If your S is literally HTF then something is probably wrong with your toilet.
Ninja edit: your house also might be upside-down.
I can only speak from the perspective of a seller with a single table, but I do know that people who have old milsurps to sell often walk away without having sold a single item during a show. For those of us who live close by Tulsa, it's not as big a deal as for those who have to drive long distances, stay in hotels, and eat out. The costs involved with renting a table at Wanenmacher can be quite high, and sellers naturally would like to move their wares to recoup their expenses. Also, these sellers know that the buying public, by and large, isn't interested in those old rifles. Plus, the economy being what it is, sellers know the public isn't in as generous a mood as in the past. So if a dealer comes over on setup day and wants to buy something from you, you may not be too quick to dismiss his offer. This time around, I had three milsurps for sale, all at good prices. In fact, possibly the best prices at the entire show compared to what I saw on other tables, as I was local (little overhead) and not looking to make a profit. A seller came over on Friday morning and bought one of my rifles, so I was off to a good start.
Yet, I went all the rest of that day, and most of Saturday, before I sold the second rifle. I had scores of people passing my table and looking at the rifle, and walking on. Finally the rifle sold - to another seller, who belatedly realized I was offering a good deal. It didn't matter that the deal was good, the public just wasn't buying.
The third milsurp sold on Sunday, as I was boxing up and getting ready to shut down my table. It went to another seller.
It's a two-way street. Certainly the economy has left potential buyers hurting, but sellers hurt as well. So while it sucks for the public to miss out on good deals during the setup phase, it sucks even more for a seller to go home with all his wares, having lost money attending a show where the public just wasn't interested in spending money. If someone offers you a deal, you'd be wise to take it - whether it be with the public or another seller - and not take an altruistic chance.
While I enjoyed the show and looked at ton of guns, I'll say this. I took enough cash to pay retail for both of the guns I was looking for plus another. I came home with all of that cash in my pocket.
Edit:
I wanted to add, that I know I did not look at every table at the show. So, I truly believe there were deals out there to be made. I just did not see one. I met some of the vendors from here and had a good time. I don't know if I will go to both Wannamacher shows next year but I'll definitely go to one of them.
Edit:
I wanted to add, that I know I did not look at every table at the show. So, I truly believe there were deals out there to be made. I just did not see one. I met some of the vendors from here and had a good time. I don't know if I will go to both Wannamacher shows next year but I'll definitely go to one of them.
I've seen some of those dealers set up at the same table and bring the exact same overpriced guns to display with their "do not touch" signs for several years in a row. That's not a recipie for a successful sales business. It is a successful recipie for a crochety old gun curmudgeon who just wants to scoff at people and grumble about the "tire kickers" who want to put their greasy fingerprints on his wares.
Must be fun if they're willing to pay those outlandish table prices for the chance to do it twice a year!
Must be fun if they're willing to pay those outlandish table prices for the chance to do it twice a year!
I talked to my FFL today. They were at the show this past weekend. They lost out on two gun sales because the buyers were from out of state. I asked if they thought the organizers could compile a list of FFL's and their table locations to assist buyers in transfers. My FFL said that is not a service that the organizers provide. They did ask the organizer for the location of a particular vendor and the organizer couldn't provide it. They finally found the vendor by walking around. My FFL then told me that if you wanted someone paged over the PA system, there was a $5.00 fee for the service.
$5.00 fee? Geeze. Take a bullhorn next time.
I went with $1200 and my mind on three different guns and came back home with $900 something. Bought from J & K, some other reloading stuff and lunch. The funny thing is one of the guns I wanted just showed up on Gunbroker! LOL! And no one is selling them on there for what he wants.
It's always been like that....at least for the 20+ years I have been going.
