Fitchburg show?

[kevin9]

Went this morning. Picked up some Aguilla 12ga and 5.56 55gr ammo and .357 bullets. Not crowded at all, which I like; not as many tables as the last show I went to in Marlboro.

 

[swampy]

I inquired about half a dozen of the guns he had in his cases and every one was met with an "I can't sell that in Mass, it isn't compliant." What was the point of bringing them then?

I wonder if anybody has poked that poor little old man to the left of the front door to see if he is still alive. I've never seen anyone buying anything from him in ten years
but he's still there. I wish I had such longevity

 

[swampy]

I got spoiled when I went to Pennsylvania for a weekend and hit 3 quality shows in one day. They all were excellent quality shows with price competition for common items...unlike any shows in NE.

It is frustrating to go to these shows and see items with a Massachusetts premium or guns you can't legally buy. I don't want any relic that I can't get parts or ammo for. I can't carry a grand with me every show and I'm not buying anything just for the sake of saying I found a deal. The only guns I saw that I wanted weren't for sale because they weren't Mass legal. That crap just draws the life out of my day. I saw decent prices on some things. I saw some really terrible prices on far too many things. The one thing missing at the Fitchburg show is a crowd. It isn't fun going bumper to bumper with a bunch of old sweaties but it creates an atmosphere and it helps you slow down and look in greater detail at what is in front of you.

I gotta tell you all, it seems like the sole purpose of these gun show threads is to complain about them. If this show is "bad", and the past 74 you went to were also "bad", then lower your expectations or simply don't go.

I, on the other hand, found a gem at this show (as I most always do) and it was well worth it simply for the experience. Also if I can find something I'm looking for at one of these shows (those that know me know that I have very esoteric taste in firearms), then I'd say that most others would probably have some luck as well.

I view these shows like this: It's a bunch of mini gun stores all brought to one central place for the buyer's convenience. Are some gun stores better/more reasonably priced/friendlier than others? Of course! The exact same concept applies here from table to table. People bitch about the entrance fee; that just kills me. You'd spend far MORE than 9 or 10 bucks to drive to two or so gun shops and not get a 20th the selection you'll get here. Seriously, if you have to sweat 10 bucks, stay home, as you're clearly not a player for a gun anyways at that rate.

I've found everything from rare HKs, to parts I needed to really hard to find mags at these shows, and if for some reason I don't find what I want, I get to spend some time around a bunch of guns and gun related parts.

I don't mean for this to come across harsh, but these threads are consistent bummers for me.

 

[flotter390]

I gotta tell you all, it seems like the sole purpose of these gun show threads is to complain about them. If this show is "bad", and the past 74 you went to were also "bad", then lower your expectations or simply don't go.

I, on the other hand, found a gem at this show (as I most always do) and it was well worth it simply for the experience. Also if I can find something I'm looking for at one of these shows (those that know me know that I have very esoteric taste in firearms), then I'd say that most others would probably have some luck as well.

I view these shows like this: It's a bunch of mini gun stores all brought to one central place for the buyer's convenience. Are some gun stores better/more reasonably priced/friendlier than others? Of course! The exact same concept applies here from table to table. People bitch about the entrance fee; that just kills me. You'd spend far MORE than 9 or 10 bucks to drive to two or so gun shops and not get a 20th the selection you'll get here. Seriously, if you have to sweat 10 bucks, stay home, as you're clearly not a player for a gun anyways at that rate.

I've found everything from rare HKs, to parts I needed to really hard to find mags at these shows, and if for some reason I don't find what I want, I get to spend some time around a bunch of guns and gun related parts.

I don't mean for this to come across harsh, but these threads are consistent bummers for me.

I agree Greg, I always find something that I need.

Fred

 

[01SVTvert]

Dammit Fooped, spill the beans on what you picked up. I ended up with a couple ammo cans is all. I should have picked up some more ammo for the NH shoot including 50 cal but I ended up leaving without it. Having more than one vendor selling ammo was a plus, and ammo prices are finally getting somewhat better.

Edit: Forgot, I got to look at a bunch of cheap red dots as I am looking for somehting to slap on a plinker. Figure next show I can actually price compare as the same optics vendors seem to be at every show.

 

[drgrant]

I gotta tell you all, it seems like the sole purpose of these gun show threads is to complain about them. If this show is "bad", and the past 74 you went to were also "bad", then lower your expectations or simply don't go.

I, on the other hand, found a gem at this show (as I most always do) and it was well worth it simply for the experience. Also if I can find something I'm looking for at one of these shows (those that know me know that I have very esoteric taste in firearms), then I'd say that most others would probably have some luck as well.

