# gun shows



## rxakt (Aug 31, 2009)

is it me or the local gun shows have been really crappy lately?


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## pkuptruck007 (Apr 17, 2007)

rxakt said:


> is it me or the local gun shows have been really crappy lately?


 
depends on what your looking for. 

If your looking to get a deal on ammo, reloading components, or a 
rifle, pistol... then your gonna be screwed.... very few, if any vendors
have gotten the "memo" that the panic buying is slowing. And their
overpriced items might sell one or two....but not at their prices...

So vendors actually WANT to sell stuff, but you have to be patient 
and hunt them down.....:lol:

Accessories and such are still sort of reasonable. As are AR's , 
surprisingly. AK and their varients are still 100 - 150 or more above 
what they can be had thru other channels. 

Trade in's and such are (IMHO) not worth trying right now. Most 
vendors are offering 45-55% of true value.

So, depends on how bad you want something..


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## rxakt (Aug 31, 2009)

"very few, if any vendors
have gotten the "memo" that the panic buying is slowing"

-you are absolutely right!


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## ONEIDABOW1 (Aug 14, 2009)

Nope,I don't think it's just you. They ARE crappy. The Bill Goodman gun and knife shows use to be great because they were every three months or so at the Light Gaurd Armory on 8 mile in Detroit-now there every other weekend at Gibraltar trade center in Mt clemens or in Taylor. I think people are getting tired of the same dealers with the same crappy silver whiskey flasks in the cases with the same old dull crappy kitchen knife from WWI.


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## kjbees (Jul 23, 2009)

Has anyone gone to a show lately, I was looking for some ammo cans, from what I've be told all out or priced super high. I rather not travel and pay to get into a show and find out I was told right. Thanks


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

kjbees said:


> Has anyone gone to a show lately, I was looking for some ammo cans, from what I've be told all out or priced super high. I rather not travel and pay to get into a show and find out I was told right.


OK, no problem. Pay me and I will go to the gun shows for you. When I find ammo cans priced reasonable then I will let you know.

IOW, the ammo cans might not be available at gun shows up to now but there is no telling with the next show that you go to. Spend a couple of dollars and pay the admission price. Walk around and talk to vendors; make a few new contacts. Have a good time and relax. Eventually you will find what you are looking for.



ONEIDABOW1 said:


> Nope,I don't think it's just you. They ARE crappy. The Bill Goodman gun and knife shows use to be great because they were every three months or so at the Light Gaurd Armory on 8 mile in Detroit.........


Every other month. One month there and the next month at the Civic Center in Dearborn. A lot more often than you might be thinking.

When Gibralter North started doing their shows the paying public said "Screw Goodman and his admission and parking price. We are going to Gibralter." The gun public did it to themselves.

If you want to go see many of the vendors that used to do the Goodman shows then go to the Michigan Gun Shows circuit.


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

Goodman got to the point that many dealers started ignoring him and his shows.Rumor has it that he headed south to the only people dumb enough to deal with the fat man.but eventually he got ran out of kentucky also.


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## gman12 (Mar 6, 2003)

Last one I was at about 3 weeks ago, Small ammo cans were $8, and 9mm ammo was $30/50. I won't go to any more.


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## Gil Martin (Jan 18, 2003)

They used to be a good place to look around and find some bargains. The recent gun shows around here are the same folks peddling the same overpriced stuff they haul from show to show. There are fewer guns and more tools, clothes and jerky so they now look like flea markets. All the best...
Gil


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## ONEIDABOW1 (Aug 14, 2009)

alex-v said:


> OK, no problem. Pay me and I will go to the gun shows for you. When I find ammo cans priced reasonable then I will let you know.
> 
> IOW, the ammo cans might not be available at gun shows up to now but there is no telling with the next show that you go to. Spend a couple of dollars and pay the admission price. Walk around and talk to vendors; make a few new contacts. Have a good time and relax. Eventually you will find what you are looking for.
> 
> ...


 Well Gibraltar wised up and is now getting parking plus admission to the gunshow section. Has been for a number of years. It's all about the almighty dollar-too bad.


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## kjbees (Jul 23, 2009)

Thanks for info, checked on line, googled a product called Gamma Lids they make any 5 Gal. bucket air and water tight. Larger sizes than ammo cans resealable. With food grade buckets you can also store food. At prices from $4 to $5.50 each this may be the way to go. Thanks for your imput.


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## CMR (Jul 25, 2003)

ONEIDABOW1 said:


> Nope,I don't think it's just you. They ARE crappy. The Bill Goodman gun and knife shows use to be great because they were every three months or so at the Light Gaurd Armory on 8 mile in Detroit-now there every other weekend at Gibraltar trade center in Mt clemens or in Taylor. I think people are getting tired of the same dealers with the same crappy silver whiskey flasks in the cases with the same old dull crappy kitchen knife from WWI.



I used to go but the prices are way outragous, even before NObama took office. I can find a better deal online, pay shipping costs for that item, and still not pay what the "dealers" want. 
Some do have good ammo deals but not lately. 
And don't get me started on all the junk that isn't gun related.....:rant:


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## kjbees (Jul 23, 2009)

this is on internet buying, found this on another site! I recently concluded a very frustrating transaction with these guys:

also known as Appalachian Tactical

I usually buy military ammo cans at local gunshows but in this case I ordered a two each .30 cal and .50 cal boxes from US MILITARY SURPLUS back in the third week of June. The first shipment was sent USPS and never arrived. Each time I called the seller he told me to wait another week for delivery. After three weeks he agreed that it was probably lost (assuming that it was ever actually shipped) and he agreed to send a replacement shipment via UPS. 

