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My very first gun show experience was in the late 70s at the downtown PDX venue,whatever that was called at the time. No parking fee, don't recall any admission.
Among the surprises, was a small contingent of Revolutionary era properly uniformed regulars, with full battle packs & the long rifle & hats/etc of the era. Next aisle over was similar active display from later period. Pre beanie baby & jerky era.
The LAST expo show I went to was about 20 years ago. I too had money in pocket for something special. Given it took half a day there & back, plus several hours to discover I should have made a better decision on how to spend my time.
Among the surprises, was a small contingent of Revolutionary era properly uniformed regulars, with full battle packs & the long rifle & hats/etc of the era. Next aisle over was similar active display from later period. Pre beanie baby & jerky era.
The LAST expo show I went to was about 20 years ago. I too had money in pocket for something special. Given it took half a day there & back, plus several hours to discover I should have made a better decision on how to spend my time.
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The new normal.
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Rickreall show last weekend was far superior to anything I've experienced at the Expo over the past decade.
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I went to one a little over a year ago and it was the same. Luckily I was there looking for ar15 parts. Found exactly what I needed. Definitely wasn't much else.
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It seems that most of the out of town shows are better now. Understandable I guess.... the Expo show suffers from the same affliction that is changing all businesses in the town.."Portland Exodus Syndrome".
Money greedy municipal interests demand "their" cut on everything happening in town. This results in higher admission, outrageous parking and increased fee's on the vendors. Then comes jacked up pricing at the tables and less variety of items due to fewer people willing to pay the cost of setting up in Portland.
Hate to say it, but I predict the demise of the Portland show venue all together. What will be left will be a hodge podge of RV, boat and hot tub shows, eventually followed by a wasteland of burrito and falafel carts. We are seeing the beginnings of a mini Detroit-landia.
If they are to survive at all, the promoters need to seriously look at relocating out of town. People are no longer willing to shell out bucks to go to a show that has no selection other than the same over-priced items again and again. Free FFL transfers are not going to cut it.
Money greedy municipal interests demand "their" cut on everything happening in town. This results in higher admission, outrageous parking and increased fee's on the vendors. Then comes jacked up pricing at the tables and less variety of items due to fewer people willing to pay the cost of setting up in Portland.
Hate to say it, but I predict the demise of the Portland show venue all together. What will be left will be a hodge podge of RV, boat and hot tub shows, eventually followed by a wasteland of burrito and falafel carts. We are seeing the beginnings of a mini Detroit-landia.
If they are to survive at all, the promoters need to seriously look at relocating out of town. People are no longer willing to shell out bucks to go to a show that has no selection other than the same over-priced items again and again. Free FFL transfers are not going to cut it.
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Just to do a two day show at Portland the cost to a vendor in one table rent ($65) parking ($8) gasoline and time (?) only to have folks try to beat you down to the last Nickle for your stuff. Why would any small vendor want to do that? The food at the shows suck so you have to pack a cold lunch. Sit and watch people pick up your guns and drop them all day and no matter how good of a deal they want more off the price.
You have to pack a ton of stuff in to fill the table so at least something sells to pay the expense. You can't turn your back for a moment or thieves steal your stuff. The small guy looks at it like "how much am I willing to pay and go through to sell my stuff?" Of course the small vendors are not there any more.
The small vendor sells on the net now and even that is a pita.
You have to pack a ton of stuff in to fill the table so at least something sells to pay the expense. You can't turn your back for a moment or thieves steal your stuff. The small guy looks at it like "how much am I willing to pay and go through to sell my stuff?" Of course the small vendors are not there any more.
The small vendor sells on the net now and even that is a pita.
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Went to my first Portland Expo show about 12 years ago, decent selection, even deals on reloading equipment and supplies...
Went to my last Portland Expo show a couple of years ago, just too expensive and not nearly the selection of a decade ago.
The problem I see today, there's internet pricing, most buyers are going to have found the best online deal and want to replicate or better that deal at the show...
Went to my last Portland Expo show a couple of years ago, just too expensive and not nearly the selection of a decade ago.
The problem I see today, there's internet pricing, most buyers are going to have found the best online deal and want to replicate or better that deal at the show...
