What did you think of the Sturbridge Show?

Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
1,068
Likes
85
Location
Nu Mung Ba
Feedback: 5 / 0 / 0
- Huge crowd, line was still out the door when I left.
- A large contingent of vendors from the Hartford Antique Gun Show
- Not so many modern gun dealers
- I's give the show a B rating but only because I used to go to the Hartford Show, I'm guessing the usual Mass GS crowd would rate it C-
 
My friend got there at 9:30ish and got in at 10:10. I went in at 3:30 and had no line and the place to myself practically. It is nice to have a show in my area and I had no money to spend considering I just picked up a pistol. I would have liked to see just a few more modern gun dealers. If there had just been 2 more there instead of accessory dealers it would have been a pretty good show. I was surprised to not see Guns & Gun Parts there. It wasn't a show I would stand in line for although I do know someone bought a Glock 42 for $450 ish which is a great deal. I will be back next year, but again at 3:30.
 
I thought it was good overall and it was nice to have a show close by. There were some good prices on ammo.
 
Long line to get in.
Some good prices on ammo.
Gun prices were high.
 
The Sturbridge Gun Show was better than the big E, except the venue was too small for the number of vendors.
I was too tired from wading through the crowds to walk through twice.

I enjoyed the displays of antique arms even though I don't collect them.
There seemed to be more well preserved antiques and less rusty junk.

I would have liked to see more modern handguns but I can't imagine where they would have been displayed.

The young fellow with the several tables of AR parts offered me a small discount and that was nice.
He was polite and attentive and helpful despite the crowds.
He had almost all the bits and pieces that I wanted and his prices were about what I would have paid online.

It was mostly an enjoyable morning.
I will go back if there are more shows held there, but will probably go later in the day to avoid the crowds.

Jack

ETA: The washrooms were clean.
 
Last edited:
I got there about 1:15 had absolutely no problems getting in or waiting in line. I liked the fact that it was spread out over several rooms, easier to navigate, seemed friendlier somehow. Thought concession prices were reasonable. I like looking at antique firearms do I enjoyed seeing the old Colts and Winchesters. As an added bonus BT's Smokehouse is just down the street.

I missed the Jerky Dude, though.

Overall I thought it was a nice venue and no insane and stupid ammo tent. Place was not crawling with paid detail cops or security guards either. I hope they have one there again.
 
I didn't like the smaller room. Crowded, couldn't get near a table or even walk down the aisles, and dark. Reminded me of the Fitchburg show years ago.

The larger room was better but half of it was taken up by the antique gun crew. IMO they should have been in the smaller room and the larger room should have been all vendors. That would have made more sense.
 
Way too small a venue for the crowds. Got there at 8:50 and in by 9:15 but heard others waited well over an hour. While standing in line in the narrow hallway next to two guys who had just come in from a smoke, (don't like smoke but I guess it was better than the b.o. of summer shows), I actually contemplated leaving and just taking a LGS tour instead. It was wicked claustrophobic.

Glad I gutted it out. Found a new Ruger GP100 MATCH CHAMPION at regular street price. Been looking for one of those in MA since they were released. None of my local stores will import into the state yet so this was for me, a major score. Finished with BBQ from BT's so a pretty darn good day!

PS- Met fellow NES member "ThatGuy" to consummate a flawless gun sale so that added to the positive experience!
 
Way too small a venue for the crowds. Got there at 8:50 and in by 9:15 but heard others waited well over an hour

Wife and I got there around 920am and although the line was long, parking was worse. The line was was slowly shuffling along and it took maybe 35 min overall to hit the exhibit rooms. I agree it was too small a venue, but it was nice to see a lot of collectible antique firearms in one spot - I started overdosing on listening to people explain what was what on old cap and ball stuff, so for a newbie it was a good learning experience.

I can only imagine some of the mid-west shows that are xxx size of this.

Our local rag, The Telegram & Gazette had a write-up on it in Sunday's edition, and a pro-firearm slant to boot.
 
I over heard a conversation between two of the old antique dealers. They were saying nice things about their good friend Dowd. It was all I could do to not butt in.
 
I over heard a conversation between two of the old antique dealers. They were saying nice things about their good friend Dowd. It was all I could do to not butt in.

Dowd wears many faces. As an antique firearms dealer he is well known and fairly well respected and knowledgeable. As a dealer and ally of the Police he is despised and is despicable. Like so many despots, tyrants and a**holes, it all depends on the context in which you know him. If you are an old guy who collects Colts or Winchesters you probably don't know the dark side of Dowd, or if you do, you think he is on the side of law and order because "only bad people lose their LTCs." Different generation, different way of looking at things.
 
1. Central/Western butt-smell is pretty much the same as Eastern MA butt-smell.

2. VERY glad there was an inside line. We got there at about 7:50 (I knew the lot was small) and got in line at 8:25 and it still took until 9:15 or so to get inside. We were just past the mens room in line. WOW!

3. Not a very big show.

4. Probably a bad venue. If I were Yankee Spirits, I would have lost my mind.

5. There WAS STILL AS LINE AT 10:30!!!!!

6. I should have sold my parking spot for $20.

7. I couldn't sell my parking spot because the people walking in and driving in at that time seemed mentally challenged. LOL

8. Show was OK. The old stuff is nice - and better than it being 90% that (and indian nazi girl scout cookies) at some older Springfield shows. 12 rows of overpriced Winchester lever guns just never got my juices flowing.

