[Retmsgt.]

I've been a member of the OGCA(Ohio Gun-Collectors Association) for many years and always regularly attended the meetings. Well, for just about all of last year I couldn't make it to the meetings due to my wife's illness. I did go to the Jan.2014 meeting just held.

Just a bit about the OGCA meetings first. While it's true that many guns are sold at the Meetings, it's all between members. That means it's all 'Private-Sales'. The OGCA Meetings are not open to the General Public. This has, historically, been the big difference between the OGCA Meets and a regular Gun Show. Along with not being open to the General Public, the OGCA never let Dealers sell there.

Well, evidently last year that all changed. At the Jan. Meeting, almost a quarter of the tables were Dealers. All selling new guns at high prices. After the first fifteen minutes there I had to check to make sure I wasn't at a regular Gun Show.

All this disappointment was magnified when I stopped at what looked like a Private-Sale table, found a nice S&W M15 Snub for $375.00, talked to the guy for a second, started counting out Hundreds when he said," Oh, we're a dealer, there's a NICS check." I looked at him a second, picked up the Hundreds and said,"No thank You." As I started to turn to walk away, a guy near him, I assume the Dealer, turned quickly and looked at me. Lost Sale Effect!

Really disappointed me, if I wanted to mess with a Dealer I would've went to a regular Gun Show. I now find myself thinking about trying to get my dues returned. For the record, I have no trouble passing a NICS check so, that's not the problem. It's the principle and the fact that No Dealers was what made the OGCA Meetings so different and special.

Now, I don't know what to do.

 

[Charlie Petty]

I've been a life member of OGCA since the 70s but have not been to a show in some years because of the 8 hour drive. But I've noticed in the newsletter that the list of prohibited items grows longer.

I'm sure some of the people I used to see were dealers, but new guns were never allowed… didn't know that was changed,

 

[Kevin Gibson]

Oh man, I'd love to go to a gun show where no dealers were allowed. Dealers have ruined gun shows, that's why I stopped going to gun shows a good 15 years ago. In that time, I've probably been to 3 or 4, usually dragged by a friend who insists.

 

[WaltGraham]

I'm mostly done with gun shows too.

It costs you eight bucks for the privilege of perusing 90 dollar bricks of .22 subsonic or overpriced Glocks.

The only thing I bought at my last outing was a pretty good sausage biscuit.

 

[Charlie Petty]

I only go to shows sponsored by Collector Association like NC or SC. They do have some ammo/camo/glock dealers but there are more individuals or dealers who focus on collector type firearms.

One of the real problems is that there are so many commercial shows that they tie up venues to the point that the collector groups sometimes have a problem finding a place to hold theirs.

I might, however, go to one that had good ham biscuits...

 

[stand watie]

Charlie Petty,

What HACKS me off is how little that there is NOW at South TX gunshows other than jewelry, toys for kids, new handguns & "Black" rifles.
(Out of over 300 tables, I saw less than 2 dozen other kinds of firearms.)

Other than the (168) fired cases for my .300 Savage, I found ZILCH that I was interested in over 3.5 hours.

yours, sw

 

[bearcat6]

Our local gun shows are more like flea markets.

 

[phantom4570]

Here in California, the Vallejo gun show used to be one of the best near where I live. Parking and admission used to be inexpensive and it was a decent show. Parking is now ten dollars and admission is ten dollars and the shows have lost their charm. The show in Roseville is mostly the same dealers and parking has been free when I've gone.

 

[Snake45]

...found a nice S&W M15 Snub for $375.00, talked to the guy for a second, started counting out Hundreds when he said," Oh, we're a dealer, there's a NICS check." I looked at him a second, picked up the Hundreds and said,"No thank You."

You dodged a bullet. IMHO, the M15 2" is the silliest gun S&W ever built, and I don't care what Chuck Tayor thinks of it.

(Unless, of course, you had plans to put a 4" or 6" K-38 barrel on it. If that was the case, I'm sorry to hear of your loss.)

 

[WaltGraham]

You dodged a bullet. IMHO, the M15 2" is the silliest gun S&W ever built, and I don't care what Chuck Taylor thinks of it.

Now, if it had been a M10...

 

[Rearsite]

I haven't been to the show since September of last year. I didn't know these changes had been made. I was going to get a table for March, looks like I may have some trouble doing that. I hope the show hasn't been ruined.