Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #11
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    I need to present an argument ... Marines55 says "there are no deals at this show," and that he "doesnt really miss not attending." Obviously, having not been there in five years may mean he doesn't care about the show and what's there (that's fine, I guess we don't miss you either). However, a deal is what YOU make it. Yes, there are some guys there who want to "show" their stuff and have it priced high. Marines55 knows when he sees that, and hopefully everyone else does.

    There are also a bunch of sellers who are trying to make a living and there are some hobbyists who buy and sell for fun. You CAN deal with these (us) guys, and prices may be quite fair. I purchased a decent older American-made 16 gauge side-by-side shotgun there two shows ago from a dealer (Heritage Guild) for $320, and it was not a Stevens, it was more of a mid-grade piece. That's an excellent deal. I've purchased numerous guns from others there at very fair prices. I've gotten various MilSurps from dealers for good prices, including a nice Swedish Mauser (Gustav 1900) from Yankee Armory for $625, another nice deal. You have to know what you are looking at.

    Telling the public that they might as well skip a show is simply ignorant and disrespectful. If you claim to support the 2nd amendment and the gun industry, please don't discourage people from attending any gun show, especially this one. It's one of the best in the region. Even the little ones have some interesting stuff and sometimes great deals, so if you have the time and don't mind spending the admission fee, get there. Thank you.

    ... and sorry if you're offended Marines55 - just that you've probably offended quite a few who are trying to make these shows as good as they can be... we need the support to keep them happening.

  2. #12
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob0217 View Post
    I need to present an argument ... Marines55 says "there are no deals at this show," and that he "doesnt really miss not attending." Obviously, having not been there in five years may mean he doesn't care about the show and what's there (that's fine, I guess we don't miss you either). However, a deal is what YOU make it. Yes, there are some guys there who want to "show" their stuff and have it priced high. Marines55 knows when he sees that, and hopefully everyone else does.

    There are also a bunch of sellers who are trying to make a living and there are some hobbyists who buy and sell for fun. You CAN deal with these (us) guys, and prices may be quite fair. I purchased a decent older American-made 16 gauge side-by-side shotgun there two shows ago from a dealer (Heritage Guild) for $320, and it was not a Stevens, it was more of a mid-grade piece. That's an excellent deal. I've purchased numerous guns from others there at very fair prices. I've gotten various MilSurps from dealers for good prices, including a nice Swedish Mauser (Gustav 1900) from Yankee Armory for $625, another nice deal. You have to know what you are looking at.

    Telling the public that they might as well skip a show is simply ignorant and disrespectful. If you claim to support the 2nd amendment and the gun industry, please don't discourage people from attending any gun show, especially this one. It's one of the best in the region. Even the little ones have some interesting stuff and sometimes great deals, so if you have the time and don't mind spending the admission fee, get there. Thank you.

    ... and sorry if you're offended Marines55 - just that you've probably offended quite a few who are trying to make these shows as good as they can be... we need the support to keep them happening.
    wow, sorry you got butthurt by an honest assessment of the show. if you consider $625 for a common Swedish mauser a great deal, then you should try buying anywhere else where they are found for less. also, that dealer is well known for peddling humped up renumbered rifles at beyond retail prices. he is one of the ones that is well known amongst knowledgeable people to steer clear of. that being said, im glad you find this show fun. I attended this show for many years....never bought a single thing as I could always find it cheaper on gunbroker, local shows, local shops, etc. about 12 years ago, there was a dealer who had a nice series 7 type 99 Arisaka matching numbers with ground mum. he was an older guy...and his price was $599. he wouldn't budge on price (at the time nice examples were selling for $325). fast forward several years...he still had it with the same old worn out price tag of $599 on it. maybe time will catch up and it will be worth that some day. but yes, you must look at the show subjectively. like I said, there are some really neat things there. there are some VERY high price tags there as well. there are also a ton of guys behind the tables that will die with their show wears and the same price tags that were on them for the last 15 years.

