Posted: 1/4/2014 1:15:11 PM EDT
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Boycotting gun shows. I won't pay $14.00 to go buy something. I went to the Tulsa show today and decided not to go in. It would have cost my wife and I $28.00 to enter. We promptly went to 2A and Academy and spent our money. No more for me. If the greedy promoters want to go back to $10 or less I will stand in line. Thank you for allowing me the rant!
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Boycotting gun shows. I won't pay $14.00 to go buy something. I went to the Tulsa show today and decided not to go in. It would have cost my wife and I $28.00 to enter. We promptly went to 2A and Academy and spent our money. No more for me. If the greedy promoters want to go back to $10 or less I will stand in line. Thank you for allowing me the rant! I have not been to one since the last bad shot show in Chickasha, I said I would only attend bad shot shows because of the price , simply because spending $25 to $30 is absurd for two people. |
| There's no excuse, I've been boycotting them for the last two years, ever since they started charging over $10 per person, It's gotten even worse since then. They can keep their gun shows, I've not attended one in two years and haven't missed them at all. They are insane, if the people who attend these shows don't demand a change they are just going to continue this ridiculousness. That "deal" everyone searches for isn't much of a deal after paying that much just to get in the door. |
| Dude! I'm with you 100%. I was there today also and I'm DONE. I also can't believe the rudeness of some of the vendors, although most are real nice. I went today with about $300 to buy magpul stuff for myself and some buddies, well after being insulted for 10 min by this guy about trading some stuff I put the money back in my pocket, went home and ordered it all from primary arms online. Saved about $75 and did'nt get yelled at even once. Online buying for me from now on, gunbroker and a local FFL. |
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Dude! I'm with you 100%. I was there today also and I'm DONE. I also can't believe the rudeness of some of the vendors, although most are real nice. I went today with about $300 to buy magpul stuff for myself and some buddies, well after being insulted for 10 min by this guy about trading some stuff I put the money back in my pocket, went home and ordered it all from primary arms online. Saved about $75 and did'nt get yelled at even once. Online buying for me from now on, gunbroker and a local FFL. Dude, if you're in the Tulsa area just go to Fat Boy Tactical, their prices are internet competitive and they have a good selection. |
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When I lived in Bixby I went by a couple of times and they weren't open. I have heard good things about them. Thank you I will check them out. Apparently they all have day jobs and are only open in the evenings and on Saturdays. If you can catch them you won't be disappointed, nice shop with largest selection of AR parts that I've ever seen in a local shop. |
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I completely sympathize.
I used to LOVE gun shows, and looked forward to taking my son (now 3 years old) to them one day...but at over $10 a ticket, forget it. 
My only hope is that enough people boycott that prices will go down; the same I'd like to see happen to ammo prices, basically. |
| You are right about that. I held off and didn't buy into the price gouging. I may not have cases on hand but have enough and sure feel much better about myself not giving into the panic. I know a lot of gun show attendees and I plan on trying to get them to see what is happening. One gentlemen posted how rude the vendors were. I noticed there have been more and more of them acting somewhat arrogant and entitled. That being said I have met a bunch that are absolutely great. I hate not going because I see it as an institution for gun owners and freedom. For over 30 years I have been going to them and I will miss it. When the spring rolls around I will see if there is any interest in here about having a swap meet in a central location. That would be more fun than a gun show. |
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I remember a long time ago, they didn't have as many gun shows as now, no more than one every 3 or 4 months, even when the aisles were wide, and this was before the scooters, you could hardly walk down the aisles they were so crowded. Tulsa gun show is crowded like that, but they usually have narrow aisles, back then they had wide aisles and you could hardly walk. A lot of the gun show problems began when they started having so many of them, too many. |
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I haven't been to any gun show in several years now. I don't think of myself as boycotting them, to me it's just a plain old supply and demand deal. I wasn't seeing anything I couldn't get for the same price somewhere else in town or online once I added in the ticket price, so I just quit wasting my time.
There is some ticket price between $5 - $10 where I am willing to go in for the entertainment value and probably buy something while I'm looking, but for a $10+ cover charge, there better be a live band or dancing girls. |
| still viable if you're looking for something odd --- like if you have been keeping your eye out for Ruger #1's in 45-70, or you're into old leverguns or something --- occasionally you may score at a show --- but I if its newer stuff, I wouldn't bother unless you just want to kill a Saturday morning |
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You are right about that. I held off and didn't buy into the price gouging. I may not have cases on hand but have enough and sure feel much better about myself not giving into the panic. I know a lot of gun show attendees and I plan on trying to get them to see what is happening. One gentlemen posted how rude the vendors were. I noticed there have been more and more of them acting somewhat arrogant and entitled. That being said I have met a bunch that are absolutely great. I hate not going because I see it as an institution for gun owners and freedom. For over 30 years I have been going to them and I will miss it. When the spring rolls around I will see if there is any interest in here about having a swap meet in a central location. That would be more fun than a gun show. I like and agree with both of these things! 
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| While I do like going and getting my hands on all the goodies and supporting local vendors, I was surprised when the ticket lady seemed offended when I asked if there was even a discount for disabled vets. Guess I'll just have to stick with my local FFL and Internet shopping. |
| When shows are higher priced than the Wannamacher show, I won't go either. Hit one in OKC when I was down that way. $13 for THAT!!!!! Have been down many a time with a show going on, but I refuse to pay that price. Get it down to about $6 and I will start attending again, but till then I will just drive on by. |
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Went to the Metcalf gun show today and admission was 13 bucks!
