The Good Lakeland Gun Show May 21-22

[Charles]

The son and I are going this weekend, hope to find some decent priced C & R goodies. We like to go to Brew Hub for a tasty beer afterwards if they are open. If not Dukes's in Plant City for lunch and a beer, they have cowgirls to serve you. Always a good time to hang out with the son, it's his fault I got into C & R guns.

[indy1919a4]

Always a nice show. It can ebb and flow to whats available. Does your heart yearn for something special?

I would not mind finding a 1917 or Vickers tripod.

[pharmer]

Not what it was 40 years ago but it ain't the "Shoot Straight Inventory Display" we get every other month around here. Oh yeah, the SSID show is at the Orlando Fairgrounds on the same days. Such a coincidence. Joe

[indy1919a4]

I do not fully know how so many Florida guns shows have allowed them selves to allow 1 or 2 dealers to dominate a show like that. But enough bad.. Hey a fun little show you may consider is that Hernando Sportsman’s Club Gun & Knife Show. They are not every other week like some and it is a small little show. But it really has heart.

Where as there are some regulars there are also some new folks.

A big plus, it is held right on the range, you can go out and test a gun in real time during the show. Now that is kinda nice..

[George W]

It's the only decent show left in the area. My son and I will be there. He'll likely be bring an M1 to sell or trade off.

[TC6969]

I do not fully know how so many Florida guns shows have allowed them selves to allow 1 or 2 dealers to dominate a show like that.

When you OWN the gun show, you can dominate all you want.

I've not noticed this at either Lakeland club show or in Melbourne, but that's all I've been to in the last 20+ years.

[pharmer]

Wife and I went yesterday. Good show, few hundred tables laid out well. Nothing "cheap." Depending on the drive you can get in before 10 am, see everything twice in 2 hours, exit on Pipkin Rd (well there's a const. detour for now) go over to Florida Ave and take your pick of 50 spots for lunch on the way to I4. Wife and I were back in St Cloud around 2:30. Joe

[George W]

I went yesterday as well. While it is head and shoulders above the Shoot Straight shows, it is but a shadow of its' former self. Lots of decent milsurp, but damn..... if the prices listed there are the true market, my kids are gonna have a hell of good inheritance. I get it that the days of Two for $100 Turk Mausers and Mosins are long gone, but the asking prices seem out of whack. The small parts and accessories seemed to be priced decent though. I picked up a bag of Garand small parts fairly cheap, but walked away from a couple of deals that I now regret not taking.

Long story short; I'm getting old and have turned into a cheap prick. I'll be at the next show too so I can complain then too.

[rentprop1]

I do not fully know how so many Florida guns shows have allowed them selves to allow 1 or 2 dealers to dominate a show like that. But enough bad.. Hey a fun little show you may consider is that Hernando Sportsman’s Club Gun & Knife Show. They are not every other week like some and it is a small little show. But it really has heart.

Where as there are some regulars there are also some new folks.

A big plus, it is held right on the range, you can go out and test a gun in real time during the show. Now that is kinda nice..

a lot of the FL gun shows are like that where the promoters run the show and take up MOST of the show

about the Hernando show....its become the same ole shit it was 10 years ago, the same gun guys ( non dealer ) vendors, with the same stuff ( just a bunch of stuff that hasen't sold since the last show plus a few holsters they found since then ) , in the same table spots, every time you go, this was the problem when it was at the fairgrounds years ago...you could walk in and count on the guy with the pony tail with the over prices Mausers sitting right inside the door to the right..... and there he was with the same guns, same price tags, complaining about the customers being cheap POS, cause they didn't wanna buy anything.
I did that show for a few years and had to just give up on it.....as a dealer getting stuck in the middle isle sandwiched inbetween 2 club member vendors, with 2 boxes of junk holsters, used reloading gear, and an overpriced lever gun.... its their world, their show, but it will never get any better unless they listen to the suggestions and change it up......and yes only thing it's got going is the range, if you wanna pay the $ 14 to test fire the gun you just bought , honestly you should get a free pass, if you bought something at the show to test fire it, but thats just me.

[zeebaron]

I don't think I've ever been to a gun show that wasn't a big dealer in the middle who ran the show.

I wanted to go to Lakeland this weekend, but it would have been $30 worth of gas round trip from Pinellas.