West Springfield

Let's be honest here! If you live out in the greater Springfield area, the West Springfield show is a great show... just because it's a gun show and you don't have to drive 1-2 hours each way to get to it. [grin] I get that. However, if you live east of Worcester, you have better options.

For better or worse, Marlboro and Wilmington are still the best shows that Massachusetts has to offer. Plymouth is kind of a joke, but I still go if I am free on those Saturdays.

Parking fee and ammo tent aside, is West Springfield a better show than Plymouth? Probably... but not by much. [grin]
 
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.


I wasn't slinging insults, just pointing out my feelings about gun shows. I am passionate about my guns and most anything related to them... I try to look at the big picture.. and have a positive outlook.... I didn't dispute your "facts" .. I simply thanked you for your input based on your post... I'm sorry if you or others can't see the value because one has to travel 1-2 hrs or more to get here... doesn't make it ok to knock our show in the west..
 
Let's be honest here! If you live out in the greater Springfield area, the West Springfield show is a great show... just because it's a gun show and you don't have to drive 1-2 hours each way to get to it. [grin] I get that. However, if you live east of Worcester, you have better options.

For better or worse, Marlboro and Wilmington are still the best shows that Massachusetts has to offer. Plymouth is kind of a joke, but I still go if I am free on those Saturdays.

Parking fee and ammo tent aside, is West Springfield a better show than Plymouth? Probably... but not by much. [grin]

Eh Fudd... I talk with Mike from G&GP's regularly... he doesn't even bother going to Plymouth any more.. it's that bad.. I have also asked him his thoughts on the other shows when I didn't attend... not a lot of difference in them all.. so if I don't go to Marlboro, I didn't miss anything..
 
Eh Fudd... I talk with Mike from G&GP's regularly... he doesn't even bother going to Plymouth any more.. it's that bad.. I have also asked him his thoughts on the other shows when I didn't attend... not a lot of difference in them all.. so if I don't go to Marlboro, I didn't miss anything..
I am not surprised that he blows off Plymouth. Plymouth makes no sense for him.

If you aren't going to Marlboro or Wilmington at least occasionally, you are most likely missing out...
 
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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... HM 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

The last few Big E shows I went to literally had fewer tables than the Marlboro show (which was running 450-500 back then). A big problem to some of us was the "false advertising" . . . Carole was advertising the Big E shows as 900 tables (quite a few years ago) but there were only 500 tables, back when I counted the tables she had advertised that show as 500 tables and yet there were ~250 tables in use. This is a promoter issue that pisses off the dealers as well as the patrons . . . I don't blame the venue for this.

At the Wilmington and Marlboro shows there are at least 2 major ammo vendors and tons of other shops selling ammo, so that competition keeps prices in check. The Big E venue screws everyone (dealers and buyers) by restricting ammo sales, that is just a sad fact . . . plus lack of competition lets Greedy Steve from NY jack up prices there vs. what he charges at the other 2 venues.

I used to attend 1 or 2 shows/year at the Big E and all the Marlboro shows (I worked those for GOAL each time until Bob P exposed the issues at GOAL) plus attended an occasional show at Wilmington so I had a decent handle on the size of the shows. The last few shows I went to in Marlboro and Wilmington had shrunk from earlier times, but prices are no where near as attractive as many LGS so people may be passing on the shows, I don't know.

A show in your back yard, no matter how large or small is always going to be an attraction. When you need to travel 1.5-2 hrs each way you start to measure your perception of whether or not it is worth the trip.

When I posted our local gun show at BR&P the past 2 years I got crap that it is a tiny show, fact is that I made a killing at both of them, finding items I needed/wanted at extremely reasonable prices from our club FFL's table.
As I said then, the size of the show doesn't really matter so much if you find items you need/want at reasonable prices. I try to make the Holbrook show for the same reason and I used to find some interesting stuff/prices at the Concord NH show (285 tables max) as well.
 
I went to Marlboro last fall looking for parts and mags, and while I bought a few things was disappointed on the size of the show vs the other times I have attended. distance traveled? (1.5 hrs)

was I pissed? heck no It is entertainment.

Amazingly I did very well at the Big E this last weekend, Found things I really did not expect to, and at better than net prices, (and they won't ship mags here otherwise) There where at least 3 AR parts vendors, and more that had some AR parts. (bought 2 stripped bolts for $45 for example) travel time 1/2 hour.

So as always in mass it is a crap shoot, sometimes literally. I was happy I didn't have to deal with heavy crowds since I am using a cane now.

And yes the shows are dieing off.
 
how do you define "decent reloading stuff"?

Was looking for Primers, Powder, Reloading tools i.e. Presses, parts etc... There were a few guys there with dies but really odd calibers (that I saw). Just wish there was more for me to look at and potentially buy! I saw a couple Shotgun presses that were super old. The show was still better than a sharp stick in the eye!! But for me disappointing. I would rather buy stuff at a local gun show or local shop than have to use the internet for a couple reasons! I get my product when I pay for it, I save shipping and hopefully help a small business owner stick around a little longer.
 
Was looking for Primers, Powder, Reloading tools i.e. Presses, parts etc... There were a few guys there with dies but really odd calibers (that I saw). Just wish there was more for me to look at and potentially buy! I saw a couple Shotgun presses that were super old. The show was still better than a sharp stick in the eye!! But for me disappointing. I would rather buy stuff at a local gun show or local shop than have to use the internet for a couple reasons! I get my product when I pay for it, I save shipping and hopefully help a small business owner stick around a little longer.

That's a reasonable response... if you are seriously looking for that stuff... you may want to check out Riverview in Windsor, Ct... they used to have a great assortment of reloading supplies and equipment..
 
I went on Saturday the ammo prices weren't bad 1000 rounds of tula brass cased 5.56 for $299. Close to pre run up prices. Bought 200 rounds for $65.00 PNC brass 5.56 not too bad.

Riverview finally bit the bullet, Closed!
 
A lot of inventory but the staff just stood behind the counter. They may have mad a go of it if they actually put some effort into sales and didn't just mark everything full retail. Still sad to see a shop close.
 
Was looking for Primers, Powder, Reloading tools i.e. Presses, parts etc... There were a few guys there with dies but really odd calibers (that I saw). Just wish there was more for me to look at and potentially buy! I saw a couple Shotgun presses that were super old. The show was still better than a sharp stick in the eye!! But for me disappointing. I would rather buy stuff at a local gun show or local shop than have to use the internet for a couple reasons! I get my product when I pay for it, I save shipping and hopefully help a small business owner stick around a little longer.

I know Glenn's was there and he's always got a ton of powder, primers, brass and ammo.
 
That's a reasonable response... if you are seriously looking for that stuff... you may want to check out Riverview in Windsor, Ct... they used to have a great assortment of reloading supplies and equipment..

Did they move? I stopped by there a couple weeks back and it was gone. For lease sign on the door...
 
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