Hickory, NC Gun Show this weekend (9/14-9/15)

cubrock

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The C&E Gun Show is coming to Hickory, NC this weekend, September 14-15. This has historically been one of the best "small town" gun shows in the state. Lots of private sellers, lots of people walking in with guns to sell or trade. Also, a good number of big, new gun dealers with everything under the sun.

We will be there in the back room, which has become known as the "real gun show," as the guy that manages it is pretty picky in who he lets back there. If you come, please stop by and say hello! We like meeting forum members!

Concessions here are pretty good. The freshly fried potato chip plate is awesome!
 
@Jeppo, if'n it rains on Saturday, I have a Kitchen Pass... jus' sayin'.
Cookie Wife just told me to send you a message to see whether you’re “in”. I’m goin’ rain or shine. No way I’m missing out on them chips. :D
 
@cubrock ,,, I’ve got to ask. What’s in “ The real gun show” room?
Collectibles, milsurp, lotsa wood and steel...if your inventory is 90% new plastic, jewelry, tasers, or jerky, ya prolly don't get a table back there lol
 
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@cubrock ,,, I’ve got to ask. What’s in “ The real gun show” room?


Guns. Mags. Gun parts. Militaria. REAL surplus gear. More guns.

The back room at Hickory used to be filled by the promoter during the Obama years. It holds about 55 tables, with the front room holding about 400-450. As shows waned during the late Obama years, the promoter closed the back room because he couldn’t get enough dealers to fill it and pay the extra rent it cost. This led to a lot of local people complaining that “half the show was closed” and they should get half off admission , etc. Show attendance started dropping because of it.

So, the promoter and one of the long-time dealers cut a deal where that dealer rents the whole room and fills it with dealers he selects. He can’t take from the regular pool of dealers who are in the big room.

The result is an improved gun show all the way around. The guy who runs the back room is picky on who he lets back there. No candles, soap, jerky, etc. He had one guy show up with “gun related stuff” that turned out to be door mats with gun logos. Door mat guy didn’t get an invitation back.

Most of the gun dealers in the back room sell used guns. There are a lot of collectible guns in the mix back there, along with several private sellers. The back room looks like all gun shows used to look years ago, which is why a lot of people refer to it as “the real gun show.”

The downside to the back room is it gets less foot traffic. There are two huge roll-up doors that allow entrance to it from the front room, but gun show attendees tend to be lazy and unobservant. Can’t tell you how many times we hear “I didn’t know you were back here!” That is getting better as we continue to set up back there. There is a growing group of people who now come to the back room first when they get in the show.
 
Guns. Mags. Gun parts. Militaria. REAL surplus gear. More guns.

The back room at Hickory used to be filled by the promoter during the Obama years. It holds about 55 tables, with the front room holding about 400-450. As shows waned during the late Obama years, the promoter closed the back room because he couldn’t get enough dealers to fill it and pay the extra rent it cost. This led to a lot of local people complaining that “half the show was closed” and they should get half off admission , etc. Show attendance started dropping because of it.

So, the promoter and one of the long-time dealers cut a deal where that dealer rents the whole room and fills it with dealers he selects. He can’t take from the regular pool of dealers who are in the big room.

The result is an improved gun show all the way around. The guy who runs the back room is picky on who he lets back there. No candles, soap, jerky, etc. He had one guy show up with “gun related stuff” that turned out to be door mats with gun logos. Door mat guy didn’t get an invitation back.

Most of the gun dealers in the back room sell used guns. There are a lot of collectible guns in the mix back there, along with several private sellers. The back room looks like all gun shows used to look years ago, which is why a lot of people refer to it as “the real gun show.”

The downside to the back room is it gets less foot traffic. There are two huge roll-up doors that allow entrance to it from the front room, but gun show attendees tend to be lazy and unobservant. Can’t tell you how many times we hear “I didn’t know you were back here!” That is getting better as we continue to set up back there. There is a growing group of people who now come to the back room first when they get in the show.


Man that’s great to hear. I don’t Tommy because of all the other BS stuff there. Truly wish I was closer.
 
