If anybody remember's last year, the Manchester Marathon was held the same weekend as the gun show. New England Events has now scheduled the next Manchester Gun Show on October 20-21. The hotel is no longer the Radisson. It it now a Hilton Hotel. Hopefully we will get some turnout seeing as N.E.E. advertised Concord, September and Manchester, November.
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N.E.E. gun show Manchester, NH October 20-21
- Thread starter ChrisNH
- Start date
Golddiggie
NES Member
"ultimate" in what manner?? One man's "ultimate" is another man's "piss-poor"... 
New England Events bought these show from DiPrete Promotions. The Manchester show has usually been a good one, lots of standard capacity magazines, at least a few with ammo at not-crazy pricing -- look for the guys with the case lots of ammo stacked under their table.
Ultimate as in "Last N.E.E. gun show of 2018"
I have had some limited success here buying reloading stuff in the past. Note to vendors: TRUMP IS PRESIDENT. HE WILL BE PRESIDENT UNTIL AT LEAST 1/20/2021. Selling old rusty shit for 30% over what Shooter's is selling new stuff for virtually guarantees that you'll be dragging the stuff home.
FIFY^
Blackmore
NES Member
Hope they have more vendors than last fall's show. My buddy didn't set up so we just went and looked around. They had curtain dividers set up so you couldn't see that a couple of rows of tables that Patti had always been able to rent were missing. They also moved the food concession inside the room (was always out in the hall before) taking up more room that would have been tables. An 8' table is now $85 to rent.
Last year, the Manchester Marathon was scheduled the same Saturday, and the Wilmington Gun show was the same weekend. George the book dealer always sets up at Wilmington, he's not going to miss a good money making show. He gets 7 tables. If you get 3 or more tables now with N.E.E., it's $55/table. I've got 3 for this coming show. I'll have enough space for extra stuff I don't normally have space for with 2 tables.
Blackmore
NES Member
Glad to hear that they're reacting to the market, Chris.
I'll be there tomorrow with money to spend. Hopefully vendors will be there with stuff to sell...and by stuff I don't mean green, moldy, crushed .30-30 brass for 40 cents each!!! Sell it right, or lug the shit home!!!!!
Well, it was a good and a sort of sad day. The show was OK; there was some decent stuff there that I go for, and I made a couple of deals. I wouldn't call the place packed, but at least there weren't screens covering portions of the room that had no tables. The rows of tables were spread wider than normal, conceivably to give the room a fuller appearance. Gun prices, at least the ones I pay attention to, were decent. Ammo prices, even on the common stuff, were higher than Shooter's and Wal-Mart. Some reloading stuff, and I made a couple deals. Worth my time to go there. Hit Shooter's Outpost after, and then to the pit of despair called Riley's. It is clear, to even the most casual observer, that the clock is ticking on Riley's. Handguns spread way out in the cabinets where once there were many. Virtually no used handguns, and bare walls on that center display wall in between the pistol cases that used to be full of stuff from A-Z. The long gun racks, once 2 stories high on the walls and two center aisles are now reduced to just a few, and the gaps where there is no inventory make the whole sad display look like a broken picket fence with multiple boards missing. The old ammo displays are gone, and the 1970's NRA posters have been taken down. I know that change is inevitable, but this is just sad. As a guy who used to go in there as a teenager and look around for hours, continuing on until the present day, where I am in and out of the place in 6 minutes, the change is striking. It's like looking at John Wayne in the 1960's, and then looking at him at the Academy Awards in 1979, shortly before his death. He was still The Duke, but had wasted away to nothing. It's a fair comparison.
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Hetzer
NES Member
I've never felt more like a second class citizen than I did this morning walking from table to table looking at guns and pieces of plastic that everyone else in the building except for me is allowed to buy.
Anyway, I left with a surplus Romanian SKS sling although it was double what it costs on eBay.
Anyway, I left with a surplus Romanian SKS sling although it was double what it costs on eBay.
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It was the first NE show I've seen. Prices on new guns were pretty decent, generally the same or a little less than I sold them for in my shop. Used guns, however, were outrageous. I saw one idiot price a used standard, beech-stocked Ruger 10/22 carbine at $390.
Saw a couple of Q rifles from Portsmouth, which I'd never seen before. Beautiful work, great feel. I'd love to shoot one sometime.
Saw a couple of Q rifles from Portsmouth, which I'd never seen before. Beautiful work, great feel. I'd love to shoot one sometime.
Rockrivr1
NES Member
I think there were halve the vendors that usually show up to this show as the isles were very wide and not all the way back. Saw a guy selling a French MAS, which was the first time I've seen one. Picked up a box of ammo and that was pretty much it.
Guess he didn't want to sell it.
You can buy a new 10/22 with a wood stock for $199, or a stainless model with a black synthetic stock for $219.
Blackmore
NES Member
I saw that today.
I saw that, too. Guy also had a Madsen and some older Swiss rifles.
The last time I was there (at 11AM) there was one other car in the parking lot with a rough looking guy and a skanky woman in it. As I went in another woman came out and started talking to the guy in the car. She came back in when I was looking around and was completing a 4473. Then she left again to talk to the guy in the car after I completed MY 6 minute walk through and was still out there when I left.
It was pretty clear what was going on. Shit like that never would have happened when Dick or Ralph were running the place.
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Blackmore
NES Member
As for my take on the show, better than last October's. Definitely trying to make the place look full with generous table and aisle spacing, but most of the people I know said it had been okay. Prices have dropped a bit to suit the current environment. Lots of raffles and knives plus a guy with a table billing himself as a Pro-2A realtor. That was a first.
Best deal I saw was an 870 Tactical (pistol grip model) 12 gauge, new for $299.
Best deal I saw was an 870 Tactical (pistol grip model) 12 gauge, new for $299.
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Thanks to everyone that showed up for the show in Manchester. It was busier on Sunday, meaning more people walking around, not necessarily as paying customers. I sold most of the books I brought with me. Didn't have to bring those home.
Spent more money on books for myself. My mental rolodex is filled with items customers asked me for. I'll have the stuff by the next show.
Spent more money on books for myself. My mental rolodex is filled with items customers asked me for. I'll have the stuff by the next show.
I didn't mention the peeling paint on the building, the used tooth flosser on the concrete ramp by the door, or the purple plastic tampon thingy down at the base of the concrete ramp, as I thought that would be piling on...
I saw someone still trying to get $30 for a brick of 550 rounds of 22LR that Walmart is selling for less than $20 right now.
Two years ago some old coot had the same box with a price of $95 on it.
Picked up some parts for an 80% build and I found a used Samson Field Survivor Tool for $35 ($90 new)
Malodave
Two years ago some old coot had the same box with a price of $95 on it.
Picked up some parts for an 80% build and I found a used Samson Field Survivor Tool for $35 ($90 new)
Malodave
