Thread 64167379

>set up at gun show this weekend
>three-day event, open to the public on Friday
>tiny venue, like a quarter of the size needed to be considered decent
>promoters playing favoritism with a handful of vendors, such as allowing one of them to be the "designated reloading powder vendor" and not allowing any of the rest of us to sell powder
>same with ammo
>also fucks over some vendors by shoving them into corners in the back
>AC set too low for comfort
>allowed half the vendors to be non-firearms bullshit like beads and custom glass bottles and blankets and cooking spices
>promoter's squad of carny "staff" constantly trying to power trip on vendors, grabbing guns off tables without asking so they could zip-tie them the way they wanted and telling vendors arriving in the mornings that they had to park in the grass and not the parking lot
>a neighboring vendor's dog peed on the floor in front of my table, twice

>dogs
always by far the worst part of gun shows, people really just can't do shit without their furbabies

>>64167379 (OP)
Show me a gun show in 2025 that isn't garbage. I'll wait.

>>64167504
wanenmachers, it's climate controlled and they ban all the jewelry peddlers and gutter guard salesman
only twice a year in oklahoma though

>walk into gun show
>"yep, those are guns"
>no other feelings
>prices are worse than online stores
why do people go to these things again

>>64167559
Meet small business owners cause some do show up, haggle, make combo deals, sell off unwanted shit.
My first show I traded a $300 canik for a Benelli nova for hunting. The last show I went to a local manufacturer wanted to sell me a chrome bcg for $150 but I got him to throw in 2 pmags and a patch. Make your own fun and you won't mind getting fucked a little desu

>>64167510
OP here, I've heard of the big show in Oklahoma. I'd like to attend it sometime.
My highlight of this past weekend's show: a WW2 Imperial Japanese type 30 bayonet with an arsenal marking I didn't yet have, and nice grips.
If not for this and the free BBQ brisket sandwiches I was getting from my father for trying to sell his stuff for him, I would've been absolutely miserable.
The first night's sleep after a show is always really nice.
Picrel is the bayonet I bought. I'm happy.

>>64167559
I had better prices than online, plus with a lot of things like militaria and firearms that aren't current production, sellers who have them refuse to sell online.
Gun shows are still valid, they're just run like flea markets and carnivals so often these days.
Pizzabirb.

>>64167619
This too.

>>64167559
Oh, is a dog, nevermind. I'm still waking up and recovering from the shit show.

>>64167379 (OP)
Got all my kitchen knives and pocket knives ruined by some boomer who bragged about sharpening knives for 50 years at the last gun show I went to. I see no reason to ever go to a gun show again. They haven't been fun since the 90s.

>>64167483
The dog cult in the US has become just as bad as the cow cult in India.

>>64167510
The only correct answer, everything else has sucked balls for years

>>64167379 (OP)
Why do old faggot boomers love cold temperatures so much? You'd figure their circulation is shit from the decades of daily mcdonalds so they need warm temps, but no its always freezing cold for them

>>64167559
It’s just something to do. Neat to walk around with my wife and see stuff while she asks me questions about guns

>>64168709
Fat=insulation.
Boomers=Fat
Fat Boomers=Hot, want cold.

Idiot. Lol.

>>64168709
Majority of boomers I have been unfortunate enough to be around set ACs around 85.
My theory is they know they're going to hell so they're doing exposure therapy so it doesn't burn as bad.

>>64168709
Menopausal women are to blame.

>>64167379 (OP)
>>promoters playing favoritism with a handful of vendors, such as allowing one of them to be the
Fucking assholes.
>>AC set too low for comfort
That's not possible.
>>>allowed half the vendors to be non-firearms bullshit
RAAAAAAGE
>>a neighboring vendor's dog peed on the floor in front of my table, twice
Mist his guns with a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide when he's not looking

>>64168571
Oh, yeah, there was the token bubba-with-a-cheap-belt-grinder at this show as well, butchering peoples' knives. I could tell by the sound the belt was giving off it was worn out. Seems to be one of these assholes at every show. Sorry to hear of your experience.

>>64168673
>>64168958
Yeah, the vendors whose dog it was were this pair of short chubby women from mainland Asia who were selling fucking beads & jewelry, so they had already pissed me off before their fat, wrinkly, ugly bulldog (that I swear weighed as much as they did - they were short short, even for being Asian) began urinating all over the floor. The younger of the two offered me a moldy orange (literally) as a peace offering. The entire time, as a massive WW2 Imperial Japan weeb, I'm thinking to myself "if the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere had been established, I wouldn't be dealing with any of this right now."

