Gun show just for looking?

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AxeOfWyndham@reddit

This is absolutely fine.

I have yet to buy an actual gun at a gun show... mostly because everything is overpriced (if it is something even worth buying in the first place).

I normally go, ogle all of the interesting guns for an hour or so, buy some questionable accessories and ammunition, grab a snack, and leave. A large number of people leave these things empty-handed.

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Maniachanical@reddit

Pffft, nobody ACTUALLY buys guns at gun shows anymore. They're all absurdly overpriced, & I'm pretty sure half of them are lemons anyway.

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Maximum_Dweeb4473@reddit

Lots of novelty stuff like patches, cheap Chinese knives and other martial arts weapons, beef jerky, and questionable reproduction historic artifacts to be found 🙂‍↕️

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B1893@reddit

Yeah, I quit going to gun shows years ago because they looked more like flea markets...

Did you forget to mention the beanie babies, or did the market finally dry up?

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JusticeoftheCuse@reddit

I wonder when pokemon scalpers start getting tables

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On the other hand, looking at some of the folks I've known that were fanatical about Pokémon, or MTG, or whatever other card game I missed, I don't think they could deal with the anxiety of being somewhere with so many guns...

Of course, the same could have been said about the beanie baby crowd 30(!) years ago.

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OneManGang2001@reddit

Be sure to count the number of times the stun gun guy operates it

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Big_Bill23@reddit

Usually, when I go to a gun show, it's just to look, unless I find something I absolutely must have at a reasonable price.

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cowboy3gunisfun@reddit

90% of gun show attendance is people looking for beef jerky and 3d printed nonsense. The guns are generally over priced, mildly eccentric, and low quality. Enjoy the people watching.

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AdjacentPrepper@reddit

"eccentric" is right.

A few months ago went to "The Largest Gunshow in Texas(TM)" in Bryan, TX, and was actually really surprised by the number of old Colt SP1's for sale. Like, there were more genuine SP1's at the show than there were Glocks.

And I'm not talking generic AR's, I mean manufactured-in-1964 Colt SP1 rifles were everywhere...in TX so it wasn't people trying to get around a AWB like I'd expect in places like MA. Really weird.

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TacTurtle@reddit

Retro rifles have been making a comeback, PSA introduced their H&R branded retro rifle line for a reason.

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Mountain_Man_88@reddit

Nah, you'll be totally fine. It's a gun show. Some people go just to show their collections, not even to sell them. You might see booths that say "not for sale" or where guys set their prices astronomically high because they have no intentions of selling certain things.

There will also be things for sale there that aren't guns. A lot of beef jerky at most gun shows.

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chemdaddy1040@reddit

I’ve gotten weirdly good deals on fishing tackle at gun shows for some reason

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TacTurtle@reddit

Hand tools, camping gear, and radio gear too.

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Any-Description8773@reddit

I like to call them traveling museums because they just want to play show and tell. With that said I’ve only gotten a handful of what I would call a deal at a gun show.

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gagemoney@reddit

This^^^

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notoriousbpg@reddit

99% of the people there will not be buying a gun

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quickscopemcjerkoff@reddit

Gun shows are for window shopping! No issue at all just looking. You will notice that a lot of people aren’t walking out with a gun purchase. However keep an eye out for a cheap ammo can those are nice to grab even to store random stuff because they are air and water tight.

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Stevarooni@reddit

Just make sure you're respectful and don't touch anything without asking first, and you're fine. That's gun show etiquette whether you're shopping or just browser. They don't do a credit check on your way out to ensure that you bought something.

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soju_shower@reddit

Very rare you'll find a good deal or something rare even worth buying. Great way to get your steps in and spend time with your son. It'll be a fun day.

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MattyS71@reddit

Here for the beef jerky comments

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Hot-Win2571@reddit

Everyone is a potential customer to everyone. Nobody is required to buy anything, and nobody is keeping score.

Also, you're window shopping... until you change your mind. Last show I went to, I almost bought... but later decided that model had one thing which I didn't like.

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LegendActual@reddit

Gunshows are basically only for looking anymore the prices are so stupid.

