I don't think I'm going to waste any more time at gunshows. I'm sick of seeing SAR-1's going for $450, AR mags for $30, IMBEL recievers for $300, etc, etc... I haven't seen ONE good deal yet. I'm not meaning to start a flame war, but it seems like most of these guys are out to rip people off. Are prices this high everywhere???

 Last weekend in Springfield Ohio:

30 rd AR mags 10.00 ea
20 rd AR mags 15.00 ea or 2 for 25.00
Saw AKs on the floor for sale by private parties for 250.00 to 375.00
Imbel gear logo FAL receivers 257.00

 Don't give up yet dude, there is still hope.

A couple of weeks ago I bought some 30 round mags in excellent condition for $10 apiece.  Mostly I go to see what people are carrying in, not what the dealers are peddling.

Oh Yea, I think I know the shows you are talking about, there is one guy that runs a couple shows around the Milwaukee area (wont name names) Man I swear he's only in it for the money, same people with the same overpriced junk, no matter which town its held in. These guys are'nt interested in actually selling anything, they just bring everything they own and if it sells they can get another one from the shotgun news and still have money leftover. Not a bad idea if nobody ever heard of the Gun list or Shotgun news but the same old stuff every time. I find that if you sell everything at a fair price, the buyers always seek you out at the next show. needless to say I dont hit the Puchi (oops) shows anymore.

I go just to check things out. Sometimes I find neat suff, and usually if you look around, you can find a good deal on ammo.
Plus it is a good place to sell a gun fast without paying commission.
[smoke]

I just go to look around.Not that much to look at anymore in the prk.But the beer and beef jerky is good.Also the prices are high as the sellers here.Rather just go to my local gun store anyways since they always have what i need at a better price.

Agreed, I mainly go to look around, talk to people, and buy ammo or small inexpensive parts so I don't have pay shipping later.

But you never know, you can still find good deals off of individuals or reasonable dealers.

Hell, I usually can't find the stuff I want at gunshows anyway, but I alway give it a try.

Going to go to the Tanner show in Denver tomorrow to see if I can get lucky and find a HK/Fabarm FP6 or a P9S, my guess is no.

Yes a lot of the prices are high (but not all) and the bulls**t factor is, too, at least with some sellers.  

But you see stuff there you don't find at the local dealers, sporting goods, surplus, or
X-Mart.  Hey, that's where I got my tinfoil hat.

Also there is dickering, and if you don't like a price there is at least some direct competition.  

Keep in mind that some of you guys live in more civilized parts of the country where firearms are seen as positive and traditional, and there are a number of dealers.

Guess what?  In at least one major urban area here, there are a  couple of cities over 500,000.

On now has a single dealer, I believe the other has none.  

Farther away, a major sporting goods store stopped carrying firearms.

All due to local ordinances that were designed to accomplish just that.   It's about 30 miles to a place with a decent inventory of firearms and hunting supplies.

Other less citied places have a scattering of small dealers, some of which double as local grocery/liquor stores (one is a combination auto repair & gun shop).  You just aren't going to find your buffers or small parts at a lot of these places (sure, there are some exceptions).

Also the storefront dealers or smiths are not attuned to the do-it-yourself crowd.

I see it also as a firearms community gathering and show of solidarity.

And finally, it's a contrarian happening.  
I didn't go much for years.  But since they became targets for politicians, I make it to all I can.

I just wish they didn't always schedule one on my zone's opening weekend!  Duh!!


PRK

Been to plenty of Puchi's shows and my buddy bought a beretta 391 sporting from him for $525 mint. Bob is an allright guy it is the dealers at his shows that overcharge.

As my bud's can tell you, i go to all the arms bazaars.  They say i don't own just rent but i have fun.  I'm sure i've supported some of the dealers but live and learn.  Now, when i go to a show, they know me and i know them.  Some have something to show me because they know me and others, well, let's just say, we give eachother a cordial nod and i keep on trucking.

You need to be on your toes, know what you are looking for, and know when a deal is found.  Buy the "good" deal as an investment for future trading.  This is better than money in the bank.

Life is full of BS, why should you expect any different from the show poeple?  Besides, good eye contact w/BS'ers can make a great day, they know and you know, plus they have given you the upper hand in that now you know who you are dealing with.

Have fun at the shows, life is a beach, then you drown.

