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West Springfield

Same stuff as usual plus you got to pay to park besides the entry fee. With that show I feel better off paying shipping from the net. Wait till next week and go to Plymouth. I thought that show was decent last time I was there
 
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This is a pet peeve of mine your into it for $25 before you buy anything!! But I'm looking for something to do!
 
Park across the street and walk no need to pay to park

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If you go past it on the left and go up a half mile or so there is a place you can park
 
It was a good show for me, found a soumi kit (very good + with barrel and a mag) for 125.00 (Non torched receiver lower ) plus a drum mag and then 2 more mags at another vendor, and 2 stripped ar bolts for 45.00 not too crowded.
 
Dnotarianni said:
Wait till next week and go to Plymouth.
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Yep. That's what I'm doing. Plymouth hasn't been a great show for me so far but it's still better than West Spfld.

Question for anyone at the West Spfld show: Is "Guns & Gun Parts" (the West Spfld dealer) there today? If so, can you PM me?
 
Wasn't a fan of this show not really any deals you can't get at fs or any other store and not a lot in the way of cool factor just a lot of hunting rifles
 
EJFudd, Mike and the crew from gun & gun parts were there. Bought a gp100 match from him today. I should stop going to the show, and just hit his store. 80 % of the guns I've bought there have been from him.
 
I went and was disappointed!! Nothing I wanted. Won't bother next year! Any of the shows have any decent reloading stuff?? There was nothing really at this show.
 
Disappointing show today. Not very many people in attendance, very few deals that I saw. The S&WCA people I talked to said that yesterday was just as bad. I pointed out in another thread that this show and the next (Dec 12-13) are close, only 7 weeks apart. Next year they are 6 weeks apart.
 
I went, picked up a Glock-26 Gen3 on trade. looks like it had never been fired. No wear any where and a 2013 test fire date. its a Glock in MA so even with a trade I paid more then I should have, but a nice addition to my G-19 Gen 3 I already have.
 
There was a table at the (?) back center or left that had some loading components but I don't ecall more than this.
 
Wow... these negative posts on WS really crack me up and are sad at the same time. West Spfld is as good or better show than most any in Mass. It's all the same vendors at all the shows, only some don't go to all of them. I spoke with Mike at G&GP several times over the last several years, he has told me that WS is as good or better than most. Plymouth is not even close. There were many Ma gun stores in attendance, lots of reloading supplies, lots of deals if you were looking for them. I like AR related stuff... had their usual vendors along with Precision Armament that had an excellent supply of AR related parts... Vendors aren't going there to give away stuff... the fact is, for a gun store to go to a show, their overhead has now increased and to be honest, they should be raising the prices... Don't think I've ever seen FS at a gun show, certainly not in WS.

If you are looking for reloading equipment, the shows aren't the place... I've never seen any reloading equipment at any show, cept maybe some old stuff and occasionally a trinket or two. There was plenty of shells and bullets.. Ammo... not much different at any of the shows.. cept for the tent in WS. I could go on and on... but I'll stop there.. Just because you didn't find anything you wanted for free, doesn't make it bad.. I bought several Ar parts I wanted and even bought a beautiful 386PD from the old owner, Dave of AAA that had a small table there... and I will say at a great price.

Oh ya... one more point... $5 to park... really!!! come on, it's $5, get a f------ job. Not to mention $11 to get in, my math comes out to $16. not $25.

And FPrice... why do you even go to this show every year... you come on here and complain every time... are you single handedly trying to take it down... WTF are you expecting ... but thanks for posting the next show date, I'll mark it on my calendar.. [grin]
 
Greg said:
I believe FPrice always used to support the show at WS.

So,where was your table set up ? [rofl]
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How was the show for you, did u find any deals...

You're cute... and soooooo funny... actually my table is set up in my garage.. that's where I installed all the parts I bought there.. heck, I went saturday and I even went back sunday for more... after doing a little research on that 386PD, I had to have it..
 
Jack,

A serious issue for the WS show-goers is the stupid rules of the Big E . . . no ammo, primers, powder in the buildings.

The tent is only so large and thus only 1 or 2 vendors occupy it and offer those products. Lack of competition lets them price things oftentimes much higher than they do at other MA gun shows. All other venues in MA allow ammo dealers to deal from their buildings. Therefore you have multiple ammo/powder/primer dealers (and competition means usually lower pricing) as well as any other dealer who can set up a case or two of various ammo/primers, some cans of powder along with their guns and accessories.

I haven't been to the Big E in a number of years but recall a PA (or OH?) AR parts dealer who only worked that MA show, so some deals could be had for those building ARs. These days I'm sure that numerous vendors are offering AR parts but back when I was last at the Big E, that one out of state vendor was the only one selling AR parts.

There's greed galore with the shows, Carole has jacked the prices up to $12/head and the Big E (where parking was free for many years) went to $3 and then $5 to park. Due to the distance, I only went when I could convince my Wife to join me so double the admission and parking plus 3 hours driving time and ~225 miles RT just don't make it worth my time and money. The last show I attended there I counted the tables (rough count) and there were less than 300 tables occupied in a hall that probably could hold 1200-1500 tables so that it made the place look empty. [ETA: And I did go there back in the late 1970s, early 1980s when they did indeed have 600-900 tables, so it is a disappointment to remember that and look at what it had become.]

