The Gun Show was Bed, Bath and Beyond

Glenn E. Meyer · January 26, 2013, 04:52 PM

There was a gun show on the drive path of my chores today so I thought I'd waste the seven bucks - was I correct!

I think of all the tables only about three were classic gun tables. This is the first time I saw a giant table full of Egyptian cotton sheets! Mister Pen was there. Tons of cheap crap jewelry, Chinese 5 dollar knives, crappy coin dealers, sugared nuts.

One ammo - dealer:

30 bucks for a box of Crapolastan 9mm. 84 bucks for 333 22LRs.

Guns: crap handguns for inflated prices - even thing like Nagants for 300 bucks. One guy had an Colt M-4 for 2500 dollars.

Total waste of time except for research purposes.

However, the local sporting goods chain - had lots of WWB 45 ACP in 50 round boxes for $21. The trick is you can only buy one box at a time. They had a few semi pistols at regular prices. Ex.: Glock 17 for $529 - gen 3.

The show reminded me of Homer Simpson going to buy a gun at Blood, Bath and Beyond. Sheets - Geez!

RockSmoot · January 26, 2013, 06:42 PM

Gunshows are working hard to make themselves irrelevant with this kind of stupidity.

Doesn't anybody have some good news? Anybody?

zxcvbob · January 26, 2013, 06:47 PM

What? No beef jerky??

steveno · January 26, 2013, 06:53 PM

the jerky guy probably didn't have his table uncovered yet

adamc · January 26, 2013, 07:05 PM

The jrrky guy
Was bumped by the chinese computer parts and flashlight table......

sirdiealot · January 26, 2013, 07:18 PM

where was this one at...was it in wichita...was thinking about makeing the drive down there but its about a 2hr drive for me...has anyone been to the wichita gun show this weekend if so is it worth me drivin down tomorrow

Alabama Shooter · January 26, 2013, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Guns: crap hanguns for inflated prices - even thing like Nagants for 300 bucks. One guy had Colt M-4 for 2500 dollars.

Think that is crazy? Someone bought one on line and had it shipped to the LGS.

The owner showed me the invoice. $3250.

Quote:

84 bucks for 333 22LRs.

I want to extend an offer to anyone here who needs a box for the paltry sum of $79.

Sounds like it was worth the price of admission.

BigTex308 · January 26, 2013, 07:38 PM

Went to one in Conroe tx a few weeks ago. They had one or two worthless crap tables but the rest were over inflated prices on guns and ammo. Saw 1,000 .223 rounds for $2,000!!!!

Ike

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

DFrame · January 26, 2013, 08:24 PM

There is one that happens in my area. I refer to it as the Knife, razor, kitchen tool, edged weapon, sharp thing, pointy thing, collectable blades, and an occasional gun show. I consider my time too important to attend such a waste. We used to joke about asking where THE gun table was.
I go to other places now where GUNS are prominent.

RockyTop · January 26, 2013, 08:49 PM

This is why I skipped the one in my area this month. Not interested in paying panic prices for anything right now and not in the market for Egyptian sheets.

Joe_Pike · January 26, 2013, 08:57 PM

All of these stupid gun show prices nearly have me wanting to sell most of my guns and ammo and come back when things calm down. I could then come back and buy some custom guns and have some money left over.

junker · January 27, 2013, 10:43 PM

Last week here in Maine the Augusta show had an Avon table with two ladies running it, a smoke alarm/burgalar alarm table, and a few tables of junk. There were a few deals to be had... but not many.

The line was looong... and when I left it was loooooooonger.

Daggitt · January 27, 2013, 11:04 PM

I have yet to witness the gun show craziness first hand. By all reports though there weren't that many deals at the shows before that poor woman let her deranged kid steal her guns. I think a lot of it is just that there are 10 times as many people showing up. You can't fault the organizers. They don't set the prices.

TailGator · January 28, 2013, 04:19 PM

If you pay for admission to a gun show and there are no guns, do you get your money back?

