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Gun shows soon??

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  • W_kemp

    Life is hard, it’s harder if you’re stupid
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    Dec 5, 2020
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    Hugo, OK
    Hey Y’all!

    pretty brand new to this forum, not sure the correct place to post this but would like some insight!

    I’m from a SMALL town in northern Minnesota (think population sub 400) so never grew up around any gun shows even remotely close to me.Have always wanted to go to one and think it would be fun thing to do for my girl and I.

    I was wondering if anyone could provide some recommendations as to the best gun shows in the area? Preferably being one that’s coming up in December/Jan/Feb and relatively close drive from Austin.

    TIA!

    EDIT: I don’t plan to buy there, just looking for a good show with a wide selection so I can browse my options and actually get to see something in person before I buy (I usually buy my guns online)
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    gambler

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    I would not recommend you waste your time going to gun shows these days. Mostly a bunch of overpriced stuff with people trying to sell guns and ammo at highly overpriced levels to see if they catch some desperate people willing to pay ridiculous prices.
     

    W_kemp

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    Hugo, OK
    You posted in a good section but your timing is waayyyyyy off! For years gun shows have been for the rare found deal and more often for the desperate buyer. Good luck.

    honesty I just like to look around at a wide selection and actually get to see them in person, I typically scour the internet for the exact gun I want and wait until I find it for a decent price! But I hate buying a gun without actually being able to see a model of it and hold it in my hands first.
     

    Texasjack

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    I still go to gun shows because I still enjoy being around all those firearms and accessories. Having said that, I have to agree with a couple of other posts about prices and such. A lot of those booths are run by gypsies that are looking to make a buck anyway they can. Ammo panic? Watch the prices shoot up. New folks scared and looking to buy a first firearm? Load up the booth with cheap pistols at jacked up prices. Wanna sell a gun? If you look desperate enough, he'll offer you 30% of it's value. This old gun? It's an antique and worth 3 times Blue Book price. (But you won't find any antique collectors buying it because it's really junk worth half Blue Book.)

    Still, sometimes you see some cool guns. I run into a couple of knifemakers I know that always have some cool stuff (not over-polished Pakistani/Chinese junk). So I would encourage you to go, but just be careful with your money.

    Now, "Austin". If you've lived here for any length of time, you know that Austin is a sanctuary for liberals. They hate guns and gun shows and the Second Amendment and (especially) Trump. So you may find it hard to get a decent gun show. Might be worth a day trip to get out of that county and mix with some good folks.
     

    W_kemp

    Life is hard, it’s harder if you’re stupid
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    Hugo, OK
    I would not recommend you waste your time going to gun shows these days. Mostly a bunch of overpriced stuff with people trying to sell guns and ammo at highly overpriced levels to see if they catch some desperate people willing to pay ridiculous prices.
    I still go to gun shows because I still enjoy being around all those firearms and accessories. Having said that, I have to agree with a couple of other posts about prices and such. A lot of those booths are run by gypsies that are looking to make a buck anyway they can. Ammo panic? Watch the prices shoot up. New folks scared and looking to buy a first firearm? Load up the booth with cheap pistols at jacked up prices. Wanna sell a gun? If you look desperate enough, he'll offer you 30% of it's value. This old gun? It's an antique and worth 3 times Blue Book price. (But you won't find any antique collectors buying it because it's really junk worth half Blue Book.)

    Still, sometimes you see some cool guns. I run into a couple of knifemakers I know that always have some cool stuff (not over-polished Pakistani/Chinese junk). So I would encourage you to go, but just be careful with your money.

    Now, "Austin". If you've lived here for any length of time, you know that Austin is a sanctuary for liberals. They hate guns and gun shows and the Second Amendment and (especially) Trump. So you may find it hard to get a decent gun show. Might be worth a day trip to get out of that county and mix with some good folks.

