I'd made plans to go even though I was attending the car show in West Branch also.

My son & I along with a friend hustled down I-75 & got to the show about 11:00.  The first thing we noticed was the parking lot was only about half full.   That compared to the last event I attend where people were parking on the grass/mud.  Inside we saw about the same number of vendors...in the same places, some with the same over priced guns as last time.

I also noticed several vendors yackin' on their cellphones & complaining "No one is buying".  Several guys walking around with stuff for sale.  Only one I that I inquired about, a Remington 350 mag, but it was the new model & I'd prefer the old original bolt gun.

After doing a complete lap I headed for the 3 vendors who had AR stuff.  At least THEY were doing steady business.  I picked up the small parts I wanted for spares but passed on buying bigger ticket items.  I would have bought a barrel from "Tony's" but he seemed to be busy with a guy who couldn't make up his damn mind about what he wanted.

Several dealers had ARs & priced at about what the current retail mkt will demand.  One fellow had 3 assembled carbines with collapsable stocks at $600 each. Ammunitionstore looked like they were moving product steadily too.

I pretty much stuck to the list of parts I wanted & picked up a couple pistol cases for $5 ea.  My son got a good buy on a varible hi-power scope along with a Samco grip he'd been wanting.  

No gunshow would be complete without at least one "commando" story  Seems this fella was looking over a pump shotgun with butt stock & pisol grip combo.  He said to his buddy "This would be great for when people break in to your house.  You can swing it quick and BOOM! Nail 'em."

We were there about 2hrs & as we were leaving made note of the number of people NOT carrying anything out.

Just spent the weekend @ Camp Perry hanging out with the Rock River Arms Crew and had a GREAT time + the deals were out of this world!

Made the mistake of going to Birch run on Sunday coming back.

The Show SUCKED.

Same dealers with the same overpriced guns and over priced junk.

Some of the "deals":

Colt LE6920 for $1,995.

Bushmaster M4A3s for $899.

Beat to Shit PD trade in SP1's for $800.

Guy wanted $120 for 500 rds. of Malaysian Surplus 5.56 M193.

Thought I'd pick up a Knight's 300 mt. BUIS @ the tacticle vendor. $144!

I wasted $10 on gas and $6 @ the door. Left with nothing.

As long as Adco and the EE exist, I'm never going back.

Rant off.

edited to add Couch commando story: This hunch back guy with glasses, was over by the "Tacticle" vendor,
looking at uppers. He leans over to me and says: "Expensive, I should've kept mine from the military." I looked over and this guy and had a Green Beret "Kill 'em all/ Let god sort em out" T-shirt on and a Navy Seals hat complete with trident with 50 different Army unit pins attached. I made a face like this walked the other way only to bump into a Thugged out looking fellow with corn rows carrying a beat SKS wrapped in a rug(yes, a rug). He was looking at the Acogs and Aimpoints and tells Me:" Yo, Everting' I need is right here, They got da scopes and all da' shit i need."

Quoted: Same dealers with the same overpriced guns and over priced junk.

That seems to be the problem at the shows for the past 4-5 years, they set the prices at what they charge in a store and then they aren't  willing to deal.  The dealers put out there products and set the price and thats it.  Last time I went, I was trying to talk a guy down $5 on a 1911 CCW holster.  He wouldn't budge, so I walked.  

The only reason I think I will go to another show is if I want something real bad and I don't want to have to wait for it to be shipped to me.

Michigan seems to be gun show purgatory.  I haven't been to a good gunshow since I lived in VA in the early '90s.

Quoted: Michigan seems to be gun show purgatory.  I haven't been to a good gunshow since I lived in VA in the early '90s.

Michigan gun shows were great....  back in the 80's....

Quoted: Quoted: Michigan seems to be gun show purgatory.  I haven't been to a good gunshow since I lived in VA in the early '90s. Michigan gun shows were great....  back in the 80's....

I use to like the ones at the armory.

Many, many things have changed since then. Those days and those shows will never return.
Support the shows that we do have or they will be gone as well.