Manchester NH Gun Show

I think the only folks that come down from the notches are my wife and I KBCraig! (Berlin).

Another promoter was handing out some flyers for new shows. I'll be attending them (and post the dates here on NES). FYI: If people know of any good shows, TELL ME. I am always willing to pack the shop up and try them out!

Andy
 
I walked by your table and said to myself, that guy looks familiar where do I know him from? Now I see your pic on this thread and it hits me like a dummy slap. Next time I'll stop in and introduce myself.

It was crazy awful prices but the slim crowd made it nice to be able to walk around without lots of people shoving me and stepping on my feet. The only table I bought anything at was a guy selling off a reloader's estate. I didn't look at many guns since I can't buy handguns out of state and I was riding my bike making a rifle or shotgun an unwise choice to carry home on my back.

I did think it was cool watching so many people open carrying rifles on the streets of Manchester without a SWAT TEAM qued up for a massacre.


I was there, harassed by these guys guys with 300 BlackOut pistols! ;)

Met 50BMG and a couple of other NES'rs (the Stranges!). I saw a few guns WELL over MSRP which is just plain WRONG. Ammo seemed high. I bought nothing but coffee!

Andy
 
The show was poorly attended. It was almost as bad as the Concord show. At one point there were more dealers walking around than customers.
 
Yogi Berra: Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded.

The show was poorly attended. It was almost as bad as the Concord show. At one point there were more dealers walking around than customers.
I'm not sure why the show was poorly attended. Has everybody spent all they want to spend on guns and ammo, or is it just a case of Ruggeri’s syndrome (aka "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."). Or is the promoter failing at promotion?
 
The show was poorly attended. It was almost as bad as the Concord show. At one point there were more dealers walking around than customers.

I walked by your table and said to myself, that guy looks familiar where do I know him from? Now I see your pic on this thread and it hits me like a dummy slap. Next time I'll stop in and introduce myself.

It was crazy awful prices but the slim crowd made it nice to be able to walk around without lots of people shoving me and stepping on my feet. The only table I bought anything at was a guy selling off a reloader's estate. I didn't look at many guns since I can't buy handguns out of state and I was riding my bike making a rifle or shotgun an unwise choice to carry home on my back.

I did think it was cool watching so many people open carrying rifles on the streets of Manchester without a SWAT TEAM qued up for a massacre.

I'm not sure why the show was poorly attended. Has everybody spent all they want to spend on guns and ammo, or is it just a case of Ruggeri’s syndrome (aka "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."). Or is the promoter failing at promotion?
See bold.
 
There were some decent prices on various items to be had, depending on what you wanted . All it takes is the ability and willingness to look. Sure not everyone's giving away there stuff, prices of old are gone.
 
See bold.
noddaduma said:
I agree. I would have been more inclined to go if I thought I might be able to see some decent prices or find a good deal.
So people didn't show up in Concord, or this past Saturday morning, because they expected prices to be unreasonable? Still sounds like a failure by the promoter.

Along with the guys selling .22 for upwards of $75/brick, there were deals to be had, just needed to talk to the guy (or gal) standing behind the table.
 
So people didn't show up in Concord, or this past Saturday morning, because they expected prices to be unreasonable? Still sounds like a failure by the promoter.

Along with the guys selling .22 for upwards of $75/brick, there were deals to be had, just needed to talk to the guy (or gal) standing behind the table.

Saw one table where a 500 round brick of .22LR was marked $90. [shocked] Also saw some 100 round boxes (also 22LR) on another table marked over $9. [rolleyes] Glad I'm not in need of any .22LR ammo.

Some of the guns were reasonably priced, but seems like too many tables had stupid/insane prices on ammo.

IF you know what the local gun stores are selling things for, before going to a show, you'll be a lot better off. IMO, you don't go to a gun show to try to find ammo for less than at the local stores.

At this point, I'm going to the shows for other things. Like connecting up with Andy for more leather items. Or picking up more PMags from Umlaut. Or looking for that odd item to turn into a beer tap handle. [laugh]
 
I think that a lot of people haven't got the money,, with the recently passed buying frenzy how much money can they have left? I suspect a lot are now seeing CC bills coming due.
As to the comment of lack of attendance due to high prices,, well you have to go there to see if the prices are high or not, if you didn't go, then you wouldn't know.
I didn't go, wasn't really in the market for anything in particular, plus I managed to cause some mayhem to my back splitting wood so I did a good imitation of a couch potato for the weekend.
 
