So… Spend the last two days at a gun show and it’s been ‘interesting’…
The people watching even more so. LOL
You always get the lookie-lou’s who want the cheep deal, “I can get it for XXX at XXX dealer, so why won’t you sell it to me for that?” Ummm… Maybe because I know how much said dealer ACTUALLY wants for the item. One guy came back to Peter’s table THREE times to try to get a ‘deal’, but Peter wasn’t falling for that.
Or the guy that wants XXX for something because, “On Gun Broker or Arms List they are going for XXX” Well, it’s because they ‘hope’ to get XXX, not because it’s actually worth that.
And the posers… Tatted up, bearded up, with the latest strac too small shirt and pants. Mixed with good old boys in their boots, jeans, and cowboy hats. And a lot of older veterans, mixed with younger veterans. The Army guys in many cases had specific unit hats, as did the three Marines I saw, but the Air Force and Navy guys, by and large had generic hats on.
A VERY polite crowd, women and kids with hubbies, women shopping by themselves FOR themselves, sadly none of them were interested in shotguns…
Lots of gimme hats, not a few Trump hats, and not a pussy hat to be seen. Quite a few buying and selling various things on both sides of the table, and some really nice pieces on ‘display’, because the prices were high as hell! 🙂
Only saw a couple of trophy wives parading through, but I do have to say as a guy, I ‘enjoy’ yoga pants and tight tops… LOL
Sold what I took to sell, and even sold a couple of sets of my books, many thanks to Wing for actually running back to my house and bringing a few more of mine, and some of Peter’s too!!!
Sounds like a good show. You never know what you will learn (some true, some complete b.s. :^) and nothing wrong with ‘People watching’.
I like to hit the shows because you never know what you can turn up at a decent price.
When I was in college in the 70’s, the local gun show was held at the Student Union Building. Yeah this was before colleges became “Gun Free Zones” and hot beds of pearl clutching snowflakes. At that time and place, the gun show was more show than sale. Local collectors took the time to share their collections, swap stories, and educate the curious. Yes, there were guns for sale, and I picked up a few bargains (on a student budget “bargains” were all I could afford), including a shooter grade WWI vintage 1911.
Manning a booth at any event can be an adventure. Now days my body rebels.
Yoga pants … ah, no confirmation or denial. Ahem. OTOH, a pleasant sight makes it easier to finish a set of weight repetitions. Uh, just sayin’.
Had my share of booths, posters, and conventions. Started great, but the foot and leg issues made the last few an endurance slog. LOTS of pre- and post-stretching and ibuprofen.
How about in your “take to the show” kit you include some thick carpet or rubber squares to stand on? If the show floor is not carpeted, then you have something to stand on. If it is, then you have twice as much padding between your feet and the concrete.
I gave up going to gun shows after being muzzled one too many times. My quest for a Savage 99 or a Model 94 in 32 Win Special still continues on.
I’m glad you made some money.
You refer to the lack of unit on USAF hats.
Besides training, I was in the 682nd DASQ (TAC) and the 1836 EIS (AFCS).
None of that exists anymore. And if I chose one, which would I choose?
Ed, I was also attached to different Squadrons, ships, and Naval Air Stations during my 20+. Have a patch for each, 14 total, and they won’t fit on any hat I ever saw!
Jim, Just finished reading “Sunset” and really loved it. Just wondering if John made it back to the house after the last visit to the cemetery ? A little disconcerted about that, but still one heck of a trip down memory lane, and just really appreciated all the shooting minutiae!
Glad you sold some books, and things. As much as I get a kick out of people watching, not much into crowds of people these days.
Now that I’ve got my new goggles I can see that what I thought were handsome guys… aren’t… dammit
All- Good points, and yeah, muzzles… Thankfully ALL guns are checked by LEOs and are ziptied, and cannot be undone on the show floor.
Ed/Ev- Understood.
Brig- Sorry… 😉
It was the Wheelchair Commandos who soured me on the local shows. Yes, I get that being in a chair sucks. That doesn’t mean you put saddlebags on the thing until it’s almost as wide as the aisle, then ram the footboards into the ankles of people ahead of you because you don’t think they’re moving fast enough.
While I figured a fair percentage of attendees would cheer if I yanked one of those jerks out of his chair and punched him in the face, I figured it would sound bad in court. So, all in all, a better thing to not bother with the shows any more, and stay home with my ankles unbruised.
For Ed and Everett-
Most of us that spent more than a few days in the military were in several units. I bought a vest and put the several unit patches on it, along with my Gadsden flag and the unit patches of my Father and Uncles who were Veterans of WWII.
Solves the problem of “which?”, and is a conversation starter for those who are aware.
Colorful too.
TRX- Honestly didn’t see that at all at this show. But then it’s a small show.
GB- Nice!!!
Hi Greybeard, Had all mine sewn on an old flight jacket. Kind of ratty but, but gets me lots of ‘Hellos” from old Miltype guys.
“I ‘enjoy’ yoga pants and tight tops… LOL”
Once a sailor always a sailor.
Have spent many an hour helping out at gun shows here in NC with a friend or two. As in TX, people watching is amusing at times. At other times, dealing with the idiots who don’t know what they don’t know but think they know a lot can be trying. My friend, a retired Marine LTC, would often ‘not suffer fools gladly’ – also amusing to watch.
Just got home from a few days south of Miami with a fine group of folks doing lots of things with guns, learning a lot and shooting even more. There are some damn fine ‘people of the gun’ out there!
Ev- Yeah, I’ve got my old one with the patches too…
Stretch- What can I say??? 😉
Tom- Oh yeah… Glad the training went well!
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