Harrisburg GUNSHOW; Farm Show Complex Dec 8-9

[bige64]

Location:
Farm Show Complex
2300 North Cameron St.,
Harrisburg, Pa. 17110

Hours:
Sat 9 AM -5 PM
Sun 9 AM - 4 PM

Entry Fee: $7

Number of tables: 1200

[bige64]

I'll have lots of my exotic ammunition, Incendiary pistol/rifle ammo, 37mm ammo, Fuse, Holsters, and exploding targets...

Please stop by and say Hi!!!


Please like my new facebook business page... www.facebook.com/gunshowgoods

[Neo31rex31]

I will be there as well with over a ton (literally) of freeze dried food.
-EMac's Tactical Shop

[franklinman]

Anyone coming with a decent selection of 5.56 ammunition, ar magazines?

[ScotsGuards]

Anyone coming with a decent selection of 5.56 ammunition, ar magazines?

Highland Arms will have LOTS of AR mags. New and used GI, P-Mags, HK steel mags. I should have a few cans of Lake City 5.56 M855 Ball and some Fiocci 55 and 62 Gr. Also if all goes according to plan I should have a large quantity of East German Steel AK mags. I'll keep you all posted how that works out.

[SomeDude]

Are these shows worth going to?

When I lived in Florida, I found that most sellers actually raised prices because so many people with more money than sense would go to the show.

[franklinman]

Certainly I've encountered some vendors with unreasonably high prices at gun shows. Their stuff... if they want to haul it around and price it beyond market levels that's their business. Most won't be buying from them. I think the day(s) of finding really good buys at gun shows is pretty much over. The market is at an all time high, and the internet assures that most informed shoppers know what items are selling for. So do the sellers. It's the same in most hobbies. On the other hand, I still find reasonable deals on some things, especially stuff that most local shops don't carry. It's also an opportunity to actually see what you are buying before putting down your money, unlike buying on-line. In other words, there's good and bad, like most things. The Harrisburg show has it's detractors, but overall I've found it to be mostly enjoyable and worth my time. YMMV.

[silent*anarchy]

You will also find its about half the size it used to be back in the 1990's. Those WIDE open aisles are a dead give away. Its only good for modern items now, very few collectors show up for vintage anymore unless its real cheap. I do so much miss the old days there.

[GonzoGeezer]

Hoping for a nice vintage handgun or two is why I still go. Only a very few diamonds in the rough to be found but some of the smaller shops don't do internet, or get some interesting consignments. It's worth the $7 investment for me, plus I live a mile away.

[ScotsGuards]

You will also find its about half the size it used to be back in the 1990's. Those WIDE open aisles are a dead give away. Its only good for modern items now, very few collectors show up for vintage anymore unless its real cheap. I do so much miss the old days there.

Sad to say most every gun show is much smaller than they used to be. I remember when the Monroeville PGCA show at the old Expo-Mart used both sides AND the connecting hallway in between. Harrisburg same thing. The OGCA show had to move to the IX Center near the Cleveland Airport mostly due to not enough space in the Columbus Veterans Hall. It covered a space more than twice what Harrisburg does now. Also those shows had almost no "junk" tables. Almost everything was firearms and accessories, militaria, surplus, books and other relevent items.

So, what happened? The rise of the internet. The reduction of the amount of, and the riseing cost of, varied product, especially surplus firearms. Loss of dealers due to death, retirement, or lack of interest. Some small FFLs lost licenses due to the tightening of ATF regs or mismanagment of their record keeping. The rising cost of travel. All of these have contributed to the reduction of gun shows in both size and quality. At some of the shows there are more "junk" and trinkets than firearms.

So much for the past. Sales markets change and gun shows are no differernt. Are they more oriented towards being a farmers market type of venue where most everyone is purvaying their merchandise? Sure they are. That's what they have evolved into. Are there still good deals to be had? Sure. Are there still good collectable items to be found. Sure. You just have to look harder. They have been "Collected" so much there aren't as many of them around.

Shows are still fun and and a great way to view and handle stuff you would have to drive all over to individual outlets to be able to do so. You can't do either over the internet. Even more important in our increasingly disconnected world; it gives many of us a chance to interact with others such as ourselves who share WIIWD on common ground.