How's the Wilmington (Shriners Auditorium) shows? Are they similar to Marlboro,

30Mauser said:
The Armory Woburn will be there with some of their amazing stuff from the Santurjian collection. They're great guys and don't play the "gun show prices" game.
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Did you know my cousin Ronnie?

It's funny, I used to offer to pick him up to go to the Marlboro, Wilmington & Fitchburg gun shows as he didn't own a car. He used to say " There's nothing there ". I never really understood what he meant, until he died. Much of his collection still had the Auction Tags attached. Devine, Rock Island, Amoskeag, Five Rivers, Julia, Poulin etc. He would rent a car every few months to go to an Auction or pick up stuff he had FFL'ed to Bob's in Salisbury and then stop by and visit my parents on the way home. He used to poke fun at my collection. We were definitely on different levels.

It'll be a year next week since his passing.
 
rudiewhitebwoy said:
Did you know my cousin Ronnie?

It's funny, I used to offer to pick him up to go to the Marlboro, Wilmington & Fitchburg gun shows as he didn't own a car. He used to say " There's nothing there ". I never really understood what he meant, until he died. Much of his collection still had the Auction Tags attached. Devine, Rock Island, Amoskeag, Five Rivers, Julia, Poulin etc. He would rent a car every few months to go to an Auction or pick up stuff he had FFL'ed to Bob's in Salisbury and then stop by and visit my parents on the way home. He used to poke fun at my collection. We were definitely on different levels.

It'll be a year next week since his passing.
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I didn't know him, but know someone who did. He told me some great stories about traveling the east coast to gun shows and auctions with him!
 
ChrisNH said:
Wilmington $12 to get in. $1.00 coupon somewhere, I don't know were to find it. 11 rows of 26 tables each. Safe dealer on back wall. More tables along front near fold out bleachers, several more tables along back wall. Gentleman with lead bullets in back corner. Ammo dealer with reloading supplies and bulk ammo. Two different ammo dealers from NY (United Cartridge and "Charlie") Great selection of books ([grin]).
Tombstone and Pete's gun shop and Terry Goode (can't remember his shop name) for MA compliant guns. Typical group of Chinese surplus junk. Several "parts" dealers. Watch out of P-Mags.I'm assuming the Jerky guy will be there, he usually is. Bring CASH! Tables for dealers are $75 each. Dealers don't alter prices for shows. No time for that kind of B.S. If you've been to multiple shows in MA and see the same gun at the same vendor table, that's when you offer CASH.Don't offer credit card and expect a discount. Bigger dealers have 10-12 tables. That's $750-900 expense. Do you know how many guns need to be sold before the vendor is making any money? Most of these people of doing this to put food on the table. These aren't hobby/kitchen table dealers. That's my perspective. Flame all you want.
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I'm disappointed if it has shrunk this small. That would be the size of the Concord, NH show and Shriners can (allegedly) hold 500 tables. I know that they used to get 500 tables in Marlboro.

Terry Goode is Collectors Firearms & Militaria in Pelham, always with Bob's Affordable Firearms at the shows.
 
I got there at about 10:30am, no lines at all, I saw everything in about an hour and was on my way home by noon. I wanted to look at some 1911's for me and 10/22s for my son. Ammo prices still a bit high but down from last year. No .22 that I saw.. the usual suspects at the tables. I didn't buy anything but since it wasn't crowded I was able to talk to some dealers without being hurried.
 
Some .22 around, on the high side. CCI HV 100 ct $10 limit 2. M22 1000 ct $120. Aguilar(sp?) HV 500 ct $65. The guy selling ammo in the lobby seems on the high side. Bought a laser sight for my Glock for $20, not bad. It was a cheap Chinese, but hey, for $20....

Some of the guys selling optics, you can by for way less on line. Just for example, a UTC (Leapers) red/green dot they are selling for $65, suggested retail by UTC is $47 and I bought for $39 on line.

YMMV
 
I got there around 8:30 and was surprised by the size of the line already waiting to get in. The only thing that jumped out at me was a Mosin M44 which was in perfect condition but they wanted $300+ for it. While I was standing there, the price tag was kind of insulting, but once I left, I wished I had gotten it....and still do.