What I am seeing at these shows,(yesterday in Manchester included), is the same old faces peddling the same overpriced swill. I have no problem with people trying to make money, but you'd think that some of these folks would get sick of lugging the same overpriced crap in and out of venues. For the most part, Ammogeddon is over!!! I talked to a couple of vendors, who pissed and moaned that it was "slow", and that the "shutdown must be keeping people away". I wanted to scream BULLSHIT!! It's your pricing keeping people away!! Just like in Concord, and over in Chester VT most recently, I left with NOTHING.
A word of advice to the folks who are still gouging: Pigs get fat, Hogs get slaughtered. The time has come where nobody is going to pay you $8.00 for a box of .22LR, or 60 Cents a piece for moldy green brass, or $50.00 for a rusty die set that can be bought at Riley's for $38.00 new.
 
I went to Manchester with $1000 cash in my pocket. I walked away from the show with $992 after the admission fee. There was absolutely nothing that I wanted that was even close to what I would consider a good deal.
 
So people didn't show up in Concord, or this past Saturday morning, because they expected prices to be unreasonable? Still sounds like a failure by the promoter.

The promoter is supposed to convince the vendors to have pricing that isn't horrendous? [laugh]

-Mike
 
Talked to Andy and we talked about how slow the show was. Hardly any folks at all. Some dealers still have old rusted Trapdoors for 2K etc, did see the new Kimber SOLO 9mm compact. My next ankle gun for sure[wink]

By 2 o'clock there were only a handful of customers around. Just my two cents but this may be a good time for a new promoter to step up and mix things up a bit.

Fred it's not the promoters.... everyone knows about this show. There are only 2 or 3 gun shows in NH of any consequence, it's kinda hard to "forget" them. The last Manch show the lines were wrapped around into a turd pretzel into the parking garage.

People are getting sick of the terrible prices and consumers are finally reacting to it in a negative way. The "tinfoil obama panicker email knitting circle" crew wallets are running dry (these were the people gleefully paying crap prices) and the people who used to come to these shows (regular gun enthusiasts) are all like "meh, why bother?"

The economy isn't helping things, either. A lot of people are still out of work, etc, and that's possibly getting worse in this region, not better.

-Mike
 
Fred it's not the promoters.... everyone knows about this show. There are only 2 or 3 gun shows in NH of any consequence, it's kinda hard to "forget" them. The last Manch show the lines were wrapped around into a turd pretzel into the parking garage.

People are getting sick of the terrible prices and consumers are finally reacting to it in a negative way. The "tinfoil obama panicker email knitting circle" crew wallets are running dry (these were the people gleefully paying crap prices) and the people who used to come to these shows (regular gun enthusiasts) are all like "meh, why bother?"

The economy isn't helping things, either. A lot of people are still out of work, etc, and that's possibly getting worse in this region, not better.

-Mike


I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. I cannot see a promoter telling people how to price their goods. That being said, I cannot imagine that there isn't ONE SINGLE VENDOR who walked around, saw which way the wind was blowing, and then promptly made some adjustments on his or her pricing.
 
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Fred it's not the promoters.... everyone knows about this show. There are only 2 or 3 gun shows in NH of any consequence, it's kinda hard to "forget" them. The last Manch show the lines were wrapped around into a turd pretzel into the parking garage.

People are getting sick of the terrible prices and consumers are finally reacting to it in a negative way. The "tinfoil obama panicker email knitting circle" crew wallets are running dry (these were the people gleefully paying crap prices) and the people who used to come to these shows (regular gun enthusiasts) are all like "meh, why bother?"

The economy isn't helping things, either. A lot of people are still out of work, etc, and that's possibly getting worse in this region, not better.

-Mike

Mike,
My point about the promoter is not how she advertises but how she treats the dealers. She has gone up three times in the last two years on table prices, charges for electricity when the venue does not charge her.
I can only speak to what the guy I work for brings, he has low priced used shotguns for folks who dont have a lot of cash, MA compliant guns and his mark up is less than most of the others. I will admit and I have had some heated arguments with him about it he wont lower AK prices quick enough. Also when the panic was on dealers placed orders for AR etc. Well they are now arriving at the panic price point. We bought three DPMs when the panic hit, they came in just before Concord, we then ordered 5 rifles form Windham Arms in Aug. They were $400 cheaper than 6 months ago.

Do I see some dealers selling stuff way over priced sure, but that's free market. Ya just dont buy from them. However a large number of dealers are stuck with pre crazy gun grabber prices firearms and its not easy to sell something at a loss.

