Sipsey Street Irregulars: Brief report on AGCA show, Birmingham.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Brief report on AGCA show, Birmingham.

In a word, it was lousy. Poor turnout and poor sales complained of by every vendor, including those with ammo and reloading components. July is historically one of the worst months for firearm sales and it seems that we are slouching back toward that old paradigm. Now, I will say that AGCA continues to cut its own throat by having the show at the Birmingham Civic Center, where the parking is scarce and if you get there late you've got a choice between a prohibitively expensive parking garage (which may be full if there's another couple of events elsewhere in the complex -- which there often is) and parking further out where public parking abuts inner city neighborhoods containing a number of budding Trayvons who specialize in identifying and breaking into gun show attendee's cars. (A good friend had his broken into a few years back and the only weapon they didn't steal was a carry piece stashed in a used McDonald's bag.) The AGCA has enough resources to arrange another venue but the leadership sticks with the Civic Center year in and year out even though they know the difficulties of the place suppresses the turnout.

It has been suggested by members (of whom I am not one) that the AGCA could easily find an old grocery store somehwere convenient to the freeways in a much safer part of town and lease the bloody thing, using it for its own shows and subleasing it to other organizations. They would, it is estimated by some AGCA members smarter about such things than me, actually make a ton of money doing so. But they continue to hold it at the Civic Center for the inertial excuse that they have always done so. Stupid is as stupid does, according to smart old Mrs. Gump.

In any case, although I made some wonderful new friends last weekend (and reacquainted with some old ones), I made just a fraction of the money I was hoping for, even though I received a couple of healthy subscription donations. I did, however, have plenty of company among other vendors, so I guess it wasn't my bad breath which put off the customers.

The rush to buy arms and ammunition, at least in Birmingham, seems to have peaked. Now if prices will just fall back in line with that new reality.

3 comments:

AJ said...: Had a table at a semi-local show. It was worthwhile, but barely. I sell mostly accessories and oddball ammo, and had to really be willing to wheel and deal, and take trades to make anything move.
I chalk it up as being a typical July show.; July 16, 2013 at 10:54 AM
Anonymous said...: I am starting to see a price drop with some of the distributors that I use. Saw some very nice 7.62x39 the other day for $259.99 per 1000. That is about a hundred dollar drop per case. Also some Makarov 9x18 JHP boxer primed for $17.99 per box of 50. Appears other calibers that have been scarce are also being restocked although on some of the 9x18 stuff they have a 30 box limit. Also the Nagant ammo is still out there but I have seen some of the distributors lowering the price by 10 bucks a spam can. Things are better but not back to normal. Till all this Halfrican inspired panic buying started we were getting 7.62 for $73.90 a case of 1000. Might not see those days again for a while. Also with the Euro as weak as it is against the dollar prices should have fallen based on that alone. Did hear yesterday that the Regime has decided to go after the copper mining industry using the EPA thugs. So that will keep the price of gilding metal higher and of course affect the price of ammo.Always something with these Marxist thugs.; July 16, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Anonymous said...: We, as gun owners, need to boycott the profiteers who have been screwing us 24/7 going on 8 months now.

Stick it to them.; July 17, 2013 at 12:10 PM

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Sipsey Street Irregulars

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Brief report on AGCA show, Birmingham.

3 comments:

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