Tales from Tanner

Haven't been to Tanner in about two years. Decided to go yesterday and seek out that elusive gun show loophole. Didn't find it. But I did find...

• Bong table
• Everything C&R with a 100-200% mark-up
• Two scruffy looking guys talking about converting an AK while handling it right in front of the guy working the table. Don't know if that deal was done or not, didn't stick around.

There was a specific item (C&R accessory) that I was surprised to find at the show. It was priced at $300 which was high and it was in poor condition. Seller (nice guy) said "I'll take $200 for it." I'm thinking, why isn't $200 on your tag? Still overpriced at $200. It decent condition I would have bought it.

Didn't see much buying and the background check table wasn't busy at all. Why do people spend $80 (or whatever a table is) and all day working their tables, to not sell? Tanner seems to be doing well (no gaps in the floor) but I'm not sure about the vendors.

At some point during the last 15yrs, gun shows changed from being a place to find a gun without a retail mark-up to a place where the mark-ups were often higher than the LGS. Certainly much higher than any online shop. I saw $1200 WASR's on a table at Tanner in 2013 and that was it for me. No reason to pay for parking, pay to enter, and then wade through a sea of people for the privilege of looking at a table over-priced guns/mags/ammo.

I did see some decent prices on memorabilia and leatherwork as well as a guy offering a heck of a deal to laser engrave your stuff while you waited.

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Originally Posted by yz9890

At some point during the last 15yrs, gun shows changed from being a place to find a gun without a retail mark-up to a place where the mark-ups were often higher than the LGS. Certainly much higher than any online shop. I saw $1200 WASR's on a table at Tanner in 2013 and that was it for me. No reason to pay for parking, pay to enter, and then wade through a sea of people for the privilege of looking at a table over-priced guns/mags/ammo.

I did see some decent prices on memorabilia and leatherwork as well as a guy offering a heck of a deal to laser engrave your stuff while you waited.

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Interesting, I've never paid for parking to attend the Tanner, the rest of your points I agree on.

I used to go mostly to just walk around and look at stuff. Occasionally I would pick up a few small items. Rarely I would stumble across a gun I just had to have. More often than not I would walk around with a wad of cash in my pocket and not buy a thing.

In recent years, the crowds and price gouging really turned me off of even attending. When they raised the price of admission to $10 that was the deal breaker for me and I quit going.

I'm sure the Tanner show will keep plugging along without me. There's a sucker born every day and they seem to flock to the show in mass numbers.

It's something to do for a couple hours. There is nothing there worth buying. I never see anything priced at what I would consider even a "reasonable" price. It seems that they take their normal high prices, then add the table fee to each firearm. Then you pay tax one top of that. The best part is the sheer variety of guns you get to look at and feel up.

I've spent $10 on worse things.

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

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Originally Posted by milwaukeeshaker

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

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Curio and Relic-an item manufactured 50 years prior to the current date.

I was thinking about going do find a "cheap" lower. Then I remembered...

Get there early or pay for parking. Unless it's all pay for parking now. Never paid before. Don't even remember paid parking lots.

There's and admittance fee. Add that price to the "cheap" lower.

There are likely no "cheap" lowers worth having.

There's too many people.

There's too many freaky people.

I can get anything there on the internets for a lot less money shipped to me nearly as fast as getting it today.

They do have some bomb ass biscuits and gravy that just might be worth the admittance fee. :D

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Originally Posted by milwaukeeshaker

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

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Curio & Relic. >= 50 years old.

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Originally Posted by ray1970

I used to go mostly to just walk around and look at stuff. Occasionally I would pick up a few small items. Rarely I would stumble across a gun I just had to have. More often than not I would walk around with a wad of cash in my pocket and not buy a thing.

[snip]

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That was my experience yesterday. Had fun walking around and talking to a few people. Left with my modest wad of cash in my pocket.

They had a great selection of just about everything on the tables, that was one positive.