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Penguin_Life_Now@reddit

I have been to several over the years, and most of the time don't end up buying anything.

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B1893@reddit

I just said in another comment that I quit going years ago, because they looked more like flea markets.

I'll add that that I'm not really into collectibles, and as far as new stuff goes, the prices aren't much different than the LGS, so it's not worth the price of parking and admission to me.

It's not for me, but some folks really enjoy them. I think you should go, draw your own conclusions.

Window shoppers are part of selling just about anything, and a lot of the folks will be there just "to see neat guns," so you're not going to be the odd man out or anything.

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BullMooseFox@reddit

Surprisingly last gun show I went to a boomer had a table full of milsurp that wasn't for sale. He belligerently told me it wasn't for sale when I asked about the 1917. So there are definitely old guys that just want you to look at their stuff.

I've got to a bunch but I rarely make purchases. Most items there are way overpriced.

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Bubbabeast91@reddit

You'll be fine to just go a peruse, but if your local gun show is anything like my area, it's not even close to worth it anymore.

Gone are the days of getting a 500 dollar AK and 100 dollar SKS or Mosin. Almost everything I've seen over the past few years was stuff I could easily get significantly cheaper by ordering online, with the few exceptions being a couple hundred rounds of assorted ammo for a fair price, and a few harder to find AK parts for only a somewhat inflated price.

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100hphd@reddit

They have their moments. There's a vendor in the iowa circuit that always had Anderson (RIP) lowers for $40-45 otd. If you caught then when it was slow and you were polite, they would find you consecutives. They also would stock up and have sales on popular new guns, like R/gundeals prices with no shipping or transfer fees.

I've found plenty of deals over the years, but it's always a gamble. Most of the tables are looking for the buyer that doesn't know the internet, big box stores, local gun shops and pawn shops exist.

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gunsforevery1@reddit

Most of the 100 vendors aren’t there to sell. They are there to show off their guns with absurd prices. Be sure to Google or ask here about the price before you hand over cash.

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milkdrinker7@reddit

Just don't step on the creaky floorboard and you'll be fine.

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Remote_Stop6538@reddit

Totally fine.

There is really no pressure to buy. Many are salesmen, and some might try to convince you to buy, but pushy salesmen have never really been my experience. Usually its very low pressure explaining a product or demonstrating, and basically they are just there to help if you want to buy if you only have a general idea of what you are looking for.

When I was young I used to go all the time just to look and handle some of the different firearms (you can't exactly do much with them though they are attached via cable though). I was usually kind of excited to see up close stuff that I would probably never actually be able to buy.

I have gone to quite a few gun shows just to look, and ended up walking away having spent a couple hundred on ammo, gun parts/accessories, etc.

I ended up actually buying a gun one time, but every other time I walked out empty handed or with a few small things.

I don't really go so much anymore, but I would definitely reccomend going at least once for the experience.

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SlicedBread1226@reddit

The vast majority of the people at a gun show dont buy anything. You'll be fine. Take the kid and have fun. Ask a lot of questions from the vendors. It'll be fun for the kid to learn stuff... but dont just start picking stuff up unless a sign says its okay or you ask first. Most modern guns are okay to handle, but antiques a collectors guns are usually a no-no.

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AdjacentPrepper@reddit

I've been to several gunshows and never bought a gun at one.

Really, they're a legacy event, a relic from the pre-internet era, that just won't seem to die.

Usually prices at gunshows are worse than what you can find locally, and a lot of stuff (probably 40%) is non-firearm related; last show I went to had several vendors selling purses, kids toys, beef jerky, and one guy trying to sell robotic dogs (which were cool, but not $5k cool), plus miscellaneous overpriced moldy military surplus garbage.

I think the best way I've seen gunshows described is: "It's like a strip club; you get to see a lot, touch a little, and nothing comes home with you".

Go, have some overpriced nachos, and have a little fun seeing the show.

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Enano420@reddit

They’ll be happy to show you what they’ve got, I go to look all the time, I do have guns so usually I at least pick up a box of ammo, also a good place to pick up frt’s without any kind of paperwork, some suggest to bring cash if you’re making a purchase

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BBQSauce61@reddit

Sure. But you should still buy a gun. There? Probably overpriced compared even to local, let alone online deals.

