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Shriner's Gunshow - Wilmington, MA - March 7,8

I was supposed to go today with a friend but went yesterday with my cousin to sign up with Mystic Valley GC. My friend called me a flat leaver because I ditched his ass and made me feel bad. I'm going again later today. Yesterday was jammed, hopefully I can get better looks at some stuff. And yes those camo dudes are tools but the Nazi @ the Springfield show takes the cake.
 
I was there yesterday afternoon, and got a bayonet for my Garand for less than $50 and an E-tool for my bug out bag. I prefer the show at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester [grin]

I was also surprised GOAL didn't have a table there.
 
Not being one to speak ( as I'm not going to make it to the show at all), but if more people were willing to donate a couple of hours to man the GOAL booth, they'd be better able to have a presence.

(I'm not speaking for GOAL here, just making an observation)

LenS is an old hand at it....many thanks to him....but there are a lot of NESers tha have the "Member GOAL" at the end of their post...Like our clubs, GOAL relies on its members.

I'm guessing that the GOAL folks will be happy to get an email frm anyone that can spend soem time at their table in the future.....

OK, Off my soapbox, now....
 
MisterHappy said:
Not being one to speak ( as I'm not going to make it to the show at all), but if more people were willing to donate a couple of hours to man the GOAL booth, they'd be better able to have a presence.

(I'm not speaking for GOAL here, just making an observation)

LenS is an old hand at it....many thanks to him....but there are a lot of NESers tha have the "Member GOAL" at the end of their post...Like our clubs, GOAL relies on its members.

I'm guessing that the GOAL folks will be happy to get an email frm anyone that can spend soem time at their table in the future.....

OK, Off my soapbox, now....
Click to expand...

Sorry, I left my mind reading hat at the office. If someone had posted that they needed help, I would have given up some time.
 
Martlet said:
Sorry, I left my mind reading hat at the office. If someone had posted that they needed help, I would have given up some time.
Click to expand...

Goal sent out an email to members asking for help, and IIRC, they posted a thread here as well. No mind reading hat necessary ;-)
 
My post wasn't meant as a slam...after all, I'm here, not there, too!

My point was that there was more than one "Why wasn't GOAL there" comment, and I just wanted to remind everyone that WE'RE GOAL.....

If anyone has the time to help, letting GOAL know that you're avialable for a future event may prevent this from happening.

I'm sure that with multiple Marlborough shows coming up, there'll be a need.....
 
smcnally said:
You may resume the search for the hat. [grin]
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention hats.
My big purchase of the show was from the guy selling the nice hats [wink]

Trilby_03a.jpg


[laugh]
 
MisterHappy said:
Not being one to speak ( as I'm not going to make it to the show at all), but if more people were willing to donate a couple of hours to man the GOAL booth, they'd be better able to have a presence.

(I'm not speaking for GOAL here, just making an observation)

LenS is an old hand at it....many thanks to him....but there are a lot of NESers tha have the "Member GOAL" at the end of their post...Like our clubs, GOAL relies on its members.

I'm guessing that the GOAL folks will be happy to get an email frm anyone that can spend some time at their table in the future.....

OK, Off my soapbox, now....
Click to expand...

Correct, there are only a handfule of folks that volunteer to work the shows. If GOAL can't cover both days, all day, they don't bother setting up a table at all.

My guess is that when I had to back out, GOAL didn't find someone to fill in and thus decided not to bother having a table. I regret it, but my situation was unavoidable and only the first time in >20 years that I had to back out on them.

They need some other people to step up and volunteer. All you get for it is a free pass to the show and the personal satisfaction in helping our state association.


Martlet said:
Sorry, I left my mind reading hat at the office. If someone had posted that they needed help, I would have given up some time.
Click to expand...

Martlet said:
The only help I've seen asked for is office help and at the Big E. Could you post a link?
Click to expand...

Martlet is correct too. They did NOT send out an Email blast for help at either this show or the upcoming Marlboro show.

So some of you folks should just step up and make a phone call and offer your help.
 
LenS said:
Correct, there are only a handfule of folks that volunteer to work the shows. If GOAL can't cover both days, all day, they don't bother setting up a table at all.

My guess is that when I had to back out, GOAL didn't find someone to fill in and thus decided not to bother having a table. I regret it, but my situation was unavoidable and only the first time in >20 years that I had to back out on them.

They need some other people to step up and volunteer. All you get for it is a free pass to the show and the personal satisfaction in helping our state association.






Martlet is correct too. They did NOT send out an Email blast for help at either this show or the upcoming Marlboro show.

So some of you folks should just step up and make a phone call and offer your help.
Click to expand...
I would be up for doing this but i do not feel i am knowledgeable enough to answer many questions. what would i need to know to be effective?
 
