Greenfield gun show

[DoggyDaddy]

You had money in your pocket and you were not in the market for a Mauser...???

Isn't that one of the signs of the end times...

I was going to ask what model or crest was on the Czech, but all considering I need to head to the store and get some canned goods..

I'm trying to make room in the safes, not fill them up! I think the Czech was just a BRNO - no real "crest" so to speak.

 

[indy1919a4]

Just a BRNO... Just a BRNO.. my my Mr fancy pants.. Well some of us do not have so much that a Czech BRNO Mauser is Just a BRNO... I would love to get my hands on a BRNO...

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Just a BRNO... Just a BRNO.. my my Mr fancy pants.. Well some of us do not have so much that a Czech BRNO Mauser is Just a BRNO... I would love to get my hands on a BRNO...

Well, you have until 3 p.m. today.

 

[yote hunter]

Best part about Greenfield gun show is going to Zapps Thi restaurant.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Best part about Greenfield gun show is going to Zapps Thi restaurant.

I saw that today! I normally take U.S. 40 to get there, but was meeting another INGOer before the show so I took I-70 to SR9 this morning.

 

[Angrysauce]

If anyone wants a $1450 Century AK thats your show.

 

[yote hunter]

I saw that today! I normally take U.S. 40 to get there, but was meeting another INGOer before the show so I took I-70 to SR9 this morning.

It really is a good place to eat. If you ever get back that way give it a try.

 

[KellyinAvon]

If anyone wants a $1450 Century AK thats your show.

Makes sense, a $1500 AR-556 yesterday.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It really is a good place to eat. If you ever get back that way give it a try.

I've got a good little Thai place just a mile down the road from me that I really like, but if the stars align and I happen to be there at lunch time, I'd try it for sure. But I'm not going to drive the 25 miles to do it.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Went today. Mostly basic bitch ar's for too much.

Also small rent. Why do ar dealers set up the rifles branded side down. I shouldn't have to flip a rifle over so I can see you are asking $1k for some anderson ****.

Dealers price gouging ammo.

One table had a box I was interested in. 44mag box of 20 for $70

**** that.

A table on the other side of the room had the same box for $60. **** that too.

With out calling out one of those tables. It's a business I've considered driving out to visit but after seeing the "amazing" prices I'll not make the time to visit them.

 

[Colt556]

I used to really like the Greenfield show back in the day. Usually saw some different dealers and things not at the 1500 or Stout Field shows. But over the years they’ve all sort of morphed into the same show just in different locations. I miss the days of going to a gun show and finding interesting guns, parts and ammo for fair prices. Also you could actually trade with folks and not feel as if you’ve just been robbed. I’m not saying all vendors are that way and that deals can’t be found, but you really need to look hard and know your stuff anymore. Anyway, hope some of you found something you wanted and maybe I’ll see you at Stout Field.

 

[indykid]

I too used to enjoy going to the Greenfield show, and many times walked out with something that I couldn't pass up. Unfortunately when prices started getting beyond reasonable, and it seemed like the rare piece that wasn't there during the last show stopped showing up, I couldn't see making the drive just to see the same stuff that was there last time, and in many cases, for more money.

I don't mind price increases due to normal inflation, but really?

 

[Brian's Surplus]

I figured you'd show up, whenever the words gun show and ammo are involved you come in to defend the prices lol. Let's be real those dealers there in Greenfield with three tables full of ammo didn't get all that from guys cleaning out their drawers. Plus i'm sure if somebody brings some ammo in to sell they're not offering them 50.00 for that old raggedy box of 30-06. If you're bringing your ammo in to sell to a dealer there you're already doing it wrong. If you're actually selling right now then I guess capitalism is working, the problem with the dealers at these shows is they tend to be pretty out of touch. Months after ammo prices and availability stabilizes you'll see these same dealers trying to get pandemic prices for their ammo and scratching their heads because it isn't selling, we saw the same thing after every event. Owning a store and working in real time with distributors you probably have a pretty good pulse on it though so the above is probably not you.

You usually get a variety of vendors at shows. Most typically know what they are doing, or they wouldn't be doing it for long. The way things are now, we are seeing several people set up that I've never seen before at a show. Some of these people clearly don't have a clue what they are doing.

The ones that have been doing shows for 20, 30, 40 even 50 years or more have been doing it long enough to understand what is going on better than the average person. That being said, we have never really seen anything quite like this before. I personally feel like prices should start to ease up a little before long, but I could be mistaken. I never thought it would last this long in the first place.

