doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gun Show Rants & Experiences

Hi All, just was reading on another post about a guys experience at a gun show. This got me thinking (I know, bad idea). I thought I'd ask what kind experiences you all have had (good or bad).

With me, sometimes not good. The local show that we have here, boils down to a junk show or more like a swap meet. Most of the guns are overpriced and not in the best of shape. I like to curse the tables looking for SxS, alis, not to many.

Here's a couple of stories. One guy had a "Fox" BS-E in 12ga in good shape, used but good. He wanted $1200.00. I asked why so much and if he'd go down (and no I did not intend to buy it). He said that he'd drop the price $50.00 and the reason why it was priced is that it's a "AH Fox". I told him that the BS-E is nothing more than a dressed up Savage/Stevens 311. Boy did I get the look!! He told me if I didn't want to buy it to stop wasting his time and take a hike.

One time I asked the seller to look at a gun, he said sure once you pay me for it. I thought he was kidding, he was not. I wnet to just turn the gun over (bad on my part) and he asked me if I understood english, he then said no pay no touch.

These are just a couple of stories, I like you have many more. Most are good and some great guys, but the rotten guys, sure are fun.

So do you have any good stories to tell? Might be gun!

All the best!!

Greg

Greg,
I never remember the jerks. Life is much to short to dwell on them. I did have a great find many years ago at the Portland Oregon show. It was a rifle which had exibition English for a stock on an old FN action with an octagon to round barrel. The price $550. Some day maybe over a cup of coffee I can spin my yarn for you. It wasn't a shotgun but it was memorable to me. It ended up being a 3 year event that stll warms my heart every time I look at the gun. The gunsmith died but his work lives on in my gunsafe.
Best,
Ron

That's great Ron, you are right, I've got some good deals from some great guys, but not to many at shows. Still the good outweigh the bad. But the bad stories are fun!!

All the best!

Greg

This is a "type" usually found at gun shows:
The man is an old geezer retiree and gun enthusiast who cruises the retirement center where he lives for merchandise. He wears a cap at all the shows the says "Old Fart" on it and his sole knowledge of guns lies in his ability to look things up in the BBGVs. His mate attends the shows with him and wears a cap that says "Old Farts Wife". His pricing method is 10% over the highest price in the Blue Book on the theory that the stuff is listed too cheap so dealers can use the book for buying.
When you walk up to the table to ask a question the "Old Fart" is off someplace and "Mrs. Old Fart" is naturally clueless about anything for sale.If you actually find "Old Fart" at his table he'll spend the time you are there complaining about how slow his sales have been. He'll also tell you that people don't recognize quality as he points at a W. Richards priced at only $1200 and that's way below what it should be for a nice British gun like a Westley Richards.
Jim

I had a Merkel double rifle on my table and a very large expert looked the gun over then let me know he had a Stevens 410 at home just like it!

One of the great things that has happened to gun shows vis a vis shotguns is the advent of shotgun collector associations like the PGCA, LCSCA, Lefever and Fox collectors. There is a network now that didn't exist pre-1995 when the PGCA had its first get-together in Nashville, and other collector groups followed suit. This marked the end of the bad old days when you could wander around a gun show and not know that others there had your level of interest in a certain maker.

I recall the old-time dealers with their bad attitudes ("Cash talks and BS walks") and T-shirts proclaiming "I got more than that in it!" Part of it, I think, is that the collectors have crawled out of the woodwork and are setting up at gun shows so that there is much more opportunity to see good guns...even if they are beyond one's price range.

The story about one lawyer coming to the small town and starving out a meager existence comes to mind. Another lawyer moves in and things start to heat up, lawsuits are filed...and then a third lawyer arrives on the scene and they all get rich. Same with collectors networking, getting to know each other through associations, arranging to meet at specified venues, sharing tables, show and tell, all to the betterment of gun shows. No wonder collector groups can usually wrangle a display table, booth, or whole tent (at the Vintage Cup) for free, or close to nothing. And the very existence of all the savvy collectors tends to drive the marginal dealers into hiding.