Skans · January 28, 2013, 04:53 PM

All I've got to say is I remember:

The Hunt Brothers and Silver Hoarding
The dot.com crash
The Real Estate bubble...........

And, this is clearly a gun bubble.

adamc · January 29, 2013, 10:29 AM

I have NEVER been to a gun show....

It doesn't look like I'll start either... (until things cool off)

Patriot86 · January 29, 2013, 10:48 AM

I feel your Pain Glenn.
Last three gun shows I went to were bust.
Normally I go just looking for new things I haven’t seen before and WWII Navy Stuff for my grandfather-in-law.

Went to one OK one here locally; prices were high, the show was kind of insane and this was in early December! I did get a "don't tread on me floormat" for my brother in law though. He liked it.

Went to a small one spurr of the moment in Wisconsin on the way back from Walmart...what a waste of money. All old beat up deer rifles and duck guns for almost as much as a new model. Very few modern firearms and those they had were overprices, ammo was 1.25-2x what it should have been.

Honestly, if Walmart sells a 50 round box of 9MM Federal FMJ for $13.99...and you CAN still find it at this price even to this day...how do you get off trying to sell the same for $19.99 or $24.99?

Second gun show I went to up in WI was good in the past, sadly all of the guys I went there to see were absent from this show. No new cheap chi-com laser to keep my cats busy, no more cool old navy stuff for Grand-Dad and worst of all no good ammo dealers.
Yes they had people selling sheets, cheap chi-com knives, cheap jewelry. Lots of knock off and chi-com optics. Only one dealer selling "brand name" EOtechs, Aimpoints, ACOGS's etc and his prices are just a little high.

I did buy some PMAGS at a good price, but that was about it.

I think I am going to stay away from gunshows until at least the summer and then wait for a gunshow on an ungodly hot weekend. Maybe when it is 105F in some of these shows it will drive the panic buyers away. I have an advantage there, living in Florida for 7 years really thinned my blood!

zincwarrior · January 29, 2013, 11:05 AM

No thanks! I have a strict policy about not attending gun shows. Even in the best of times I never liked them much. Tight crowds, few deals, weird nonsense stuff for sale, and the occasional crackpot make this an unexciting destination for yours truly.

Glenn E. Meyer · January 29, 2013, 11:06 AM

TX had decent guns shows. Standard new firearms had the best prices there. Ammo wasn't that hot unless you wanted something a touch exotic but even then online was better.

For example, a new Glock 17 might run $489 at the show but 529 at the best big box local store.

However, I heard in Austin the line for that show was an hour to get in.

I'm not waiting an hour to see Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets.

Don P · January 29, 2013, 11:18 AM

Went to the local gun show. Arrived at 4 PM. No lines waiting to get in. Vender's I know stated lines were long to get in at 9 am. Also was told the Lakeland Gun show two exhibit halls had a 2 hour wait in line to get in. Ludicrous if you ask me snaking through the cattle gates for a gun show.
At the local show a dealer had a stripped down AR for $2,395 and I didn't even look any further at the ones with optics on them. Most dealers were extremely proud of the guns they were trying to sell over priced is putting it mildly.

Patriot86 · January 29, 2013, 11:22 AM

Were they Egyptian Cotton or Kevlar tactical bed sheets

I really do feel your pain though. The one thing I seem to find at local gunshows a lot is exotic ammo for a good price. I see a fair share of 357 SIG, 10MM, all sorts of rounds I did not even know existed. I am considering adding a 10MM 1911 to my collection later this year so I might just have to stop by one early summer or late spring to pick up some ammo.

Funny enough my LGS is sold out of the "brand name" of most semi auto pistol calibers, except for 10MM! They had a giant stack of 10MM that looked mostly overlooked/untouched.