I'm also amazed sometimes at what some of these vendors are able to sell. One of the vendors at this show (that also does a show every weekend) with several tables of ammo and other items buys a decent amount of ammo from me on a regular basis. He pays sticker price, and then puts it on his tables for $5 or $10 more per box. He must be selling it because he buys more practically every weekend. Cases of it. Thousands of rounds. And he is selling it (at least, I'm assuming that he is selling it) while I have the same thing on my table for $5 or $10 less.

You're correct in saying that there will be people dragging the same stuff around with the same prices long after things begin to stabilize. I have never understood why some of these people will carry the same thing around (sometimes for years) and refuse to take even a little less than the marked price. I don't think they fully understand the cumulative cost of table space over the course of time. I sometime catch myself doing it. Doing shows every weekend with a lot of product can make you forget how long you've had something if you aren't paying attention. Sometimes I see something and think to myself "I've had that for a long time, I need to lower the price or put it in the store". I spend enough time loading and unloading stuff, I don't like to do so needlessly. I try to make an effort to be aware of this so that when the market changes, I change my prices, even if it means taking a loss (sometimes a BIG loss). I learned that lesson well in 2004 at the end of the AWB. Glock 21 magazines that sold for $139 were suddenly available for $20. I remember paying $50 each for HK-91 magazines in the 90's, and I also remember paying 50 cents each for them 5 years later. Hanging on to it only costs more time and money. Better to take a loss and move on. I'm sure there will be some things that I'll take a loss on in the coming months. I typically buy small quantities when paying inflated prices to minimize the potential for loss.
For the time being though, I'm still struggling to keep a good variety of products in stock.

To put things in perspective, consider this. I have a bunch of items on backorder from distributors. What I am receiving from one of my biggest distributors this month amounts to about 1.6% of what I have on backorder with them. One point six percent. That means, if they supplied me with the same amount each month (and I did not add anything to the order), it would take 62 months (5.16 YEARS) for me to get what I have on order with them. Many of these items have been on backorder since March of last year. While I expect the situation to improve, I don't expect it to improve quickly. I also think there is a potential for things to get much worse (things can ALWAYS get worse).

 

[Angrysauce]

Makes sense, a $1500 AR-556 yesterday.

Saw that too. Ammo was well above market too. As mentioned above, the only table that got more than a quarter second glance was the dude with the mausers.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

In crazy times like these I only go to gun shows for **** like slings, bags, patches, knives, etc etc. The down years are when I buy guns and ammo.

 

[Angrysauce]

In crazy times like these I only go to gun shows for **** like slings, bags, patches, knives, etc etc. The down years are when I buy guns and ammo.

Honestly both this year and last I've bought 1 firearm, a Saiga I'm going to convert that's only gonna get more expensive.
Everything else has been NFA. Suppressors haven't really fluctuated.

 

[drillsgt]

Went to the show today, pretty much the same as last time, saw a couple good deals here and there but not much. Ammo is still crazy even as it's showing up more and more in stores and online. The same 325rd brick of Federal .22's I got from Walmart yesterday for 17.00 are still 60.00 at the show lol.

 

[Spring1898]

They will probably get burned if they don't start lowering their prices. Remington is back on board now. Picked up some greenbox 30-30 at walmart the other day.
Bet gun prices were high too.

 

[drillsgt]

They will probably get burned if they don't start lowering their prices. Remington is back on board now. Picked up some greenbox 30-30 at walmart the other day.
Bet gun prices were high too.

I picked up some Remington Golden Saber 9mm's at Highsmith as well.

 

[AmmoManAaron]

There were deals to be had depending on what you were looking for. I scored a smoking deal on 239 rounds of 8mm FMJBT projectiles for $25, a 14 count baggy of .458" half-jacket projectiles for $2, and a fair price on some 22 Jet reloads, sold for components only, from an estate sale-type situation, which were priced accordingly at $20/50 rounds. These three things were all purchased from different vendors, so you had to look closely at what was available and not overlook any table.

I was tempted by a Mad-Max style AR upper build that used a Remington 204 Ruger barrel and some surplus M-16 triangular handguards. I guess I liked it just because it was different and funky and not a boring old .223/5.56.

Brian's Surplus had a bunch of different Vihtavuori powders at reasonable prices and there were several "holes" in the product line where people had been buying. Both Brian's and the vendor across the aisle had a fair supply of projectiles, plus some brass, at reasonable prices. Metals have gone up significantly and I expect both projectile and brass casing prices to follow that rise soon. That's why I was looking closely at the products on offer and making a few purchases. Loaded ammo and primers may come down a little over time, but projectiles and brass are probably going to go up a bit, especially as primers become a little more available to the reloading public. Common caliber reloading dies were flying off the tables at about half to 3/4 of the price of what they are selling for on places like eBay (some are hitting 3 figures on eBay). The amount of new reloaders entering our hobby is staggering and quite a few have been wisely asking for help in person and online.