Our Alaska Gun Show's

[tzieli22]

I guess I have been spoiled over the years but I have been to several shows here in the last few years and I have to say I am just not that impressed. I lived in Tulsa OK for a few years and after going to Wanenmacher's each year, I just don't seem too excited about our show's.

http://www.tulsaarmsshow.com/

I wish we could get these guy's to head up this way for a show....

[tvfinak]

Big gun shows

I was a member of the Houston Gun Collectors and had a toble at their show for a number of years before I moved back to Alaska. The Houston Show was one of the largest about 15 years ago but gun shows in the lower 48 have changed a lot in the past decade of so - I'd bet the Tulsa show has changed also. The last Houston show I went to about 5 years ago when I happened to be in town I walked out without even buying anythings - that used to never happen!

The trend has been away from small one and two table hobby collectors to people trying to make a living by having tables full of pricey guns. Table rents have gone up and many of the older guys have gotten out or died off. Its gotten harder to find odds and ends parts and bits and pieces out of accumulations of years of parts many of use have.

If you are in to high end stuff like the Henrys mentioned in the ad shows like the Tulsa show are great. I can't afford them and don't even bother to look at them. What I do find in Alaska are some neat old guns that are a part of Alaska and a lot of still friendly foks that go to the gun shows to enjoy a going to or taking part in a gun show - not make to make a bunch of money.

I didn't get to spend all the time I wanted there Sat. but I walked out with 4 rifles - all were excellent prices and I will enjoy fooling with them.

Perhaps the Tulsa show is better than I anticipate - I'll have to catch it some time. But if it has gone the way of the Houston Show and other shows I've been to in the lower 48 I'll stick with the Alaska shows.

I guess I have been spoiled over the years but I have been to several shows here in the last few years and I have to say I am just not that impressed. I lived in Tulsa OK for a few years and after going to Wanenmacher's each year, I just don't seem too excited about our show's.

http://www.tulsaarmsshow.com/

I wish we could get these guy's to head up this way for a show....

[ADfields]

If you want big Reno is for you! I went in 2003 and spent two days walking and dealing, all day long and into the night without seeing it all. The deals were good to great, my nephew picked up two 50 BMG’s just under a grand each that year. He lives in Reno so he is at that show every year and says it is getting even bigger. I used to go to the Great West show in Phoenix and it was great, over 10,000 venders and about of them 4000 gun venders. That is about one good long days looking for me. It would be fun to have a big show like that in Alaska but we just don't have the numbers of people to make it work.

[Amigo Will]

I started at the Houston shows in I believe 74,two a year at the Astro Hall and that was it for gun shows in Houston. Now between Houston and Galveston there is a gun show every weekend and they suck.In the old days private sales were the norm,now its dealers without stores that often sell for a higher price than the bigger shops sell for.I still think the best bet for used guns is the local Pawn shop.We tried a few shows in Haines in the early 90's and it was mostly a fun get together.

[tvfinak]

Houston Shows

The Houston Shows were up to 4 a year when I left. In addition there were shows in Pasadena, Rosenburg, Galveston etc. The Houston Show really fell apart when they moved out of the Astohhall and had to raise the table rents to pay for the more costly quarters. Four shows a year plus higher table rents just pushed many of the small guys out.

There used to be some great deals on new guns at the Houston Show also. I remember in the early 80's I could buy new S&Ws cheaper at the Houston Show than I could order them here in Alaska as a dealer.

I started at the Houston shows in I believe 74,two a year at the Astro Hall and that was it for gun shows in Houston. Now between Houston and Galveston there is a gun show every weekend and they suck.In the old days private sales were the norm,now its dealers without stores that often sell for a higher price than the bigger shops sell for.I still think the best bet for used guns is the local Pawn shop.We tried a few shows in Haines in the early 90's and it was mostly a fun get together.