OAKS 2 Day Gunshow MAY 19-20, 2018

[ItchyTick]

I went. Looked at night vision I was interested in. Nice thing is I could actually look through and handle what I was interested in before buying, unlike an internet purchase. Youtube is great, but actual up close examination is king.

[NathanB]

What night vision models and gens Re on display?

[Everlastingfate]

Went today around 3. Not too crowded - I strongly doubt it was 1000 tables but whatever.

I went looking for nice S&W revolvers - most were junk or police trades or both. 2 stands had nice ones. I won't name names - I'm not in the business of calling anyone out. One was unwilling to negotiate and overpriced. There was what appeared to be a decent 586 six inch with no dash (which were recalled - so no way to verify if it was fixed) for $650. His best offer was $650 "out the door" if I paid cash. I can get an unfired brand new 586-8 for about $75 more. Say what you will about the new ones, but that seemed a little nuts to me.

Ended up buying an old Model 37 three inch from someone else just because it was different.

Overall worth the $10 to get in, but a lot of junk and high prices, in my opinion. Your mileage may vary,

[shtf45acp]

I haven't been to a show in years and now I know why..... it was something nice to do with my family but the prices were ridiculous on just about everything. I seen a few shotguns that were comparable to the prices but most were charging $20 to transfer. I tried to haggle one guy cash in hand but he wouldn't budge. That's fine I'll order it from bud's save $100 on price tag alone not to mention sales tax and ridiculous transfer fee. Only thing I got out of it was being able to handle a few firearms I've been eyeing that local shops don't have. Guess I learned my lesson.

[joseywales]

Good traffic throughout most of the day up until about 3. I sold two rifles by 9:15. I'm not a dealer. Just rent a table once in a while, to clear out items. There's a guy selling out Ruger memorabilia, etc. He has brand new Ruger Red Label cases for $5. The foam comes out fairly easily and you're left with a nice semi-hard case, 32" in length. Could be used They were going like hotcakes. He was selling the Ruger takedown 1022 bag for $20.

I wasn't really looking, mostly selling. I did see one revolver I wanted. It's uncommon, but not a famous brand, or high dollar. It was 85% and dirty, so it's a risk, and he was asking the price of a 100% gun. I showed him the blue book and he came down $100 - probably worth the risk, due to the barrel length. I'm still pondering.

Again, I have one table and VERY few items, but setting up show tables takes an enormous amount of time/energy, and sometimes staff - not to mention travel/hotel/meals. Granted, some use campers. As a buyer 99% of the time, I, too, want good price and selection. But as a seller, I understand why they look for more margin.

I guess my take is that if you're looking for a new Glock, Remington, etc., then shows probably don't make sense. Older or less common guns are probably what shows are best for. I saw some older revolvers, rifles, 3rd generation S&W for less than they are selling on Gunbroker or forums. I was very tempted by a few, but I need to clear out!

[Everlastingfate]

I haven't been to a show in years and now I know why..... it was something nice to do with my family but the prices were ridiculous on just about everything. I seen a few shotguns that were comparable to the prices but most were charging $20 to transfer. I tried to haggle one guy cash in hand but he wouldn't budge. That's fine I'll order it from bud's save $100 on price tag alone not to mention sales tax and ridiculous transfer fee. Only thing I got out of it was being able to handle a few firearms I've been eyeing that local shops don't have. Guess I learned my lesson.

This is right on the money. Gun shows are becoming only good for window shopping. To some, that's worth $10 and that's fine. I had a nice 2 hours there. Buds is going to do to gun shows what online retailers are doing to brick and mortar stores.

You go to Best Buy to look at TVs and pick the one you want, but you're foolish to buy it there for the cost. Buy it online and save money.

Same with gun shows. Go look and handle what you want - then go buy a new one online that no one handled and is only slightly more expensive than used.

I agree with the other poster - if you want pickles, clothes, jerky, rare guns, rare parts, etc. then gun shows are still the way to go.

[Carson]

Couldn’t do anything else today because of the rain, so Oaks it was. Parking was tough. Gluten Free Show in the third hall. Not too crowded to walk around comfortably. Bought a case of 9mm off of C & J. Only thing that caught my eye was a used .32 Seecamp for $399. I don’t really need it, but read all about them. Not sure if it is worth getting an older used model or a new one under the new management. Otherwise, jerkey, pickles, jewelry, knives, etc. and Aubrey, looking as good as ever.

[joseywales]

Every independent dealer that goes out of business, is one less voice for the gun buyer rights. Amazon has great prices and speedy delivery, but neighborhoods are going to crap, because there is less tax revenue being collected, folks are losing retail jobs and mall properties are looking like Beirut after a shelling.

Things evolve. Some mall properties are being leased by towns, housing municipality offices, etc., saving the towns and taxpayers the cost of property ownership and
revitalizing worn down mall properties.

Perhaps some of the folks losing retail jobs can find delivery jobs, for companies such as Amazon - if the drones don't take over delivery.

With cell phones and social media, our society is losing it's ability to socialize in person. Getting folks who share a common, and threatened, hobby/right should be embraced as an opportunity and any minor additional monetary cost deemed - for the common good of the cause. I know it's not that simple, but perhaps it should be. I get wanting to save money - heck I woke this AM and my freezer had leaked on my kitchen floor - freezer broke, time for a new fridge.

Next time you're at the show, take a look at the crowd sitting down eating. Most have white hair and fee have purchases. They're there socializing, because they come from a generation, a great generation, that understands how important that is.

Lowest price seems great when you get your credit card bill, But as the man said, "pay me now, or pay me later."

[Everlastingfate]

Like I said, I'm all for the experience - it's just not where I'm going to go for most of my firearm purchases if I can pay less elsewhere. I'll still go and walk around and look for a gem that catches my eye, like today. But at the end of the day, it's a business - they need to evolve and stay competitive to survive. The onus is on the vendor to make that happen.

I got my $10 worth and I did actually buy a gun. It's just not the place to go for deals anymore.

[S33401]

Anyone that went remember how much was the going rate for a case of 2020 mre?