9. Pricing differentials were SHOCKING. I saw a AR .22 going for $279, $319, $379 and $459. All with rails and junk. I forget who the $279 guy was, but at that price, I think people are going to start buying those again. (That may have been a Mossy and the rest were M&P. But still. . . . $459??????? C'mon!)

10. I just wanted 10 things. It was a good show. Don't eat at the BBQ place down the road. . . . because I need a seat. LOL

11. How crowded was it at 11? It was getting touchy at 10:45 when I left - and still a line. It had Danvers Show written all over it by that point.
 
Last edited:
When Diprete ran shows there the aisles in the big room were oriented in a different direction leaving wider aisles to walk through. I don't recall them ever having a second room open for vendors back then. I saw some money changing hands but maybe not as much as could have...or should have been. There were some decent deals if you poked around and asked questions. I picked up a 16ga SA and my daughter bought a 12ga pump at cheapo prices. Neither gun is pristine but both are woods or trap range ready.
 
When Diprete ran shows there the aisles in the big room were oriented in a different direction leaving wider aisles to walk through. I don't recall them ever having a second room open for vendors back then. I saw some money changing hands but maybe not as much as could have...or should have been. There were some decent deals if you poked around and asked questions. I picked up a 16ga SA and my daughter bought a 12ga pump at cheapo prices. Neither gun is pristine but both are woods or trap range ready.

I know one of the big dealers (maybe the one with the overpriced AR .22) had a big space for 4-5 people to run transactions. . . . and it was COMPLETELY EMPTY. Tombstone seemed to be doing their typical business. I'm betting most of the collector guys (old Colt, Win, etc.,) have carted those same guns since the last time I was at the Win show in Springfield maybe a decade ago. I didn't see any of them doing biz. (But it will be different b/c they will often do a C&R deal which is faster.)

Hey - it was a gun show. That's always good to me. Although it seems the average age is creeping up a bit. That worries me for the future of the sport.
 
I know one of the big dealers (maybe the one with the overpriced AR .22) had a big space for 4-5 people to run transactions. . . . and it was COMPLETELY EMPTY. Tombstone seemed to be doing their typical business. I'm betting most of the collector guys (old Colt, Win, etc.,) have carted those same guns since the last time I was at the Win show in Springfield maybe a decade ago. I didn't see any of them doing biz. (But it will be different b/c they will often do a C&R deal which is faster.)

Hey - it was a gun show. That's always good to me. Although it seems the average age is creeping up a bit. That worries me for the future of the sport.

My age would bring the average age down but I have not gone to a show and am disinclined to go. I'm not really up for driving an hr to pay to people watch and that's what it sounds like all the shows are. I was going to go to a show a few years ago but decided against because everyone says with very few exceptions the guns and ammo are WAY overpriced. I figure why pay money to get in, deal with traffic, parking, wait in line for an hr or more to walk around and look at overpriced things and leave. I'd rather go to a few gun shops and get a better price and deal with someone I know is local to this area.

You said it yourself in your post. Some dealers seem to price things so they never need to change over their inventory. They need to give me a reason to go.
 
BT's Smokehouse is by far the best BBQ in New England. It was really the primary reason we went to the show at all.

I was impressed. It takes me a lot to be impressed with BBQ. I do my own often and enjoy it. Too many places think that BBQ = sauce. No no no!

The smell at BT's smelled like my house when I finish my pork butts in the oven. Waking up to that smell, pulling off a little bit of pork for some ad-hoc PP hash and a PP omelet is heaven.

The bark was perfect on the brisket. Not too hard, not too soft. I tend to make my Q a bit hotter and spicier ,but it was danged good. Glad I went.
 
The guy in Ware with just his trailer is way better than BT's, but you cant sit down because he runs it out of a parking lot. I should have posted that I was going to be working with one of the vendors so I could have met a few of you.
 
The guy in Ware with just his trailer is way better than BT's, but you cant sit down because he runs it out of a parking lot. I should have posted that I was going to be working with one of the vendors so I could have met a few of you.

So does anyone want to suggest a Food Joint for the upcoming Manchester show this weekend?
 
I liked it. I went on Sunday. I stayed at the hotel for a wedding the night before so I just rolled out of bed and into a gun show. No line and had the place to myself. It started to get busy at 11am Sunday. Saturday had over 6000 patrons walk through the door.

Didn't see any great deals on Guns, but there were some deals there for the right person.
Ammo prices did not suck so I picked up some.
I did find a couple Cold 1911 mags for reasonable $$.
 
My age would bring the average age down but I have not gone to a show and am disinclined to go. I'm not really up for driving an hr to pay to people watch and that's what it sounds like all the shows are. I was going to go to a show a few years ago but decided against because everyone says with very few exceptions the guns and ammo are WAY overpriced. I figure why pay money to get in, deal with traffic, parking, wait in line for an hr or more to walk around and look at overpriced things and leave. I'd rather go to a few gun shops and get a better price and deal with someone I know is local to this area.

You said it yourself in your post. Some dealers seem to price things so they never need to change over their inventory. They need to give me a reason to go.

Go to one near by sometime just for the experience. It is cool to check things out. Go on a Sunday to avoid the bulk of the crowd. I like the Sturbridge and Marlborough shows now that the market has settled back down. I avoided shows for 2 years after the CT shooting because they were mobbed and not worth the stress.
 
THE best BBQ is Jazzy's BBQ

Where is it? Tampa FL, I have flown there to get the BBQ!!!

Well maybe not only that since my parents used to live down the street from it and that was the real reason I went there [rofl]
 
Back
Top Bottom