BigD_in_FL · January 29, 2013, 12:24 PM

Seems we won't have to worry about them closing the "gun show loophole" - we seem to be trying to get rid of the shows all together

adamc · January 29, 2013, 01:11 PM

I wonder if you could sell hand loaded ammo at
an arts & crafts show... after all.. it is handmade

HAM radio shows have been going down the tubes for years..

stand in huge lines, pay decent $$ to get it, to find arts & crafts,
\sheets, commie tools-flashlights-computer parts, etc.
I have thrown away better stuff

Last summer I actually bought an antique Revere-ware double boiler pot,
and a Foley Food Mill for a decent price, oh yes AND some radio tubes.

Why would the GUN shows be any different

SPEMack618 · January 29, 2013, 01:27 PM

hm. With the recent additions to sheets at gun shows, I feel like I would be better served by just walking around Linen and Things and putting that eight dollars towards my beer fund. The LadyFriend would appreciate that, too.

The last purchase I made at a gun show was a good Swiss Army Knife that was thin but still had a cork-screw.

dajowi · January 29, 2013, 02:18 PM

A friend of mine went to a local gun show. He got there 30 minutes after the doors opened. He was at the end of a 200-300 person line waiting to get in. He left.

At the local Sheriff's Office over 100 people a day are trying to apply for a CHL.

Last weekend this same friend was at Cabela's purchasing a handgun. He was #128 in line for a background check. It took hours.

While at Cabela's he purchased a single box of .40 SW for $50. I told him he better go back and buy the other box before it was gone. He paid $100 for 100 rounds. Hardly enough to break in a new gun.

January 26, 2013, 06:47 PM	#3
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	What? No beef jerky?? __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

January 26, 2013, 07:18 PM	#6
sirdiealot Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2012 Location: kansas Posts: 187	where was this one at...was it in wichita...was thinking about makeing the drive down there but its about a 2hr drive for me...has anyone been to the wichita gun show this weekend if so is it worth me drivin down tomorrow __________________ 9mm Luger: ...Wildly popular all over the world, mostly in countries where people don’t carry guns, and cops don’t have to actually shoot people with theirs.

January 26, 2013, 08:24 PM	#9
DFrame Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2008 Location: central Illinois Posts: 451	There is one that happens in my area. I refer to it as the Knife, razor, kitchen tool, edged weapon, sharp thing, pointy thing, collectable blades, and an occasional gun show. I consider my time too important to attend such a waste. We used to joke about asking where THE gun table was. I go to other places now where GUNS are prominent. __________________ Mark Lane to William Buckley: "Have you ever referred to Jessee Jackson as an ignoramus?" Buckley: "If I didn't, I should have"

January 26, 2013, 08:57 PM	#11
Joe_Pike Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2010 Posts: 1,581	All of these stupid gun show prices nearly have me wanting to sell most of my guns and ammo and come back when things calm down. I could then come back and buy some custom guns and have some money left over. __________________ Stay Groovy

January 29, 2013, 10:48 AM	#17
Patriot86 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2010 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,293	I feel your Pain Glenn. Last three gun shows I went to were bust. Normally I go just looking for new things I haven’t seen before and WWII Navy Stuff for my grandfather-in-law. Went to one OK one here locally; prices were high, the show was kind of insane and this was in early December! I did get a "don't tread on me floormat" for my brother in law though. He liked it. Went to a small one spurr of the moment in Wisconsin on the way back from Walmart...what a waste of money. All old beat up deer rifles and duck guns for almost as much as a new model. Very few modern firearms and those they had were overprices, ammo was 1.25-2x what it should have been. Honestly, if Walmart sells a 50 round box of 9MM Federal FMJ for $13.99...and you CAN still find it at this price even to this day...how do you get off trying to sell the same for $19.99 or $24.99? Second gun show I went to up in WI was good in the past, sadly all of the guys I went there to see were absent from this show. No new cheap chi-com laser to keep my cats busy, no more cool old navy stuff for Grand-Dad and worst of all no good ammo dealers. Yes they had people selling sheets, cheap chi-com knives, cheap jewelry. Lots of knock off and chi-com optics. Only one dealer selling "brand name" EOtechs, Aimpoints, ACOGS's etc and his prices are just a little high. I did buy some PMAGS at a good price, but that was about it. I think I am going to stay away from gunshows until at least the summer and then wait for a gunshow on an ungodly hot weekend. Maybe when it is 105F in some of these shows it will drive the panic buyers away. I have an advantage there, living in Florida for 7 years really thinned my blood! __________________ "....The swords of others will set you your limits".

