Gun show prices?

[Thunderjohn]

I try and be realistic and fair at the shows, but I see some crazy prices. If I can wiggle, I do, but generally I try and have the best price there.
If someone is lower, I hear about it and I'll match it.
I'd rather go there and sell a lot than have high prices and not sell anything. I can stay home and not sell anything.
My purpose is to go there and sell a bunch. It seems to be working.

[DonT]

H&H hit it dead on....

I have been going to gun shows for 40+ years now. I have seldom purchased at the marked price and I know I have seldom sold anything at my asking price. I have been to shows where I couldn't find anything I wanted at a price I was willing to pay and I have been shows where I went home with more than I should have... Don't mean one show had great deals and one didn't becuase there were a lot of people buying at the ones I didn't. I think, at least for me, I go to a show not wanting anything in particular but thinking that if a steal comes along I will get it and if not then the $$ stays in my pocket. If I go home with the money that doesn't mean it was a bad show or the prices were too high, only that I didn't find anything that I wanted to buy.... And I am glad I can't find something at every show I would be flat broke then..

Some things I have learned over the years:
60% of the folks buying will walk away if they don't get a deal (you drop the price some) unless you are way underpriced or they really really want the item.
A person or dealer has the right to ask what they want, the potential buyer has the right to walk away. It is not the sellers job to "educate the buyer".
A lot of dealers have gotten a bit calloused over the years from people making rude remarks when they don't like the price.. As above it is not the buyers job to "educate the seller".
The more shows you attend over the years the more deals you will find.
When you go to a show looking for one thing that you have to have nobody will have it at any price.
Over time you will buy some things at super low, bargain basement prices that when you get ready to sell them for what you paid for them you will find others think your asking price is way too much.
A deal to you isn't always what the next guy thinks is a deal.

Folks this ain't Target or Walmart. The price on the items at a show, in many but not all cases, is the starting point for negotiations. What I find funny is someone looks at a price, it's more than THEY think is should be so they insult the person selling the item by making a rude remark and just walk away. Then the next person comes along (in some cases it has been me), looks at the price, makes a serious offer, maybe a little haggling goes on and takes the item home, in many cases for what or less than the first person was willing to pay. Some folks have items priced out of this world and won't budge, Thats their right but folks don't need to be rude about it. Maybe they got into the item for more then they should have, maybe they don't really want to sell it but will part with it if someone is willing to meet their asking price... What difference does it make, if you don't want to pay what they are asking and don't feel making an offer will get the item then just move on cause you are wasting your time and theirs.

In my humble opinion (which I know only matters to me) many folks have just gotten down right rude nowadays. Not sure if its economy, poor manners or poor upbringing. When I didn't want something I was taught to say "no thank you" not Nah or what do I want that for or your price sucks or are you nuts or worse? When someone holds the door for me I was taught to say Thanks You, not just rush on buy without even acknowledging the person holding the door. Or when standing in line at a register and they open a second register letting the person in front of me go to the newly open register instead of hurrying up and butting in front of them. I don't know maybe people just like to be treated like crap and thats why they treat others that way.. I would think there would be a whole lot less stress in the world if folks exercised just a smidgeon more courtesy towards one another... But again thats just me.

Like I said at the beginning, H&H is right and this thread bears that out. The folks that think the prices are "too high" wanna pay $0.10 on the Dollar, the dealer with the high price wants to make $1.50 on the Dollar. The pricing parameters have now been established so lets "TRY" to negotiate a price that makes everyone happy. Isn't that the bottom line.... Sometimes it happens sometimes it don't!

Sorry for the rant but just needed to vent...

DonT

[Stradawhovious]

Gunshows are an opportunity for me to physically examine a gun I might be interested in; if I decide to buy one, I'll order it online for a lot less money (even after factoring in shipping and the transfer fee).

Oofda. Not me. I would rather pay the extra 10 percent at a gunshow and KNOW what I'm going home with. Every time I have ordered a gun sight unseen I've been disappointed. Test driving it first so to speak is worth the extra cash.

And DonT has a point, but many of the sellers starting point is so far above reasonable that I generally don't even want to negotiate. I'm not rude about it, I just walk away from the table. Going from ridiculous to overpriced is not a fair price.. That being said, there are still good vendors at these places that are easy to deal with. It just seems they are getting fewer and fewer.

[Belgiboy]

Another good morsel of info: Have cash on you. Paper money talks a lot louder than plastic or checks. You will get a better deal.

[recoilguy]

I agree 100% with DonT.......rudeness is run rampant lately. It is everywhere.

People who sell guns know about guns. Just because your cousins kids friend got a new (almost new) "Insert brand and model" for $350 doesn't mean thats the market for that gun. Just because a small concealable weapon made in Florida is $279 doesn't mean a small concealable weapon made in Mass. should be the same price. If you are nice to the seller he or she will generally be nice to you, and if he or she isn't .....you are the bigger person.

Just because you own a gun or two, and shot once a month, and belong to an internet forum, does not make you an expert or give you the right to.... as put before "educate the seller". Gun shows should be fun and interesting. I rarely go looking for anything in particular. Sometimes I get stuff, sometimes I wish I hadn't wasted the admission money. It's a crap shoot!

RCG

[Stradawhovious]

People who sell guns know about guns.....

Just because you own a gun or two, and shot once a month, and belong to an internet forum, does not make you an expert or give you the right to.... as put before "educate the seller".

So what you're saying here is that the people here really don't know what they are talking about, and it's not possible that some of the vendors could be asking waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too much for some of those wares?

Wow, I guess I should have bought those 33 cent moon clips for $2 a piece then.

You don't have to be an expert to know when you are getting gouged, but like you stated before, there's no need to be rude about it either. Personally, if I feel something is priced out of the negotiation range of what I'd pay for it, I just pass. It's easier that way.

