doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Reno Show Update.

It has been an ongoing saga. After being at the Grand Sierra Hotel (and its many previous names) for something like 40 years, we were kicked out two shows ago (following the Vegas shooting), and relocated to the Convention Center next to the Atlantis.


Actually, we were not REALLY kicked out but they did everything in their power to see that we would leave. They would not let the public in with guns or knives to sell. The public was electronically checked to ensure this. Ammo bought could not be taken out the front door. The rule was to remove it out the back door and only if well wrapped so it could not be recognized and only if the seller went with the buyer to the door. Finally, guns could be taken out the front if they were wrapped to a be unrecognizable. Dealers had to have insurance in place by Thursday noon so as to protect the hotel. Some do not arrive until Friday. Luckily the promotor already had this covered by his policy. Some dealers bring their collections to try to buy others for their collections. They turned around and immediately left. If they had been unlucky enough to unload their guns on the tables, they were told they could leave, but they had to leave their guns at the show. The hotel people had morning side meeting with dealers telling them that all this was at the insistence of the show promotor, not the hotel. No one believed that but nice try to save gambling at the hotel. There was much, much other foolishness, but you get the idea.


I have a visitor at the door so I'll finish this in a bit.

They expected trouble and the hotel had ample POLICE present to deal with the expected trouble at set up. there was none. Naturally, none of this was relayed to the dealers prior to the show. That would have caused fewer to show up and hurt the shows purse. Not nice. I cannot remember all the other crap the hotel forced on us, but there was a lot of it.


The show relocated to the Convention Center by the Atlantis hotel. The room was physically different than the Grand Sierra requiring a different table set up. This was a source of endless gripes especially since most of the finest merchandise was in the back of the room with the beanie baby stuff and beef jerky in better locations. More dealers gone and replaced by coin dealers...LOTS of coin dealers. Have to directly blame the promotor on this one.


Now this week's show was better. A new room and better merchandise up front. But the problem was only partially solved due to the different building lay out, Some fine merchandise was in the back and beanie babies or whatever in better locations. Many more dealers said it was their last show.


HOWEVER, back to the Grand Sierra...

Seems they have lost $10 million dollars over the loss of the gun show. Seems that the General Manager was FIRED. Seems that they want us back and talks are going on.


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went this last Fri. AFAIC it was a total blow. Even the number of black gun guys was poor. Number of dealers of anything worth even looking at was pushing zero. At 1PM when I left you cudda driven a car thru the place easy - well, except for the stupid table layout which obviously was done to make it look like there was more than was there and totally unfriendly to the visitor.
Prolly my last trip to Reno for that crap. Fortunately there is nothing anymore at gun shows that I need and so seldom anything I can even use that missing them will impose no hardship of any kind on me. I bought two old catalogs and looked at a 45-70 that my brother has spoken about but sells for way less on-line.

I saw you, Pete. You were busy trying to scam someone so I didn't want to interrupt. Hope you sold enough to cover the trip. Looked nothing but bleak to me.

Chuckipoo, you were right about bleak. The other dealers I talked too agreed. As for my local dealer next to me, he did about 1/3rd of normal and this after his two best shows in 40 years there. Oddly enough he only found a very few guns to buy and I remember once he came home with 60 odd new guns.


I actually did quite well. I sold a Rem 1900 16 ga with ejectors with lots of case colors. I only sold one pair of ultra fancy 1911 grips which I make. The guy took a pair of Wooley Mammoth teeth grips which are wild beyond words. I sold 27 knives and two of those had Wooley Mammoth teeth grips I had just finished. I also sold 15 Damascus knife blanks and some other stuff which wound up making it a very good show.


Sorry I missed you but you are getting SO old looking, you are hard to recognize.