Still, I got some AR15 preban 30rd mags in sealed and dated packaging for $35 each, plus a couple of 15rd preban Beretta mags for $30 each.
 
CWulf said:
I got there at about 10:30am, no lines at all, I saw everything in about an hour and was on my way home by noon. I wanted to look at some 1911's for me and 10/22s for my son. Ammo prices still a bit high but down from last year. No .22 that I saw.. the usual suspects at the tables. I didn't buy anything but since it wasn't crowded I was able to talk to some dealers without being hurried.
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I must have arrived about 11:30 AM. No line... walked right in. It was an excellent show for me as the aisles were wide (fewer vendors?) and the show was not overcrowded. I got a really good look at everything I was interested in and made some good scores. Seems that a lot of folks were in early... made their scores... and then left early. Despite a relatively modest crowd while I was there, the vendors that I spoke with were very pleased with sales. Gun prices were down a bit on some things, stable on others. It was not an ammo day for me so I can't comment on that. One vendor did remark that "you couldn't give away an AR" at today's show, but demand for everything else was very good if you believe the vendors and what I saw with my own eyes. I might head back tomorrow morning as I ran out of money today.
 
Had my Boston Police exhibit there, the dealers were saying that there were less people attending the show, hard to tell from where I was because not selling anything (except some US Navy Zippo lighters) it is not a high traffic area

They are going to be having a Sturbridge show Jan 3 & 4, but it is slated for 300 tables, so about half the size of Marlboro.
 
CWulf said:
I got there at about 10:30am, no lines at all, I saw everything in about an hour and was on my way home by noon. I wanted to look at some 1911's for me and 10/22s for my son. Ammo prices still a bit high but down from last year. No .22 that I saw.. the usual suspects at the tables. I didn't buy anything but since it wasn't crowded I was able to talk to some dealers without being hurried.
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Did you find any good deals on 1911's ? I've been looking to get one myself.
 
Seems kind of silly. Some vendors stop going because the decreasing crowd numbers yet the vendors pricing is the cause of it. Sounds like government.
 
millcitysux said:
Did you find any good deals on 1911's ? I've been looking to get one myself.
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Plenty of 1911's to be sure... all brands. One (used?) Colt SS Gold Cup caught my eye for $975 asking price. Very nice indeed. Not sure if they would sell it to a M******* however since it was a combo MA/NH dealer with some non-MA-compliant guns. Lots of Ruger 1911's too but no prices better than FSGuns. Plenty of S&W 1911's although I didn't pay much attention to prices.

btnh6668 said:
Seems kind of silly. Some vendors stop going because the decreasing crowd numbers yet the vendors pricing is the cause of it. Sounds like government.
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The funny thing is that the gun dealers who decided to show up were actually doing pretty damn good. In particular, those that had moderated their prices a bit or who were willing to be a little flexible on price were doing really well, or at least said they were. Not so much for the gun dealers with the same prices and guns as a year ago. [thinking] The knife, parts and accessory folks were probably having a slow day. Didn't see much interest there. I think it was mainly a day for fairly serious gun and bulk ammo shoppers. Didn't seem to be as many casual, curious lookers and window shoppers as a year ago.

MSant said:
I am heading up shortly
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I'm probably headed back in an hour or so with more money. [grin]
 
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btnh6668 said:
Seems kind of silly. Some vendors stop going because the decreasing crowd numbers yet the vendors pricing is the cause of it. Sounds like government.
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DING DING DING DING.

$30 for 20 round ar 15 magazines. ones im selling are in better shape and for half the cost. [rolleyes] A guy wouldnt sell me a pre ban glock magazine because I wasn't a cop.
 
Landed @ 11am and there was no line. Bought an un-issued flight helmet bag, for range bag use, and had my knife engraved while I walked around.

Ammo vendor in the lobby with a massive amount of stock, metal engraver immediately after you enter the arena, impressive amount of long guns on the right front wall, book vendor, misc. parts tables, custom leather belt maker, wood/stock carving table, military surplus and war memorabilia vendors, few led flashlight guys, jerky/sausage/cheese table, gun safes in the back, that kind of rough girl with the tits and yoga pants was busy selling holsters, Comm2A had a table, Chinese junk tables, optics vendors sprinkled around, air rifles and pistols up front, A.P. Martinello had an amazing selection of Lugers and other rarities.

