Tales from Tanner

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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.

[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.

[hurley842002]

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.

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

[yz9890]

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

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.

[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.

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.

[y4m4]

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.

[milwaukeeshaker]

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

[Doc45]

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

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

[milwaukeeshaker]

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

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

[Skip]

I have brain lock, what is C&R?

Curio & Relic. >= 50 years old.

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]

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.