Kind of sad to see our biggest regular and local show going this way. :(

I stop in every few months to kill time when I'm down in Denver. I haven't bought anything for a while, but typically browse the handguns just to see newer models.

It can also be amusing. Last summer I actually found a few pounds of Varget reasonably priced (somewhere between retail at cabelas and online+ship). I asked if the price included tax. Response was "price includes everything, out the door cost". I ask to buy the 3 pounds he has and I get a price 10% higher for the total than marked. When I ask why, "taxes, government has to get theirs"[facepalm] This was over the course of 30 seconds or less.

This thread has so much potential... [Pop]

Duh, of course! I just could not get the noggin to work. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Doc45

Curio and Relic-an item manufactured 50 years prior to the current date.

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Last time I went I saw a couple guys in their early twenties walking around, sporting their best goatees they could muster, not looking or buying anything, basically doing mall laps, with tactical vests on complete with knife strapped in and laced real tight, OD ripstop pants tucked into their swat boots and fingerless gloves on. At that point I knew I wasn't cool enough to keep going. [gohome][Ninja]

I did buy a Taser that day to taze a buddy that lost a bet to me.

In the good old days I used to get together with about 5 buddies and go for the morning and then do lunch. Sadly those days have been gone for quite a few years now. Miss the old Tanner shows and miss the buddies who are gone now.

I actually just got back. Like others said, not a lot there these days. All sorts of ar15 set ups and then C&R rifles. Oh and handguns and everywhere too. Buddy was looking for a semi auto .308 platform and we maybe only came across 6? All over priced too. Got a couple little things and it's fun to meander around but won't go back for a while.

They did do the national anthem and it's cool to see how quiet and respectful it gets in contrast to sporting event venues.

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Originally Posted by Calculated

[snip]

I did buy a Taser that day to taze a buddy that lost a bet to me.

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[ROFL2]

Remind me never to make a bet with you!

Story?

I went on Saturday, I go once a year just remind me why I don't go.

My Observations

• At least 10% of the people I walked past smelled of weed, bad
• $10 for a box of Federal XM193 = $0.50/Round (That morning I bought 1000 for $0.32/round with shipping)
• The ATF looked bored as hell
• The number of gang bangin' cocks with the pants around their ankles looking for this loophole thing was amazing

People are assholes and have the manners of a goat

• The guy who cannot walk in a straight line and whose eyes are drawn to everything shiny while wandering in circles
• The groups who walk down an entire aisle and refuse to show the slightest bit of courtesy
• The douchebags who talk in a group of 8 in a circle in the middle of the aisle - These people are either completely dumb to situational awareness or are fucking assholes
• I guess I am glad I don't frequent bars anymore, pretty sure I would kill someone if this type of behavior is normal now.

I haven't been since they went to a $6 door fee

$6 entry? That was a while ago ... [Coffee]

I prefer gun shows where there is some interesting junk to look through. Not over priced LGS tables, pawn shops and stinky candle tables.

sorta sounds like a pueblo walmart...

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Originally Posted by BushMasterBoy

sorta sounds like a pueblo walmart...

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Same people, no entry fee...

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Originally Posted by milwaukeeshaker

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

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It is code for Ghost Gun....shhhhhh.

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Originally Posted by hurley842002

Interesting, I've never paid for parking to attend the Tanner, the rest of your points I agree on.

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Was speaking mostly of gun shows in general.

One of the first guns I bought was a late 90's Colt Pocketlite off a guy at a show for $140. I miss those days. I'm sure there are still good deals to be found at shows if you're early and lucky.

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Originally Posted by copfish

Same people, no entry fee...

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And the ammo prices are better.

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Originally Posted by Skip

[ROFL2]

Remind me never to make a bet with you!

Story?

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I think I'm like 4 for 5000 lifetime, betting me is usually a pretty good idea.