I view these shows like this: It's a bunch of mini gun stores all brought to one central place for the buyer's convenience. Are some gun stores better/more reasonably priced/friendlier than others? Of course! The exact same concept applies here from table to table. People bitch about the entrance fee; that just kills me. You'd spend far MORE than 9 or 10 bucks to drive to two or so gun shops and not get a 20th the selection you'll get here. Seriously, if you have to sweat 10 bucks, stay home, as you're clearly not a player for a gun anyways at that rate.

I've found everything from rare HKs, to parts I needed to really hard to find mags at these shows, and if for some reason I don't find what I want, I get to spend some time around a bunch of guns and gun related parts.

I don't mean for this to come across harsh, but these threads are consistent bummers for me.

I think about half the people in this thread bitching are the vendors, or they work for/with the vendors, and they don't like low attendance.

Otherwise, it's just fun to complain about gun shows, at least in a gallows humor sort of way. If someone is actually getting annoyed with what they didn't find, then they shouldn't be going to gun shows. I sometimes laugh at the prices, etc, but I know what I'm getting into, going in. Gun shows in the northeast are what they are... I even try to get to the Lunenburg show, which is tiny, and I never usually buy anything there, but it is interesting to browse, it's cheap to get in, and the food the club serves is cheap and halfway decent.

-Mike

 

[hankster]

I go to the Lunenberg show to help support the club . They're good enough to put a show on when alot of other clubs won't .

 

[Cadillac Jack]

I went, enjoyed it for what it was, spent some time and money. People watching and handling different and interesting stock is the main reason for going. Even learned a few things along the way, while also calling "BS" on a few bloviating merchants. Sadly, there may come a day, when there are no gun shows to attend, here in the Commonwealth, and we'll all be bellyaching about the lack of even "lousy" shows to attend. Maybe these are the good old days, cause you know, things could be a lot worse.

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

I went, enjoyed it for what it was, spent some time and money. People watching and handling different and interesting stock is the main reason for going. Even learned a few things along the way, while also calling "BS" on a few bloviating merchants. Sadly, there may come a day, when there are no gun shows to attend, here in the Commonwealth, and we'll all be bellyaching about the lack of even "lousy" shows to attend. Maybe these are the good old days, cause you know, things could be a lot worse.

+1

 

[Zappa]

I look at it as "entertainment", an enjoyable way to kill a few hours, you can spend the same $10 bucks going to see a movie.
If I don't find the bargain I'm looking for, no big deal, as long as the Jerky guy shows up, at least I'll go home with something.

 

[stinx]

I went today, walked around and picked up a few small things. I entertained myself for about 2 hours so it was worth it to me.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I look at it as "entertainment", an enjoyable way to kill a few hours, you can spend the same $10 bucks going to see a movie.
If I don't find the bargain I'm looking for, no big deal, as long as the Jerky guy shows up, at least I'll go home with something.

That's exactly my attitude towards all gun shows.

Occasionally I'll find something I want/need for a decent price, but otherwise it's "entertainment" value.

 

[X JBM X]

The ammo guy in the back left had some great prices on his ammo. I must add though, that this is the ONLY show I've ever been to that I had to pay sales tax on the ammo I purchased. Taxachusetts FTL.

 

[drgrant]

The ammo guy in the back left had some great prices on his ammo. I must add though, that this is the ONLY show I've ever been to that I had to pay sales tax on the ammo I purchased. Taxachusetts FTL.

The reason for this is that MDOR "agents" have "hit" MA gun shows before, harassing dealers to make sure they are collecting sales tax, so they could get their pound of flesh out of the out of state dealers that typically don't collect the tax. I remember a few years ago I was buying some ammo at Wilmington, I think, and I remembered the ammo vendor announcing loudly (he literally raised his voice, not "at" me, but while he was ringing up the sale on his little calculator) the precise amount of sales tax I would be paying. It then suddenly dawned on me that MDOR thugs had to have been at the show, or were there before I got there.

MDOR can sometimes make the IRS look like unicorns and rainbows in comparison.

http://www.thatsthepits.com/2009/08/town-fair-tire-wins-sales-tax-war.html

This issue was so bad that NH actually passed a law making it illegal for any NH vendor to disclose sales records to anyone. (EG, so if MDOR tried to hit an NH vendor again, the vendor could simply say "I can't give you that information because it's against the law here. "

-Mike

 

[Len-2A Training]

Mike is right, I've worked the GOAL table at two shows were a DOR person was one of my first "customers" demanding to see the MA Sales Tax Vendor Certificate displayed.

I've had numerous dealings with DOR (both vendor sales tax and income tax issues) over >40 years and they are horrendous to deal with in every transaction. I've had dealings with IRS as well and always prefer dealing with rational humans at IRS over the faceless, nameless idiots at DOR!

ETA: Interesting reflection, it took a letter and a very long phone call to CT DOR back in the early 1970s, threatening a lawsuit to get my Vendor Sales Tax Certificate from them too. So, it's not just MA where the "little Napoleons" reside in a DOR.