    I agree completely! That’s exactly why I want to go don’t actually plan on purchasing anything there. And I’m totally game for a day trip if it’s worth it if you have any recommendations!
     

    gambler

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    I agree completely! That’s exactly why I want to go don’t actually plan on purchasing anything there. And I’m totally game for a day trip if it’s worth it if you have any recommendations!
    I have not heard anyone I know that has been to one in the last 6 months that said it was worth the price of entry. Most of the shows these days are much smaller than what used to be "normal" and so I can't recommend any of them to you that I have any knowledge of from someone who attended in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
     

    rotor

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    I had gone in the past in Wichita Falls and they were good shows but over the last few years they have become arts and crafts shows, beef jerky, etc. Rare to find any "deals" and everything overpriced. There is one today in Wichita Falls but I am not going to waste my time. Perhaps in the bigger cities they are better but I haven't been to one in the metroplex.
     

    W_kemp

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    Hugo, OK
    Thank you everyone for the input! Didn’t realize they had gone so far down hill. Guess I will be more thank likely avoiding them especially if there’s an entry fee. Seems a bit absurd to pay an entry fee for items that are already drastically over priced.
     

    gambler

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    Thank you everyone for the input! Didn’t realize they had gone so far down hill. Guess I will be more thank likely avoiding them especially if there’s an entry fee. Seems a bit absurd to pay an entry fee for items that are already drastically over priced.
    Yea there will be an entry fee...and more than likely another fee to park !
     

    lonestardiver

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    The Fort Worth shows I have not graced this year. I have made trips to Mesquite for the Premier show, TMS for the premier show and then Waxahachie the following day where I found a 2nd model Sport king for a good price. Lately I have been going to the Mesquite shows since I can get bulk bullets from 2 sources that have different things. I can also get powder at the Mesquite show.

    There are a few consistent vendors I stop and talk to every time. One vendor I talk smack to since he has a way overpriced Sport King -M he swears is a 50’s era pistol and worth $825 when it is actually an 80’s model and the least desirable of the line.

    Also, I enjoy the entertainment value of watching people paying exorbitant prices for ammo and stuff. There are some deals if you are careful and diligent. It is a great place to be able to “place hands” on a variety handguns.
     

    gambler

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    The Fort Worth shows I have not graced this year. I have made trips to Mesquite for the Premier show, TMS for the premier show and then Waxahachie the following day where I found a 2nd model Sport king for a good price. Lately I have been going to the Mesquite shows since I can get bulk bullets from 2 sources that have different things. I can also get powder at the Mesquite show.

    There are a few consistent vendors I stop and talk to every time. One vendor I talk smack to since he has a way overpriced Sport King -M he swears is a 50’s era pistol and worth $825 when it is actually an 80’s model and the least desirable of the line.

    Also, I enjoy the entertainment value of watching people paying exorbitant prices for ammo and stuff. There are some deals if you are careful and diligent. It is a great place to be able to “place hands” on a variety handguns.
    My son-in-law and his brother went to last Ft. Worth show a couple of months ago. He said there were very few people there attending and even showing. He said there was nothing for sale that was not a complete and total ripoff and he was amazed how much ammo people were paying ridiculous prices for. Said some guy tried to sell his brother a crap AR for $2000 !
     

    lonestardiver

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    My son-in-law and his brother went to last Ft. Worth show a couple of months ago. He said there were very few people there attending and even showing. He said there was nothing for sale that was not a complete and total ripoff and he was amazed how much ammo people were paying ridiculous prices for. Said some guy tried to sell his brother a crap AR for $2000 !

    The Fort Worth shows have gone downhill in the last 20+ years. It doesn’t help when you have to pay $10 to park and then more money to get in... In general all gun shows have gone downhill. I find the premier shows the better of them. Being I am west of Fort Worth and would rather drive to Mesquite for a show over the closer Will Rogers show says something. Seems to me some of the issues with the current shows are the neck beards reselling the ammo they bought at Academy for twice or more of what they paid for it.....
     

    gambler

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    I think the Ft. Worth show is a Premier show and yes they charge entry and parking. He said there were people there that had pallet loads of ammo and were selling 9mm at 85 cents a round and people were buying all they could carry.

    I have not been to Mesquite for several years now because we always thought the Ft. Worth show was the best one.
     

    Axxe55

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    Dec 15, 2019
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    Gunshows are worthless if you are looking for a good deal

    Totally. They have been worthless for good deals for at least fifteen years now. Last decent deals I was getting on guns at gun shows was well over twenty years ago.

    Parking, entrance fees, food vendors got stupid expensive to the point they were just not worth going to anymore.
     
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