Mar '12 1500: 1500 Disappointment

[IndyBeerman]

Guys I really hate to break the news to ya, but if a certain firearm/rifle/shotgun is what you want, and it is in high enough demand that they are scarce, the 1500 is not the place you want to buy it at.

They will charge ridiculous prices @ these shows because THERE WILL be someone there willing to part with that much money to buy it.

Might I suggest going back on Sunday and make a offer, they can only say no, and most vendors want to come back with as little as possible.

Sunday my buddy was looking for a used holster to mount inside his console for his 9mm, we ran across a vendor that had one, but had $45 on it and had considerable wear on it. I picked it up for my buddy and told the guy I'll give you $15 on this used holster. He gave the WTF look and I quickly told him I could buy it new from Cowboy on the north side of the building for $45, it's worn, scuffed and is more than a few years old.

His initial reply, "take $35 for it".

I laid it back down and said for $35, I'll still go buy new.

As I was starting to turn he say "OK, $15 is good"

SCORE.

The 1500 is like a garage sell sometimes, you have to haggle, they want you to haggle, it's almost like a right of passage. But you can't be afraid to ask a fair price and stick to it, and I do mean fair, don't ask for a stupid unrealistic price.

 

[CalebToNowhere]

In January I paid $10 a piece for .50cal ammo cans. On Friday the same vendor was firm at $14. Ended up finding for $12 each. What's up with that???!

 

[L999here]

...many things change...

Regarding the Indy 1500....it's always a crap shoot....for the public and those who set-up there,dealers or not. I picked up 10K .50 BMG API for $1,700 and then found (4) powders...WC860,WC844,WC 872 and IMR 5010...in bulk 8# kegs for less than $4@#. Then 7.5K CCI .50 BMG primers for less than $40@K. You've got to be observant,ask questions and look for everything you can use. Then buy in quantity. I've set-up there for 30 yrs and always find stuff others have passed over or just did not ask about. I spent over $2.5K on just reloading stuff....your mileage may vary. Yes...I'm a 'vendor'..retired class #7FFL Mfg....now just sell ammo at retail and reloading equip from shop in South Bend.

 

[paddling_man]

Interesting. I go to gun shows for the entertainment value and because I like guns. I get to see a lot of guns, I get to see a lot of friends. I saw at least 20 people I know by name and who know me.

I picked up some 9mm AR mags for the same price or a little less than I can buy them online with shipping. I was really shopping for a new "pocket gun," having lost confidence in the Kel Tec P3AT I carried for years and really wanting to get out of the .380 game.

My considerations included Kahr CM9, Beretta Nano, Ruger LC9 and Sig P290 and whatever else entered my view. I did NOT have to buy Sunday.

I surfed the aisles and found I could get a CM9 from one vendor for $375. I was very tempted but still have some deep seated issues with Kahr due to some personal and second hand experiences of some close friends.

The Beretta Nanos were there but went fast. They were honestly priced higher (due to demand) than they show up at Gander Mountain sales ($379.) I decided to wait and not pay the everyone-wants-one-now prices.

The LC9 was simply marginally too big for my needs.

The Sig P290. I've wanted one for a while. One shop in town had a used one for $499 for some time now. I've looked at it two or three times but really wanted something smaller. I finally decided that if I wanted 9mm, I needed to compromise on size. I finally found dealer who sold me a new two-tone Sig P290. The package came with factory laser, night sights, compact and extended magazine and the factory holster. Price? $475. Yep, I know there is a distributor/gun shop near louisville that is selling the same package for $449 but that involves the wait, ship and transfer fee.

I walked out with the Sig.


Oh... I grabbed a AR fixed sight taper pin for $1 for my Colt 9mm 10.5 upper.

I like the 1500.

 

[Bradsknives]

Look at gas prices, look at food prices (up over 8% in a year on the average with certain foods like meat and dairy products up 15% plus)), just about everything has gone up significantly. So why would you think the prices of ammo, ammo cans, firearms and everything else that you see at the Indy 1500 would not go up since the last show you attended?

Note: I just put an order in today (knives) to replace some of the inventory that I sold at the show and some of the prices have increased 10% to 12% since my last order just 3 weeks ago.

 

[itsgreg]

The fact is that prices are going up. You can cry about the price now and in a few months think dang I could have got this for x amount at the last show or the show before that.
If what your looking for is rare then plan to pay a premium for it. The vendors are not there to do you a favor, most make their living at this and want to get he most they can for what they have. Deals are out there but you need to hunt for for them or get lucky.
Look for the prices of ammo to be on the rise. some of it is getting very hard to find.

 

[piercedjp]

My advice would be make friends with an FFL holder and start purchasing online. I try to buy local when I can, but sometimes the price difference (even after shipping and transfer fee) is too great to ignore. Get a group of a few people together and place bulk ammo orders and split the shipping cost, and always watch the classifieds. I have found better deals on INGO classifieds than I ever found at the 1500.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I went to this 1500 looking to buy something, sell something, and buy some ammo. I paid about what I thought I would for what I wanted to buy, sold what I wanted to sell for about what I thought I'd get for it and found the cheapest deal on the ammo I wanted to buy. I also found it it's almost less fun to go to the show when you've got a bunch of money to spend than to go "window shopping".

 

[tacmedic]

I got a nice INGO hat at the INGO booth. Saw the KSG, but did not see any PMR30's. I usually go each time the 500 comes to the fair grounds. Sometimes I find a good deal and sometimes I don't. I always have a good time though regardless of some of the ignorant people that show up..

 

[Mofohead]

Yeah, I'm sure I'll go back. I just need to make a bigger list and take more money next time

 

[IndyBeerman]

There really was not that many assault rifles there

Blinders on? I seen almost the usual amount on the tables.

 

[MikeDVB]

I enjoyed walking around and looking at everything. A buddy of mine picked up a Walther .380 and a 12 Gauge and the other picked up a sh*t ton of 5.56 ammo for his AR. We all had fun the following weekend unloading (the fun way).

I'll go to the next 1500, if not just to walk around and see everything.

 

[awilson82]

Blinders on? I seen almost the usual amount on the tables.

I just felt like every battle rifle there was an AR though very little outside of ARs and some AK47s a few m14s.

I was sorta looking for one of the century HK93 copies and there were maybe 2 there that were way overpriced.