doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gun Show Rants & Experiences

After almost 50 years of gun shows, setting up or just walking around, I have come to the conclusion that setting up is a huge waste of time & effort. Unless you have a responsible someone to watch it for you you are tied to your table without getting the chance to see what else is there. People want to pick up your guns, cock them & pull the triggers (without asking for snap caps)& then make some ridiculous statement or offer. The few old time dealers and collectors make it worthwhile to keep going, but there is very little of quality to be found there anymore.

Just My Thoughts, George

In my opinion, the days of courtesy, politeness, and common sense etiquette are all too frequently lacking on both sides of the table and aisle at collector & sporting arms shows today. Unfortunately,not even the big show promoters are doing anything about it. You'd think a simple pamphlet of show etiquette could be handed out with every high priced admission fee...perhaps a dealer or two would read it too. I fear even CADA shows will die as a result of unrealistic pricing and just plain rude behavior by both dealer and buyer.

What I know for sure, is how much I miss the true gentlemen of the collecting fraternity who were as much interested in furthering my education as in closing a sale. Two of these "GIANTS" that I miss the most were Arnie Chernoff and the recently departed Frank Sellers. Frankly, I don't see the younger generation taking the stage today as having the knowledge or social grace necessary to continue.

I went to the OGCA show this fall. I was looking for a LC Smith 20 or 16 Field grade for my wife. I found one that was nice. Ask the gentleman if I could pick up the gun. I looked it over good. Everything looked ok with it. It was the only gun on his table that did not have a price on it. So I ask him about the price.
Well he didnt know what the price was. Its another gentlemans gun who is at a meeting. But he will be returning in a bit. So I tell him I will check back in a half hour or so. I get back to the where the gun WAS. And its not there. I see the other gentleman and ask him if he is the owner of the lc. He said he was the owner and that it sold. I ask him what he got for it. He said he didnt know. Then points to the gentleman that I spoke to first and said. HE SOLD IT.
I really dont know what was up with that. But it left me loss for words. It was the only nice one I seen that day. So mommy is still out of luck.

Years ago, long before I knew a decent British gun from a clunker I was at a show in Baltimore. On a table with two dozen klunkers was a well worn, greasy and rust covered gun. The name on the gun was Purdey. Judging by the grime it was last cleaned when at the factory about 1870-1875. The seller told me it was a Belgian copy of a old British gun. Paid $50.00 for the gun in 1975 dollars, back when that was still a lot of money to me. Figured it would look good over the fireplace.

When I got it home I found out it was a real Purdey, not a cheap copy. Barrels were hopeless, stock was sound but the gun was well worn but not as bad as it looked with all the grime on the gun. Ended up giving it to my best friend, when my first daughter was born. He was the doctor who delivered the baby. Refused to charge me money for the delivery. Just took what little the insurance gave him. He kept the gun as a decoration in his den for many years. Had it spruced up and it looks rather nice these days. Last count he had almost three grand in the gun. Picked up the engraving, refinished the metal. It still has never been shot. In fact I think he is about to have the barrels lined by Teagule. I figure my small investment will end up costing him about five grand. Not a bad investment for the gunsmiths. Right bad one for the owner.

Every time I see it I think that i got the best end of the deal. How many great daughters does a man need? As many as God gives him.

Let me know if you are still looking for a 16 Smith-where in SW Ohio- "Queen City?"". Went to a big gun show-winter, sort of a "field trip" but saw a Ithaca NID 20 bore- firstseries with the snail-eared cocking indicators, grade 4E and so marked on water table-seller let me examine it, restocked and with a BA beavertail, but still a great dove gun with 28" Mod (2) and Imp. Mod (3) chokes-thanks Ithaca for that marking code- Howsomeever, the barrels just didn't look 28" long to me, so I pulled out the trusty Stanley 10 foot pocket tape I always carry- yup- 26 and 5/8"- the dealer looked at me, didn't say a word, didn't need to, and his $2500 asking price "went South"-- Caveat Emeptor..

KY Jon, why didn't ya send it back to Purdey for a new set of barrels?

Let me quote something from a book published in 1997:

"The chance of finding a decent collectible Parker at a sporting-goods store or local gun show is almost nill. Should you beat the odds and find a desirable gun, you will surely hear the plaintive cry of the casual and naive 'dealer.' 'I got more than that in it.' My advice to a new collector is to make the acquaintance dealer who specializes in Parker guns, and the sooner the better. Also, try to find a mentor who isn't just trying to peddle his mistakes."

I have taken my own advice and have purchased my guns almost exclusively from Chaddick, Galazan, Criswell, McKuen, Whitney, and James Julia. The expertise I developed by starting out with "benchmark guns" has allowed me to infrequently find and properly evaluate a gem at a local show...but they have been few and far between. As to local shows, be thankful for opportunity to maybe find something worthwhile, like the Robin Hood 10-bore shell I found at Monroe WI last year for fifty cents (see p.322 of my new book) or the pristine Gamble's shotshell box (p.172) or the 95% all-original ca.1905 VH (p.33) that was on a table at Pecatonica IL in close proximity to Beanie Babies and Nazi knock-offs.

This weekend there is a show at Juda WI (try to find it on a map!). I'll be there because the reasonable table charges at local shows tend to encourage memoribilia to come out of the closet. The ammo collectors and collectibles people have been priced out by CADA; the book business is so down that hardly do you ever see a book dealer at a gun show anymore (none at Chicago CADA where there used to be at least four). I believe the Internet has killed buying books from specialist dealers, and the ammo collectors simply post their extras on eBay. And finally, many of the dealers have only themselves to blame...

Wally B.---CADA promoter--has to rent the venue in St. Charles IL for the whole weekend, but can hardly expect any paid attendance on Sundays. This is because the dealers start packing up Sunday morning to show their disdain for the lack of traffic Sunday afternoon--a self-fulfilling prophesy! No one goes to a gun show after 9 am on Sundays because they know the show will be over by noon. A gross example of this was evident at the recent Vintage Cup, where the PGCA had a whole tent that was vacated Saturday afternoon (to go off campus for the PGCA private dinner) and 90% of the display tables were empty Sunday morning. Most of the officers were long gone. If this spreads to other exhibitors and more and more booths and tents become vacant on Sunday, I fear for the Vintagers and Vintage Cup. Ray P. had to rent up the venue for the duration...no paid gate on Sundays...we have found the enemy and he is us (sayeth Pogo). EDM

Good Points EDM:
It is RARE to find a decent double at a gun show here and I can count the ones I've bought this way on one hand without using all my fingers. But you never know. Some of the examples of the oddball bargians you've picked up and cited above are reasons to keep me going.
However: It is rare for me to go to a show and come home empty handed. I usually find something I can use at a good price even if it's just some reloading components. I also am usually looking for parts to complete a project and have come up lucky on numerous occasions. Since Ebay(stupidly IMO) cut the sale of parts off the shows are about the only place you can find these anymore.
I also know many of the exhibitors at the shows so it's somewhat of a social occasion as well.
Jim

Ebay do something stupid? How dare you, Sir??!!!

Jim