January 26, 2013, 04:52 PM	#1
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	The Gun Show was Bed, Bath and Beyond There was a gun show on the drive path of my chores today so I thought I'd waste the seven bucks - was I correct! I think of all the tables only about three were classic gun tables. This is the first time I saw a giant table full of Egyptian cotton sheets! Mister Pen was there. Tons of cheap crap jewelry, Chinese 5 dollar knives, crappy coin dealers, sugared nuts. One ammo - dealer: 30 bucks for a box of Crapolastan 9mm. 84 bucks for 333 22LRs. Guns: crap handguns for inflated prices - even thing like Nagants for 300 bucks. One guy had an Colt M-4 for 2500 dollars. Total waste of time except for research purposes. However, the local sporting goods chain - had lots of WWB 45 ACP in 50 round boxes for $21. The trick is you can only buy one box at a time. They had a few semi pistols at regular prices. Ex.: Glock 17 for $529 - gen 3. The show reminded me of Homer Simpson going to buy a gun at Blood, Bath and Beyond. Sheets - Geez! __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

January 26, 2013, 06:42 PM	#2
RockSmoot Member Join Date: January 22, 2013 Location: Rogers, Arkansas Posts: 36	Gunshows are working hard to make themselves irrelevant with this kind of stupidity. Doesn't anybody have some good news? Anybody?

January 26, 2013, 06:53 PM	#4
steveno Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2004 Location: Minden , Nebraska Posts: 1,407	the jerky guy probably didn't have his table uncovered yet

January 26, 2013, 07:05 PM	#5
adamc Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2013 Location: Stalingrad Connecticut Posts: 216	The jrrky guy Was bumped by the chinese computer parts and flashlight table......

January 26, 2013, 07:38 PM	#8
BigTex308 Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 259	Went to one in Conroe tx a few weeks ago. They had one or two worthless crap tables but the rest were over inflated prices on guns and ammo. Saw 1,000 .223 rounds for $2,000!!!! Ike Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

January 26, 2013, 08:49 PM	#10
RockyTop Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2009 Posts: 106	This is why I skipped the one in my area this month. Not interested in paying panic prices for anything right now and not in the market for Egyptian sheets.

January 27, 2013, 10:43 PM	#12
junker Member Join Date: January 10, 2011 Posts: 65	Last week here in Maine the Augusta show had an Avon table with two ladies running it, a smoke alarm/burgalar alarm table, and a few tables of junk. There were a few deals to be had... but not many. The line was looong... and when I left it was loooooooonger. __________________ My Youtube Ammo Channel: MJProjects

January 27, 2013, 11:04 PM	#13
Daggitt Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2011 Posts: 321	I have yet to witness the gun show craziness first hand. By all reports though there weren't that many deals at the shows before that poor woman let her deranged kid steal her guns. I think a lot of it is just that there are 10 times as many people showing up. You can't fault the organizers. They don't set the prices.

January 28, 2013, 04:19 PM	#14
TailGator Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,787	If you pay for admission to a gun show and there are no guns, do you get your money back?

January 28, 2013, 04:53 PM	#15
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	All I've got to say is I remember: The Hunt Brothers and Silver Hoarding The dot.com crash The Real Estate bubble........... And, this is clearly a gun bubble.

January 29, 2013, 10:29 AM	#16
adamc Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2013 Location: Stalingrad Connecticut Posts: 216	I have NEVER been to a gun show.... It doesn't look like I'll start either... (until things cool off)

January 29, 2013, 11:05 AM	#18
zincwarrior Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2011 Location: Texas, land of Tex-Mex Posts: 2,259	No thanks! I have a strict policy about not attending gun shows. Even in the best of times I never liked them much. Tight crowds, few deals, weird nonsense stuff for sale, and the occasional crackpot make this an unexciting destination for yours truly.

January 29, 2013, 11:06 AM	#19
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	TX had decent guns shows. Standard new firearms had the best prices there. Ammo wasn't that hot unless you wanted something a touch exotic but even then online was better. For example, a new Glock 17 might run $489 at the show but 529 at the best big box local store. However, I heard in Austin the line for that show was an hour to get in. I'm not waiting an hour to see Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

January 29, 2013, 11:18 AM	#20
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	Went to the local gun show. Arrived at 4 PM. No lines waiting to get in. Vender's I know stated lines were long to get in at 9 am. Also was told the Lakeland Gun show two exhibit halls had a 2 hour wait in line to get in. Ludicrous if you ask me snaking through the cattle gates for a gun show. At the local show a dealer had a stripped down AR for $2,395 and I didn't even look any further at the ones with optics on them. Most dealers were extremely proud of the guns they were trying to sell over priced is putting it mildly. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

January 29, 2013, 11:22 AM	#21
Patriot86 Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2010 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 1,293	Were they Egyptian Cotton or Kevlar tactical bed sheets I really do feel your pain though. The one thing I seem to find at local gunshows a lot is exotic ammo for a good price. I see a fair share of 357 SIG, 10MM, all sorts of rounds I did not even know existed. I am considering adding a 10MM 1911 to my collection later this year so I might just have to stop by one early summer or late spring to pick up some ammo. Funny enough my LGS is sold out of the "brand name" of most semi auto pistol calibers, except for 10MM! They had a giant stack of 10MM that looked mostly overlooked/untouched. __________________ "....The swords of others will set you your limits".

January 29, 2013, 12:24 PM	#22
BigD_in_FL Junior member Join Date: December 20, 2012 Location: The "Gunshine State" Posts: 1,981	Seems we won't have to worry about them closing the "gun show loophole" - we seem to be trying to get rid of the shows all together

January 29, 2013, 01:11 PM	#23
adamc Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2013 Location: Stalingrad Connecticut Posts: 216	I wonder if you could sell hand loaded ammo at an arts & crafts show... after all.. it is handmade HAM radio shows have been going down the tubes for years.. stand in huge lines, pay decent $$ to get it, to find arts & crafts, \sheets, commie tools-flashlights-computer parts, etc. I have thrown away better stuff Last summer I actually bought an antique Revere-ware double boiler pot, and a Foley Food Mill for a decent price, oh yes AND some radio tubes. Why would the GUN shows be any different Last edited by adamc; January 29, 2013 at 01:32 PM.

January 29, 2013, 01:27 PM	#24
SPEMack618 Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2010 Location: Central Georgia Posts: 1,863	hm. With the recent additions to sheets at gun shows, I feel like I would be better served by just walking around Linen and Things and putting that eight dollars towards my beer fund. The LadyFriend would appreciate that, too. The last purchase I made at a gun show was a good Swiss Army Knife that was thin but still had a cork-screw. __________________ NRA Life Member Read my blog! "The answer to any caliber debate is going to be .38 Super, 10mm, .357 Sig or .41 Magnum!"

January 29, 2013, 02:18 PM	#25
dajowi Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Posts: 1,196	A friend of mine went to a local gun show. He got there 30 minutes after the doors opened. He was at the end of a 200-300 person line waiting to get in. He left. At the local Sheriff's Office over 100 people a day are trying to apply for a CHL. Last weekend this same friend was at Cabela's purchasing a handgun. He was #128 in line for a background check. It took hours. While at Cabela's he purchased a single box of .40 SW for $50. I told him he better go back and buy the other box before it was gone. He paid $100 for 100 rounds. Hardly enough to break in a new gun.