Hey fellas!

Anyone in the area that weekend should stop on by. I know rfb45colt is planning on swinging by, and I'd be happy to bullshit with any of you other reprobates!

I'll have a sign so you know the table.

Hopefully it will be as good as Rothschild was for me. Sold a ton of stuff, and picked up a PPQ M1 and P228 for really good prices.

Might have to do that; will be in the area.

Set up, the selection is a bit light, but there's a few interesting tables.

We have a grand total of one protestor so far, lol.

Look for the FUAROCK sign on my table!

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Friday is always "light", with empty tables reserved by working people, who don't come until late friday or early saturday.  It's why I never go on a friday.

A protestor? Protesting what? I noticed the usual "gun show" signs out on the highweay, and the intersection by 45 & 70, weren't there when I drove by earlier today....about 1pm.  

Where are you, which aisle, from left to right? And is the middle eastern kid with all the handmade knives there? I started 'collecting' his stuff.

Haha, yeah, tonight is light.

I'm on the East wall, about 6-7 tables down. Directly across from the the young Middle-Eastern guy.

LOL.... I bought a G20sf from a guy who was in about that same area, about 5 years ago.

Hoping to stop in tomorrow, will have to see how things go.

Could've been one of my buddies. If it was one of the guys from Hodag, then it definitely was them, haha.

I'm the youngest in our group by about 30 years, lol.

Did you take down the signs, or did I miss them? Took two laps, had a few laughs, and left empty handed. Decent selection, but nothing I couldn't live without.

Nope, still standing here. Freezin' my ass off.

Shit... I didn't see you. What time did you leave? I got there about 11:15, after the crowd thinned out. Stayed until about 2pm. I found him, no problem... but I knew where to look. He was with a guy I know from Hodag Gun & Loan, I just looked for him. Last aisle against the east wall, about 1/3rd of the way down from the front. Right across from the kid with all the homemade knives. He was wearing a camo hat with "Air Force" on it...how da fuck did you miss that?

I found a smokin deal on 17rnd Ruger factory mags for my SR9C. They're $40ea at Midway, a two-pack is $78 at Ruger.com. I bought 2 two-packs (4 mags), new - still in original package, for $35 per two-pack...or $70 for FOUR 17rnd factory magazines ($17.50ea)!! I just bought some factory 17rnd magazine sleeves for them that make them a flush fit with the SR9C grip, from Midway for $6 ea. And two Pro Mag aftermarket magazines that were $19.95 each, about a week ago. These were less than half the price of all online sellers... no shipping.

eta: The mags also fit the PC9 carbine...which I guess I'll need to buy soon, as now I've got over a dozen Ruger mags that fit it (between the SR9C and my Security 9s)... and even more than that in Glock mags that fit it also.

I posted right as we were leaving. As for missing the hat, I was distracted by the knives...lol. The woman has a fancy hand made Damascus, and she was looking for one similar to hers.

Almost picked her up an M&P 2.0, but they're  $80 cheaper at Fleet Farm. Also saw real BP, but 1.5 Fg.

When I came in I went to the right, and my first stop was at the Guns & Grease table along the west wall, a local FFL (class 3) that I know. He had a few suppressors on his table. Stopped and talked with a few vendors, spent a few minutes catching up with my old friend Sue ("Tom Thumb's" wife). I found White Dog as soon as I got to the last row of tables.

I saw the BP too.

You probably walked out 5 minutes after I walked in.  

Yeah, it was nice to get a chance to meet Rfb, and bullshit for a while. We'll definitely have to get to those Old Fashioned's sometime, haha!

It's been a damn slow show, and the only thing I've managed to find was a pair of Zipperback P228 mags, for $25/ea.

The crowd actually "feels" different. There's not as much banter, questions, and examining guns. Rothschild and Merrill were far better. My stuff's always priced with wiggle-room, as some guys like to dicker, but this was different. People just weren't as engaged or happy as they usually are.


The next one we're at isn't until July 31st, in Manitowish Waters. Last year that one was pretty decent, so I'm hopeful.

I saw Tom Thumb's table, but no Tom. Almost picked up some mini shells for the Serbu, but again, priced higher than Fleet Farm.

Better than the last show I was to, but...damn. I miss the shows of the 90s.

Me too. But most of those guys who had the good tables are probably all dead by now. I know Carlson from Antigo has been for years. Tom T was there, but he looks sickly, almost didn't recognize him. The guy who used to have 12 tables full of reloading tools & supplies is who I miss most. He had a big motorhome that he used to carry it all to the shows. But he's been gone for about 20 years. Back in the 90s, I bought so much stuff from him that several times I borrowed his 2 wheel dolly to haul it out to my truck, as I had too much to carry.  