He gave me a tracking number but several weeks passed and nothing arrived. The tracking number yielded a shipping destination was not my home state and city. When I called, I was told that there was a shipping screw up and my stuff would go right out. He told me that the .30 cal and .50 cal boxes were packaged seperately but both were on the same tracking number. 

When the shipment arrived there was only one carton and it contained only the two .30 cal ammo cans. There were no .50 cal cans. The .30 cal cans were very rusted and dented and one was so badly rusted that there were actually holes rusted right through the bottom. So much for the description which claimed that they were in used but good condition. 

When I called I was told that the .50 cal cans must have been lost and they promised to ship two more. They gave me a another UPS tracking number. I checked the UPS tracking site daily but all it said was "billing information received." Finally, after a week passed the UPS tracking site message changed to one that said "shipment voided". 

When I called to complain, theyclaimed a screw up in the warehouse and gave me yet another UPS tracking number which actually prooved to be valid and the .50 cal cans arrived in about five days. 

The website described the .50 cal cans as "#1 condition". Both had lots of rust. The bottom of one was so bulged the can rocked and would not sit flat. The other had dents that looked as if it had been hit with buckshot and irt was so distorted that it was almost impossible to open and close. I had to straighten, pound out dents, sand and paint to make them even functional. I plugged the holes in the rusted through .30 cal can with JB Weld and after sanding and repainting it looks OK. 

If you are bold enough to deal with these guys I hope you have a better experience than I had. Their performance reminded me of the old Florida Gunworks...two months of delays, misinformation, and mistakes compouded by product that did not meet my expectations. They did offer to replace the can that had rusted through but I really did not want a continuing relationship with these guys so I declined their offer and fixed it up myself. 

yer be Ware!


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## ibmike (Oct 21, 2008)

rxakt said:


> is it me or the local gun shows have been really crappy lately?


 Yah i think so to, guns are worth the same and people have alot less money.


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## Hoppe's no.10 (Sep 16, 2007)

kjbees said:


> this is on internet buying, found this on another site! I recently concluded a very frustrating transaction with these guys:
> 
> also known as Appalachian Tactical
> 
> ...


As hard as this is to believe these days, nonetheless, there's something to be said about walking into a store, actually looking, holding and examining the product you are about to buy - carrying it up to the cashier, pulling out some greenbacks, hearing the "Ka-Shing, Ka-Shing" of the cash register and walking out of the store a 'happy camper.' Realize this scenario is a bit of an anathema to many on this site but in fact it does, nevertheless, have a lot going for it.

Hoppe's no.10


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

GIDEON said:


> Goodman got to the point that many dealers started ignoring him and his shows.


The vendors followed the crowds and the crowds thought that they were doing the smart thing by ignoring the Goodman shows. If the Goodman shows were so bad then why are so many people who remember them now wishing that they were back?



GIDEON said:


> Rumor has it that he headed south to the only people dumb enough to deal with the fat man.but eventually he got ran out of kentucky also.


Totally uncalled for. He had family there and moved there long before the shows ended in the Detroit area. His son's were handling the Goodman shows and eventually he retired and that is not being run out of Kentucky. He sold the show business to others in his family.

As of a couple of years ago there were still Goodman shows left in the south. There was an attempt about 5 years ago to start the shows back up here in MIchigan when so many people started to complain about the Gibralter shows and the son ran into so much grief from halls and venues that had the room for the vendors and crowds that he decided to move on.

By the way, do you think that Bill Goodman would have closed all of his shows and bowed down to the gun grabbers like the Gibralter shows did?


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

alex-v said:


> The vendors followed the crowds and the crowds thought that they were doing the smart thing by ignoring the Goodman shows. If the Goodman shows were so bad then why are so many people who remember them now wishing that they were back?
> 
> 
> Totally uncalled for. He had family there and moved there long before the shows ended in the Detroit area. His son's were handling the Goodman shows and eventually he retired and that is not being run out of Kentucky. He sold the show business to others in his family.
> ...


 I not only remember the shows, but I remember having to deal with "Mr. Goodman". Not a favorable memory. There is probly a reason(s) that a lot of halls and vendors gave him grief. You cant complain about what you ask for.


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

GIDEON said:


> I not only remember the shows, but I remember having to deal with "Mr. Goodman". Not a favorable memory. There is probly a reason(s) that a lot of halls and vendors gave him grief. You cant complain about what you ask for.


You were dealing with the old man, Bill Goodman himself, and he was a stickler for everything being a certain way, usually his way only. A totally different person than his son.

His son was a great guy. As I said in my previous post it was the son who ran into troubles trying to find a place to hold gun shows.


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## GIDEON (Mar 28, 2008)

alex-v said:


> You were dealing with the old man, Bill Goodman himself, and he was a stickler for everything being a certain way, usually his way only. A totally different person than his son.
> 
> His son was a great guy. As I said in my previous post it was the son who ran into troubles trying to find a place to hold gun shows.


 
Very well could be, we got so disgusted dealing with the old man that we just boycotted, along with a lot of others, any thing that had his name on it. As a looker have attended several of the Kentucky shows, Still not impressed.


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