Went to the so show today and what a flop.  Expensive to park and get in then not many people.  Mostly dealers walking around
And those at tables looked ready to leave.  

New Ruger AR for 479.00...deal for nice AR

I had a table there.
Sunday was about as busy as Saturday, which indicates a very poor Saturday turnout.
My "group" had 4 tables, none of us sold any guns. I sold a few odds and ends, just barely enough to justify the table cost.

Gun shows have become a buyers' market.  If you want a deal, you may be able to find one.  This is indicative of the false floor in the gun market dropping out.  Trump is no friend to the gun owner and the market will return with a surge next election season and absolutely blow up the next time a Democrat is elected.

Correct but until then sellers either need to get real and forget what they paid for something 3 months before the election or be content to sit on it until the next election.  It's hard to believe everyone who wants one doesn't already own whatever by now. Seriously.
 

I've only been doing this 30 years, but I don't see it as the sellers doing anything wrong.  The market has a VERY narrow margin and any seller who sells stuff below cost will no longer be a seller, they will be Santa Claus.  The market corrects itself.  Everybody who NEEDS a gun already has one.  At today's prices, every bush is being shaken and everybody has, indeed, bought a gun.  Like mortgage rates, these prices can't go much lower.  For those who want to wait three years, BUY EVERYTHING YOU CAN AFFORD and the market will likely reward you down the road at the expense of people who aren't motivated right now.  Remember Glock magazines selling for over $100?  Remember AR-15 magazines selling for $50?

I used to love going to the gun show and looking for the deals.  I know the dealers who are reasonable and I would always visit their tables.  The crazy priced ones, just laugh and walk right on by.

My complaint isn't so much with the dealers, but with the venue.  It costs $18 just for the "honor" of walking around in a crowd of smelly people.  Parking is $7 and entry is $11.  If my sons come with me we are up to $32 to get in the door.  The only thing I go for now is powder, primers, or the unusual used firearm that is really hard to find like the Japanese Brown Bess I found one year.

If no one is making any money, maybe the dealers need to "organize" against the promoters, Matt Brown and his extortion racket AKA the Greensboro Coliseum.  Go a few years without the gun show.  Who am I kidding, I know that will never happen.

All this is fair.  I never paid for parking or for entry.  I did have my daughter meet me a couple times and she paid for parking, but she got in with a badge.  The Fayetteville Gun Show is reasonable, but usually about half the size.  I have to check out the Winston-Salem one someday.

I've gone to this show twice a year, for almost the last 10 years.  I've never seen it as empty as this last one was.

It was like a ghost town on Saturday about 11am when I was there. It was really kinda bizarre. I would like to believe folks are getting tired of being fleeced $5 to park on top of the $11 entry fee but I doubt it. I keep paying it 

Winston show is better.

A lot of the larger vendors will no longer do this show after the robbery this past spring.  Two of them had over $30k worth of product stolen Saturday night /Sunday morning.  The promoter said the vendors who were robbed signed a waiver and the promoter is not responsible. The waiver says the promoter is not responsible for theft during business hours. They are responsible for security at night and do not allow the vendors to remain in there after 5. A 70 year old man does not constitute security for this size venue. One of the vendors has since gone out of business due to this event. I will never go back to this venue until they make it right by the vendors.

Too expensive to go as a customer and bad for vendors, a real shame.

Hmm... did not hear about that. Who was the promoter? Are the vendors boycotting the promoters shows in other cities? I was at the Raleigh show 2 weeks ago and it was very busy. The sellers I spoke to were very thankful it was hopping. Charlotte coming up in 10 days!!

Greensboro is its own deal. It’s not C&E, Dixie, or Mike Kent. It is the only one that they are skipping for that reason. Some of the larger vendors have cut back because shows are slow but not Greensboro, that is due to the promoter not doing the right thing.  I hope Charlotte is busy.

That is crazy. Just look at their bylaws on their site-


We have 24 hour security, but it is your responsibility to watch your merchandise from the time exhibitors enter the building until the show closes. Show management is not responsible for merchandise stolen from tables/exhibition hall.

That certainly suggests to me that somebody is liable for it other than the vendor...

Tell that to Parker’s, oh wait, they are now out of business, and Randy’s Guns. They both got hit for $30k and the promoters said too bad.  They have started a legal battle that will last for who knows how long and they will probably not be successful with.