I've got to agree on the Puci Shows. For the most part the vendors suck. One good shooters supply guy present, otherwise just same overpriced shiit. There is one guy that is always there that wears a vest and a "Mad Hatters Hat" w/ glasses. What an ass.

ah yes, the joys of a wisconsin gunshow, your lucky man, i cant even find imbels at any shows by me. we must be the only state in the union where u cant find a case of wolf for less than $125. what a joke. and who can forget the $1000 postban ar's or $450 sar1's. god that erks me. they only seem to be good for finding parts ya need or small things. and u can get em to come down usually, just gotta jew with em. gunshows suck, sad part is that i still go to them

Oh yea soup I gotta agree Bob is ok but he definitly needs new vendors. I try to hit every show I can, early if possible. sell at some, Lake county fairgrounds in IL is my usual hunting grounds, GREAT SHOW too bad the MAYOR SUCKS she put the wammy on the show, hav'nt had one all winter. Man I gotta sell some stuff.   ok back to the subject,I can always find something to spend my kids college fund on. but if there is nothing new why go? then again you must know the feeling, if you dont go you will spend all day asking yourself "what did I miss"

You have to be willing to walk around the whole gun show. Not just the main areas. I also have seen magazines go for $30.00. But I also saw and picked up NEW ORLITE magazines for $10.00 each. I also picked up 2 Glock mags (1 Glock 17 and 1 Glock 19) for $50.00 each. I find that the main dealers all have high prices. The small dealers have better deals. I saw Thermold 30-45 Mags for $69.00. I traded them for some FAL mags. I search out the small dealers.

Oh yeah. One Eyed Jack has got to be smoking dope. Have you seen his high prices. I saw him at the same Crossroad gunshow and what he asks for magazines. He advertises in the Shotgun News, Gunlist and has a website. He was surprised at my Glock mag deal.

Do not give up. Yes some gunshows are not very good. But you have to keep going back. That one deal will be there.

Yanqui

I've usually lucked out at gunshows.  Maybe it's because I enjoy actually hunting bargains.  There's many that just burst with deals, and then several will go by with nothing but high-priced junk.  I think there's always good deals at most gunshows, but whether the deals are for a gun you're interested in is a different story.  I've seen great deals on guns that really had no interest to me whatsoever.  My tastes have also narrowed to actual individual pieces, so that limits the number of deals that apply to me.  Still, in just the last year I've bought a Spanish FR-8 for $100, a HKP9S for $350, and one USGI M14 mag for $5.95!  Alot is luck, but if I can run across them, they're out there.

Ross

the most exoctic weapon in 100 miles of my town is a post ban bushmaster, thats right "A" as in one. the only time you can see anything else is when the gun show rolls in. if the prices are too high, you just hafta deal with it. i see what you mean though. in an area with more that 4 gunstores with in 45 min drive.

When I had my FFL, (I'm in the process of applying again), I always tried to have very reasonable prices on stuff.  I understood people had to pay sales tax on top of the goods so I always considered that.  My prices were 10% of the wholesale (my) cost.  Not to exceed $30.  So, if you purchased a $1000.00 gun, you paid only $30 markup.  I thought this was reasonable but alot of other dealers didn't care for the way I did business.  Sold alot of guns though!

Bud

The last show I was at had mint Gibbs .303s for $195, and very good to excellent condition mags for the AR at 13-16 bucks.  

I mostly go to look around and mingle, and maybe look for a good deal. (I almost jumped on a full-auto thompsons for 7995 not too long ago, but I just couldn't do it.)

"I find that if you sell everything at a fair price, the buyers always seek you out at the next show. "

Agreed.  At the shows I go to, there is always the same guy selling mid-ban AR's for $1800 and nothing moves, same guns there every time.  Across the aisle one of my favorite dealers has lots of guns and mags at great prices, sells stuff all day long.  Also they are fun to deal, knowlegeable, etc.. It is a business mentality.  You just have to look around.

I find some dealers that seem to take advantage of the lastest scare going on. I know I have seen some of them for 15 yrs and have never bought a thing from them. Then I go over to another isle and  find others that deal.  It changes from show to show. I went to two different shows in Atlanta a while back. One show was awfull. Rediculous prices everywhere, $50.00 ar mags,"ya can't get 'em anymore" .223@ $200.for surplus, no individual sales, very few parts or misc. very little money changing hands. Went to one at the other end of town, same day, great dealers, lots of little stuff, mags, parts, misc. private sales, ammo. Great show, two different clubs and promoters. Guess which one I'll go to next time in town? It's also great to walk up to one of "those" tables, the guy has a bunch of $12.00 cr*p mini 14 mags in a box, with a sign that says "any mag $20.00" you reach in, sort through, ask the guy "$20.00 for any mag in the box?" he says "yea", real nasty,  and you walk away with a Ruger factory 30 rd mag.  I love gun shows.