    while you seem upset with me and my experience at this show as you seem to think it is a direct jab at you, rest assured it is not. This show is small. it is run by a boys club of private sellers and FFL holders. The prices are high...too high in many cases. Some of the crap is the same stuff that was there for 10 years. Not a ton of rare stuff by any means but there is a ton of common stuff for really high prices. Like I said, its an OK place to go kill some time but ive taken $5000 in cash to that show and walked out with the same amount of money as there was just better stuff for less elsewhere. im a high end buyer, so what I look for isnt what everyone else looks for.

    a note on the "2nd amendment support" BS. boo hoo all you want about someone telling others what a show is like. but your misguided attempt at vilifying me for posting an honest review of a show and liking it as opposition of the 2A, is idiotic and shows a major disconnect on your behalf. Learn to separate an honest review of a show, from your feelings that obviously got hurt. I get that you dont like a negative review of a show you set up at. but lets be honest...there are negative reviews of every single show out there. you could call out any show you want....I just wont incorrectly call you out as anti 2A.

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    OK Marines55, whatever you say . . . Hope others continue to support the shows. Today was decent. There's some nice stuff there. Yeah, some of the guys seem to want to keep their stuff (high prices). I saw some fair prices there, too. Anyone else have some critiquing that's up-to-date? I think that may help.

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    It*s a good show. I*ve purchased many items at this show through the years. Some very hard to find items. Yes it*s like a giant museum that also sells some cool stuff, if you have the pesos. But that*s what makes it cool. It*s a bit of a treasure hunt. You will see things that are only in a museum and for the most part, I*ve never had an issue with the dealers handing over their goods for me to look at. Just don*t pull any triggers or cock back anything*.you may give one of the old codgers a heart attack*..and some items are so crusty that they might fall apart.

    It*s a good show no matter what. If you*ve never been you should definitely attend at least once.

  5. #15
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    Dresher, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    I wasn*t able to go yesterday and won*t be able to today either. There are just too many activities with the kids and not enough time. Fall is a bad time for free time. Spring isn*t much better. I*d still like to check it out but December probably won*t be much better. I sell Christmas trees on the weekends. Maybe I*ll check it out in February before spring activities start up.

  6. #16
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    I went once and enjoyed it. I found some rare 7.65 long for my French Unique but @$60/box, I wasn't buying.
    Gender confusion is a mental illness

  7. #17
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob0217 View Post
    OK Marines55, whatever you say . . . Hope others continue to support the shows. Today was decent. There's some nice stuff there. Yeah, some of the guys seem to want to keep their stuff (high prices). I saw some fair prices there, too. Anyone else have some critiquing that's up-to-date? I think that may help.
    sorry to have hit a raw nerve. FWIW, I continue to support many shows, I just dont go to this one. doing a quick search of gunbroker will net me almost anything at this show for hundreds less than what the guys have on their tables. like I said, its a good show to kill some time at. but you have to be very careful and steer clear of sellers who renumber, fake, and sell humped up crap as original. I could tell you stories about one or two specific sellers that attend that show that would shock and awe. but, if you have been in the hobby lang enough, you have probably already heard some of them.

    anyway, it looks like several others posting here have the same or like review as mine...yet you seem to only be bitching about me. im sorry your feelings were hurt. im sorry you are angry with me. I hope you can find the strength to move on. best of luck today at the show, if you are doing Oaks next weekend, let me know!

  8. #18
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    This is not the place for such a back-and-forth dialogue as some of us have been conducting (I thought I was finished last time), and I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong, so I'll try to wrap up my posting in hopes that readers understand this (my) point of view. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and YES some of the critical comments above definitely have merit. Jumping away from the Allentown show for a moment, there have been especially mixed reviews of the smaller shows in the southeast PA area, like Sellersville and Leesport. The "questionable" reviews are understandable, as these littler shows, along with a few hunting and fishing flea markets I post, are certainly not awe-inspiring. I'd like to think that there are some deals at every show (I usually find something). As vendors, we rarely do poorly at these small events. Everyone's tastes may differ, and it only takes finding ONE special item to really make someone happy that they went to a show, no matter the size of the event. I certainly will not encourage people to travel far for the little shows, but I'll try to make it clear that any potential customers are welcome and encouraged to attend, since we never know what's going to be there. In some reviews of smaller events I feel that the writers think small shows should not exist. It's frustrating to people who try to keep them going. By the way, I'm not a promoter, just a small-time vendor. I wish a few of the promoters were a bit more aggressive with advertising - haha - see if they read this. I'm posting their shows on this site, since they don't (?).

