The host of this video notes that he doesn't go to gun shows anymore. He recollects that gun shows used to be (i) a way to see and handle firearms which you may not have known about before and (ii) were a source of good deals (particularly when surplus rifles and ammo were flooding into the U.S.) but not so much anymore. He ascribes the decline to the internet and the ability to research, find, and order items online, and everyone now easily knowing the value of what they have.
Obviously I can only speak to my experience with gun shows in my neck of the woods, but I see the beginning of the decline of the gun show corresponding to the popularity of shows like Antiques Roadshow (aka the "overpriced old stuff" show). Suddenly everything that was old, no matter its condition, was expensive. What was once a cheap beater gun was suddenly an "antique" or "collectible". In addition, in this area at least, the shows became less like gun shows and more like flea markets that also happened to have guns. Sellers of bric-a-brac, trinkets, candles, cheap knives and wall-hanger swords, homegrown or homemade food or beauty products, etc., increasingly took over the floor space.
VIDEO: "Why I REFUSE to go to Gun Shows Now"
Hegshot87 (11 min.)
Not to mention the reduced number of venues willing to host them due to the political climate. Drives got longer, floor space got smaller, and overpriced crap got crappier. It was no longer even entertaining to attend.
ReplyDeleteYes. Especially when the venues are owned/operated by public entities or local governments.
Delete