>>64168709
>>64168746
>>64168805
Yeah, the ones who weren't massively obese were all putting on sweaters and jackets. See, here (Texas), shows during the summer are always during 100-plus-degree heat and the retarded promoters always think that if they freeze the place, then the public will enjoy it and spend more time browsing. They give fuck all consideration to those of use who have to sit in it for eight, fucking, hours.
One show I ended up finding the thermostat and discovered it wasn't locked, and kept changing it. I had so many of the boomer vendors thanking me.

>>64168928
I can definitely believe this; the logic is flawless.

Definitely the last show I set up at that is put on by this outfit of carnies.

>>64170058
>cheap belt grinder to knives

Look, we've all done it before, but that's on $10 survival knaifus, not people's actual nice knives. If you let someone do that to something you cherish, you're a dolt.

>>64170058
>dog urinating all over the floor

Just disgusting.

>>64170101
At least everyone at this showed. both vendors and the public, seemed to have bathed recently before attending. Last one I was at, that wasn't the case.

>>64170161
At this point I'm convinced you're just gonna smell sweat and ass anytime you're in a place where men will *always* outnumber women.

>>64170192
Fortunately not every time, especially since, as a vendor, my face is at waist level to the public. Plus you have to remember there's always that overwhelming "gun show smell" consiting of cosmoline, Tri-Flow, dry rot from all the military surplus, and candied nuts, and it permeates the air. It's a very distinctive combination of odors and anyone who has been to shows can recognize "gun show smell."
I swear I could retire off making scented candles with that exact scent for these boomers to enjoy at home. Order five candles and you'll receive the CD of authentic gun show background sound! Just close your eyes and you'll swear you're really there!

>>64170058
huh, was this the one in Arlington? the only 2 that I knew of this weekend were temple and Arlington, I went to the temple one and bought some shit, not great but they kept the bullshit vendors outside of the gun area, place was fucking tiny, i mean 2 people could fit on each isle, it was bad, but overall it was as good as a small town gun show can be, overall gun shows are in the shitter

>>64170236
Nah, it was the one in Schertz (San Antonio basically). The group putting it on operates under the name "BIG BOSS GUN SHOWS" so I shooped their shitty logo to better reflect the actual experience. Picrel.
>2 people could fit on each isle
Same with this one, but I accept such limitations of the venue when the show is run well, not this fucking shit show carny act.
>overall gun shows are in the shitter
Agreed, and people like this who are putting in minimal effort just so they can cash in before everyone gets fed up with them just make it worse. I miss Saxet shows. I want to go back.

>>64171557
Fuck, I should've changed the AK in their logo to an SKS with an $800 price tag tied to it. There were like five of those there, all Chinese Norinco, and one even had a Tapco stock.

The original for reference. I could've made a better logo in five minutes on my phone. This shit looks like low effort for 1992.

>>64167379 (OP)
>>allowed half the vendors to be non-firearms bullshit like beads and custom glass bottles and blankets and cooking spices
This is one of the worst parts of gun shows as far as I'm concerned. It's tied for first with every other part.

I've lived in Texas all my life and work for an FFL and despite all that I've never been to a gun show and hearing the stories on /k/ I don't know if I wanna go to one anymore

>>64172532
I mean, they're fun to set up at when they're organized halfway decently. I always manage to come away with something for my Imperial Japanese collection that I either wouldn't have found online, or wouldn't have found at that good of a price.
Bigger shows tend to be better. Bigger shows in nice, well lit buildings are better still. Bigger shows in well lit buildings where the organizers keep the fleamarkety garbage to a minimum are better yet.
I felt sorry for all of the out of town vendors who came to this one. Crap venue, crap promoter, so overall a crap show, and of course nobody was spending money because everyone's kids just went back to school.
There's a show at the Shriner's center here in three weeks, and that's always a good show, and the promoter for that one keeps the garbage out, and it's in a really nice venue.

>>64172342
Meant to reply to you in >>64172933 but yeah, agreed.
I've gone to shows as part of the public before where I walked in and they were 90% flea market crap like that, and it was like, "well that was a waste of time and admission fee."

>>64172933
>>64172942
It's a real mixed bag, but I've gotten something good at every gun show I have ever been to. Take your time, check out every vendor and look closely. There's always a deal hiding in plain sight.

Snagged a refinished P-08 at the last show, and walked away with a small profit after trading/selling some unwanted guns as well.
>>64172342
It makes sense to fill up the space, since the gun show makes most of its money from vendor tables but it can get excessive. If it's all random junk and only a few tables selling anything gun related then it's just a vaguely gun themed flea market. I can still find something worthwhile in that, but the crowd won't want to come back for that.
>>64171565
Lol, a Nagant revolver.

>>64167483
Haven’t been to a show in a decade, but all my LGS have professional dogs on staff who are better mannered than most employees.