No discounts of any kind. Dad and I went in because we were carrying something to sell. It is the last Metcalf show we will ever go to though. So far it seems the R.K. shows are the most reasonable... as I said earlier we are both vets so we can get into an R.K show for 7 bucks each. |
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Went to the Metcalf gun show today and admission was 13 bucks! No discounts of any kind. Dad and I went in because we were carrying something to sell. It is the last Metcalf show we will ever go to though. So far it seems the R.K. shows are the most reasonable... as I said earlier we are both vets so we can get into an R.K show for 7 bucks each. here ya go. 
and 
and they gave me a little stink eye, but hey! it iis what it is 
ole standby ($2 version) 
and a collectors item. 
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I was at the Bad Shot show today in Purcell. Small but very cordial. I like to do shows with Matt. Great thing was he put all us army guys in one spot so it seems. Badshot's retired Navy. He knows the best way to keep all you Army types under control is put you all together! 
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One or two bucks off a $12 or $14 door change isn't enough to make up for the high price to me. What do you really get? You see, on the majority, the same things over and over again, priced too high to buy combined with scented candles and POS knives from Frost Cutlery. Occasionally you may find a decent deal on a gun part or some ammo or a Beanie Baby but when you subtract the cost of gas, to and from, the ridiculous door charge you really, really, really gotta find a great deal to cover your losses. Now consider the two or three shows you attended without finding a great deal and that great deal you got on Russian surplus toilet paper actually cost you three times what good old American Charmin would have cost.
Nope, the good old American gun show has cashed it's own ticket, so to speak, bringing themselves to the pearly gun show gates. I suspect super shows such as Wannamacher will survive simply because you are actually getting what you pay for. If you pay $14 (I don't know what they charge now) to get into Wannamacher you are going to have a good time and get overwhelmed by the amount of things offered for your amusement and purchase so you walk out feeling like you got a square deal for the money while, on the other hand, when walking out of Billy Bob's Gun and Soviet Union Surplus Super Show, you walk out feeling like it's the end of your first day in prison. Nope, I'm done. I quit when it hit $10 a couple years ago, even then there were several people who waited in line only to be told the price and walk away. The last show I attended there were, in addition to the ones that left after being told the cost, several people who were irate that they refused to honor the discount coupons printed online. |
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one way to somewhat justify it (SOMEWHAT!) is...if i need a specific small part, say a cam pin for a bolt carrier, well... the local "gun shops" don't have it, and if i order it , the freight is as much as a entry. once they get around to shipping it, that is.
gun show dealers are aimed toward the uneducated (Rijas, i rest my case) and they'll not go broke pandering to the lowest common denominator. and to all you gun show promoters..is there NOWHERE ELSE in this entire City to put on a Show? seriously! nowhere? an old Target store? the old National Guard Armory? Fred Jones Ford's disused plant? a abandoned store in a abandoned mall? Penny's at Herirage Prk, or Dllards at Crossroads (built in customers from Plaza Major) a field in the middle of nowhere? the Fair Board is charging the promoters a dollar a head, that's why it's THAT dollar higher, but there's still about $6 a ticket to lose. and the way they've gated and fenced the place just begs for paid parking. there is NOT ONE good thing , not ONE, about the Oklhoma State Fair Board and FairGrounds, (unless you've got 4 legs and crap in the parking lot) have i mentioned before they tore down my State Fair Spoeedway? bastards. |
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One or two bucks off a $12 or $14 door change isn't enough to make up for the high price to me. What do you really get? You see, on the majority, the same things over and over again, priced too high to buy combined with scented candles and POS knives from Frost Cutlery. Occasionally you may find a decent deal on a gun part or some ammo or a Beanie Baby but when you subtract the cost of gas, to and from, the ridiculous door charge you really, really, really gotta find a great deal to cover your losses. Now consider the two or three shows you attended without finding a great deal and that great deal you got on Russian surplus toilet paper actually cost you three times what good old American Charmin would have cost. Nope, the good old American gun show has cashed it's own ticket, so to speak, bringing themselves to the pearly gun show gates. I suspect super shows such as Wannamacher will survive simply because you are actually getting what you pay for. If you pay $14 (I don't know what they charge now) to get into Wannamacher you are going to have a good time and get overwhelmed by the amount of things offered for your amusement and purchase so you walk out feeling like you got a square deal for the money while, on the other hand, when walking out of Billy Bob's Gun and Soviet Union Surplus Super Show, you walk out feeling like it's the end of your first day in prison. Nope, I'm done. I quit when it hit $10 a couple years ago, even then there were several people who waited in line only to be told the price and walk away. The last show I attended there were, in addition to the ones that left after being told the cost, several people who were irate that they refused to honor the discount coupons online. Dad and I can get into an RK show for 7 bucks each with a Veterans discount. Claude Halls costs us 10 bucks each. This is my last Metcalf show though. This is something we can do together and keeps him busy working on various gun projects... a part here a part there. But, I can definitely relate to what you are saying. There are some good vendors at some of these shows. 7element is a good example. A buddy and I went to the Wennemachers show in Tulsa ( I was kidnapped) and walked by his table said hi and went our merry way. He made a point of coming out on the floor when he got free just to talk to us and we were not even buying anything from him that day. So some of the vendors are worth going to see and I can definitely use the exercise. 
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I agree, there are some vendors that are really nice, it's a shame the organizers are pricing them out of business. I understand that these places where they rent to have the shows are charging more so the gun show organizers have to pass on the expense but a gun show only has so much value to the people who attend the shows and it appears they have exceeded that for many people and the next increase, which should happen sometime this summer, will alienate an even bigger percentage.
There are way too many shows, way too often and are charging way too much to get in. What needs to happen is fewer shows but bigger and better shows held less often so that entry fee's reflected the value that the customer actually gets. |