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My father and I have been going to the expo gunshows regularly for 20 odd years. I've seen them fluctuate wildly based on the current political climate. 2008 had people lined up across the building (D hall) to by ammo and the entire building was packed with tables. The situation in 2016 was similar before the election. After trump got elected, size and attendance dropped sharply. They don't even fill the smallest hall now.
I think they will continue on modestly until the next panic and then will explode again. The gun market as a whole is just so soft right now. I'm getting factory new ammo cheaper at cabelas than the reloads I was buying at gun shows 2 years ago. Even more so when you factor in the parking and admission cost. Ammo deals were my main reason for going for a long time, where does that leave us now?
I would be sad to see them go. I spent many Saturday mornings with my dad going to gun shows growing up. That's something I'd like to share with my son once he's born.
I think they will continue on modestly until the next panic and then will explode again. The gun market as a whole is just so soft right now. I'm getting factory new ammo cheaper at cabelas than the reloads I was buying at gun shows 2 years ago. Even more so when you factor in the parking and admission cost. Ammo deals were my main reason for going for a long time, where does that leave us now?
I would be sad to see them go. I spent many Saturday mornings with my dad going to gun shows growing up. That's something I'd like to share with my son once he's born.
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I went yesterday too.. I kinda knew what to expect though. I was disappointed at the lack of, and prices of reloading stuff too. However I noticed that prices overall are starting to come down a little, and I did find a few treasures, It took some diggin' .
$18 just to get through the door is rediculous!
$18 just to get through the door is rediculous!
Depending on how long you're going to stay there, slightly less expensive option is to park a couple stops away at a free lot and take Max in to Expo. $2.50 for a ticket for a couple hours or $5 for an all-day, adult ticket. Still less expensive than Expo parking, but you have to walk a little more.
I think it is another example of the changing marketplace with the internet. I can get anything for reloading for a reasonable price in 2 days from Midway, used stuff on EBay and Craigslist. There isn't much money left for a vendor at a gun show. The only one I have enjoyed the last 10 years is the Big show in Reno, lots of true antiques, and the Shot Show That is coming up in Vegas for new products. Otherwise I can spend an hour or two and 50.00 wandering through a typical gun show to see maby one or two interesting pieces. The Gun Library at Cabelas is much more interesting on most days...........I forgot the big Santa Barbara gun show. It was still interesting the last time I was there.
While I agree with all of the (quite accurate) sentiment posted above, it's still a lot better than anything going on in Cali, NY, NJ, MA, etc. But yes, the overall quality has been waning at the shows at the expo center.
Call me an annoying optimist, but it still holds that you never know what you will find at a gun show. Thank God we still have them here. Our crappiest ones still beat most others hands down. They will be sorely missed if the communists in Salem ever legislate them away in an "overnight secretive session".
Call me an annoying optimist, but it still holds that you never know what you will find at a gun show. Thank God we still have them here. Our crappiest ones still beat most others hands down. They will be sorely missed if the communists in Salem ever legislate them away in an "overnight secretive session".
Don't drink all the coolaid, there are some great gunshows in California. Most gun laws there are directed at new or modern firearms, everything has to go through a FFL but even here in Idaho, I haven't bought anything in years that didn't go through a FFL........I don't see that as a problem. The so called "gun show loophole" was closed in California decades ago. All that is is the legal ability to do a private person to person sale without involving a FFL. That ability does two things that I don't care for, it prevents a stolen firearms being identified and when transactions are done between strangers, no one checks to see if the buyer is a felon or criminal even though the seller is by most state laws required to certify that the sale is legal and the buyer can legally own the gun.
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best gun show I ever attended was the Wisdom Gun Show in the Big Hole country.
Been a few years but I'll get back there someday.
The land of 1000 (10,000?) haystacks. Great country. We try to get up there fishing every year. My grandmother used to take me fishing there in the early 60s before it became fashionable. We actually ate the fish.......unlike the miscreant fishermen today.
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Wow, I've been out of the shooting loop for a while. I was thinking of taking my boys to the next Expo show but that would be $38 just to walk in? No wonder traffic is down. I won't be attending at those prices.
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Depending on the age of your boys, there may be a slight price break on entrance fees. Even so, as others have pointed out, the show is expensive and hard to find deals at. I haven't gone to an Expo show in over a year.... I believe there's one this weekend? If I find myself bored and looking for over priced beer and hot dogs, I might go.
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