I went to the show at the Big E (2 hours away from me) and the Fitchburg show today (1 hour from me). There was a lot of overlap in vendors between the Big E and the Fitchburg show but I did see some differences that gave me more to look through. As always, everyone was very friendly and happy to answer questions. The show at the Big E was not good enough to be worth the 2 hour drive. The Fitchburg show, although smaller, was the perfect balance of distance and "gun stuff" - plus parking is free vs. the Big E.
I went to Fitchburg looking for a Mossberg 500, Saiga 12, PTR91, Baretta Cx4 storm, Ruger 10/22, Saiga 7.62x39, and a Browning A5. I found all of these at the Fitchburg show but they were priced $175, on average, higher than you'd find at Collector's Guns in Stoneham or Four Seasons in Woburn. The Ruger was only $100 more. There were some classics that seemed to be "at or less" than what I've seen at CG and FSF, but the condition on these was not great. As far as accesories etc, you can get this and more at your local Army Navy store for the same or less. In terms of ammo, the selection was limited and the priced were no better than what we get at CG or FSF. I've only been to 5 shows in the past 3 years, but I worry about the future of Gun and Knife shows if there is nothing "special" about them. Prices are higher and selection is not that much better than CG or FSF...the idea of the "event" is what brings me there and the chance to talk to industry folks...but also to see stuff I can't get any day of the week. There are a few items like this at the shows that are fun to see and pick up, but they've got to add more to keep folks like me coming back.