    On another note, I want to mention that our inventory seems to change pretty significantly over a few shows. There are always claims of seeing the same old people with the same old stuff, and these are not always fair/accurate (again, true for some vendors, not all).

    People mention Oaks, the biggest show in the region... We had set up at the Oaks show for quite a few years. It is large, but vendor tables have gotten expensive ($90 each now?), especially for a hobbyist who isn't writing off expenses. That's our big reason for not being there anymore. Also, (I don't really like to post this, but) we've lost a few significant things off tables over the eight or so years that we had consistently been there, more there than anywhere else we've been. Lastly, and this is my opinion, the shows are held quite frequently. The promoter is making money, but I believe some buyers seem to think, "I'll wait and get it next time." We're not that far from Oaks, and it was a convenient venue, but we decided to discontinue our sales there back in 2016. I'd like to say we're happy with smaller events, but there's room to criticize all of them. We still try to keep people coming.

    I strongly doubt that any reader/poster on this site is on the political left, so my posting was not intended to imply that anyone is really anti-2nd-amendment. It was intended to be more of a statement that encouraging show attendance creates more support. I feel like I'm constantly restating that I'd hope we all try to support all shows (sorry for dissing Oaks a little, but I'd like $60-$70 tables again - we did pretty well there).

    Critiquing shows on sites like this would ideally be a way to promote improvement, rather than decline. More people attending brings more vendors, more vendors bring more people, and the quality improves, but you have to start somewhere. Promoters have a lot to do with it, but I'm doing what I can as well, especially for shows that are convenient for us. We're trying to keep them happening. I don't think Allentown is in danger - it's got a decent following, and the vendors (many of whom you'll see at Oaks and other venues) have a good variety of inventory. The competition at any show should give the high-priced guys an idea that they're off, but some at Allentown don't care - they like their stuff, I guess. Others there are moving some goods. This Allentown show seems to be the most consistent show we attend - decent sales, decent buying, decent crowd, minimal theft, good variety.

    Anyway, this has been somewhat fun, somewhat entertaining, somewhat educational, and somewhat frustrating. I'm really trying to promote the firearm interest, which is fading among younger Americans. One guy at Allentown claimed that he'd be selling off his collection over the next ten years or so, as he foresees little interest in the older firearms in the future. He has some nice lever-guns, shotguns, and classic sporting arms. He's possibly correct, but we hope not.

    I'll be posting the upcoming Leesport soon, which happens November 5th and 6th. Attendance is usually fairly strong Saturday morning, followed by sporadic attendance through the rest of the weekend, and sales are "unpredictable." There are decent vendors (some of whom do larger shows, some local guys). Vendor tables are affordable ($50/each). Inventory varies from black-powder stuff to sporting to target to tactical to knives to ... typical show stuff, not much BS. Do not expect to be awed, but if you're looking for something, you never know until you see for yourself whether or not it's there. In the meantime, good luck to all who show and attend the Oaks Gun-toberfest, and keep trying to get others interested in gun sports and gun shows.

  9. #19
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    Default Re: Allentown Fairgrounds, Forks of the Delaware Gun Show, October 15 & 16, 2022

    I've been reading this thread with interest as I've never been to the Allentown show. Was unable to make it this past weekend anyhow.

    I remember getting a great deal on something at the Philadelphia Armory show, and also getting nothing at the same event on a different day. Same goes for the Allentown show at the hotel. One time there, I got tired of standing outside, in the cold, in line. A few of us were chatting in line, and one mentioned AF Boyer. I got out of line and took a ride.

    I haven't been to any show for awhile, as I was finding nothing of interest. These days, when you add the cost of fuel and tolls, well, it makes me think twice. I try to see it as the cost of a "day out". If friends go...all the better. Oaks? Maybe I'm due for a show...

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