped again.

Still go 1-2 a year to a show in Penn. Good opportunity to buy reloading supplies.

quote:

Originally posted by DCS Member:
I worked guns shows nearly every weekend with SWFA in the early to mid 90s during high school. I can count on one hand how many I have been to since. I did go to Dallas Market Hall to pick up a gun I had already bought. It was a shell of itself. However, I did find some great salsa picante and later ordered a case from the guy. I also found a cool leather bandolier style shots hell belt that fit me. The guy was asking $15. I didn’t even haggle.

It is a shame but the truth is that they are on the decline. I remember here in Austin in the mid 70's at the convention center APD was switching over to semis from revolvers + had 2 booths selling S+W + Colts for $150.00 ea. straight across the board.+ yes Pdog,all the licensed dealers are selling at storefront prices.I have kept going just because I can see the hand writing on the wall when before long we won't have them any more.But no more bargains between individuals.Kinda reminds me of the old adage about the farmer that won the lottery.tHey asked him how he would spend the money. He said being rich was not going to change him,he was going to keep farming until it was all gone.

The local Lion's Club sponsor an annual (or maybe semi-annual) gun show here. It was usually a pretty decent show. I attended religiously until they moved it to a "nicer" venue that does not allow attendees to carry. I quit going.

I think that gun shows are on the decline because their prices were too high! People attending knew what gun prices were on the internet, but the people selling were asking much more. Then there were the people walking around with a "sign" on their back indicating that they had a gun for sale!
Haven't been to a gun show in years!
Peter.

Desert Ram, y'all talking about the Lions show at the Las Cruces convention center just west of the university?

It seems guns shows are declining but has there been an increase in gun stores or big box stores. I live outside of Cincinnati and within 45-minute drive I have 2 Cabelas, 2 Field, and Streams, 1 Bass Pro plus many new shooting ranges/ guns stores in the area.

I usually find what I am looking for on the internet be it an auction house, gunbroker, this forum or 24 hr classified. So most of my new gun purchases come from these avenues not a gun show.

True,you can. I always enjoyed the old gun shows for getting away for the day,spending time with like minded individuals + maybe finding that score. I recall at one show when I was leaving this guy had a booth right by the exit door + right behind him he had leaning against the wall a .303 Savage W/ tang sight. He said he'd let me have it for $150.00. Of course I bought it. He was selling it for a friend that was local + said he had 10 boxes of NEW Win. ammo that he would sell for $10.00 a box.Bought those as well.On another occasion I saw a booth that had picked up several items from an estate sale. I was looking at a pair 3rd gen. peacemakers in 45 LC. when I noticed that they were consecutive ser. # s.The guy had no idea what he had.I asked him what he would knock off if I bought the pair.He said $100.00 a piece.So I bought them for $1200.00 + then sent them off to Hartford to have ivory stocks installed.Seems we can't do that anymore.But mine are in the safe.Thats what I'm talking about the beauty of the old time gun shows.We are losing it more every day.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Desert Ram, y'all talking about the Lions show at the Las Cruces convention center just west of the university?

Yep, that's the one. They used to have it out at Dickerson's Barn on Picacho. Now that it's on university property, or affiliated with the university, attendees are not allowed to carry.