>>64173069
>Snagged a refinished P-08 at the last show, and walked away with a small profit after trading/selling some unwanted guns as well.
Nice, nice. I've been fortunate to set up near the entrance a few times at good shows when people have carried in Japanese stuff that they inherited.
>Lol, a Nagant revolver.
Yeah, I don't know which is worse to put on a logo for a gun show operation, that or the PPShShPOS43. There were neither at this show.

Gun shows are great places for new shooters to examine a bunch of guns in one place. You probably won't buy anything there, and that's fine, but if you just want to look at guns it's like hitting multiple gun stores all in one place.

>>64173732
I actually did sniff out a somewhat reasonably priced hand nugget at the last show. Seller only wanted 350, I could feel he'd probably take 300. Good condition but God damn I remembered why I didn't even buy one when they were $90. Those things are just terrible to use in every way possible. Emile Nagant must have spent months guzzling dick in the Czarist glory hole for that contract.

Gun shows aren’t always awful, picked up a Tisas Zigana Sport at a show a while back for $350, vendor even threw in a couple oem M&P mags since it was near the end of the show and that’s what I was originally there for.

>>64174059
I swear the adoption of the Nagant M1895 must have been a real life example of Elbonian-style procurement.
>Yes it's underpowered
>Yes it shoots a dinky chode bullet
>Yes the trigger pull is 35 Funt in single action
>Yes it takes all night during winter in the Arctic to reload.
>But it holds 7 shots and the gas seal gives these spitballs ~2% more velocity
>Totally worth it guize!

>>64167483
>>64168673
These posts are extremely semitic

>>64167510
>>64168485
Wanenmacher's is kinda shit because people overcharge everything due to being at wanenmacher's. I go to find cool shit because you can find good deals here and there, or haggle with people walking around selling stuff from their backpacks. Don't go to surplus vendors because they'll charge $100 for yugo ak mags, or 2k for norinco clones of just about any firearm. The lesser name-known gun show that pops up every few months is much better.

>>64167379 (OP)
>go to gunshow
>ask for assault rifle
>get handed the same black military rifle every school shooter uses
>ask how much it is and if i have to show id
>he says its on the house and hands me a bunch of ammo
Its literally easier to get a gun than an ice cream bar in this hellhole of a country and that needs to stop. Nobody but me cares about dead children it seems

>>64174109
Nice b8 m8 I r8 8/8

>>64168673
I am a dog and I like cows and I resent this post!

>>64174113
Yet I get banned for 3 days for saying that cop killers pose a special threat to society.

>>64168805
More like they aren't self indulging like gamer fuckies that need to be pamper every moment and like to save electricity bill money for ammo money, faggot.

>>64168731
>i need a situation where i know things and my wife doesn't

>>64174081
>look, it has GAS SEALING TECHNOLOGY
>wow, that must be great, what does that do over any other handgun?
>Shoigu_Shrug.gif
=O
>we gotta adopt these things, NOW!

>>64174616
NTA but it’s fun as fuck teaching your wife/gf things, it’s also a good way to determine if they’re a good one (shows genuine interest, asks insightful questions, retains information)

>>64167559
you dont pay their asking price, these are pretty much swap meets.

>>64175030
>you dont pay their asking price
You can intentionally fuck ith them and ask if they consider trades. I MYSELF BREED THE FINEST BLUE RIBBON RABBITS and can throw in a used dishwasher, plus some cash. I can also offer knife sharpening services and my girlfriend can read your fortune.

>>64170235
>Order five candles and you'll receive the CD of authentic gun show background sound! Just close your eyes and you'll swear you're really there!
lol

>>64167483
Did yr gf get knotted or something nerd?

>>64174616
You've obviously never been married bucko.

In New Mexico gun shows were worth it just to watch the retarded chugs stumble off the rez because they still believe there’s such a thing as the gunshot loophole and won’t get background checked. One time there were a bunch of cops out front busting saucy huyahuyas for DUIs, ruined everyone’s fun.

I went to fleet farm to buy an Anderson lower before they're gone for good. Some faggot bought all 8 in stock.
The old timer at the gun counter consoled me with stories of the age of gun shows when he bought his first SKS for $45, how he got his hands on all kinds of mosins: Remington made, Soviet Ministry of Defense, Albanian. He told me not to bother with the gun show a county over this weekend unless we want some cheap mags cause he knows a guy. Just too many people ready to fuck you with a sandy dick for a small profit and no more of a community.
I weep for my fellow Millennials and Gen Xers, but out online markets are better than ever before

I like gun shows but I just like getting outta the house and lookin at weirdos and the gun show up in Oaks, PA has plenty of them.