It was definitely worth price of admission and was much more enjoyable for me than this past Marlborough show. Perfect attendance numbers to mosey around, get a good look at every table, and not feel rushed to any degree. Just have to hope the vendors do enough business to come around the next time.

- - - Updated - - -

StevensMarksman said:
Beat Walmart by $.15 a round.StevensMarksman
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What ammo? I almost bought a tin of 54r but price was a little more than I was wiling to spend.
 
If it weren't for Pete's, Tombstone, Terry Goode and a couple of smaller dealers this was nothing more than a Flea Market loaded with a lot of over priced junk. A shadow of what it used to be.
 
Iggy Z said:
It was definitely worth price of admission and was much more enjoyable for me than this past Marlborough show. Perfect attendance numbers to mosey around, get a good look at every table, and not feel rushed to any degree. Just have to hope the vendors do enough business to come around the next time.
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My feelings exactly. I had a great Day 1 and an even better Day 2. I hate to sound so upbeat, but it was my best show score-wise in 2 years and I go to them all except West Springfield. Other attendees were saying the same thing. It was so nice to have wide aisles and a moderate-sized crowd for a change. Last Marlboro show was insane.

But while I reported earlier that the gun dealers I spoke with said they were doing well, I made a point of asking folks behind tables selling something other than guns & ammo and the response I got was anywhere from fair to terrible. [thinking]

AYERSPO said:
If it weren't for Pete's, Tombstone, Terry Goode and a couple of smaller dealers this was nothing more than a Flea Market loaded with a lot of over priced junk. A shadow of what it used to be.
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Pete's sold me some pre-ban magazines. Tombstone is still holding back on an offer I made them back in Plymouth. Terry Goode & Co had a couple guns I really wanted bad but they were a wee bit too firm on price for me. I bought elsewhere.

ColdDayInHell said:
Overpriced and smelly.
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Different strokes for different folks I guess. I made out like a bandit. And between the wide open aisles and my bad allergies, I smelled nothing. [thumbsup]
 
I was a bit disappointed on the limited choice on parts. Was looking for shotgun barrels and Glock parts... Not much to find. Got some pre-ban mags for acceptable price and Jerky of course. So happy with the price.
 
We had a good day looking around Saturday. Someone in my party got a Glock 27 and a Winchester SA 22 rifle both at very decent prices. Lots of $65 bricks of 22 ammo around the room and we left it all there. Primer prices were meh! We did see some $15 boxes of Blazer 40S&W and other random fairly priced boxes of other calibers.

We strolled up to the line at 9am and we got inside in just a few minutes. The crowd was the thinnest I've ever seen there.
 
btnh6668 said:
Seems kind of silly. Some vendors stop going because the decreasing crowd numbers yet the vendors pricing is the cause of it. Sounds like government.
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There are plenty of people who come to these shows but only a small percentage of them buy anything, and it doesn't seem to matter what price something is, either. I see vendors with a few decent deals, untouched, and plenty of other vendors with brutally overpriced stuff, also untouched. I think generically it's not a matter of pricing but less people are impulse buying anything these days. There is also an extraordinary amount of tire kickers these days. Lots of people walking around but more of them want to just pet the guns (like it's a petting zoo or something) and then on top of this, carry on a 20 minute conversation with you, then you give them the farm (a big discount) and then they still "have to think about it" which basically is code for "I'm not interested, and never really was ever interested, but I'm too embarrassed at my behavior to freely admit that I just completely wasted your time. "

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
There are plenty of people who come to these shows but only a small percentage of them buy anything, and it doesn't seem to matter what price something is, either. I see vendors with a few decent deals, untouched, and plenty of other vendors with brutally overpriced stuff, also untouched. I think generically it's not a matter of pricing but less people are impulse buying anything these days. There is also an extraordinary amount of tire kickers these days. Lots of people walking around but more of them want to just pet the guns (like it's a petting zoo or something) and then on top of this, carry on a 20 minute conversation with you, then you give them the farm (a big discount) and then they still "have to think about it" which basically is code for "I'm not interested, and never really was ever interested, but I'm too embarrassed at my behavior to freely admit that I just completely wasted your time. "

-Mike
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QFTMFT
 

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