Baltimore Antique Arms Show 3/15,3/16

[Boom Boom]

I could be way off on this, but I don't think I am.

I think these guys have developed an emotional attachment to their firearms.

You're way off. Seriously. I personally know at least five of the dealers who were there. Most all of the dealers in attendance have zero personal attachment to what they're selling, no matter what spiel they tell you. It's all about the bottom line (and a healthy dose of greed), worsened by dealers immediately cannibalizing each other when any deals pop up and putting the stuff for sale on their own tables for much higher prices.

 

[54rndball]

This is really a "one of a kind show" with some top dollar guns to look at. I don't have the money to buy those, but if you are a real collector or appreciator of fine firearms, there should be something for you. You are not going to see original Colt percussion pistols or Pennsylvania flintlock rifles for less than several thousand dollars. If you want to buy Moisin rifles, SKS carbines, or Kel Tecs, this is not the show for you. I did see a few Savage 99s for sale, as well as a few pre-'64 Winchester Model 70s and other Winchesters such as 1873s, 1886s, etc. Plus lots of Mausers, Garands, '03 Springfields. Don's expect to buy expensive collector grade guns at bargain prices.

I met a guy that I last saw at a museum in Lancaster, PA. He had a table to show some of his original flintlocks. There were also some guys from various muzzle loading clubs, one guy offered to let me shoot on the 500 yd range, if I make it out to the national shoot in Indiana this summer. Talked to the guy from Dixie Gun Works and met the editor of Man At Arms magazine. The knife maker who made me a Bowie knife last year also had a table. He is a very talented smith with his own forge up in Fawn Grove, PA. I had a lot of fun at the show.

 

[Redd Byrd]

also at least 2 of the Mauser anti tank rifles in the house. If anyone wants a really big bolt action here's your chance

I've got a "bring back" cartridge for one of those things. Looks like a rimmed MA Duce cartridge! Have read accounts that it wasn't a popular shooter due to recoil

 

[HeatSeeker]

I guess it only has to be old and valuable.


a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age.
"Pauline loves collecting antiques"
synonyms: collector's item, period piece, antiquity, heirloom More

Not true. They do not permit sales of any post 1898 firearms. If someone has one on their table or attempts to sell one they will be "disqualified". The tables are inspected every few hours by monitors. They have many of these people that are assigned to a certain number of tables. Mine made me zip tie my guns on Saturday. This is not an ordinary show. I basically had to sign a contract to abide by the rules or get out and stay out. They are very strict about the rules. There are some displays of post 1898 guns, but are for display only, no sale!

 

[dontpanic]

Not true. They do not permit sales of any post 1898 firearms. If someone has one on their table or attempts to sell one they will be "disqualified". The tables are inspected every few hours by monitors. They have many of these people that are assigned to a certain number of tables. Mine made me zip tie my guns on Saturday. This is not an ordinary show. I basically had to sign a contract to abide by the rules or get out and stay out. They are very strict about the rules. There are some displays of post 1898 guns, but are for display only, no sale!

Only true for handguns. They display and sell rifles made after 1898

 

[screamingeagle]

I could be way off on this, but I don't think I am.

I think these guys have developed an emotional attachment to their firearms. A love affair if you will. In many respects, it defines who they are as people. It's something they put time and money into and they can't bear to see what they love walk out the door.

If they put "buy now" prices on the guns and all the guns sold, what would they do with themselves? That's why I said yesterday that they should remove the price tags and call it a show and tell type show.

If they truly wanted to sell them, they would entice buyers with fair prices and sell them. But they don't want to sell them. Hence the BULL$HIT pricing.

This concludes my phycology lesson for the day.

This is true to a degree, I have sold many nice things I didn't necessarily want to to get other things, your right but don't waste my time with prices that are crazy and then scoff when I offer a competitive number. Some there are just dicks.

 

[HeatSeeker]

I have to say it was pretty amazing. Never saw so much stuff in one place in my life. Just some of the most bizzarre and unique things. The couple with the table directly behind me had a Henry Rifle that had a $34,000 price tag on it. The guy showed me pictures of a Colt 1911 serial #1 that they sold at auction for $96,000. Unbelievable! The ATM ran out of money late Saturday afternoon.

 

[HeatSeeker]

Only true for handguns. They display and sell rifles made after 1898

Right, I could have been more clear on that. No post-1898 handguns, but still did not see any present day modern long guns. Probably WWII at the latest.

 

[AntiGun]

One thing I had expected to see more of was to have an original next to a replica so as to drum up some spur of the moment spot sales but I only noticed one table with high priced replicas.
An original 1860 army for a few $1000 next to a replica for $200 would get a few replicas sales but the only thing I saw was a table with replicas that were way overpriced.

 

[HeatSeeker]

This is true to a degree, I have sold many nice things I didn't necessarily want to to get other things, your right but don't waste my time with prices that are crazy and then scoff when I offer a competitive number. Some there are just dicks.

People at this show do not think there prices are crazy. They will sell their items if they get what they are asking, if not no big deal. That is why this show is unique to other shows. When going to this show you should expect "crazy" prices. If someone is asking $5000 for a gun and you offer $3000 that is not really competetive. Cutting someone almost in half is not even reasonable and will most likely draw a scoff. Guy next to me had a Colt Army .45 and was asking $5000. This morning a guy in a wheel chair sat and talked to him for a half hour and then handed over $4500 and left with it.

 

[Squaregrouper]

Anybody know the name of the business or guy who ran the table with the large assortment of gun parts on the far left side (from the entrance) or his contact info? I wanted to contact him to find out if he had a couple parts that I needed that I forgot to look for yesterday

I wasn't there this year, but vendors traditionally keep the same spot year after year. That being said...

