Gun Shows worth the 10 bucks to get in? (pistol, rifle, cheap)
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I used to get into gun shows for 3 bucks or even free. Now its 9 or 10 bucks sometimes a parking fee. Then when I get in the people selling want double what I can buy for on line. Its not always the case. I have found the occasional C&R rifle or pistol at a good price. Mostly people who are getting rid of collections. The people who sell there for a living are most always asking more for their stuff then I can buy for on line.
I've seen some pretty good prices on guns and ammo. I used to go to shows all of the time just to window shop. Now, I don't think it is worth it. I probably go to one show a year.
I used to get into gun shows for 3 bucks or even free. Now its 9 or 10 bucks sometimes a parking fee. Then when I get in the people selling want double what I can buy for on line. Its not always the case. I have found the occasional C&R rifle or pistol at a good price. Mostly people who are getting rid of collections. The people who sell there for a living are most always asking more for their stuff then I can buy for on line.
Your description is exactly what I see - overpriced. Occasional deal for a C&R item or maybe a used part here and there, but you have to know what you are looking at.
Almost all (if not all) the dealers with tables are gun store owners doing this over the weekend for extra money. Lots of people go in there that simply don't know any better and think they are getting bargains. Sometimes you get the private seller with a gun slung over his shoulder looking for a buyer, those might be good bargains as well.
I still go to 2 or 3 a year. The only benefit I can really see is you get to see and actually handle the guns, maybe talk BS with some of the owners.
I have certainly gone into gun shows where I got way more than $10 worth of value out of it. I would want to be ready to buy up to at least $1000 worth of gun or guns to make sure I got my $10 "back". I have in the past (before about 2008) ran into bargains on ammo and components where I easily saved more than $10, but lately the consumables are not that low priced at shows I have been to.
I used to get into gun shows for 3 bucks or even free. Now its 9 or 10 bucks sometimes a parking fee. Then when I get in the people selling want double what I can buy for on line. Its not always the case. I have found the occasional C&R rifle or pistol at a good price. Mostly people who are getting rid of collections. The people who sell there for a living are most always asking more for their stuff then I can buy for on line.
If I've got something I want to sell it's worth for me and if I've got the dough for a new gun it is as well. Depending on what I'm looking for anyway. Last on I went to wound up being an AR festival. Wasn't much else there. It had the advantage of getting vendors ready to wheel and deal on stuff though. They had to be competitive.
I picked up an AC43 P38 95 percent with P38 holster in very good condition with extra marked mag for 750. Great price. But all in all I skip the tables where there are new guns in boxes. These are dealers and they are over priced to the table. The non dealer tables are about 5050. I also at the same gun show about three months ago saw a guy who had a replica Griswold he was asking 350 for. I usually don't say anything but it came out before I could stop it. I said, you can buy them from EMF now for 180 new. He ranted back that this was a 60s made gun. I looked at it and in a square it was BC which was post 90s made. Just trying to rip people off. Mags, I can get them shipped cheaper by a mile than at a gun show. I did not see any mags for less then 20 bucks. I just got 7 AK mags shipped for 7.5 each. I found one AR mag that was an old Colt metal follower the guy had 20 on and I offered him 10 and he took it. That was a good deal as its hard to find the old colt AR mags.
I tend to look at this as what the equivalent value buys.
$10.00=approx. 3 gallons of gasoline.
The day this actually factors in to a guy like me.... Well, let's just say... It will be a black day.
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