I also know a number of dealers who dropped out of the Big E (or Carole's shows altogether) due to various complaints they had with the venue or just dealing with her. IIRC, she charges an additional fee of $50 for use of electricity and another $50 for Internet access per dealer/per show, something that some dealers I spoke with were pissed off about. As for the Big E, one dealer told me that he saw the Big E staff give Carole a pile of free parking passes for the vendors to use, but Carole (according to him) charged each dealer $5 for each pass (no discount/deal).

I do agree with you that for a dealer to pack up, close his retail shop and rent tables/hotel rooms/pay for meals/etc. increases their overhead and thus impairs their ability to deal at the shows.

If it makes you feel better, I've avoided all MA gun shows for the past number of years (except for the one my club sponsors and the Holbrook show) and this year didn't bother going to the Concord NH show that I used to attend each year. I've made out like a bandit at the Braintree R&P shows the last two years. So it's not all about the Big E show.
 
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Thanks Len for sharing your experience from the 70's and all the behind the scenes politics... it's always great to get input from someone that hasn't been there..

But I do always appreciate your legal input..
 
turbo38gn said:
And FPrice... why do you even go to this show every year... you come on here and complain every time... are you single handedly trying to take it down... WTF are you expecting ... but thanks for posting the next show date, I'll mark it on my calendar.. [grin]
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Kind sir, I think you are mistaken and are confusing me with my evil twin brother, Len 2A. (J/K Len, JUST KIDDING! Don't serve me bro!)

I do go to most of the shows, it was just that I thought yesterday's was not well attended and this was confirmed by some people I talked to AND the local White Hut staff done the street. THEY know what is going on in that section of the town and it was the first time I have been there where you could get a seat at the counter without waiting.

BTW, it was $27 for me to get in, I always take my kid with me. Of course, when you subtract the parking fee and then factor in gas (not to mention 2 hours of driving each way), it's still cheaper than Plymouth for me.
 
turbo38gn said:
Thanks Len for sharing your experience from the 70's and all the behind the scenes politics... it's always great to get input from someone that hasn't been there..
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[rofl] But I have been there! Are you telling me that so much has changed wrt what I stated above in the past maybe 4 years or so? That they now really have 500+ tables there? That they now allow all vendors to sell ammo indoors? That she suddenly dropped the admission to $8 and they did away with the parking fee?

Really? Other than perhaps numbers of tables occupied may have increased some (even the Marlboro show is no longer full=500 tables, maybe 400-450), word from both vendors who I know and work other shows as well and people who have attended is that none of the above has changed (I don't ask about numbers of tables).
 
FPrice said:
Kind sir, I think you are mistaken and are confusing me with my evil twin brother, Len 2A. (J/K Len, JUST KIDDING! Don't serve me bro!)

I do go to most of the shows, it was just that I thought yesterday's was not well attended and this was confirmed by some people I talked to AND the local White Hut staff done the street. THEY know what is going on in that section of the town and it was the first time I have been there where you could get a seat at the counter without waiting.

BTW, it was $27 for me to get in, I always take my kid with me. Of course, when you subtract the parking fee and then factor in gas (not to mention 2 hours of driving each way), it's still cheaper than Plymouth for me.
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Hehehe, sorry FP... you know I'm a fanboy.... and I too stopped into the Hut for lunch for my wife and I on the way home from the show Sat~!!!!!! Art didn't have time to talk to me, he was busy grilling burgers.. The wife is a Hut groupie as well... we grew up in that place...

You are right on with attendance yesterday... sunday never is a great day.. kick in the rain and the Pats playin... I'll bet it was almost empty by 1pm.. but that doesn't make it a bad show.. vendors were still there ....
 
It's unfair to compare attendance on a game day, whether it be the Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics. Since most that attend gun shows are guys and many of them are into sports, I'd never fault a show for low attendance when many of their clientele are home getting drunk and watching the game!! [wink]

I have my favorite venues, but I won't defend any of them in the face of the facts. Turbo3gn, I'm still waiting for you to factually address the points I made above??? It's much easier to sling insults than it is to refute wrong info with hard facts . . . try it the hard way, who knows maybe you can convince me and others we are wrong.
 
Len... can you tell me what shows are bigger.... can you tell me what shows have cheaper prices ...... indoors or out... ammo is still the same price. The reality, ammo prices are up and in or out doesn't change that. I can't remember the last time I went to a gun show looking for ammo, been buying elsewhere for years now. When you talk about the size of the building... lhmm let me see... if I'm not mistaken the Big E Better Living Building is about 3 times the size of Marlboro... no wonder there is empty space.. The bottom line .....

all shows are on the decline, we need to support them not take them down with negativity.. in your position Len2A... you should understand that better than most.. gun shows are a huge part of our gun community... participation at them has as much to do with their value as participation in the legal goings on in the gun community. I choose to support Goal, NRA, and our other representatiog organizations in our rights as gun owning citizens ..... not mention supporting gun shows... I don't want to see them go away like our rights have
 

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