I have a friend from Boston that bartends in Ft. Collins. I used to be quite the regular there and he and I would arm wrestle, have slap contests, and made several bets, pretty much all of which I lost. He always had a way of getting me to go again...

Well anyway during an evening of time traveling at the bar he and I were cussing and discussing about his beloved Patriots. I grew up in Oklahoma so I was always a Cowboys fan, and low and behold they were playing in two days. I think the Pats were undefeated at that point(maybe 5-6 years ago?) and in a moment of what can only be called as whiskey fueled intuition I had run the numbers in my head and I bet him that the 'boys were gonna put the hurt on Brady and crew. He said he didn't want to bet money because it was boring and he wanted to make in "interesting". He was probably pretty confident the win was in the bag. I'd stumbled across a couple videos around the YouTube of cops tazing each other for "training purposes" earlier that day, and since I felt 10ft tall and bulletproof I figured loser gets tased. Brilliant!

When I woke up and realized what I had done I knew I was screwed.. The good Lord must've taken pity on me, cause the Cowboys won. I still can't believe it to this day. And I haven't collected on my bet yet either. But when I do, I'm gonna video tape it and I'll post it here. He's a class act though he really wants me to do it. Good times up in FoCo at that place.

ETA: Correction, he gave me a 5pt spread and they lost by 4.

Wait. You bet on the Cowboys?

[ROFL2]

I think my last gun show was around 2006, maybe 2007? Glad to see I'm not missing much (and WTF, $10 to get in AND you have to pay to park?

[hahhah-no]

I think 3 things have killed gun shows (at least for me):

1. The change in the law which allowed stocking dealers to sell at gun shows means that now going to a gun show is just like going to a LGS except I don't have to pay to get into an LGS (back in "the old days" stocking dealers could only sell at their address which meant that if someone was selling guns at a gun show they were a private citizen or collector - prices were much better and they were willing to haggle.)

2. Big box stores. I used to go to gun shows for good prices on ammo but big box stores (which, again, I don't have to pay to get into) have stolen a lot of that thunder. And finally....

3. The internet. Better selection, better prices. Yes, I do have to pay shipping and FFL fees but I can figure those out ahead of time.

It's too bad, though, the passing of an era. I went to my first gun show at the old Arapahoe County Fairgrounds off of Belleview and Santa Fe in Englewood (anyone remember that?) circa 1982 - 83 I think. Over the years I went to quite a few - the best ones, hands down, were the ones they had in Fayetteville, NC in the early - to mid-1990's when I was stationed at Fort Bragg.

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Originally Posted by Calculated

I think I'm like 4 for 5000 lifetime, betting me is usually a pretty good idea.

I have a friend from Boston that bartends in Ft. Collins. I used to be quite the regular there and he and I would arm wrestle, have slap contests, and made several bets, pretty much all of which I lost. He always had a way of getting me to go again...

Well anyway during an evening of time traveling at the bar he and I were cussing and discussing about his beloved Patriots. I grew up in Oklahoma so I was always a Cowboys fan, and low and behold they were playing in two days. I think the Pats were undefeated at that point(maybe 5-6 years ago?) and in a moment of what can only be called as whiskey fueled intuition I had run the numbers in my head and I bet him that the 'boys were gonna put the hurt on Brady and crew. He said he didn't want to bet money because it was boring and he wanted to make in "interesting". He was probably pretty confident the win was in the bag. I'd stumbled across a couple videos around the YouTube of cops tazing each other for "training purposes" earlier that day, and since I felt 10ft tall and bulletproof I figured loser gets tased. Brilliant!

When I woke up and realized what I had done I knew I was screwed.. The good Lord must've taken pity on me, cause the Cowboys won. I still can't believe it to this day. And I haven't collected on my bet yet either. But when I do, I'm gonna video tape it and I'll post it here. He's a class act though he really wants me to do it. Good times up in FoCo at that place.

ETA: Correction, he gave me a 5pt spread and they lost by 4.

