Found this forum after doing a google search on some things I didn't find at the gun show. Figured I would share my thoughts on the 1500. I am 39 and have been going to gun shows since I was 16.
My two brother in laws and my wife headed down Saturday morning. One of the things I have learned is the magic time to get there on Saturday is before 10am. We were able to walk right in and waited no less than 2 minutes to get our tickets. This is in contrast to the line stretching half way down 38th street side when we left. I would say if we would have waited an extra hour we would have waited 45 mins in line at least.
The mix of services and "add ons" was not like they have been in previous shows. Now, I must say I haven't attended a 1500 in about a year for various scheduling reasons. So I know things evolve and change. And due to the jam packed nature of this show i am sure I missed some things I was looking for.
One reason I always attend is the Glock Armorers that have been there. I know everyone has opinions on the two major ones that have usually setup. This time I saw neither of them. I usually have something done to one of my Glock's, even if it's just a good cleaning. This time I wanted to have night sights put on a G26. I didn't see many other services. Knife sharpening, etc. Maybe it's just not a money maker for those who have done it in the past. I did see several folks offering ar-15 building services. I have told several folks it's worth the price of admission if it's your first one to have those folks build it.
I also did not see vendors selling things like frog lube, cleaning solvents, etc. Again, I could have missed them if they were part of booth with other things.
I know there are reason why the rows are setup, and Im just an armchair quarterback talking about it. However, the biggest issue I have seen with with this show is the fact that everyone is right on top of everyone. I would think if they removed a single row out of each of the two big parts then you could stretch the aisles out enough to have room. I know no one wants to be "in back", but if no one can see your stuff thats not good either. If you can't even look over anyone's shoulders to see whats on a table it gets frustrating. Then if you want to buy something you better hope you can step to the side. I would think it might be a security issue too for folks with loose items on their tables. I understand the more space you want to rent the more it costs for the show folks. So you try and cram everyone into the least amount of space.
The vendors with ammo had a great selection. I don't follow ammo prices that much so I am not sure if they were awesome deals or not. But, I bought some because it was stuff I wanted.
The selection of knives was very good IMHO. I am not a collector per se, but I like them. My Brother-in-laws each bought some knives. I am happy with the current one I had so I spent money on other things. It's nice to see the high end knives, even though thats not my thing.
The show promoters should put the entrance fee on the web-site, or at least the facebook page. We could not find it anywhere, and others were the same. Heck, I would be willing to update the web-site in exchange for a free pass (20 + year I.T. professional here). :-)
My next visit will involve looking for some specific guns (saw a replica .22 uzi from one vendor), and odds and ends that strike my fancy. If I want something specific I will order it online and not have to fight the crowd. But the show is perfect for shopping for things you don't know you need. Hopefully some more service providers will be there next time.
My two brother in laws and my wife headed down Saturday morning. One of the things I have learned is the magic time to get there on Saturday is before 10am. We were able to walk right in and waited no less than 2 minutes to get our tickets. This is in contrast to the line stretching half way down 38th street side when we left. I would say if we would have waited an extra hour we would have waited 45 mins in line at least.
The mix of services and "add ons" was not like they have been in previous shows. Now, I must say I haven't attended a 1500 in about a year for various scheduling reasons. So I know things evolve and change. And due to the jam packed nature of this show i am sure I missed some things I was looking for.
One reason I always attend is the Glock Armorers that have been there. I know everyone has opinions on the two major ones that have usually setup. This time I saw neither of them. I usually have something done to one of my Glock's, even if it's just a good cleaning. This time I wanted to have night sights put on a G26. I didn't see many other services. Knife sharpening, etc. Maybe it's just not a money maker for those who have done it in the past. I did see several folks offering ar-15 building services. I have told several folks it's worth the price of admission if it's your first one to have those folks build it.
I also did not see vendors selling things like frog lube, cleaning solvents, etc. Again, I could have missed them if they were part of booth with other things.
I know there are reason why the rows are setup, and Im just an armchair quarterback talking about it. However, the biggest issue I have seen with with this show is the fact that everyone is right on top of everyone. I would think if they removed a single row out of each of the two big parts then you could stretch the aisles out enough to have room. I know no one wants to be "in back", but if no one can see your stuff thats not good either. If you can't even look over anyone's shoulders to see whats on a table it gets frustrating. Then if you want to buy something you better hope you can step to the side. I would think it might be a security issue too for folks with loose items on their tables. I understand the more space you want to rent the more it costs for the show folks. So you try and cram everyone into the least amount of space.
The vendors with ammo had a great selection. I don't follow ammo prices that much so I am not sure if they were awesome deals or not. But, I bought some because it was stuff I wanted.
The selection of knives was very good IMHO. I am not a collector per se, but I like them. My Brother-in-laws each bought some knives. I am happy with the current one I had so I spent money on other things. It's nice to see the high end knives, even though thats not my thing.
The show promoters should put the entrance fee on the web-site, or at least the facebook page. We could not find it anywhere, and others were the same. Heck, I would be willing to update the web-site in exchange for a free pass (20 + year I.T. professional here). :-)
My next visit will involve looking for some specific guns (saw a replica .22 uzi from one vendor), and odds and ends that strike my fancy. If I want something specific I will order it online and not have to fight the crowd. But the show is perfect for shopping for things you don't know you need. Hopefully some more service providers will be there next time.