@cubrock
I didn't know you were back there! o_O
 
This one time, at band camp....oh, wait. Wrong story.
This one time, at Hickory Gun Show, I bough a gun in that back room then sold it before I could made it halfway across the main floor and then had @knifeman32 rob me of my money on behalf of my wife before I could make it outside lol.
That's the last time I took her to any show lol
I do miss seein Jerek at the shows, even if he has a knack for talkin my wife into costin me money lol
 
Fewer CBD candles and muffins.
... and less beef jerky. Not that I haven't bought any at the show before, but that's not what I go for



... usually

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Guns. Mags. Gun parts. Militaria. REAL surplus gear. More guns.

The back room at Hickory used to be filled by the promoter during the Obama years. It holds about 55 tables, with the front room holding about 400-450. As shows waned during the late Obama years, the promoter closed the back room because he couldn’t get enough dealers to fill it and pay the extra rent it cost. This led to a lot of local people complaining that “half the show was closed” and they should get half off admission , etc. Show attendance started dropping because of it.

So, the promoter and one of the long-time dealers cut a deal where that dealer rents the whole room and fills it with dealers he selects. He can’t take from the regular pool of dealers who are in the big room.

The result is an improved gun show all the way around. The guy who runs the back room is picky on who he lets back there. No candles, soap, jerky, etc. He had one guy show up with “gun related stuff” that turned out to be door mats with gun logos. Door mat guy didn’t get an invitation back.

Most of the gun dealers in the back room sell used guns. There are a lot of collectible guns in the mix back there, along with several private sellers. The back room looks like all gun shows used to look years ago, which is why a lot of people refer to it as “the real gun show.”

The downside to the back room is it gets less foot traffic. There are two huge roll-up doors that allow entrance to it from the front room, but gun show attendees tend to be lazy and unobservant. Can’t tell you how many times we hear “I didn’t know you were back here!” That is getting better as we continue to set up back there. There is a growing group of people who now come to the back room first when they get in the show.
I browse the front room first, and quickly, then I spend the lions share of my time looking through the stuff in the back room. Like you said... what gun shows used to look like.

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This one time, at band camp....oh, wait. Wrong story.
This one time, at Hickory Gun Show, I bough a gun in that back room then sold it before I could made it halfway across the main floor and then had @knifeman32 rob me of my money on behalf of my wife before I could make it outside lol.
That's the last time I took her to any show lol
I do miss seein Jerek at the shows, even if he has a knack for talkin my wife into costin me money lol
Speaking of Jerek... any updates? I miss seeing them at the shows also. Haven't gotten a good deal on any new stuff at the shows since he's been gone. Hopefully he and his family are doing well.

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Speaking of Jerek... any updates? I miss seeing them at the shows also. Haven't gotten a good deal on any new stuff at the shows since he's been gone. Hopefully he and his family are doing well.

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I think the last I heard was a thread on here around April or so. Seemed as if he and the family was doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances.
He's had a couple threads on here with stuff to ship and he's got some listings on GB, and last I heard he's still not doing ftf stuff, cuz, well, health.
 
Speaking of Jerek... any updates? I miss seeing them at the shows also. Haven't gotten a good deal on any new stuff at the shows since he's been gone. Hopefully he and his family are doing well.

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He came up to Hillsville two weekends ago. He is doing well. His treatments are going well. I didn't see Caitlin and River, as they didn't wander into the building where we were set up, but I did see Colt with Jerek's dad. Little Colt ain't so little anymore!
 
Lids have football and cheer, but I'm gonna try to come saturday afternoon. I need to bend your ear anyway, as I'm trying to acquire enough inventory to justify a booth and a weekend tied up there.
 
... Little Colt ain't so little anymore!

Man, they grow up so fast. My one and only child...my daughter, turned 13 today. I thought people were full of it when they talked about cherishing the moments because they do grow up so quickly... they were right. My wife and I were 40 when we had her, so I don't want her to grow up so quickly, but I hope I make it long enough to see grandchildren. I can spoil them, and send them home...lol. I want a grandson to take shooting, as my little girl wants nothing to do with it!

