Jan '12 1500: Indy 1500 Line

[Classic]

Got there at about 7:55 yesterday, in the door by about 8:05. Met Kirk and Que and found a few hard to find items to spend $ on, including an INGO hat. Was very enjoyable until about 11:00 and then it got way too crowded even for me. Still was a great morning for me.

 

[Shoots4Fun]

I'm like some of the others where I plan my work/weekends around the 1500. I enjoy just looking for stuff I didn't even know I needed. I also enjoy thinking about what project I may start next. Thinking hard about an AR currently.

This was the first time I went more than 1 day. Saturday's crowd was a big surprise to me but by later in the afternoon it had cleared out.

I always enjoy attending and the more shows I've gone to other places and times the more I appreciate how big and how much stuff is at the 1500.

The ammo prices seem to be pretty good. Stable for a while now. Higher than they used to be but not as high as a few years ago.

 

[arsenal69]

got there about 1pm Saturday and yes, the line was very long stood in line about thirty minutes to get in. Once inside it was nuts to butts..... did not even come close to seeing everything. Glad to see the great turn out but just not enough room to walk around

 

[dcap20]

Got there at about 11:00. Stood in line for 30-40 min. 10 bucks to get in< and then could barely move around on the inside once in. 5 bucks to park and that was nightmare as well. just crying a little bit

 

[PriestEG]

i got in line at 1:45 on friday and didnt enter the doors til after 2:25. that was frustrating

 

[snorko]

Drove over an hour to get to the 1500 today only to find a line that was very long to get in. We could not believe
how long it was. We decided to leave. For those of you
that have the patience to stand in that line how long did it take to get in... I was in the gun buying mood today but not in to mood to stand in line for that long..

I arrived at 10:15, parked in lot A. The line was well around the building. I waited about 45 minutes to meet someone for a sale in the lot and got in line to enter at 11:15. At that time the lin reached almost to the main gate, 800' as measured on google earth. 28 minutes from getting on line to touching the door. It was still this way when I left around 2:00.

 

[StreetStrip01]

Drove by the fairgrounds at Noon today, saw the huge line of people stretching all the way around the building to the 38th street car entrance, called a friend that had been in line for 40 minutes and still had a ways to go until he got in, so we kept on driving...went to some local gun shops instead... Have not yet been to a 1500 and was wanting to go, but not wanting to stand in line in 20 degree weather for over an hour... I've got the March show on the calendar and will try to make that one on Friday...

Same here, drove all the way down from Westfield, saw the line halfway up the side, and all the way down 38th street. I looked down at the ext temp on the dash, then back up at the line, and back down, then kept on driving.

No sense in $40 to look around at overpriced guns and crafts. If I want some garage sale overflow craft crap, I'll go to Goodwill.

 

[2in1evtime]

indy 1500

got there about 9:30 this morning, tookk about 15 minutes to get in,but was really crowded, did not see too many good deals, but it is always fun to look too. i get my best deals from people bringing in there guns to sell or trade anyways

 

[snorko]

It was, however, a good feeling to see so many folks attending a gun show...

Yes and no. Apparently the 100 people in front of me had never been to a show and brought their significant others and all of their children. The 1500 is not a great family outing. Yes, there are children interested in guns and I applaud the parents who share their interests with them. But several times I saw entire tables blocked by dad who was looking at a gun and his three kids and wife who were either pawing the stuff on the table, standing just far enough off the table to block both it and the walkway or focused on their smartphones oblivious to everything else.

 

[JML]

Yes and no. Apparently the 100 people in front of me had never been to a show and brought their significant others and all of their children. The 1500 is not a great family outing. Yes, there are children interested in guns and I applaud the parents who share their intereste with them. But several times I saw entire tables blocked by dad who was looking at a gun and his three kids and wife who were either pawing the stuff on the table, standing just far enough off the table to block both it and the walkway or focused on their smartphones oblivious to everything else.

^ THIS.I had to put up with this numerous times on friday.Most annoying thing about the 1500 IMO.

 

[spainy79]

Waited in line 30-40 minutes. Would've been nice to browse around but that wasn't going to happen. Me and my buddy got what we were looking for and left. Was in there 1h45m; felt like an eternity.

 

[eldirector]

No line this morning for me. I should have hit my "A" list tables first, because it quickly got too busy to move. I HATE have to shoulder my way through the narrow isles, and then hold my ground to look at something.

No deals on what I was looking for. Heck, I even saw a $50 difference on the same gun ........ from the SAME VENDOR. Also overhead from more than one person that some of the vendors seem to have raised prices from Saturday to Sunday.

I think I'm done with the 1500. Might try some smaller shows this year.

 

[Cherryspringer]

1500 line

We got ther at 1:00 on Saturday. Waited around for 15 min. Didn't move much. we were still 1/4 mile from the door when we left. I won't go back again.

 

[Osobuco]

this is the worst I have seen it. I waited in line 30 minutes to get in and the crowd was nearly unbearable. I bought one magazine and passed up an awesome deal on a ANIB stainless springfield loaded 1911 in 9mm for $750 out the door, don't know why other than I was dazed from the crowd!
Really - it was not fun for me or my boys. I wonder if a fire marshall would approve of the conditions. I would love to see them move this to the convention center or spread into another building. Of course entry fees would likely double.

 

[Owens47235]

I went today. (01/15/2012) I got there early and the line was around the corner of the building. Although it was long, the line was very deceiving. It took maybe 15 minutes to get in the door. $5 to park and $10 to get in. So all in all, Not too bad.

 

[calcot7]

I almost left 3 times on Saturday. To hot from the heat generated from all the packed in bodies. I did manage to pick up a couple of overpriced ammo cans and a holster that doesn't fit the gun as well as I thought it would. Oh well.

 

[Shoots4Fun]

... Also overhead from more than one person that some of the vendors seem to have raised prices from Saturday to Sunday.

I do believe that some things I saw Friday were raised Saturday. But I guess it gives me hope that there might later be a time where the prices could go down due to lack of attendance.

I'd like to see an additional space taken at the fairgrounds. I'm afraid that if it moves down to the convention center that it might get put under a lot of unwarranted scrutiny downtown.

 

[Foodman]

We got there at 11:00 and it took less than 10 min.

 

[forkliftdave]

Got there at 2:00 and the line was around the side of the building. But only took about 20 minutes.
Got to meet Ruben from survivor. That was worth the wait. Real nice gun show and i will be back. Next time my daughters will stay home.

 

[sem351]

couldn't agree with you more on the "family" part... A gun show is a place for friends or family members that share an interest in guns, not necessarily for the "entire" family...