By the way I dont have a dog in this fight. I simply love gun shows. I have found some outstanding buys, some not even from dealers but folks walking around selling a rifle or handgun. Now with the new on line system its easy to conduct a private sale in the Communist state of Ma. New Hampshire, well lets just say I am so HAPPY I have property there. I should be getting my new license plates soon. I have a low digit plate and I have had it since 1971 and its available in N.H. I am one happy guy.
 
"I simply love gun shows."

Me too. I guess that's why I find the whole idea of having it pounded up my dirt chute at the recent shows so repulsive. I love the shows; have for a long time. But when I see shit, and I mean SHIT, overpriced for the sake of overpricing, I call bullshit and keep my money in my pocket. I go to the shows to buy stuff, and, except for a sandwich at the Chester VT show that gave me the runs, I haven't bought a goddamn thing in the last 3 shows.
To hear the vendors tell it, the shows are "slow". Horseshit. When they are marking up stuff that I know they had WAY BEFORE Ammogedon, then complain when people refuse to buy it, it bothers me, and makes me worry about having shows to attend in the future.
 
I went in at 9 AM on Saturday looking for a Garand made by International Harvester (sentimental value) and really found nothing that caught my eye, except a CZ SP01, an Arsenal AK, and a couple revolvers that I don't really need. One thing I noticed is none of these dealers put signs out letting people know who they are, which I thought was odd. There were some who had a decent selection but I couldn't tell you who they were because I'd have to say "excuse me" a few times to get their attention from either talking to each other or staring at the wall. Overall it was a disappointing show. There was one guy (again, no name) who had a ton of ammo at what I thought were OK prices but I didn't buy because they were busy and I stocked up last year.
 
Sportsman's Trading (Al) needed a sign, so I could bypass his table expeditiously

I went in at 9 AM on Saturday looking for a Garand made by International Harvester (sentimental value) and really found nothing that caught my eye, except a CZ SP01, an Arsenal AK, and a couple revolvers that I don't really need. One thing I noticed is none of these dealers put signs out letting people know who they are, which I thought was odd. There were some who had a decent selection but I couldn't tell you who they were because I'd have to say "excuse me" a few times to get their attention from either talking to each other or staring at the wall. Overall it was a disappointing show. There was one guy (again, no name) who had a ton of ammo at what I thought were OK prices but I didn't buy because they were busy and I stocked up last year.
I wouldn't say "none" of the dealers, but certainly very few dealers had signs. Many of the better dealers at least had business cards out on their table saying who they are.

Maybe another failure by the promoter? [wink]
 
I went in at 9 AM on Saturday looking for a Garand made by International Harvester (sentimental value) and really found nothing that caught my eye, except a CZ SP01, an Arsenal AK, and a couple revolvers that I don't really need. One thing I noticed is none of these dealers put signs out letting people know who they are, which I thought was odd. There were some who had a decent selection but I couldn't tell you who they were because I'd have to say "excuse me" a few times to get their attention from either talking to each other or staring at the wall. Overall it was a disappointing show. There was one guy (again, no name) who had a ton of ammo at what I thought were OK prices but I didn't buy because they were busy and I stocked up last year.

I wouldn't say "none" of the dealers, but certainly very few dealers had signs. Many of the better dealers at least had business cards out on their table saying who they are.

Maybe another failure by the promoter? [wink]

I guess the boss' double sided 2'x6' banner with the shop's name was too high in the air? [wink] Either that or the camo background.
 
I am going with some cash in my pocket, looking forward to it, first NH gun show.

Just be prepared to keep it all in your pocket and then hit Shooters, Rileys, and Acme afterwards to actually spend it. [laugh] Last Manch show I went to was crap, outside of the 3 or 4 vendors there that I like visiting (that I can see outside of the shows anyways, with the exception of dave the knife guy). Obamascare 2 has really ruined a lot of the pricing, and a lot of these gun show vendors
are still showing up with their overpriced, crusty stuff.

-Mike
 
What do you think the chance of finding an m1a/m14 receiver at the show?

I wouldn't go expecting to find one. That's the type of thing where you might get lucky but we're talking scratch ticket odds here.

-Mike
 
Just be prepared to keep it all in your pocket and then hit Shooters, Rileys, and Acme afterwards to actually spend it. [laugh] Last Manch show I went to was crap, outside of the 3 or 4 vendors there that I like visiting (that I can see outside of the shows anyways, with the exception of dave the knife guy). Obamascare 2 has really ruined a lot of the pricing, and a lot of these gun show vendors
are still showing up with their overpriced, crusty stuff.

-Mike

Likely what will happen. I am looking for a few non-zOMG!! items that I am sure I will be able to find.
 
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