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This one time, at band camp....oh, wait. Wrong story.
This one time, at Hickory Gun Show, I bough a gun in that back room then sold it before I could made it halfway across the main floor and then had @knifeman32 rob me of my money on behalf of my wife before I could make it outside lol.
That's the last time I took her to any show lol
I do miss seein Jerek at the shows, even if he has a knack for talkin my wife into costin me money lol

He came up to Hillsville two weekends ago. He is doing well. His treatments are going well. I didn't see Caitlin and River, as they didn't wander into the building where we were set up, but I did see Colt with Jerek's dad. Little Colt ain't so little anymore!

Speaking of Jerek... any updates? I miss seeing them at the shows also. Haven't gotten a good deal on any new stuff at the shows since he's been gone. Hopefully he and his family are doing well.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk


I'm hanging in there guys. I've still got somewhere around 2 years of chemo left though it isn't as invasive and as often as it was. I basically go in once a month for IV chemo and a lumbar puncture with chemo as well. I also take daily chemo pills and another dose of weekly chemo pills. Even though the chemo isn't as often, my counts still stay compromised. Our doctor's have known since the beginning that my bone marrow is extremely sensitive to pretty much any chemo so my white blood cell counts and neutrophils still stay compromised. Basically I have a very small window once a month that I can actually go places with the kids, etc.. and not have to be extremely worried about getting sick due to my monthly steroid treatment. And to be honest, I still get uneasy even then. I have been to hillsville every year since I was born, except for last year. Chemo was in full force at that point and I couldn't manage it. I was able to go this year although briefly, I enjoyed it. Didn't buy a single gun. I did get to see @cubrock which is always a great time. He's always been a great friend to me and my family .

On a side note, Colt ended up with over 300 hotwheels cars and River ended up with a stable full of toy horses. That is what I call a win.


I do miss seeing everyone at the shows. It's tough going through the same routine for several years and making so many good friends to basically just having to stop all at once. But we have adjusted. Granted things have changed a bit. I've been fortunate enough to make many contacts in this industry and I've been buying and selling estates and collections online instead of facing crowds at gun shows and risking getting sick. It's a change of pace and allows me to spend more time with my babies. It's also a lot easier on Caitlin. For those that know how many guns we sold at shows, Caitlin worked triple overtime every week just to keep up with paperwork. It's much easier simply packing and shipping guns than filling out a million 4473's. As a best case scenario, it will be at least another 2 years before I will be able to return to shows. But you never know, I may just show up at a show one day and talk to all of my old friends. It just has to fall in my steroid and boosted white cell count period.
 
I'm hanging in there guys. I've still got somewhere around 2 years of chemo left though it isn't as invasive and as often as it was. I basically go in once a month for IV chemo and a lumbar puncture with chemo as well. I also take daily chemo pills and another dose of weekly chemo pills. Even though the chemo isn't as often, my counts still stay compromised. Our doctor's have known since the beginning that my bone marrow is extremely sensitive to pretty much any chemo so my white blood cell counts and neutrophils still stay compromised. Basically I have a very small window once a month that I can actually go places with the kids, etc.. and not have to be extremely worried about getting sick due to my monthly steroid treatment. And to be honest, I still get uneasy even then. I have been to hillsville every year since I was born, except for last year. Chemo was in full force at that point and I couldn't manage it. I was able to go this year although briefly, I enjoyed it. Didn't buy a single gun. I did get to see @cubrock which is always a great time. He's always been a great friend to me and my family .

On a side note, Colt ended up with over 300 hotwheels cars and River ended up with a stable full of toy horses. That is what I call a win.


I do miss seeing everyone at the shows. It's tough going through the same routine for several years and making so many good friends to basically just having to stop all at once. But we have adjusted. Granted things have changed a bit. I've been fortunate enough to make many contacts in this industry and I've been buying and selling estates and collections online instead of facing crowds at gun shows and risking getting sick. It's a change of pace and allows me to spend more time with my babies. It's also a lot easier on Caitlin. For those that know how many guns we sold at shows, Caitlin worked triple overtime every week just to keep up with paperwork. It's much easier simply packing and shipping guns than filling out a million 4473's. As a best case scenario, it will be at least another 2 years before I will be able to return to shows. But you never know, I may just show up at a show one day and talk to all of my old friends. It just has to fall in my steroid and boosted white cell count period.
That's great to hear. You'll be back, and we'll be here waiting on you when you are ready!

