Gun Show Feedback/Suggestions

[Marines55]

Admins, please move this to an appropriate posting area if needed. I only posted this here as it is the best area for gun show discussion.


OK everyone, I know this is opening a can of worms but I think it really needs to be discussed on a serious level. We can all see that gun shows are not what they used to be. We have seen once amazing shows like Harrisburg turn into a flea market. York is still a really good show as is Oaks. However, there are many smaller shows that are dying off and im sure the problems that plague them are multi faceted. We as dealers see different problems than gun show buyers so im curious what every ones input is on this.

I can for sure say that my biggest problems with shows as a dealer are the flea market dealers/sellers, the non serious gun shoppers (those who come to the show armed with a cell phone and comparison shop the internet while at your tables), lack of advertising, and some locations of the venues. for instance, there are better locations available for gun shows within a few miles of the current location that is run down, in the middle of nowhere, etc.

We can all agree that bath fitter, window and siding replacement, cell phone accessories, and many others dont really belong at a gun show. However, I can also sympathize with the gun show promoters in that filling tables is hard to do when the buying public doesn't come out and many dealers pull out of the shows to stay in their shops or sell online instead.

IS THERE A PRICE POINT AT WHICH THE BUYING PUBLIC WOULD PAY TO COME TO A SHOW THAT IS 90% GUNS OR GUN RELATED? is it $15? is it $20? for me, I would pay $20 and drive a couple hours to get to a show that I know has a great chance to provide me with a firearm I like or want. $20 isnt a ton of money to pay to get in a higher class event, but if I go to 5 or 10 shows without buying anything....$120-$150 is money that adds up with nothing to show for it. As a dealer I hear a ton of feedback from gun show attendees at the show, as well as those coming int the shop saying they will never go back to this show or that one. So I ask what your suggestions are to make shows a better experience that will not only attract you the buyer, but also the dealer. keep in mind the more dealers you can pull into a show the better the experience is for the buyer. keep in mind also, that there is only a finite number of dealers able to do gun shows! Pitting one show against another on the same weekend will kill one of them permanently.

YOUR THOUGHTS?

[Ronin]

I only go to gun shows to find something old, unique, or both. Most gun shows have very little, if any of that, anymore. If I want a modern gun, I'll go to my LGS and not have to pay a fee to stand in line and get bumped into by the droves of waddlegawkers that frequent gun shows. And most of the time, my LGS has better prices.

[Marines55]

I only go to gun shows to find something old, unique, or both. Most gun shows have very little, if any of that, anymore. If I want a modern gun, I'll go to my LGS and not have to pay a fee to stand in line and get bumped into by the droves of waddlegawkers that frequent gun shows. And most of the time, my LGS has better prices.

as stated in my post, if you can go to a show and find that old or unique item...what would you pay? most dealers are selling the old and collectable stuff online because local gun shows dont net the same price as gunbroker. some items sell for hundreds or thousands more on gunbroker than at a show. hence the problem that no serious buyers are at the show anymore.....just the "I want a sig at taurus prices" guys.

[Walleye Hunter]

I'm pretty flush with all of my needs these days so I'm not apt to buy too much. I don't mind the non gun related stuff, I have the unique ability to walk past it and ignore it. What I do look for would be odd or unique or ammo. If they were to have an arena, where they demonstrated a valuable skill or trick for gun owners, that might help but that would only be an expense for them with no return for the space used (other than possible increased attendance). I bought a belt off of the belt guy and bits for my dremel off of the old scooter selling all of that stuff. I also bought a quality set of picks there and some bacon.

[Daycrawler]

I would pay no more than $20 bucks. What gun shows need to get rid of is, jewelry, bath fitters, anything fantasy related knife, sword & all annoying stun gun crackling. All Barb wire wrapped bats. Yes, paying more would save us from isles and isles of garbage. But once we open the door, why not $25 next year. No thanks. $15 would be a good if it filtered out the garbage.



Keep the pickles and beef Jerky guns, ammo & related items, camo clothing, socks. Spread the tables apart so people can see what is going on. Simply keeping it, hunting, shooting, reloading and outdoor related items, would make shows ten times better.


They also need to stop people with massive back packs, wagons and other stupid things, like strollers without children.

[Ronin]

as stated in my post, if you can go to a show and find that old or unique item...what would you pay? most dealers are selling the old and collectable stuff online because local gun shows dont net the same price as gunbroker. some items sell for hundreds or thousands more on gunbroker than at a show. hence the problem that no serious buyers are at the show anymore.....just the "I want a sig at taurus prices" guys.

And there's the rub. I'm not interested in paying the inflated Gunbroker prices. I want to hold and see the gun before I buy. And I would much sooner give the money to someone local. For that, I'm willing to pay market value. What that is depends on the gun.

For a gun show that had old and/or unique guns and not a lot of non-gun related bullshit, I'd pay $20 to get into a show.

[Rural Ruger]

I've got 2 things generally holding me back from buying at shows. One being time/coordinating with the wife, which prevents me from going in the first place. With a little one and a wife, taking a trip to a gun show takes more planning than it used to, and it's not usually worth the aggravation. They'll go with me at times and that's great, but I usually keep things moving for their sake, so less likely to find the diamond in the rough.

The second thing is price. I get that the dealers have added costs from going to a show and i dont mind paying a little more, but 90% of the time it's more than 'a little more'.

I can swing by a LGS or two while we're out running errands on a weekend, not catch grief for going, and still see a nice (but smaller) selection at typically better prices. And also not walk through fart clouds every aisle too, for that matter.

[rellisonii]

I am cheap, 10 bucks is my max, and most of the time I will skip a 10 dollar show. Big shows like Monroeville are crazy busy, and the small local shows are mostly the same vendors with the same guns at inflated prices. I use to go to all gun shows within an hour drive, looking for something interesting to add to my collection, but between gas and entry fee just stay home these days. Dealers are already paying table fees to be there, the venue usually has some kind of food/drink sales. Unless it is a local firehall / gun club that holds the shows as a fund raiser, I feel the entry fee is taking advantage of the buyers.

[Walleye Hunter]

I am cheap, 10 bucks is my max, and most of the time I will skip a 10 dollar show. Big shows like Monroeville are crazy busy, and the small local shows are mostly the same vendors with the same guns at inflated prices. I use to go to all gun shows within an hour drive, looking for something interesting to add to my collection, but between gas and entry fee just stay home these days. Dealers are already paying table fees to be there, the venue usually has some kind of food/drink sales. Unless it is a local firehall / gun club that holds the shows as a fund raiser, I feel the entry fee is taking advantage of the buyers.

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. I'd expect the combination of entrance fees and table fees are needed to cover costs. I'll bet that hall rental is high enough to make your eyeballs bulge out.

[Emptymag]

I'll bet I haven't been to a gun show in 5 years.
And probably 10 years prior to that one show.

You don't want my kind there anyway - I don't have a pocket full of cash. I need to spend my gun money wisely.
Obviously that means I buy online - or from the poofa classifieds.

"Free shipping" is a great way to sell me a product.
"Fifteen dollars, please" is a great way to keep me from going to a gun show. I could throw away $15 in any number of more productive ways.

I don't even go to gun SHOPS - and I don't have to pay to walk in and not buy anything.

I love the IDEA of gun shows, but I'm just not that into them any more.