So I conned my wife into driving me the 104 miles to Louisville. Actually she volunteered because she was kind of afraid I'd drive myself. Guess she figured it was better than me crashing going or coming back home. Regardless, I wasn't capable of walking the entire show. Even in its reduced size, it was too big for that.

Saw a bunch of old friends and even bought a gun. This is Kentucky where we mostly don't have stupid laws. I didn't see what I wanted, but the guy who's table we were squatting at saw one and led me there. I wanted a prewar 38-44 Outdoorsman (S&W). The one I purchased was in just about the condition I was seeking. Lets just call it a shooter. A few scuffs here and there, and some fool sometime in the last 85 years decided to "jewel" the hammer and trigger. While maybe they liked it, it brought the value down out of the collectors class into the shooters range. Just what I was seeking. I paid the ungodly sum of $1000 for it, down a bit from the asking price of $1150. A fair knockdown, but what you'd expect to pay and what an interested seller would come down if he wanted to sell the gun.

The only real extra was the postwar diamond coke bottle grips in very nice condition. Separate they could easily fetch $600. Making the gun price really in the $400 range . Try finding a prewar N frame for that most days.

Other things going on was the discussion of the cabal of democrats railroading our president. The sentiment was pretty universal. A lot of guns were moving, more than usual. Also suggested was the idea you "ain't seen nothin' yet" if he's removed from office. Here in Kentucky, guns always change hands. Particularly in the fall hunting season.

The Umpire being hounded even suggested we'd have a civil war if Trump is removed. I won't go that far. But everyone suspected of being a (D) will probably need to watch their backs. Without even the suggestion that this process is in any way fair, open or honest, they will need to be wary.

The short barrel shotguns are starting to hit the gun show tables. Prices are high at best, with the one next to our tables priced at $300. That's new pricing. I'm used to seeing things priced well below sporting goods store prices.

If the shooting starts, I wouldn't want to be a policeman.

C'mon man, you know we need pics.

Sounds like a really nice score.

I for one will be preparing for the impending civil war by bolstering my supplies of that which is most important....bourbon and toilet paper.

Don’t get me wrong I’ll shoot......if any one of you SOB’s come for my bourbon or TP so.....don’t start none...won’t be none.

The New Rulers will declare that your bourbon and toilet paper belong to ALL of us. So.... What kind of bourbon?

rburg, I've been wanting to go to that show for 4 years now. One day I will make it there. I believe the hammer and trigger can be re case colored if you choose to.

The number of Louisville shows is down from the old 4 to only 2 now. Its the promoters fault, and the 2 he does have are about half the size they used to be. Lots of factors, one being the bite the fairgrounds takes for parking ($10). The promoter makes it worse by charging $12 a person.

You can still go tomorrow.

You're not going to have my ivory handled Bisley to fondle any longer. It now belongs to JR the ex pizza man. I gave both you guys the family price and Jim dug deep and bought it. He'll sell the grips in Tulsa for what the gun brought.

I know you'll miss it but I was glad to see it go.

You sold my gun!? Just not fair.

fair - where you eat cotton candy and pigs win prizes

Were you there when Dickson announced an urgent request for the buyer of a box of double aught buck shotgun shells to come to the front desk? The seller had forgotten he'd hid his cash stash in the shotgun shell box and sold it. He was lucky and got it back.

That sounds like a pretty darn good score considering the grips. I cannot fathom that those grips go for as much money as an entire gun these days, $600? I remember not too too long ago they sold for $100.

If shows here in Montana were $12 to get in and/or a parking fee, they would die in a year. We are $5 generally some are now $6. NONE have a parking fee.

quote:

Originally posted by doublesharp:

He was lucky and got it back.

I let my wife carry mine. She always has a few bags along, usually with knitting. But then there's no guarantee I'll get mine back (ours). Or worse, I'll have to beg and plead. All valuable time while my scoundrel partner is considering how good a deal it must be.

Jimmy, I have no idea how old you are, but I've never seen diamond cokes for $100. Back maybe 20 years ago they were maybe $300 or so, and moved off tables within minutes.

That's the problem with the internet. We've educated the average buyer to the point where they know what things are and have an idea of the value. In DoubleSharps situation, he's been lugging that ratty old Colt for years if not decades. Selling it to Pizzaman is an interesting situation. The guy has money, no doubt. He's got a pretty good display and in the past has had some great grips. He offered me $1000 for my original Kearsarge grips (N frame). I'm stupid for not selling, but they're the nicest grips I've ever seen or owned. I've seen a bunch, too.

quote:

Originally posted by FN in MT:
If shows here in Montana were $12 to get in and/or a parking fee, they would die in a year. We are $5 generally some are now $6. NONE have a parking fee.

I agree. Fairgrounds is nice location and the venue is modern but there is much walking and often massive congestion from multiple events competing for parking. $10 parking is borderline theft.

We have a great 400 table venue that held great gun shows in the past but for some reason they no longer hold shows at the Hurstborne Ramada convention center. Plenty of free parking, easy for dealer set up, adjacent onsite restaurant. Back in the 90s and early 2000s shows were regular and consistently good. Then hotel was bought by a group of patels and the last show some vendors brought their own lights and extension cords because so many house lights were broken. Sellers light for sure. It was bad but the place has changed hands again and the convention center seems to be operated correctly.

My wife liked the December shows because there was usually a Christmas show going on in the complex. She never bought much, but liked walking it. The moral to the story is a show or venue doesn't need to be all guns.

What my partner Joe used to hate was the shows with cheerleader competition in one of the other halls. He discovered the most self absorbed group he'd ever seen was teenage girls. He even had one, but not that bad. They would block a hallway and just refuse to move. I think he got nasty and yelled at them.