What happened to that gunshow vendor....?

kingfish · Jan 21, 2017

....the gentleman that frequented MD and PA shows for many years, he had plenty of tables and sold mainly cleaning supplies like brushes etc, he had a grey beard and wore glasses ( sort of reminded me of a college professor). Very friendly guy, worked typically with a woman who appeared to be his wife. I used to buy plenty of my cleaning supplies from him but I've noticed he hasn't been at the gun shows for quite a while. Does anyone know what happened to them? Unfortunately I don't know his name

iH8DemLibz · Jan 21, 2017

kingfish said:
....the gentleman that frequented MD and PA shows for many years, he had plenty of tables and sold mainly cleaning supplies like brushes etc, he had a grey beard and wore glasses ( sort of reminded me of a college professor). Very friendly guy, worked typically with a woman who appeared to be his wife. I used to buy plenty of my cleaning supplies from him but I've noticed he hasn't been at the gun shows for quite a while. Does anyone know what happened to them? Unfortunately I don't know his name

I know who you mean. Always very helpful. And he knew what he had on his tables.

Had lots of slings and other stuff too.

They were getting up there in age. Maybe they gave up the ghost with everyone buying off the internet.

I believe his name was John.

Sundazes · Jan 21, 2017

You are talking about Tophat. From what i heard, he retired and sold his business to some lady who still does the shows. She was at the Timonium show last weekend.

kingfish · Jan 21, 2017

No, not top hat. This gentlemans tables usually formed a large rectangle around himself. He used to be positioned at the Frederick show in the main building near the left wall, as you enter

offthepaper · Jan 21, 2017

It's not Tophat.
I do believe his name is John. I've bought tons of accessories and mags from him over the years. He stopped selling ammo about 10-15 years ago, said he was getting too old to keep loading and unloading for each show. Always friendly.

iH8DemLibz · Jan 21, 2017

Top Hat was the dude that always sat in an elevated position. Back left corner at Timonium.

Dutifully overlooking his wares. Lots of targets and old, hard to find, parts.

I believe his name was Skip.

PS: I really miss the old shows of twenty years ago.

bbrown · Jan 21, 2017

kingfish said:
No, not top hat. This gentlemans tables usually formed a large rectangle around himself. He used to be positioned at the Frederick show in the main building near the left wall, as you enter

That's John and his wife. They had some sort of tiff with the Silverado management several years and don't do those shows any more. He's regularly at the Chantilly show, however, as well as most PA shows.

Very nice couple with good merchandise.

kingfish · Jan 21, 2017

I was at a gun show in montgomery county, about 20 years ago, with a friend of mine. Friend had a bag with about three or four boxes of 9 mm which he had previously purchased elsewhere. he set his bag on John's table as he was looking for something to buy. My friend forgot his bag On johns table and we left the show. A couple weeks later we went to another gun show and John recognized my buddy, pulled out his bag of ammo and told him "hey you forgot this on my table at a previous show". I thought that was pretty nice of him so ever since, I always buy my cleaning supplies from him.

esrepairman · Jan 28, 2017

He and his wife were at the last Chantilly show. Usually very good prices, very friendly, we usually but at least one or two items from them.

j_h_smith · Jan 28, 2017

kingfish said:
I was at a gun show in montgomery county, about 20 years ago, with a friend of mine. Friend had a bag with about three or four boxes of 9 mm which he had previously purchased elsewhere. he set his bag on John's table as he was looking for something to buy. My friend forgot his bag On johns table and we left the show. A couple weeks later we went to another gun show and John recognized my buddy, pulled out his bag of ammo and told him "hey you forgot this on my table at a previous show". I thought that was pretty nice of him so ever since, I always buy my cleaning supplies from him.

They were always good to me. Both of them are down to earth, good people. I would buy my chemicals from them, even if I could get them cheaper somewhere else.

Art3 · Jan 28, 2017

I know the guy you mean. I'm trying to think of the last time I'm sure I saw him at a show...but, sadly, I just can't remember for sure. He was almost as much of a fixture at the shows from when I was a kid as Tophat.

Incidentally, Tophat himself has usually been at Oaks. He lives in New Jersey (which seems insane for a gun show vendor) and a couple of years ago mentioned that it was harder for him to come all the way to MD shows. I believe the woman with his stuff is a family member. It is good to see him in the flesh (although he now sports an Uncle Sam style tophat), and I always make sure I buy something from him.

rico903 · Jan 29, 2017

Yes, his name is John. I don't remember his wife's name. They got run out by the promoter that does the Timonium show and other shows because the promoter had a buddy that does the same thing, but not very well.

Alphabrew · Feb 3, 2017

Is OP talking about the guy who had the booth with a woman (his wife?) and they had all sorts of neato stuff like Romanian AK furniture, gas masks, cleaning stuff, backpacks, etc? He never had any guns, but had a sorts of cool stuff. I think I got several Romanian bayonets and a bunch of stainless 1911 mags for my wife from them. He was a good vendor, and I have not seen him in a year or two. Come back!!

JohnnyE · Feb 3, 2017

Top Hat is Skip. For years he was at Chantilly, Frederick, Oaks, and so forth. IIRC, correctly, he retired and disappeared for several years, then family issues arose and he got back in the business. I spoke with him at an Oaks, PA show (outside of Philly) a year or so ago, and he said he abandoned Chantilly, and was sticking to Oaks and other shows which, I presumed, were closer to home for him. I get up to Oaks often, as recently as late 2016, and always manage to buy something from him.

kingfish · Feb 11, 2017

rico903 said:
Yes, his name is John. I don't remember his wife's name. They got run out by the promoter that does the Timonium show and other shows because the promoter had a buddy that does the same thing, but not very well.

Which "buddy" is that? The guy who took johns space at the Frederick show? If so, that guy annoys the hell out of me and sells a good amount of Chinese junk

tidalbass · Feb 11, 2017

They still are at Gettysburg and Harrisburg shows. They don't do the Maryland shows any longer.

lee2 · Feb 11, 2017

rico903 said:
Yes, his name is John. I don't remember his wife's name. They got run out by the promoter that does the Timonium show and other shows because the promoter had a buddy that does the same thing, but not very well.

His wife's name is jerri. He didn't get run out of any show. The are several venders who sell the same stuff. Appalachian promotions run the timonium show.

38super · Feb 11, 2017

They stopped doing the Maryland shows because of the magazine limit, most of their sales where of standard capacity magazines.

lee2 · Feb 11, 2017

38super said:
They stopped doing the Maryland shows because of the magazine limit, most of their sales where of standard capacity magazines.

not true. they sold some mags, but most were gun supplies.

j_h_smith · Feb 11, 2017

Regardless of why they left the Maryland shows, I personally miss them. They always treated me fairly.

What happened to that gunshow vendor....?

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