Are you talking about the vendor with a ton of slide out plastic trays with LOTS of gun parts on the far side from the entrance, last aisle, facing the wall (not back against the wall)???

If so, the company is S&S Firearms out of New York State. They always have Krag goodies, so I seek them out every year.

 

[MilsurpDan]

I wasn't there this year, but vendors traditionally keep the same spot year after year. That being said...

Are you talking about the vendor with a ton of slide out plastic trays with LOTS of gun parts on the far side from the entrance, last aisle, facing the wall (not back against the wall)???

If so, the company is S&S Firearms out of New York State. They always have Krag goodies, so I seek them out every year.

Yes THATS IT!!! I thought I remembered the name started with an S. Thanks for the help Squaregrouper. I'll look them up to see if I can find what I need

 

[iH8DemLibz]

You're way off. Seriously. I personally know at least five of the dealers who were there. Most all of the dealers in attendance have zero personal attachment to what they're selling, no matter what spiel they tell you. It's all about the bottom line (and a healthy dose of greed), worsened by dealers immediately cannibalizing each other when any deals pop up and putting the stuff for sale on their own tables for much higher prices.

Maybe I'm a little bit off, but there's no way I'm way off.

All I know is if I were setting up there, I know I would not be humping all that $hit back to my vehicle. I'd be selling it. Lightening the load. Making some scratch. Going to the Amish market for some baby backs afterwards.

You were right on with the whole greed thing though. They could be selling those guns for 1/2 of what they were asking and still be making a 100 percent profit. So if it was about the bottom line, they're not very good business men/women.

There was crap in there with 400-500 percent mark-up over what they paid C.A.I.

Another misguided theory of mine is that they use what they have as business inventory for tax reasons of some kind. But I would have to don my CPA cap to dig into it further.

All I know is they have zero intentions of selling firearms with ridiculously high mark-ups on their beat up and rusty wares. Even the somewhat uninitiated buyers amongst us know a $hitty deal when they smell it.

 

[Lou45]

Not true. They do not permit sales of any post 1898 firearms. If someone has one on their table or attempts to sell one they will be "disqualified". The tables are inspected every few hours by monitors. They have many of these people that are assigned to a certain number of tables. Mine made me zip tie my guns on Saturday. This is not an ordinary show. I basically had to sign a contract to abide by the rules or get out and stay out. They are very strict about the rules. There are some displays of post 1898 guns, but are for display only, no sale!

No

Only true for handguns. They display and sell rifles made after 1898

Yes

Right, I could have been more clear on that. No post-1898 handguns, but still did not see any present day modern long guns. Probably WWII at the latest.

This ^^^ is correct.

 

[Doctor_M]

You definitely have to be cautious there about prices. I won't let myself buy anything until I've made a pass to every table... keep an eye for some good buys and you can find them. If nothing else, you can play that old game where dealer x has an item for 200 less then dealer y. I've never paid asking price for anything there and have probably bought two dozen pieces over the years. Best option is if you can find two of something you want on a single table... that's when you can start making deals. I actually picked up a nice modern rifle (they occasionally have those mixed in) at a fairly good deal, and a Frank Wesson piece that I've been looking for a long time. Usually I can pick up some .32 and .41 rim fire to feed my habit, but nothing was reasonable this year. I did pick up a couple of loose rounds of .38 rimfire for a good deal and 3 WWI Remington Mark II/III 10 ga Very Shells. On the rare occasion that I've seen them in the past, they were 70-80 a shell... I got 3 for 20 and they look like they could still be good. Always fun just to walk around and gaze at history.

 

[Doctor_M]

Was most assuredly was lighter crowd than I've ever seen. Usually I get a little claustrophobic pressing between people and squeezing between rows. Not this year. Actually made it more pleasant (but I'm not a dealer).

 

[Cochise]

I've gotten some really great deals there in the past. This year my wish list was pretty small and specific so no new toys.
I did score on some MEC die sets in a plastic baggy for 5 bucks, I didnt know what all was there but figured it was worth more than 5 dollars. It turned out to be 2 complete sets of 600 JR old style dies in 20 & 16 gauges so worth around 175 or so.
Last year I got a really nice Manufrance Ideal 12 gauge for reasonable to low dollars, I had been looking for one for about 5 years.

 

[HeatSeeker]

Was most assuredly was lighter crowd than I've ever seen. Usually I get a little claustrophobic pressing between people and squeezing between rows. Not this year. Actually made it more pleasant (but I'm not a dealer).

It was like that Saturday for most of the afternoon. Elbow to elbow.

Definitely a lighter crowd today(Sunday). I did manage to sell my Baby Russian and an old Remington Iroquois that needs a lot of TLC.

 

[KMK1862]

I was not impressed with this show compared to this show I attended 4 years ago. I saw some nice items and hung out with some friends that I hadn't seen in a while.

Oh and as far as prices are concerned. I am not paying $650 for an RC K98k with no bluing and the markings peened. My buddy countered with a more than fair offer of $450 and the dealer was like "Nah, can't go any lower than $600." I guess there is a sucker born every day, but thankfully it wasn't anyone in my crowd.

On the flip side, I saw a lot of Gew.98s still in their WW1 condition, with the Lange sights. Probably the most I have ever seen under one roof, along with the aforementioned T-Gewehrs.

 

[Jaybeez]

I picked up an "alpine sporter", a schmidt rubin 1911 converted to a 308 hunting rifle in the 60's for $225. its got a '44 dated springfield barrel on it that has been taper profiled. drilled and tapped for weaver mounts and wearing a cruddy 4x scope.

I wasnt looking for it. I never intended to buy something like that, but I couldnt pass it up. its solid and swiss and 308. a no brainer purchase. especially since my wife handed me a roll of cash for my brithday as I was heading out to the show.

my buddy got a good deal on something he wanted too.