It was nice to meet another arfcommer in person.

I was suprised at the small size of the crowd for a rainy saturday, on a 3 day holiday weekend. But OTOH, I wasn't. As the overall crowds and traffic up here are down this year. My wife grocery shops every saturday, and she dreads the holiday weekends, because aisles are jammed and shelves get emptied out. But she said the store was empty yesterday. Almost like a normal weekend, not a holiday one. Why is the traffic in the stores, and at the gun show, slow? *$4.50* per gallon of gas is why. I only had to drive 2 miles to get there. If it was 25 miles away, in Rhinelander or Minocqua, I wouldn't go due to the high cost of gas. My grandson-in-law didn't come yesterday because he lives in Arbor Vitae and drives a K2500 Chevy truck. He wasn't going to use his gas, he needs it to get to work next week. I haven't gone to an Antigo show for a few years, and that's partially why... ESPECIALLY this year! I used to go to both of those yearly shows. And people don't like paying a 300% increase on stuff like primers. Sheesh... $12-15 per hundred? 2 years ago it was $4. Supply & demand...I get it. But that price kills my "demand". If I did drive 200-300 miles to get up north for the weekend, I wouldn't be spending any money at gun shows, craft fairs, souvineer shops, etc. IOW, I wouldn't "shop" at all. Discretionary funds now all go into the gas tank and for food. I usually go to the Manitowish Waters show in July too...not this year. I need to save my gas to go to work.  
FJB.

The crowd feeling different is likely due to current events, and the overall condition this country is in. It's not good, and it's starting to show in attitudes. People are mad, people are scared. I fully expected a bunch of sign waving liberal assholes to be there. Glad there wasn't. I even told my wife before I left "there's bail money in my safe".


*$4.50 per gallon of gas was yesterday's price. Today, sunday 5/29, it's $4.70.

Ive been contemplating buying a .410 o/u or single shot. Ive never owned one. But ive heard ammo for them is made from "unobtanium". I've been looking on store shelves & online. I"ve only seen the "TSS" turkey loads ... at $5 per shot i assume they use solid 24ct gold pellets?

So i made it a point to look for .410 ammo yesterday.  LOL ... best price I saw was $35 for Federal #6 game loads, or $40 for a 25 round box of 7-1/2s.

Fucking crazy ...

Glad I filled up after the show, and it was still ~$100.

I got gas last tuesday when it was still $4.39. I've lived here long enough to know that on every wednesday, or thursday at the latest, before a holiday weekend, gas prices are guaranteed to jump up. Gotta gouge every cent from them  tourists....

If this weekend was any indication, this is going to be a rough summer.

After I got home yesterday, I was talking to my neighbor; the State Boat Landing never had more than 5 trucks/trailers in it all weekend. He counted 8 boats on Friday, 6 Saturday, and 6 Sunday. The tavern traffic was more like an off-season weekend. UTV groups were down to less than 3 machines, and I only heard 2-3 groups go by all weekend.

Seems like plenty of people came to their cottages, but the high-dollar gas-intensive activities are wayyyyy down.

All I sold at the show was ammo, and a set of CZ-75 grips. After expenses, gas, and buying 4 P228 mags, my net was $10 profit. I think most folks were just looking at it as something to kill time, for $7.

Is that the one on the west side? If so, I was there last January, on a saturday afternoon, and those bars were packed with snowmobilers!! My sister bought some display racks (for craft shows) from a lady who lives on that road that's right across from that west side landing, and I went down there with my E250 to pick them up for her (she was in FL for the winter).

No, that's our Municipal Landing. The State one is on the south side of the lake, just a few driveways East of the Lakeview Tavern.

You probably stopped on Roothouse Road, and my guess is the lady's name is Nancy? She makes little stuffed snowmen for craft shows?

She's my mom's best friend, and her husband is a good friend of mine.

Yep, Roothouse Rd, 1st house. Didn't meet him. My sister knows her from the craft shows. It was shortly after the Packers lost to Niners in playoffs, she came out in a Packers jacket. We talked football for awhile, then i went on my way.... to J&Ps, then Fleet Farm. That's the last time i was down that way.

You have to adapt. Saw a 2011 Burgman 400 along side the road for sale $1500 with only 4k miles. One little scratch.

Now I have a new toy and go where I want. 63.5 miles a gallon and "cruises" at 60mph. Yes It will go 75 on the interstate but I keep her to the back roads, more fun anyway. As I get older I could give a crap less what others think. I love it. Wonder what it will be worth if gas hits 8 plus a gallon like they are saying.

If gas hits $8 per gallon, the entire economy will collapse by then, and there won't be anywhere to go anyway.