How do you feel about buying from Gun Shows?

[x007x]

Sunject says it..I'm curious if you would rather buy from a store or gun show?

[fickman]

I don't give my business to places posted 30.06 when I have another option.

On top of that, the shows around here have gotten increasingly expensive (to park and enter), crowded, offer less and less discounts (plus, most vendors will upcharge you a % for running a credit or debit card), and have become filled with less considerate members of the gun community.

I'd rather give an independent gun dealer, a small shop, or a big box store my money.

Plenty here disagree with me.

[Commander Cody]

I prefer a store. By the time you pay the parking fees and entry fees I don’t think there is any savings and if you buy at a store there is someone to listen if you have a problem with your purchase.

[fickman]

For full disclosure, I have purchased two firearms from a gun show, both at steep discounts about 6-8 years ago.

If I was looking for used guns (private sale), parts, or collector itema, I might be more tempted do enter the corral.

[x007x]

The gun show near me in Pasadena does not charge parking. I did not know that other gun shows would be charge for parking. That is lame. say you gotta pay to park.

[AEA]

I don't give my business to places posted 30.06 ILLEGALLY when I have another option.

On top of that, the shows around here have gotten increasingly expensive (to park and enter), crowded, offer less and less discounts (plus, most vendors will upcharge you a % for running a credit or debit card), and have become filled with less considerate members of the gun community.

I'd rather give an independent gun dealer, a small shop, or a big box store my money.

Plenty here disagree with me.

Kinda fixed it for ya!
But I also don't go to places that post 30.06 LEGALLY.

[GunNewb]

I purchased a very popular handgun at the Dallas Gun Show this year at a ridiculously low price (no..really)... But the thing to remember is that a lot of the vendors are gun shop owners...

[fickman]

I don't give my business to places posted 30.06 ILLEGALLY when I have another option.

On top of that, the shows around here have gotten increasingly expensive (to park and enter), crowded, offer less and less discounts (plus, most vendors will upcharge you a % for running a credit or debit card), and have become filled with less considerate members of the gun community.

I'd rather give an independent gun dealer, a small shop, or a big box store my money.

Plenty here disagree with me.

Kinda fixed it for ya!
But I also don't go to places that post 30.06 LEGALLY.

I had a back-and-forth with the Original Fort Worth Gun Show owner on his Facebook page - before he deleted the posts. He said his attorneys insist that it is enforceable (it's not) because it is a private event (I cited ALL of the laws to him verbatim; he just ignored it and posted his response). He also claimed ANY intelligent person would understand and agree that having loaded guns in a crowded room was a bad idea, because there's just too much going on, and when you add loaded guns, negligent discharges become more likely.

He then cited that they've already had ND from dealers, which I knew, and retorted that this fact only bolsters my case. I was there once (High Caliber show in FW) when a ND happened.

I responded with the following facts:
- Concealed is concealed. If a CHLer carries a concealed gun into the show, he cannot intentionally fail to conceal it. He can't wheel and deal with that particular firearm, or unholster it to look at accessories. It's concealed. He can leave the premises, unload it, clear it, declare it, and re-enter if he wants to show it publicly.

- He's using the same argument that anti's use (more guns = more accidental deaths)

- They already have NDs. From "unloaded" (we all know how that goes) guns. Which also means that anybody could load one of those unloaded guns and go on a rampage, wiping out a defenseless gun community. It's far too packed to assume the policeman at the door could make it through hundreds of people in packed aisles to stop the BG before major casualties resulted.

- Furthermore, they aren't patting down or using a metal detector, so we should assume that BGs are already carrying past the check-in station.

- I reasserted that Will Rogers is a government owned building, and that renting it out for a weekend for a private event doesn't change that.

Instead of replying, he just deleted my posts, which I expected. He didn't come across as pro-2A and definitely sounded inherently anti-CHL. He's only pro-2A as far as it benefits him financially. He won't get my money. . . and I'll use whatever small voice I have here to try to spread the word of the exchange and influence others.

[flechero]

No issues here... I just bought 2 more at the local show last weekend. However, both were new and from dealers I know, they just sell cheaper at the shows. I saved almost $100 on the same pistol I held at the store 2 days before, and saved $45 on the other. I think that was worth my $6 admission fee.

IMO, The key to a show is to know what you want and to have researched the new and used costs. You can find some great deals amongst the masses of price jacked guns- but if you aren't an informed consumer, you have a better chance of losing a few bucks.

In the past I have also bought used guns from private parties at the shows... always cheap enough that if a gun wasn't working properly I could recoup my cost in a fully disclosed sale. The only downside is that I had to disarm to enter.

[Teamless]

i have bought several guns from gun shows, and several from local businesses, it just depends on the pricing.
I would rather spend just a bit more at a local shop, but for a good savings, I will do it at the gun show.

[OldCannon]

plus, most vendors will upcharge you a % for running a credit or debit card

Selling new guns yields an EXTREMELY small margin of profit for most dealers. When you add the price competition and then the fees the credit card companies take from you, you will _lose_ money if you take credit cards.

Ironically, most merchant accounts make you agree to not explicitly pass the upcharge to customers, so _technically_ you have to advertise one price and then say what a "Cash Discount" price is.

[ffemt300]

I went to a show a few weeks ago at the GRB in Houston and found the prices high and dealers unwilling to negotiate. I like to negotiate. Dave Ramsey says never pay full price when you have cash in hand!

[Scott in Houston]

Every Glock I've purchased (4 of them) has been from a Gun Show. I've never found them as cheap at a store or online.
I was able to get a Glock 19, 26, 32, and 27... all with night sights for for $480.
And no, I didn't buy them all at once and get a group-buy deal. This was at a separate show each time.

I think shows are good for some stuff, but not other stuff.

[OldCannon]

I went to a show a few weeks ago at the GRB in Houston and found the prices high and dealers unwilling to negotiate. I like to negotiate. Dave Ramsey says never pay full price when you have cash in hand!

Dave Ramsey clearly isn't a gun dealer. Some gun dealers don't like to bother with haggling. They set the price -- you like or you don't. Again, this is a VERY low margin business with new guns. Dealers have some room to haggle on used guns, but most "small time" dealers have very little (mostly no) room to negotiate on new gun prices. Honestly, for most pistols, I make more money doing a transfer than I do selling a gun (and I don't have to mess with quarterly and annual tax issues with transfers)