Squished said:
bush hats, those hats looked sweet. I don't know anything about hats, are these well made or made in china like all the flashlights?
Click to expand...

I don't know about Bush hats, those may be cheap Chinese made, this one is a Woolrich Leather Trilby.
It's similar to a Feudora in design, but has a smaller brim, narrower crown, and the brim curls upwards in the back.
I checked these out online and they go for $75 and up.
Frank Sinatra usually wore a Trilby.

sinatra.jpg


[laugh]
 
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I would be willing to help out at the show at the Shriners Auditorium or at the Raddison Hotel in Manchester. If GOAL had sent out an email blast or posted in a thread here, I would have gone.
 
made my rounds earlier in the morning, bought late afternoon (was there with my gun club, we had a table near the back). grabbed 1k of 7.62x39 for $200 (cash/no tax = awesome), and 4 30rnd AK mags (old combloc stock, nice shape) with bandoliers for $40. otherwise, just stuck to my jerky. the GF did get a pair of molded earplugs. shes excited.
 
For those that are willing to help GOAL but are unsure that they know enough to be helpful, give Angi a call at GOAL (508-393-5333) and talk with her.

I originally did this with Don Kusser (GOAL BOD member) many, many years ago. My knowledge of the MA gun laws is such that I can help many folks with questions, but if you don't know, the papers are there with info and you ask them to call GOAL office during the week.

Otherwise, you sell memberships, clothing (there is a price sheet), stickers and pins. There really is no "heavy lifting" and it's fun chatting with folks. You meet some very fine people.
 
Worked the show this weekend. It was very busy. Saw SKS Ray and Zappa and some other fellow NES folks.

Same idiots who go to the other shows and complain about anything and everything were there as well. You know who you are.

Its a ma. gun show and the promoter only allows dealers who she has past experience with. She runs Marlboro, Springfield, and Wilmington. So if you are going to bitch that its the same stuff well DUH. Its the same vendors.

If you want to see new shining stuff at Bass pro, Dicks etc. then go there. Half the fun of going to these shows is finding the one item you want. Not trying to find as many things to find fault with.

I got the usual, I had one of those 12 gauge Saiga's and only paid half what they are selling for now ....well stupid you should not have sold it. (No I didn't have any for sale). The prices are just to high from the distributors).

All in all saw my usual buddies, gave them some deals, (or free,) and if they were looking for something and I knew another dealer who had it I would go over and try and get them a deal. But the constant complaining after each and every show by the same folks here gets really old. IMO
 
Those guys in the camo are in fact contractors, and yes they are licensed.








I think they are roofing contractors if I can remember correctly.
 
PaulD said:
I saw that. Was it actually the ATF? I saw a bunch of documents but no signs or whatever to clearly state that yes, it's the ATF.
Click to expand...

Well, I'm pretty sure it was them .... I don't know why anyone else would take a table and fill it with federal gun law pamphlets. That and the guys just looked like bored feds, if bored feds had a "look", that was it. . [laugh]

What time were you there? I decided to go last minute.
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I was there at 11 ish. I really wanted to get there at 9 but that wasn't happening... I was pulling "vet shuttle duty". [laugh] I met up with Ed and Kaisha for a few minutes as they were heading out, and then I went back into the show, probably bounced around for an hour or so, and then got the hell out of dodge. I got some jerky, a little bit of ammo from the "alternate vendor" and picked up a set of MOE handguards from the guy with all the AR parts. Not a bad show, all in all.

-Mike
 
JayD said:
That guy is a jerk. I asked to see a firearm from the case simply because I had never handled one and he said since it was not MA ok it couldn't even leave the display case because it would be breaking federal law. When I pointed out an AR that he had laying out on the table right next to it with a "Not MA ok" label on it and asked what the difference was, he walked away from me.
Click to expand...

That guy's been at MA gun shows forever. Years ago he was a jerkwad, too. I generally don't bother looking at the guns at a gun show, unless it's the handful of dealers I respect that show up to the NH and MA shows. The rest of them I could do without.

-Mike
 
What is the name of the dealer who has the handguns on the display boards secured with the cables? As a noob, I appreciated being able to fondle all of the different handguns without having to ask. However, at one point one of their dealers was telling another customer that a certain gun they had on display was "illegal in MA." I couldn't help myself and piped up that it was only illegal for him to sell, not to own. He agreed, and went on to explain to the customer how he could get one FTF. The customer thought that non-list guns were illegal to own and that they (the govt) would come an seize it. He walked away better informed, which is always a good thing. Unfortunately, as we see too often here on NES, there is so much confusion with MA's whacky laws, that I think dealers in particular need to use the correct terminology and chose their words carefully so as to avoid further confusion. After all, dealers are the experts, right? ;)
 

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