A negative example comes to mind: I was at the Chicago CADA show many years ago all by my lonesome. The former president of CADA had a Parker PH on his table with black barrels, and I asked if it was a fluid-steel shooter for use with modern ammo. He said, "I warrant it..." I pointed out that the rib marking said "Twist Steel" and that it was a Damascus-type gun that had been blued. He dismissed me as a "know nothing," given his exalted status among his peers. This was before I had four books in print. This stuff doesn't happen anymore given the level of overall knowledge and numbers of collectors traveling in groups to gun shows.

When I go to shows I look like a less than prosperous fellow, but I am always polite and ask, what I hope, are not stupid questions. Few sellers know, that there is cash in the back pocket to buy almost any gun at the show. It can not be easy for sellers to have idiots want to fondle guns and risk them dropping or damage them. Face it some buyers are idiots, just like dealers. Sellers and buyers are stuck with sellers who do not have a clue and buyer who do not have a cent to spend. A hot dog is the extent of their show purchase many times.

Some sellers are clueless while others think that they know more than anyone else in the entire World. What I hate are dealers who try to convince old timers that they guns that they are selling are worthless. Pay a fair price for a gun and everyone is treated well. Steal it, for a tenth of the real value and you are a thief in my book. Many old men are selling old war trophy or a double he has had for 50 years at these shows. Respect him, and offer him a reasonable amount of money.

One dealer offered a guy $1,200 for a 16 AE Fox a few years ago. Seller said that he would think about it. I told the fellow, later down the next isle, that it was way to low and ended up paying him several times that amount. I showed him the Bluebook value and explained that he should hold out for at least X dollars. He asked it I could pay that much for the gun. I did. We both were happy. My 85 year old dad has the gun now. It is in good hands.

"Here's a couple of stories. One guy had a "Fox" BS-E in 12ga in good shape, used but good. He wanted $1200.00. I asked why so much and if he'd go down (and no I did not intend to buy it). He said that he'd drop the price $50.00 and the reason why it was priced is that it's a "AH Fox". I told him that the BS-E is nothing more than a dressed up Savage/Stevens 311. Boy did I get the look!! He told me if I didn't want to buy it to stop wasting his time and take a hike."

I have to say, I can see the guy's point. If you had no interest in buying, why were you wasting his time trying to talk price? The guy seemed like he was happy before you crossed paths with him.

As for me, the worst I have seen is that guy Bob from Bob's Gun Shop, the one with all the over priced Parkers. At the Tulsa show a couple years ago I was peering over a few of his guns when a very mild, well dressed older gent asked politely if he could handle a plain grade M21 Winchester - Bob snapped "No! That is an expensive gun!" The gent replied "I know what a 21 is - how do you expect me to consider buying it if I can't hold it?" Bob replied "You don't need to hold it to buy it."

My best experience at a gunshow happened when I noticed a used Redfield 3x9 laying on one of the tables. Was a good looking scope; but priced about 50 bucks too high. When I asked the dealer, "Why is it priced so high?" He replied: "It ain't been looked through much".
Grant.

I have had tables at maybe 700 gun shows. I have seen some weird dealers but weirder customers. If you have anything nice, put it under glass. I had a mint Tiffany '51 Navy they wanted to cock and fire, the same with a 23" long Dutch Flintlock horse pistol with solid carved ivory stock and gold encrusted barrels and lock. Some people simply are not worth being civil too. Do Not Touch signs are worthless. You give someone permission to touch something and they pull out a screwdriver to take it apart.

I learned a long time ago that when someone asks "Would you take $X for that gun?" I respond with "Is that a question or an offer?"

At the last Reno show, someone asked if I would hold a gun for them and put it out of sight. I asked for a down payment and they said they would then be obligated to buy it.

Some people are so dumb, they don't even know it.

But gun shows are what you make of them. You can also have fun and find lifetime friends.