Question to Dealers who attend gun shows

[tacticalreload]

I was going to post this in the "gun show" forum but it seems that all the posts there are gun show announcements and I didn't want to muddy it up with a question. Also, I hope that people don't find this to be an inappropriate question.

My question is to dealers who regularly attend the bigger shows (ie, Harrisburg, Valley Forge, Oaks, etc.). How many actual guns do you sell at a typical show? When I go, I see hoards of people fingering up a bunch of pistols all the time; but I'm wondering how many people actually end up buying firearms. I still see a lot of full display cases at the end of the second day of the shows... but then again, if it didn't pay to attend the show and schlep around tons of inventory back and forth all the time, then I suppose there wouldn't be very many dealers at the shows.

If you'd prefer to answer via PM, that's cool. Thanks in advance.

[TaurusPT145]

I think that would be interesting to know, especially if you're thinking about selling at a show.

[LorDiego01]

Based on my previous experience with the last three gun shows that I went to, it seems that most dealers go out of their way in order to avoid sales.

Bad attitude.
Extremely overpriced wares.

I mainly just go to look at stuff, which I then pick up from my local dealer for a much, much lower price.

Stuff like accessories and supplies are still a good deal though.

[wellcraft]

i'm guessing they must sell something because it costs them money for their tables, money to transport their inventory to/from the gunshow plus whatever they think their time is worth. if they weren't making money i don't think they would bother attending and you usually see the same vendors at the same shows. there are lots of uninformed people buying guns at gunshows so its possible they are the ones vendors are making most of there money on. i have seen competitive prices at gunshows but i've also seen sky high prices like the keltec RFB for 1799 and i paid 1270 at Shakey's Gunshop in Orwigsburg.

[knight0334]

Back in the day dealers used to sell guns like hotcakes at shows. But over the years, instead of offering "sales" prices at shows, they just continued with stiff markups - sometime more than their storefront prices. I've yet to see a good deal at a gun in the last 10 years, other than ammo and collectible items.

If you want a good deal on a gun, frequent a friendly local dealer. If you get a reputation for spending a lot of your hard earned dollars at his store he's likely to cut you a damn good deal more often than you ever get at a gun show.

My mainstay favorite dealer always discount things for me when he can, and often gives ammo/holster/accessories to go with a new purchase.

[JayBell]

I was going to post this in the "gun show" forum but it seems that all the posts there are gun show announcements and I didn't want to muddy it up with a question.

you are in the correct forum for your question, the "Gun Show" forum is in the "Events Section", which is where you announce where a gunshow will take place, not discussion.

[pa350z]

Agree with a previous poster, I attend many, many gun shows. I go there for two main reasons... (1) I like to browse the gun inventory, I rarely, rarely ask to handle any firearm. If there is a particular model I am interested in and see it, I closely examine it while it sits there and ask the price. That's it. If I want to pursue that model, I do what others here have mentioned.... I go to a local dealer and start there. (2) I really like looking for accessories i.e. extra magazines, targets, spare parts, a cheap used holster, packs, etc.... this is what I really like about the shows. And, I should say, I like meeting and speaking with other like minded people.

I do agree with others that there are many, many more uninformed buyers at these shows and that seems to be who is buying. How many of you all have went by a pistol vendors table to seem some goof holding a weapon with his finger in the trigger guard, slide or cylinder closed pointing it into the crowd!! That shit pisses me off to no extent and I just keep walking. I also hate when a dealer simply hands over the displayed pistol/revolver without checking to see if its loaded!!! I know they know their stock and watch, but come on. IMHO

[MartinBrody]

Seems like ammo is always selling, at least from the ammo only tables. Some gun dealers sell more than others, I see a couple that tend to stock in demand items at low prices that always seem to have someone fillng out paperwork. But man there are some dealers with a lot of stuff at high prices and I never see anyone buying, I don't know why they go. I think some go in part to get the word out about their shop. I never knew about Kings/Better Bullets until I saw them at a show, that was many years ago, before i knew about this site.

If you get any FFLs to answer, their response will probably depend on what kind of shop they are.

[39flathead]

I used to do shows back during the Greengate mall heydays of gun shows when I was an FFL & I still do them with my gunsmith friend.

A short and simple answer is that if you have fairly priced your stuff, it will sell, those that think they need to bump up their prices when going to shows in order to make up for the costs involved, should just stay home IMO. I sell plenty of stuff when we set up and so does he. I admit that I sell parts and trinkets to support my gun habit, not for an income, but I still know what the value of my stuff is and price it accordingly, and so does he since he is actually looking to sell stuff to pay his bills.

When searching out deals on an actual firearm, avoid the big shows with expensive tables, you will mostly find dealers with large inventories and huge overhead that price their stuff at a premium. Ammo and accessories might be found at discount prices, but maybe not. The larger shows are good for finding scarce parts since some of the older gunsmiths and collectors still set up just to hang out with the other oldsters and talk about the good old days, sometimes bringing out their rusty treasure.

You also have dealers from different parts of the state at shows that can have wildly different prices that they base on their home markets. The last PCGA show I was at there was a guy from out east with a case full of Glocks marked at full MSRP and used ones for only about $50 less, a few rows over was a guy from up north and he was selling his new Glocks for less than the other guys used ones, and he was actually selling.

One last thing, rarely is a show price set in stone, if something interests you, make an offer, not an insulting low ball, but a fair offer, you might be surprised to find that the dealer is tired of waiting for the uninformed buyer to come along.

I prefer the small fire hall type shows that have more of the locals set up. You would be surprised to find out how many kitchen table FFLs and gunsmiths there are out there. These guys set up at the small shows with $25 tables and most seem to want to actually sell their stuff.

The show in Indiana had some good deals as did the one in Kittanning.
I looked at a very nice Hakim at Indiana that had the brightest and cleanest bore I had ever seen in one of these, he was asking $475 which is not out of line and I know he would have dickered on the price to move it. Had I not bought a like new Daewoo DP51 from Highland Arms (for under $300 W/extra mags) I would have been taking that rifle home.