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Posted By: Bill Davis Vegas Gun Show - 01/20/18 06:43 PM
I was unable to be there this year and I was hoping attendees will share their experiences with us. Attendance? Great finds?? Interesting displays--etc. Please let us know when you return home. Thank you. BD
Posted By: Bob Cash Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/21/18 01:09 AM
I found the high end room to be kinda empty.
CSMC had the most inventory.
A lot of dealers seen in the past were conspicuously MIA.

Rust room was full to the brim if you like old lever actions.
Hottest items I saw were .22 pumps, Win model 61’s and such.
Posted By: Researcher Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/21/18 03:25 AM
There were quite a few vacant tables in the Antique Arms Show, and their certainly weren't any crowds in the aisles. I was there all day Friday and saw no reason to go back today. Perhaps the bad weather in parts of the country and the flu epidemic have something to do with it, or is it our aging demographic? Went to Death Valley National Park instead. Thankfully lodging and dining are handled by civilians, not our shutdown National Park Service!!
Posted By: Toby Barclay Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/21/18 01:20 PM
Friday and Saturday were both pretty quiet but there were busy moments and I have done pretty well. I doubt today (Sunday) will be much more than marking time until 2pm when we are allowed to start packing up.
Yes, the sporting gun area was pretty thin in comparison to previous years: quite a few have migrated to the Dust & Rust room with apparently very mixed results.
(Knives and engraving were similarly a thinned down attendance)
I considered following their example but after a quick zoom up and down the rows, decided that I would be a mite out of place!
I consider the shows now to be more about showing one's face, pressing the flesh, networking with other dealers and getting my wares into the USA for others to market online.
The rise of the online market and 3 day inspection has changed the market hugely, probably more that the aging demographic IMHO.
However, I would think long and hard before cancelling my attendance next year.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/21/18 01:33 PM
A couple of friends were there with their eyes open for my "holy grail" gun, and report was that not a single 32" one was there. I'm beginning to wonder if they are really a unicorn. Just kidding.

I'd liked to have been there to experience it all, but don't feel quite so badly since the "object of my desires" was not there to be seen anyway. Maybe next year.

Glad it has been a successful show for you, Toby.

SRH
Posted By: Bryan_Pettet Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 03:44 AM
It was my first attendance of that show but I've been to lots of big shows like Wannemacher, etc. I went with a very specific shopping list and bought one gun I was looking for and then a 2nd gun that wasn't on my list. I was a little surprised that there weren't more of what I was looking for...British single shot rifles, rook rifles (Kirby had some), etc. There were a TON of Parkers and lever guns and quite a few high end guns with Drake and other high-end dealers.

I easily walked the entire show on Friday since I wasn't looking at Parkers or lever guns. I had planned to be there Sat also but didn't see the point after Friday and had some other things to do before my Sat flight. My first impression was it wasn't exactly what I expected...a little less than I had hoped for but still an interesting show. I heard a LOT of dealers complaining about attendance and lack of sales. I also saw a lot of overpriced guns that weren't moving. At least there weren't tables full of polymer guns, ARs and beef jerky. I can get that anywhere.

One thing I've been looking for was a clean, original Daly diamond quality double. There were 3 there...one was displayed for auction later...one was over 23k...one was in the ballpark. None of them came home with me so the search continues. There was a W&C Scott damascus 10 gauge that almost came home with me.
Posted By: arrieta2 Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 02:48 PM
I use to go every year to buy. Ihave not been in 10 years.

The show is not like it was before in the old Sahara

Many of you just going to the show in the last couple of years, really missed the good shows.

John Boyd
Posted By: Wonko the Sane Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 04:06 PM
Originally Posted By: Bryan_Pettet
I heard a LOT of dealers complaining about attendance and lack of sales. I also saw a lot of overpriced guns that weren't moving.


Might there perhaps be some correlation there?

The weather kept me away tho I have to admit that the motivations to attend were minimal. I'm struggling to work up some sense of disappointment.
Posted By: SXS 40 Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 09:10 PM

I have been to the show each of the last 5 years. The national dealer area has definitely been in decline vender wise. The private seller table area has stayed about the same. A friend with a table sold several guns, so I believe that area is somewhat stable. I think that gun shows have been in a steady decline, as is the gun culture in general.

We are a long way from the days of taking your shotgun to school, so you could hunt in the afternoon.

It is true that most of the national dealers were showing VERY expensive guns, I'm not sure how big that market is. Me thinks not very.

I must compliment Heritage Guns, (Toby), for his presentation of nicely prepared vintage English shotguns at reasonable prices.

Will I go next year?, yes, there are so many interesting things to see, not the least of which is, the display of artifacts and guns from Walter of Alaska.

Stan, unfortunately, no hammer pigeon guns, let alone with 32" barrels. I walked the show for 3 straight days and saw none. Well, with the exception of Terry's 29" barreled Reilly, that had to follow me home.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 10:19 PM
Originally Posted By: SXS40
Stan, unfortunately, no hammer pigeon guns, let alone with 32" barrels.


