Posted: 9/24/2011 12:18:44 PM EDT
Anybody get a chance to go? I recently moved and live with in walking distance of the hall and wanted to take my 11 year old son to his first gun show  . I have him for the weekend (from my ex) and I know he wants to go.
Anything worth seeing? What was the cover? Thanks |
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I went earlier today and left empty handed. Same vendors with same products as the last 5 or 6 shows in Mesa. Even the used guns don't change that much.
I'd like to know when the thinking became popular of "Hey, it's not selling in the store, let's mark it up 50% and take it to the gun show". Guess what Mr. Dealer, it was overpriced at the store and at the last half dozen shows, marking it up even more isn't going to make it sell. If you've never been to one before it's worth it, but I think I'm going to skip the next half dozen Mesa gun shows. I think SAR is the only other show I'll bother going to this year. |
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Quoted: If you've never been to one before it's worth it, but I think I'm going to skip the next half dozen Mesa gun shows. I think SAR is the only other show I'll bother going to this year. The Mesa show has sucked ass every time I've gone to it. SAR is the only one I will go to from now on. I usually take that Friday off and go while everybody is at work...it's pretty nice then. |
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Ugh, I had a feeling the show would kinda blow. Same stuff, same shit. Jacked up prices. I know a guys has to make a living, understand. Traveling the circut, table costs, etc. Gotta cover your bills and still make a living. I understand. But when you keep walking the isles and see stuff thats marked up more than what you can find on the interent, well, its gets hard to justify.
I laugh somewhat painfully as I am very proud of my 50 dollar boony hat. Got at a Crossroads at the fair grounds. 14 dollars to get in. 7 to park or something like that. Drive from Mesa to down town, 12 bucks in gas, 18 dollar hat. Its a damn nice boony, extra wide, desert Marine Pattern, but, at the end of the day, its still 50 fuggin dollars. So the point is when I walk the isles, I expect to get something of a deal to make it worth the effort. Otherwise, I would stay at home in my underwear, drink beer, and shop on CTD.com and have it to my door for cheaper! I know, everynow and then, you find that deal or some odd thing you wanted. It happens. But not enough for me. I used to go 3-4 times a year, but not anymore. Just not worth it. Granted, I figured the Mesa show would be smaller, wont be parking chrage as I am going to walk there from my place and showing my son all the cool stuff will be what I am going there for. Be the best deal of the show watching his face. But thanks for the heads up, I wont hold my breath. 
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Just to take the kid to, I'd say it's decent for that purpose, but I can literally walk that whole show and see everything I care to see in about 10 minutes. It's very small. Meanwhile the SAR show I can walk for 4 hours and not even see 70 or 80% of it and my feet are worn out and I have to go home
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Went to gun show, was fun by all. I picked up a cheap heat and got my bore snake for quick cleans on the rifles.
And most importantly, my son had absolute blast. He couldnt focus for more that an isle. Before he some thing and ran off. I remember those days. he picked up a cheap chinse throwing star. He is just getting into knives and he thought this was the coolest thing. What the heck bucks. Although I will say this, we got there late and by 3 they were packing up all ove the place. WTF? Shows open till 4. I didnt pay for ten bucks to see half the vendors pack up. Ugh. Oh well, still great watching the kiddo light up. 
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Saturday morning next time. Now you know. Copy that El Ron. I wanted to got later figured it would be quiter, easier with the kid. Andit was. For the first hour it was very nice inside. Then, by 3, started packing ... I have never gun that late on a sunday, I am the kinda if I can, Friday is my day, |
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Quoted:
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And most importantly, my son had absolute blast. Cool, that's really all that matters. I remember going to gun shows when I was a kid with my grandfather, and we always had a great time. Copy thay Slanky, and now he has a ton of memories and cant wait for the next one. Awesome. |
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Saturday morning next time. Now you know. 2-3 pm on a Sunday is a great time to go back a second time if there's something you want and the dealer wouldn't accept a reasonable offer on Saturday. Wait until he's packing up on Sunday afternoon and wave cash under his nose. "Howdy, looks like you're taking that gun home again, I've seen it at the last half dozen gun shows and you must be getting sick of hauling it back and forth. I've got XXX amount of cash here, are you sure you won't take it?". I've had some dealers take it right there and I've had others refuse it then at the next gun show they remember me and offer it to me for that price then. |
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Quoted: The Mesa shows are always pretty tame compared to a gun buying rush Crossroad's show at the fairgrounds. The free parking is way better too. The last show I went to at the Cardinal stadium was pretty subdued too. A SAR show is something to see at least once. Absolutely! And for those who've never gone before, be sure to wear comfortable shoes because seeing the whole thing is a hell of a hike. And it never hurts to take a poncho along. One year I went and it started raining and I was only wearing a jeans, a T shirt and a ball cap. It was either walk all the way back out to my vehicle, freeze my ass off for the next 4 hours or buy something from a vendor. I chose the latter. And if you're going to buy bulk ammo, take a lightweight folding, wheeled carrier. Lugging 2 or 3 cases of ammo back to your vehicle, probably 2 or 3 miles away, sucks without a carrier. |
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Im all ready a lock for the SAR show in Dec. Kid wants to bad. All it took whiel he was staring in jaw dropped amazment, "Son, can you imagine building and buildings full of stuff like this?" "Dad, promise you'll take me ."
On a side note, I attended that Glendale show, and yeah, it was pretty mellow. Surpirsed me. |