[tacticalninja32]

Same deal here, there's some people on here that gouche as well, I just avoid their thread, it's just easier that way, maybe they get the message, maybe they find a sucker

[Pezhead]

DonT I agree. People nowadays aren't as courtious as they once where. Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. I've helped people at stores when they've asked me(I don't work at the store either). They do appreciate it.
One of the things about gun shows is seeing old friends & making new. It's not always about the best deal you can get.
Buying from the little guy can be a lot more helpful in the long run. Remeber when Target you to sell guns? If you needed something fixed would you take it them or the guy down the street?

[recoilguy]

So what you're saying here is that the people here really don't know what they are talking about, No not all the folks here


and it's not possible that some of the vendors could be asking waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too much for some of those wares? No I didn't mean that I just meant they probably know it already

Wow, I guess I should have bought those 33 cent moon clips for $2 a piece then. Nice job on saving the $1.67

You don't have to be an expert to know when you are getting gouged, but like you stated before, there's no need to be rude about it either. Personally, if I feel something is priced out of the negotiation range of what I'd pay for it, I just pass. It's easier that way. Nicely Played thats how I do it and I too will pay 10% more to buy from a real person and know what I am getting rather then the internet.

Wow I never use smiley faces ever .... it was hard to do but I I wanted it to be clear I was just joking around

RCG

[Stradawhovious]

Wow I never use smiley faces ever .... it was hard to do but I I wanted it to be clear I was just joking around

RCG

If it makes you feel any better, I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek myself.

And now on to the obligatory : cheers : .......



I really do enjoy going to gunshows, and many of the vendors are fantastic. Thunderjohn, srigs, Dont, sigfan etc. etc. etc.

These are the folks that keep me coming back.

[tacticalninja32]

I do enjoy going to gunshows, and many of the vendors are fantastic. Thunderjohn, srigs, Dont, sigfan etc. etc. etc.

These are the folks that keep me coming back.

Me too, and the wolfs den guys too

[Flip]

I guess I was mainly focused on gun prices.

I really enjoy going to the Wolf's Den & Al's in WBL but I'm not big on being badgered by the concealed carry badge guy about how great a deal is when I know I can go find a better deal from my previously mentioned favorites. I thought Al had some good prices and was interested in some of his stuff but other tables not so much.

Flip

[scotts87iroc]

I went to a gun show this past weekend in Orlando. The only things not overpriced were from the local gun shop. I bought my Beretta 92FS from them 2 years ago for $540 brand new. There were used ones at the show that were over $600 and were well used. I also saw reloading equipment. I don't see the point to reloading when they had used .45 ACP brass with the dented primer still attached for $8 for 100. They then wanted $10 for 100 bullets. I didn't even want to look at the price of the primer or the powder, let alone the press! I bought my Beretta new for a great price and I also bought my Kimber for a great price from a local shop. The gunshow is just a show for me.

[gyrfalcon]

Speaking of local folks who show up at gunshows.... Shotguns Plus from St. Peter get around to a lot of shows. They're not always great on pricing but they're personable and usually have alright deals.

[1911fan]

There seem to be 3 types who get tables at the gun shows.

The guy who has decent stuff, some new, some older, all it displayed well, clear price tag and its clear that they are there to buy and sell. They do not want to pack up everything they spread out.

The guy who has some decent stuff, most of it older, a lot of priced as if its all Holland and Holland or Winchester custom shop, even when its "Monkey Wards" rebranded stevens or marlin stuff. I honestly think they are not willing to sell, as I have seen a couple of Dealers with the same guns on the tables for the last ten years. One or two might change, but he's there to get out of the house.

The guy who could care less what he has, the knife dealers with the 10 for $29.99 Late night TV knives marked at $9.99 or more each, who has 12 decent blades in a rack of 400. The holster guy who wonders why you don't want to spend $20 for a "hunter" brand moldy holster that someone "tooled" for a cubscout project ( my apologies to the cub scout) The guy with the gun books from the 1960's that are moldy, torn and completely out of date. The guy with the 7 hi points, two Maverick pistols and carry badges. The guy with the GI and German "artifacts" which he finds at axeman. The guy who gets gnarly when you ask to see something and then say, "no, but thanks for letting me see it" and says the show is all full of lookie lou's. (yes, I was interested, until I saw that the mags you were trying to sell were chinese knock offs, or the nice knife actually had a broken tip, or the lyman site you had listed for the 99 savage but was in fact the Winchester 88 sight. etc etc)

and not included the shysters. There are a few who show up at the gun shows with stuff flat out mismarked and/or fraudulently marked. Stuff like the "victory" model S&W that has a serial number from the mid 60's. The 1911 marked "Colt" that has an essex frame. The mixmaster Luger with the DMW frame, Mauser toggle and Krieghoff barrel listed as a "rare Swiss" model. Or the worst, the guy who is at every gun show with the Doctored SAA Colt's claiming they are 7th Cavalry authentic, With a high 5 digit serial number and buggered up cartouches and inspection marks*.....






*The Seventh was Custer's, there were 211 guys who died, and not all had Colt SAA's. Every one will be a 4 digit serial number, all "real" ones are believed to be between 44xx and 52xx serial numbers. Real ones, with documentation, will easily exceed $25,000, for ones with no finish, and severe wear and poor condition. Almost all of them have been cut down from the original 7 1/2 inch to 5 or so inch barrels. Good ones, well, there are maybe 5 that exist in anything that looks better than "very tired" condition, and price, well, probably more than my house. This guy has a new one at every show....

This is number 5080 and is considered to be in Good Condition. It recently sold for 24K and change. If it were not a 7th Cav. gun, it would be a 1500 dollar gun....