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[ROFL2]


That is awesome! Please do post it, that would be good fun. Find some crash mats too.

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Originally Posted by Martinjmpr

I think my last gun show was around 2006, maybe 2007? Glad to see I'm not missing much (and WTF, $10 to get in AND you have to pay to park?

[hahhah-no]

I think 3 things have killed gun shows (at least for me):

1. The change in the law which allowed stocking dealers to sell at gun shows means that now going to a gun show is just like going to a LGS except I don't have to pay to get into an LGS (back in "the old days" stocking dealers could only sell at their address which meant that if someone was selling guns at a gun show they were a private citizen or collector - prices were much better and they were willing to haggle.)

2. Big box stores. I used to go to gun shows for good prices on ammo but big box stores (which, again, I don't have to pay to get into) have stolen a lot of that thunder. And finally....

3. The internet. Better selection, better prices. Yes, I do have to pay shipping and FFL fees but I can figure those out ahead of time.

It's too bad, though, the passing of an era. I went to my first gun show at the old Arapahoe County Fairgrounds off of Belleview and Santa Fe in Englewood (anyone remember that?) circa 1982 - 83 I think. Over the years I went to quite a few - the best ones, hands down, were the ones they had in Fayetteville, NC in the early - to mid-1990's when I was stationed at Fort Bragg.

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spot on--virtually everything you can get at a gun show is available cheaper online. ammo? that's a laugh. plus, you don't have to deal with the goobs.

plus, i'd venture a guess 5280 has more guns on display and for sale (and at better prices) than the entire tanner show. And, it's free. (you can crap on 5280 all you want, but that doesn't change their massive inventory)

in the late 80s and early 90s, i couldn't wait for gun shows. now, they're a joke.

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Originally Posted by cmailliard

• The number of gang bangin' cocks with the pants around their ankles looking for this loophole thing was amazing

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The loophole is that thing your belt goes through, keeps your pants from falling down. They must have missed it....

I'll post the same thing I post in every thread about Tanner.

I stopped going years ago after there was a ND INSIDE the show while I was there with my family.

It's too crowded, too expensive and too much of a waste of time to risk that type of dangerous shenanigans.

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Originally Posted by Delfuego

The loophole is that thing your belt goes through, keeps your pants from falling down. They must have missed it....

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Well played.

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Originally Posted by zimagold

I asked if the price included tax. Response was "price includes everything, out the door cost". I ask to buy the 3 pounds he has and I get a price 10% higher for the total than marked. When I ask why, "taxes, government has to get theirs"[facepalm] This was over the course of 30 seconds or less.

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Any vendor who declares their price is "out the door" price and then charges tax on that price is just a piece of shit attempting to rob the buyer.

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Originally Posted by hollohas

I'll post the same thing I post in every thread about Tanner.

I stopped going years ago after there was a ND INSIDE the show while I was there with my family.

It's too crowded, too expensive and too much of a waste of time to risk that type of dangerous shenanigans.

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I had to double-check - For a minute, I thought this thread was about a certain range out on the East end of Colorado Springs known for its safety record...

Last time I went was probably 6-7 years ago. I was wildly unimpressed, and haven't felt the urge to go back since.

Any sightings of the 600-lb. guy, on a Rascal scooter, sucking from a oxygen bottle?

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Originally Posted by Duman

Any sightings of the 600-lb. guy, on a Rascal scooter, sucking from a oxygen bottle?

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To be fair, he might have been at Wal Mart then.

Weird, gunbroker is my gun show...and i get to go in my underwear!!!

The bong table was a little over the top; I was like wtf?

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Originally Posted by ANADRILL

The bong table was a little over the top; I was like wtf?

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It's way over the top in the "this is why we can't have nice things" category. Obviously bongs are being sold in Colorado. And so are guns. Put those two things together and the media could have field day with the Soccer Moms Demanding Satisfaction.

Anyone know if that was the first time Tanner's had a bong table?