I wnet to a local gun show yesterday

[surfzombie]

What a disappointment. I only saw one P-64. It was beat to hell and the guy wanted $299 for it and I swear that the grips had a sheet metal screw. It was sharp and pointed and jabbed you in your hand when held. I only saw one box of Makarov ammo. Winchester white box $20. I was hoping to see more ammo and more makarov's and Tokarevs. I saw a couple of PA-63 and one Russian Mak in 380 all way over priced. The show was almost a waste of $9 bucks but did find some good prices on regular 9mm ammo and saw a bunch of cool guns, just way over priced.

[Autosurgeon]

Gun shows are a joke anymore!

[19cohiba75]

The only thing I go to Gun Shows for is when I am low on Beef Jerky.

[Foo Bird]

I quit going to gun shows years ago. Not worth the hassle. Finding deals is like trying to find a needle in a haystack and the aggravation to get there and park isn't worth it.

[surfzombie]

It was the first one I have been to in seven years and now I remember why I quit going.

[polock]

Wow! Lots of gun-show haters here! I still go every gun show within a reasonable distance---
Love to see what is available, usually see good examples of rarer guns or guns I am interested in (mostly milsurps) and
occasionally find some great buys, tho not often on dealer tables.

[dwd]

makarov caliber guns are scarce at shows around here too. And isn't $9 a little high for admission? I guess if we'll pay it they'll charge it. I usually take my two sons and it gets a little expensive just to get in the door, especially if you don't find any bargains.

[hangfire]

I'm a gun show fan. The admission price is less than a movie ticket and they're usually more entertaining.

I mostly go to look for quality mil-surps. Hardly ever see a P-64 but you never know: about a year ago a vendor had a stack of boxed ones with two magazines, holster and cleaning rod - one followed me home.

[surfzombie]

makarov caliber guns are scarce at shows around here too. And isn't $9 a little high for admission? I guess if we'll pay it they'll charge it. I usually take my two sons and it gets a little expensive just to get in the door, especially if you don't find any bargains.

That was with a $1 discount coupon. It is normally $10 a head. I thought that was high myself. I went mainly looking for milsurp and saw only a few.

[Foo Bird]

$9? Hahahahahaha. I've paid anywhere from $5 to $10....for parking. Then you are required to pay $10-$24 for admission. As these shows are held a ways away, there is the gas I burn too.
Usually I see the same guys selling the same overpriced crap show after show. I have literally seen guys hanging on to absurdly priced guns for years. How they make a living is beyond me.

[anjdrifter]

I enjoy the shows. I understand about the prices and etc and yes sometimes I complain about it but still enjoy the quest for the certain item others have over looked.Of course another good part of certain shows is you get to meet up with friends. there is a show I drive 16 hours each way just to see a couple of guys(who have become best friends) from this board and some from another board I belong to ,it has become an annual event for us.Guess as far as shows are concerned it is rather lkie glass is half full or half empty.

[papabear]

I must be doing something wrong.... all the shows I go to from IN, KY, TN, Al, and FL I have never paid for parking, now granted having a table or two at a show eliminates the admission and parking fees, but I don't have tables at all shows, now for the admission price thats a different matter. Yulp, so far $7-$10, but as someone mentioned its still cheaper than going to the movies and you can stay all day. My main complaint is table cost, anywhere from $35 to $100 per table and it just keeps going up like everything else. All said and done though I still enjoy going to gun shows for the most part, but I have to agree they are getting harder and harder to appreciate. I go for two reasons, [1] to sell-buy-trade, and [2] in several of the shows I go to getting to meet friends I have met along the way, and when I don't have a table I still get to meet these same guys. I also stay in touch with prices, whats hot and whats not. Now being a reloader, I can buy reloadidng supplies without the cost of shipping and hazmat fees and as a dealer I get the dealer to dealer discount. So for me to stop going to gun shows never crosses my mind. BTW, most of the places I go for gun shows I get to stay with someone I have meet and we usually have a get together with other guys there and have a privite show of our own at one of the guys home, we call them kitchen table gun shows, these are a lot of fun and you usually come away with some really good deals. Yulp, I still go to gun shows, they are a lot more fun were you can get up close and personal as opposed to buying off GB or the like with the extra fees and not really knowing what your going to get till you get it.

[normsutton]

I go go to most of them , just to support the gun shows ,because if they don't make a profit , there aren't going to be anymore ,

NORM

[papabear]

A BIG +1

[anjdrifter]

YUP