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I'm hanging in there guys. I've still got somewhere around 2 years of chemo left though it isn't as invasive and as often as it was. I basically go in once a month for IV chemo and a lumbar puncture with chemo as well. I also take daily chemo pills and another dose of weekly chemo pills. Even though the chemo isn't as often, my counts still stay compromised. Our doctor's have known since the beginning that my bone marrow is extremely sensitive to pretty much any chemo so my white blood cell counts and neutrophils still stay compromised. Basically I have a very small window once a month that I can actually go places with the kids, etc.. and not have to be extremely worried about getting sick due to my monthly steroid treatment. And to be honest, I still get uneasy even then. I have been to hillsville every year since I was born, except for last year. Chemo was in full force at that point and I couldn't manage it. I was able to go this year although briefly, I enjoyed it. Didn't buy a single gun. I did get to see @cubrock which is always a great time. He's always been a great friend to me and my family .

On a side note, Colt ended up with over 300 hotwheels cars and River ended up with a stable full of toy horses. That is what I call a win.


I do miss seeing everyone at the shows. It's tough going through the same routine for several years and making so many good friends to basically just having to stop all at once. But we have adjusted. Granted things have changed a bit. I've been fortunate enough to make many contacts in this industry and I've been buying and selling estates and collections online instead of facing crowds at gun shows and risking getting sick. It's a change of pace and allows me to spend more time with my babies. It's also a lot easier on Caitlin. For those that know how many guns we sold at shows, Caitlin worked triple overtime every week just to keep up with paperwork. It's much easier simply packing and shipping guns than filling out a million 4473's. As a best case scenario, it will be at least another 2 years before I will be able to return to shows. But you never know, I may just show up at a show one day and talk to all of my old friends. It just has to fall in my steroid and boosted white cell count period.

WE miss you, but certainly want you around for a LONG time and to be able to watch those kids grow up!
Take things at Your pace !!
Buncho folks STILL a praying and thnkin of you.
 
My impression was that the show was very busy today. I managed to escape with my empty wallet intact. o_O
 
Pretty crowded this morning. This afternoon, there was less crowd, but we sold more and had fewer tire kickers. Pretty decent day, overall.
 
Sold my G48 and ended up buying a P220 Stainless Elite.
6209147a971d49be27ada02cc2d077fc.jpg
 
cubrock, was your table on the outside wall with your back to the wall ?
I'm trying to figure out if you're the guy that burned me a blister on my PM9.
 
cubrock, was your table on the outside wall with your back to the wall ?
I'm trying to figure out if you're the guy that burned me a blister on my PM9.
Nah. Hes in the back room under the Catawba Collectibles sign.
 
When you walk in the door on the right. There were guys down the right wall
He was on your left of that far right isle

Like soon as you walk in that door. If you didnt veer to the right You would walk into his tables. Probably 8 or so tables
 
cubrock, was your table on the outside wall with your back to the wall ?
I'm trying to figure out if you're the guy that burned me a blister on my PM9.


Nope. I wasn't against a wall at all. I had the rightmost full block in the back room.
 
I was there today - the show had a good turnout, but I was disappointed there was no one enterprising enough to have any good F Beto stuff.

I also fondled, several times, an absolute beauty of a flintlock rifle at one of the tables, .40 cal with gorgeous brass inlays. But they couldn’t take a card, and since I rarely see flintlocks at shows, I didn’t exactly walk in with a super wad of cash in hand.

We’re both relatively local though, so I think we’ll work it out later in the week.
 
One of the private vendors had a heart attack today around 4PM. He was standing talking to a friend and just fell backwards, flat on the floor. There were several vendors who are paramedics/EMTs/firefighters during their day jobs, and they were there in no time flat, once people figured out he was in cardiac arrest. They did CPR on him until Hickory FD and paramedics arrived on the scene. At one point, he was not breathing and had no pulse, but with CPR and an AED, he was breathing on his own when they wheeled him out.

He is in the hospital and is talking. Has some cracked ribs from the CPR and a broken arm from when he fell. Glad he is okay. I've known him for several years. Good guy.
 
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