Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
Page 1 of 5 12345 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 47

Thread: Gun Shows

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Pittsburgh (Ross Twp.), Pennsylvania
    (Allegheny County)
    Posts
    144
    Rep Power
    69141

    Default Gun Shows

    Wondering what everyone's take might be on gun shows.

    Is it an impressive array perfect for one-stop shopping?

    Overwhelming?

    Less desirable than dealing with a known and respected local shop?

    Good shopping for accessories but not firearms?

    I think there's a show in Monroeville this weekend. Wondering if i might be able to find an M&P Shield.

    Basically looking for people's experiences.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    York, Pennsylvania
    (York County)
    Posts
    882
    Rep Power
    1294086

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    Every year they seem to get worse. Harder to find good deals on ammo or guns, and less of a selection with tables setting up non-gun related items like jewlery. The last 2 or 3 I went to seemed like I paid $10 to see everything I could at one of the many local shops around me. I stopped going to them.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Pittsburgh (Allison Park), Pennsylvania
    (Allegheny County)
    Posts
    3,493
    Rep Power
    16180493

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    I have heard the one is Monroeville is mostly non firearms vendors.

    I'm going to give this one a shot:

    http://forum.pafoa.org/gun-shows-111...ollectors.html

    Like the computer shows of old I think the internet killed the gun show. Online it's easy to find rare parts or good prices on new gear.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Near Indiana, Pennsylvania
    (Indiana County)
    Posts
    6,181
    Rep Power
    21474858

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    The Monroeville show has piles of non-firearms crap mixed in with piles of over priced firearms crap.
    However, if you are looking for a hard to find item, a show is a good bet that you will find it, however over the years instead of using shows to discount merchandise in order to move it, dealers now use them as a way to improve their profit margin and seem to mark stuff up in the hopes a sucker will impulse buy without dickering on price.

    The PGCA show in Tarentum is slightly better but is still overwhelmed with old farts and their overpriced wares that they have been toting to shows for the past 15 years and that they refuse to budge on price with.
    The sellers are more like pirates hoarding their treasures than actual sellers.


    Years ago, at the old Greengate mall shows, dealers would take their overstock firearms and ammo as well as all their used trade ins and sell them at good prices to move them.
    Now a days, with such a high demand for guns, this is no longer the case. Many dealers price their guns at MSRP or slightly below waiting for a sucker.


    A good place to browse and sometimes you get a few decent small dealers and private sellers with good prices, but they are the minority.

    Still probably worth the price of admission since you have never been to one if you have time to kill.
    Last edited by 39flathead; August 17th, 2012 at 03:16 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    (Allegheny County)
    Posts
    33,567
    Rep Power
    21474887

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    Quote Originally Posted by 39flathead View Post
    The Monroeville show has piles of non-firearms crap mixed in with piles of over priced firearms crap.
    However, if you are looking for a hard to find item, a show is a good bet that you will find it, however over the years instead of using shows to discount merchandise in order to move it, dealers now use them as a way to improve their profit margin and seem to mark stuff up in the hopes a sucker will impulse buy without dickering on price.

    The PGCA show in Tarentum is slightly better but is still overwhelmed with old farts and their overpriced wares that they have been toting to shows for the past 15 years and that they refuse to budge on price with.

    The sellers are more like pirates hoarding their treasures than actual sellers.



    Years ago, at the old Greengate mall shows, dealers would take their overstock firearms and ammo as well as all their used trade ins and sell them at good prices to move them.
    Now a days, with such a high demand for guns, this is no longer the case. Many dealers price their guns at MSRP or slightly below waiting for a sucker.


    A good place to browse and sometimes you get a few decent small dealers and private sellers with good prices, but they are the minority.


    Still probably worth the price of admission since you have never been to one if you have time to kill.

    Wow. THERE'S a memory to rival almost any good childhood memory.

    (sniff sniff)

    Off to finish building that time machine...
    I called to check my ZIP CODE!....DY-NO-MITE!!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Ligonier, Pennsylvania
    (Westmoreland County)
    Posts
    1,579
    Rep Power
    21474855

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    An even older and better gun show memory is the OLD (late 80s and early 90s) Monroeville show at the old Expo-Mart. BOTH sides and the connecting hallway between filled with almost nothing but firearms and firearms related items. Dealers were selling stuff dirt cheap at times. Tons of private sellers as well as FFLs. Dealers came from Ohio, New York, Virginia and as far away as New Hampshire. This is the show at which I got my business up and running. I still miss it and many of those people, both dealers and customers, many of whom are now deceased.

    As for local shows: The best show in West Pa. IS the PGCA show at the Mills Mall in Tarentum. Yes there are lots of old fuds who have been carrying the same stuff for 15 yrs. but there ARE lots of really fine, reasonable vendors there as well. Not as many private sellers as it's really getting hard (and expensive) to sell handguns without an FFL. There is also the lowest amount of non-gun junk not there as well.

    The next best local show would be the Washington Co. show at the fairgrounds. Again, lots of good vendors, but more non-gun stuff. Probably few more private sellers there as well. Still, way better than the gun show/flea market at the Monroeville expo center. Monroeville's not bad; unless you don't compare and can deal with the junk.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Near Indiana, Pennsylvania
    (Indiana County)
    Posts
    6,181
    Rep Power
    21474858

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    Quote Originally Posted by Emptymag View Post
    Wow. THERE'S a memory to rival almost any good childhood memory.

    (sniff sniff)

    Off to finish building that time machine...
    Yep, those were the days, tables filled with $69 milsurps and used guns out the wazoo.

    I can't even begin to guess how many guns I bought from Greengate and Expomart shows.

    Compared to the maybe dozen I have come across worth buying in the last 10 years at other shows.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    .Between a rock and a hard place
    Posts
    192
    Rep Power
    4413

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    Stopped going to them years ago, they have turned into something resembling black Friday sales.
    You must pay attention to the man behind the curtain. Or you will loose.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    PA, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    137
    Rep Power
    11193

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    At the recent split rock gun show there was a large selection of NEW firearms at average prices. The ammo deals didn't seem that hot...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    PENNSYLVANIA, Pennsylvania
    Age
    73
    Posts
    3,780
    Rep Power
    21474854

    Default Re: Gun Shows

    Ditto ! Nothing special.

Page 1 of 5 12345 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. gun shows
    By c45man in forum Delaware
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: April 6th, 2011, 09:23 AM
  2. Gun Shows
    By Siguser in forum Pennsylvania
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: May 14th, 2010, 11:54 PM
  3. Gun Shows - Fire dept's small town shows? Shops Sales?
    By KeyStone-Sluger in forum General
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: May 9th, 2009, 03:58 PM
  4. Gun Shows
    By larrymeyer in forum General
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: December 30th, 2007, 07:08 PM
  5. Gun Shows
    By danp in forum General
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: April 12th, 2006, 11:03 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •