Going to my first gun show

[SteveL]

God and weather willing, I'll be driving up to Ft. Wayne tomorrow to check out my first gun show. I'd like to ask the members here about "need to know's" about attending gun shows.

Should I take a fist full of cash?
Do they take CC's at these shows?
Are there certain things I should be aware of, rip off wise?
I am not sure what to ask about, so please share anything you think might be important....

And my apologies for not digging thru old posts, I am still learning my way around the site and it's kind of slow going, there's alot of folks on this site and stuff disappears fast.....I hope this post is in the right forum...?


Thanks

 

[JohnP82]

Cash is king! Some vendors accept credit cards and often times there is a 3% fee for paying with credit. Usually the price shown is a cash price. Plus cash in hand is a good to haggle a bit if you wish.

Not trying to be a downer, but since this will be your first show, the shows at the old K's building are not that great and do not have very many serious vendors. I am not saying don't go, just a fair warning that this show is not typical for all gunshows. I hope you have a great time!

 

[SteveL]

Thanks johnP.....how's the selection at this place, say in comparision to a local gun shop?

PS....Have a good weekend yourself.

 

[snapping turtle]

David letttermans style top ten gun show tips.

1: Cash is king but most big seller of new handguns and rifles have a CC machine with a cell phone hookup like the lady that cuts my hair. The personal collectors are cash only. So are the "WALKERS" in the isles (the best deals of the show).

2: Don't be afraid to haggle. It is about half the fun.

3: Take a bore light if you are into used guns, makes the haggle a bit better if you see a dirty but sharp and undamaged bore. If you don;t have a bore light look for one at the show.

4: If you are looking for a certian something most likely you will not find it. A couple of years ago one show about 15 tables had a ruger 10-22 international rifle. I was a bit shy of the cash and could not pick one up. I came to the next big show with more than enough and to this day I have still not seen one for sale again.

5: If trading remember whatever you have is not worth **** and all the **** they have on the table is **** made of pure gold.

6: Some of the stuff in what i call the garage sale area is available at good prices and some of it is a good deal also. Last 1500 I got a wallet and money clip from the leather lady. I paid 15 total with no tax. good thin leather wallet and nice magnitic money clip. I would like to see the T-shirt dealers, Metorite men, meth lab glass sellers, reprinted book dealers, get the BAN HAMMER.) (Hope i don't offend anyone but it is a gun show not a flea market. Now the kid at the Alexandria show selling the handmade arrowheads I think was cool. He spent lots of time lining up his wears in nice pretty lines and I bought one each for my kids.

7: Don't buy a case of 223 and a case of 7.62X39 and carry them around the whole show. Get them at the end of the show and bring in a folding cart to save your back on the trip to the car.

8: Please take a bath and brush teeth before the show. A bit of de odorant would be nice but a bath or shower is a min. Lots of people don't.

9: Don't think that the biggest backback in the world is going to make getting down the crowded isle easier. A small one or a carpet bag (Mine is a KLINE TOOLS BAG) hold enough) I have seen bags that you could carry a dead human in being carried at shows.

10: Just because you paid 10 to get in don't think that you are going to get a killer deal at the show. I bet 3 out of ten times I purchase something. 7 out of ten times I get either nothing of maybe an extra used mag or flashlight or nothing at all. Once in a while I find something I have to have at any cost.

I think that should help you out. Don't point the end of the barrel at others. Always check the chamber, Don;t dry fire someone elses gun without asking first.

I have a pair of electrical snips I bring to the shows and ask a 25 cent donation to cut the wire ties off of the guns leaving the show. If I was just to hang around outside the show and put up a donation sign I think I could make some money. Maybe they could let me buy a table outside with a loading/unloading barrel of sand and a cute girl in a swim suit to cut the wire ties...........Can i trade mark that Idea......

 

[SteveL]

Nicely done JMarriott...I'm not sure I want to go now...smiles.

 

[JohnP82]

Thanks johnP.....how's the selection at this place, say in comparision to a local gun shop?

PS....Have a good weekend yourself.

Even though I consider this to not be a very good gun show, I would still expect it to have quite a bit more items to look at and handle than most common local shops.

As far as deals...you just never know. That is part of the fun of gun shows, sometimes you can find a great deal and sometimes there just aren't many deals to be found.
Even at shows I go to where I do not find any deals I can still have a good time browsing and handling several different makes and models all in the same place.

 

[snapping turtle]

This mainly applies to the larger shows..... The on I was thinking of in the FORT area was the big one.

Banditos (SP) in the fort area makes a killer drink with salt on the edge of the glass and the food is OK. Better after a few of those salted glasses.

 

[Phase2]

Very good list jmarriott, but you missed one big one.

Know what you are interested in and what current prices are. Too many will charge new+ pricing for used items. The real deals can be hard to find and you won't necessarily recognize them unless you know the current market values.

 

[Jmak]

Ia picked up the magnetic wallet for $10. I wonder if it was the same type? I did not haggle. (It is worn out)

 

[bluewraith]

If you see something for what you think is a good price, don't buy it just yet. Walk around to the other tables and see what they have.

What I've started doing is walking all the tables (or as many as I can) fairly quickly, looking at key items and prices making a note of who has what cheapest. Saved some money on ammo the last time I did this.

 

[Electron don]

Use your smartphone. If you dont have one, hook a friend into with one into going with you. Sometimes there are good prices but a quick "Google" is always a good idea. Enjoy yourself. The price of admission is worth the education that you can gain. Many vendors are great sources of general information about whatever you are interested in.

 

[threedhuntr]

Use your smartphone. If you dont have one, hook a friend into with one into going with you. Sometimes there are good prices but a quick "Google" is always a good idea. Enjoy yourself. The price of admission is worth the education that you can gain. Many vendors are great sources of general information about whatever you are interested in.

Good point Don. A quick internet search can do wonders for what you may come across at the show that you are not familiar with. Lots of good pointers from everyone.

 

[Mosinowner]

Watch out for optic clones. Watch out for clones in general. Don't buy on impulse. Make sure they are authorized dealers before you buy a big name brand like Aimpoint or RRA ect. And if you are selling make sure they aren't a felon! You will be in a world of **** if that happens

 

[threedhuntr]

Watch out for optic clones. Watch out for clones in general. Don't buy on impulse. Make sure they are authorized dealers before you buy a big name brand like Aimpoint or RRA ect. And if you are selling make sure they aren't a felon! You will be in a world of **** if that happens

More good points Mosin.

 

[Mosinowner]

More good points Mosin.

I watched a guy buy 2 eotech look alikes today for $180 a piece. The paralaxx on those haunts me

 

[SteveL]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read and comment, I don't mean to let you all down, but I decided not to go. The wife, who apparently had a gun nut boyfriend years ago...(so she says..smiles) tells me this place would probably not be something to exciting for me. She gave me a honey do list instead...go figure....but I did go over to buds fishing hole and checked them out again....saw a nice "western" style ruger six shooter I liked....I might have to start doing some pricing on this pistol.

Thanks again....

Steve L