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NEp8ntballer@reddit

Prices aren't great at shows these days and most of the stuff is just a brick and mortar store with a lot of their inventory. You do sometimes see some cool stuff though. Bring some cash for the entry fee and a little bit of walking around money to buy some jerky. It's also sometimes good for people watching.

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AccomplishedGap3571@reddit

Go, enjoy browsing! If it's a large show, the vendors might be a 50/50 split of those who do it professionally whether they make a living at it or not, and those are there to exhibit their collections, socialize, seek validation/admiration, etc. Culture wise, the vendors might be "flea market" meets "antique show" meets "RV/Outdoor show". Odds are they'll be very glad to share their interest with your son if you're not getting in the way of a sale (or the lady from the cafe taking their lunch orders).

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Got_Sig@reddit

Most people leave the gun show with a crappy knife and some beef jerky. Don’t worry you’re not gonna be the only one there that didn’t leave with a gun.

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tcarlson65@reddit

Gun show prices can be a bit high. They are catching a certain market. Some impulse buyers.

I would make sure you do research before you buy.

There are usually other things and not just guns.

You will be fine just looking.

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kwb166@reddit

A gun show isn't some sort of secret-society ritualistic ceremony.

Have you ever strolled around a flea market or yard sale? A gun show is the exact same thing...except with guns and associated accoutrement. Go have fun and enjoy the day with your son...no one will know/care what your level of gun knowledge or buying intent is.

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Blue-cheese-dressing@reddit

You’ll be fine. I’d say 90% of people at the shows don’t buy guns there. I urge you not to take as being representative of modern gun culture, they aren’t good or bad it’s just definitely its own unique world now. Gun shows aren’t what they were in the 80s-90s.

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Troy_stoic@reddit

You can, but depending on the Gun Show. The fees to get in, the ridiculous prices of guns. The "I know what I got" people. Gun shows these days don't have many guns, as it's all beef jerky, knives, and essential oil vendors. You can't even touch the guns, let alone stare at one, then be hounded by a vendor of "If you touch it, you buy it". Which turned me off from Gun Shows altogether now.

I will share that when I was a kid, my dad took me to a gun show, and I had a blast, but I was a kid and didn't spend anything. He bought a Bryco Jennings .380. Most painful gun to shoot, but it was memories of my dad. Now I'm more of a gun guy than my father, and I just built him a bolt action cause he wanted to be cool like the past Steven Segal.

Honestly, take your son to a military museum or anything with historical content. Boys just want time with their dads; they can't say it, they value experience more. Or better yet, take him to a gun range and get his grandpa involved. Meusem or range time is imo way better than looking at guns at a gun show.

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kwb166@reddit

Correct answer: museum, range AND gun show.

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sanmanc@reddit

If you're not into guns, that's fine. You'll be fine browsing at a gun show. Though maybe if us gun owners who frequent these shows refuse to patronize non gun related vendors, they're there for a reason. Gun vendors, for the most part, are not judgemental either if they find it your not into guns and will not belittled you. You'll be fine and I'm sure at the end of the day you'll find you've enjoyed the experience.

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Old_Pomegranate_7361@reddit

He will love it. Definitely go

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Slatemanforlife@reddit

I've only bought a gun at a gun show once. Its phenomenal people watching.

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610Mike@reddit

If I bought a gun at every gun show I went to, I’d have hundreds. You never have to buy anything. It’s always fun to go look, see what people have, see what’s new, get a feel for them, etc.

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WillBrink@reddit

Many (most?) of those attending are there to look at guns and related gear. Vendors are well aware of that.

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EODBuellrider@reddit

A good chunk of the people there will just be browsing without any particular desire to purchase anything, nobody will be bothered by you doing the same thing in the least bit.

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DesertGrays@reddit

The majority of interactions those vendors will be having is essentially window shopping. You won't be at all out of place. Hopefully it's a fairly sizable, real gun show? Sometimes a shooting range will hold a "gun show" where there are only about 4 tables and a handful of guns to glance over.

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droid6@reddit

Definitely go, support the show. They have other things besides guns.