Thanks so much for keeping me in mind. Another friend reported the same thing to me.

I have certainly learned over the past 6 months just how rare a 32" true pigeon hammergun is. A waterfowler and a pigeon gun are NOT the same animal. I am promised first chance at a Boswell 32" pigeon gun that is in England, when it comes on the market, but I have grave doubts that it will be at a price I am willing to meet. We'll see.

SRH
Posted By: eightbore Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 10:23 PM
Keep us informed. We would like to see the Boswell.
Posted By: Argo44 Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/22/18 11:57 PM
SxS 40...next time you see Terry, ask him if he's cleared out the dog cages from in front of those gun safes where there are guns in cases that he hasn't looked at for years and which might be Reilly's. I'd be interested too.
Posted By: PL Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 04:09 AM
I sold a number of guns, cases, and trinkets and purchased a few new shotguns. As usual, Thursday was busy among the dealers/exhibitors and is where most of my buying and selling happened. I am already looking forward to next year.

PL
Posted By: Wonko the Sane Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 04:44 PM
Looks like so long as dealers have dealers to sell to the prices will be stable. Comforting, innit?
Posted By: SKB Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 04:48 PM
Gunshows have been mostly dealer to dealer for years. Why does that bother you? Same here at the Denver show. If it was not for sales between dealers then gunshows would cease to exist. Maybe you should seek out comfort someplace other than gunshow.....your therapist maybe. Have a day Doc.
Posted By: Wonko the Sane Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 05:09 PM
No news to me. And bothered by it I'm not. My interests in firearms commerce are banging on zero. There are only a couple guns out there that I have any interest in acquiring and are so below the "need" level I will not notice if it doesn't happen.

For the past ten or so years the big gun shows that I generally visit are so populated with the SOS on a different table that it isn't even funny any more.

And, SKB - if intra-dealer trade is the sole justification for gun shows and you're down with that then maybe you should see a therapist.

just a thot

have another day

BTW - my comment was about prices, not shows
Posted By: SKB Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 05:19 PM
I never said I was down but it bothers me not at all what others do. If acquiring new stock from another dealer or sales to another dealer are required to make a show profitable for someone then so be it. It is called live and let live. But then I'm not the world's foremost authority on how other people should run the business they own.
Posted By: Wonko the Sane Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 06:10 PM
Originally Posted By: SKB
But then I'm not the world's foremost authority on how other people should run the business they own.


Lucky for you. I can assure you that it is a burden. Sorta on the order of people discussing something but each talking about a different subject. Like this discussion for example.
Posted By: Geo. Newbern Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 06:56 PM
My comfort is knowing that dealers still buy from dealers. It tells me that the people in the business are still assured that the end market is out there...Geo
Posted By: Wonko the Sane Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 07:09 PM
That sounds kinda like Ouroboros picking up a couple crickets on the side. Or maybe a feedback loop picking up / discarding freqs in process.

Well, anyway. It's been a fun thread
thanks for playing
Posted By: justin Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/23/18 09:21 PM
Well,now that that's over....
I thought the show was great. My first time,of course,so I was easily impressed.
Aside from Kirby Hoyt's great layout and Toby Barclay's beautifully restored guns there was almost too much to see as displays seemed to change and guns appeared that weren't there before. Maybe this is where that dealer to dealer thing comes in.
Saw two guns I thought I would never see let alone hold and fiddle with. A Beesley "Shot Over" that had the most remarkable action and a MacNaughton,bar in wood hammerless 450 BPE rifle that could not have weighed more than 6lb10oz.and could only be described as dainty.
My only problem was I didn't stay long enough to really take it all in. Two days was not enough.
Oh yeah,I did buy a gun I was looking for.
Posted By: SDH-MT Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/24/18 12:06 AM
whatyagit Justin?

It surely is a great show, especially for simple gun nuts. The first time I visited, about 15+ years ago, I though I'd died & gone to the finest sort of gun museum heaven and most folks offered to hand them to me!?!?!
I was there last year, thought it was quite well attended and still museum like, although the bloom is off of my rose~~~~~
Posted By: obsessed-with-doubles Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/24/18 12:18 AM
Justin-

Thanks for the report. Glad you enjoyed the show.

Who had the Beesley Shotover? Was is it a 12g or something else?

Thanks,

OWD
Posted By: justin Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/24/18 04:01 AM
It was a 12 and I was so bowled over I didn't get his name. He did say he had a 20. I'll try to find his name.
I bought a 500/450 Egg
Posted By: obsessed-with-doubles Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/24/18 02:28 PM
OK. Cool. I would appreciate it.

There have been a couple 12s kicking around. Steve Barnett had one with single trigger. Lewis Drake had another with double triggers.

A 20g would be quite a find.

Congrats on the Egg. Any pics?

Thanks,

OWD
Posted By: justin Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/24/18 07:49 PM
Not till t gets back from the rifle smith
Posted By: Bill Davis Re: Vegas Gun Show - 01/25/18 11:22 AM
Thank you to all who responded to my initial inquiry about this gunshow. Hope to get there next year!
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