The first time I went to a show was in the late 1970s. One show and I was hooked. It was in Knoxville, Tennessee. I just stumbled onto it while going to Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge one week-end. There were people just outside the building and virtually all of them had something to sell or trade.
Back in those days people brought in firearms to sell and trade. Individuals would chip in and two or three guys would have one table with some of their personal stuff on the tables. You saw everything from Clayton Moore's (the Lone Ranger) stuff on display to the most modern weaponry on the market. A few dealers were there, but there was a good representation of private individuals with all kinds of stuff: bring back souvenirs, parts, DIY projects, books (new and used) and, as time progressed, DVDs, CDs, and even collections from collectors that passed on. You even saw political candidates, political parties, and organizations with tables.
There was a lot of business going on and great deals galore. Gun owners used the gun shows to socialize, talk politics and come together in much the same way that liberals use the black churches as social outlets and disseminating information.
Today, the gun shows are a multi- million dollar business and there are no real gun shows. Some of these shows cost $15 a person to get in and you say it's $80 a table. A 250 table show that gets 2000 attendees over the course of a weekend is 50 grand for the promoters not counting the concession stand and any tables that they own themselves that rake in a profit. It doesn't leave much for cutting good deals when the promoters are raking us over the coals. BTW, many attendees are retired (that's code for on a fixed income.) By the time they get to the show, pay for their gas, a ticket to get in, and cup of coffee and a snack, they've spent the better part of a month's disposable income. Whatever they buy, if they buy, has to be pretty cheap.
Then, you have a younger generation that lives on the Internet and places no value on things like privacy, anonymity, close personal relationships, and the opportunity to hobnob with people that think like you and have a lot of the same basic values. With them, it all comes down the cost of the product, not the fact that, in person, you get to see what you're buying, evaluate it, compare it to other products and maybe even trade into it. There is the peace of mind knowing if you buy certain products for cash that the entire Internet world is not plugged in, scrutinizing your every purchase. That may come in handy if you ever contemplate that one day the SHTF may happen and those who know what you have come a knocking or just busting your door down to take it.
To the younger generation, I say quityerbellyaching, bring something to sell or trade. Stop by and get to know people. I was at a Gwinnett show a few months ago. Brad Raffensberger shows up and even has a name tag on. He was being ignored! My wife and I stopped him and we spent 45 minutes talking politics, learning about the son he lost only weeks earlier, and the things we had in common. I made a friend that day, regardless of the prices. BTW, I've run into professional wrestlers, singers, actors, politicians, former ball players, and world class shooters that those of you stuck to a computer screen wouldn't recognize in real life.
To the promoters, they should cut their prices and encourage more individuals to come and bring all that stuff in from their basement. Tables should be more in the $50 range and entry should be no more than $12 with a senior discount so they can keep the activity alive. If the promoters can get 1000 tables and at least 5000 attendees, the shows might command the price of admittance. There are few places left where pro-gun people are actually welcome. The younger generation need to take that into consideration. The experience and friends you could be exposed to in one day would be more fulfilling than 100 hours on the Internet arguing with idiots and being fed cow dung by anonymous mind control wannabes.
