The other current gun show websites are not great.
I am not claiming that this is a great website…yet.
All I know is many of the other gun show websites look like they were built in 1994 and when you visit you are bombarded with annoying pop-over ads that you have to accidentally click to attempt get to the information that you actually want.
Our goal is to be better than that. Super low bar for us to trip over.
Why gun shows?
Weird story.
I live in a townhouse and one of my neighbors randomly has suspected meth users house sit occasionally.
Now, they are super nice, however, you never know when someone will shift from weekend meth user to full time monster.
Anywho. So I had been buying ammunition throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 lock-downs and then the BLM riots. I had a decent (for me) collection of ammo.
I was telecommuting and needed to connect with humans (I live by myself) so Feb 2021 I packed my vehicle with all of my ammo and headed to my aunt and uncle’s house in Florida.
While there my car engine started to overheat while in the car wash. Once I drove out the temp started dropping. Then at the stop light, overheating again. Dang it!
Took the car to a friend of the family mechanic and he tried to talk me out of having him fix the issue. He had a vehicle in the week before and this issue is not only a nightmare scenario for this manufacturer it is a nightmare to fix.
He quoted a number that I did not have room for on a credit card nor in my bank. I choked and said “lets do it.”
Then I scrambled to figure out how to pay for this unanticipated bill. When I walked into my uncles house there was the answer. My pile of ammo.
After a quick search I found my solution – there was a gun show the next weekend about an hour away.
I called them up and rented the last table. Yes, I am Blessed.
Yes. I was nervous. I had only attended 2 gun shows in my previous 46 years of life.
Yes. I had no idea what to expect. No idea what to actually do. Yes, I needed the cash.
I drove down Friday afternoon and they showed me my table. I put a camo tarp on my spot and drove home.
Saturday morning up bright and early. Loaded the rental car and drove south to the show.
Unbelievably nervous and excited.
Loaded the ammo in the little red wagon I had borrowed and dragged it in. Everyone was super friendly and helpful.
I stacked my ammo and the cans I brought them in and priced everything with yard sale stickers. The table to my right was a gun show veteran who was super helpful. The table behind me was another first timer selling super cool custom action figures.
Before the show starts a large FFL gun seller walks up and offers to buy all of my ammo at 75% of my asking price!
After a quick internal debate I politely decline the offer. Yes, I should have taken the cash and gone home – I would have had more than enough money for my car repair with almost zero effort.
I thought I could make more so I went for it.
I had another dealer walk up and pay my full asking price for 4 small boxes of 1 type of ammo. The table rental cost $80. I now had $100 in my hand!!!
The doors open.
The crowd starts streaming in.
My heart is pounding out of my chest.
Someone walks up and buys one of my ammo cans.
Cha-Ching!
Next person buys 2 ammo cans!!!
Cha-Ching!!! Cha-Ching!!!
But wait…If I don’t sell the ammo it is now going to be a pain to drag it home. I inadvertently had burned the bridges and needed to sell the ammo to not only pay the car repair but to also avoid having to stack hundreds of little boxes into a little red wagon and then stack it into the rental car and then back into the red wagon and then back into my uncles house then back into the little red wagon then back into my car then carry small little boxes into my place (the little red wagon was borrowed).
Whew.
That seriously ran through my mind. Extra pressure.
Day 1. I sold enough to cover 27% of my car repair. Very disappointing. However, the dealer next to me encouraged me by telling me that some shows are best on Sundays.
As an extreme optimist I left excitedly anticipating the Sunday sales.
Day 2. Sold enough to cover 100% of my car repair and also cover the cost of the rental car!!!
Yes. I would have had more money in my pocket if I had taken the 75% offer from the super friendly dealer Saturday morning.
Yes. I opened the door to a new experience to be surrounded by and interact with like-minded people.
When I got home my daughter needed an ear surgery. Looked up local gun shows, called up the next one and sold enough to cover the deductible.
Yes, I was addicted at the 1st show to the excitement. Plus, I found a way to make extra cash to cover the “oh crap” moments in life.
As I started looking for more shows near me the exercise was painful. After 3 more shows I decided to start this website, if nothing else, to better be able to map out the next local show for me to attend or sell at.
Thank you for reading this far. I truly appreciate you.
Our goal is to provide relevant accurate information for both dealers and attendees. I promise we will make mistakes. I also promise we will strive to make this an easier place to get the gun show times, dates, and information that you need in a better format than is currently available.