Local Gunshow

[Moondawg]

Went to a small town local gunshow today. They have this show about three times a year. It has always had local vendors with reasonably priced firearms. In particular a good selection of older lever guns at reasonable prices. I was shocked at the prices today. I saw used newish marlin 94s going for hundreds more than NIB JMs at local gunstores. The same for other rifles and pistols. A couple of vendors were selling Wolf primers for $37.50 a box/1000 Winchester white box primers $40.00 a 1000. Now Winchester hasn't made white box primers in well over a decade and the last time I bought Win. WB primers I think I paid something like $12.00 - $14.00 a box. I saw old winchester and Marlin lever guns from turn of the century that were mostly rust and the wood looked like rats had been gnawing on it, with asking prices of well over a grand. Most of the vendors I did not recognize. How come used rifles/pistols suddenly became gold plated. I expect that at some of the big shows in the big cities, but not our local shows.

[AJMD429]

How come used rifles/pistols suddenly became gold plated.

I think the upcoming election, as usual, has demand up, and prices accordingly so. The 'masses' gravitate towards the EBR's, but there is still some increased demand for 'normal' (lower-profile) guns, particularly if they can be purchased via still-legal second-hand sales.

The electorate may be stupid enough to keep electing statist-socialist types, but some are smart enough to realize the economic and social instability it will lead to.

[walks with gun]

Some dealers want to make enough off one gun sale to cover there set up fee. Never found to many bargains at gun shows but love to go to find the off beat stuff. I wonder how those old primers were stored.

[wecsoger]

How come used rifles/pistols suddenly became gold plated?

Two reasons.

First one, they've always been 'gold plated'. With the internet, now we've been able to comparison shop so we see how badly the 'professional' dealers are trying to make a buck off of us.

Second, a lot of dealers are marking up their tables 25%, 50% or more. We now see that because of my first point. But they're figuring someone *might* come along and pay their price. If not, someone might come along and try to beat them down. They're hoping to offer 10% off the tag price, make it sound like they're doing you a huge favor and you'll bite.

So with the inflated prices, many of us walk by, snicker and move on.

Made it a point at one table, I pulled out the smart phone, did a quick search, showed it to my buddy. We both laughed and walked away. Dealer just glared at us. (100% markup)

It's a free market. (so far) Do your research. Know your product. Be prepared to haggle. And the most important point - BE PREPARED TO WALK AWAY.

[Ray Newman]

wecsoger: BINGO!

[Pete44ru]

In the last 50 years, I've made lucrative purchases and sales at gunshows, and continue to do so, even unto this last Spring (the last show I attended) - and I've been doing so here in the Big City / NorthEast.

FWIW, this is America - where "profit" isn't a dirty word.

Priced guns are only asking prices, and the last time I went to a gunshow, I didn't see any pricetags made of stone.

Anybody that sees something they like/want, and walks away snickering, w/o making a reasonable offer, is only doing themselves a dis-service.

If an offer is refused, what exactly has the person making the offer lost ?

Does anybody really expect someone to put a low price on an item & expect to sell it for more than the asking ? Really ?
A seller can always reduce a price, but it's almighty hard to raise one outside of a competitive auction, IMHO.

OTOH, it doesn't make much sense, to glance at something, then make a cold offer, like you were buying a hamburger at McDonald's.
I'm positive any such would usually be refused outright - mostly because the "buyer" hadn't gotten the seller to invest any time/interest in the buyer and in that particular sale.
I'm not saying the transaction has to be dragged on forever, but that a "Wham-bam, thank-you-Maam" will get you nowhere fast.

.

[wecsoger]

Please, no offense was intended, and I'm just as big a fan or even more so than many of a free market.

But I do get a smile for a safety bolt Marlin 336W, used marked at $495.

I'm not sure if I'm a little old and jaded (well, I really am old and jaded) but I was thinking back to my gun shows from the ''90's and the '80's. It seems like they're getting more like a mideastern bazaar or zocolo with all the attendant haggling. And without the smells and the flies. (grin)

If I want a specific shiny, a dealer has it I will approach and engage, politely. I've been on both sides of the table. But I know what I'm looking at and if the dealer doesn't come south of a considerable and excessive mark up, I have the power to walk away.

But I've had my fill of gun show commandos, used car salesman, wheeler-dealers and the smartest-men-in-the-room.

And edited to add...

I had a pile of junk at a local hamfest several weeks ago. I said it was junk, marked it accordingly. Didn't really come off my marked prices too much.

Did have some stuff not priced, one guy asked about. I told him I would take half of what he would price it at if he was selling it. Got a laugh, he thought and named a price, we had a deal.

You can always put a reasonable, make-a-profit, fair price on an item. You don't have to mark it up 50% and depend on someone coming by you can take advantage of.

[jnyork]

So, were the prices jacked up on the beef jerky, beanie babies, homemade fudge and eyeglass cleaner?

[Udy]

I hate buying cars.
I hate even more that buying a gun is turning in to that kind of business.
I have never been one to play games. If a business man puts a price on an item (firearm), then I assume that is the price he wants. If it is not then what the hell did he bother with pricing it to begin with. Maybe I am alone here, but if I see absurd prices I put the item back and move on. You would be better suited to not price any thing at all in my opinion, at least you didn't drive me away before I could gain an intrest in an item.

[jeepnik]

The darned gun auction sites have folks thinking that everything they sell is "rare", and will sell for ten times it's actual worth. Problem is, some on line idiot pay those type of prices so the cycle continues. As was mentioned, I can usually find new firearms for better prices than used ones at shows or auction sites. Other than FTF, with reasonable folks, I've pretty much given up on private party sales.

[Rusty]

As long as I can remember gun shows have always been for dickering and trading. Sellers that have brick and mortar stores along with prices set in stone are at a disadvantage at a gunshow. There is a large retailer here in central Fla who has 7 or 8 shops IIRC and one portion of his company is a gunshow section that just travels from show to show, only operates on weekends, and buys 20 or so tables at the shows they go to.
I've always considered a price tag as the "starting price."

[wolfdog]

I usually make out okay at gunshows, the barganing is half the fun.