Charlotte gun show?

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Roger Webb

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Does anyone know if Dixie is ever coming back to Charlotte for a gun show? I miss wandering through all those vendor tables in one space.
 
The Park kicked the gun show out. Second time they have done that. Dixie has tried finding another venue, but finding one that will allow the show and has adequate parking has been the rub.
 
cubrock said:
The Park kicked the gun show out. Second time they have done that. Dixie has tried finding another venue, but finding one that will allow the show and has adequate parking has been the rub.
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The Park?
 
As a native, this is sad to hear. I have attended the Dixie Gun & Knife show in Charlotte for a lot of years. IMO it was the best offering in the area, certainly the largest. I liked the switch from Metrolina to The Park as it put everything into a single space as the parking lot was not muddy 😄. Maybe one of the adjacent counties will connect with DG&K. The closest I remember in our post COVID world has been Hickory or Fayetteville.
 
Roger Webb said:
As a native, this is sad to hear. I have attended the Dixie Gun & Knife show in Charlotte for a lot of years. IMO it was the best offering in the area, certainly the largest. I liked the switch from Metrolina to The Park as it put everything into a single space as the parking lot was not muddy 😄. Maybe one of the adjacent counties will connect with DG&K. The closest I remember in our post COVID world has been Hickory or Fayetteville.
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I was curious if Metrolina got a name change. It's been a long while, but I didn't mind the shows there. I have no experience with The Park.

The last show I've been to in Charlotte was at the Merchandise Mart, some three or four years ago, maybe?
 
Anybody ever been to anything here?

Camp North End

Camp North End: Charlotte's vibrant 76-acre hub for work, play, events, and community. Explore creative workspaces, dining, art, and innovation.
camp.nc camp.nc

I saw where they had a bike show I might have gone to, with the possibility of leaving immediately. Not sure of the vibe of this place.

www.thecongregationshow.com

The Congregation Show

www.thecongregationshow.com www.thecongregationshow.com
 
kcult said:
The last show I've been to in Charlotte was at the Merchandise Mart, some three or four years ago, maybe?
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That’s The Park. Right next to Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium. It hasn’t been called the Merchandise Mart in quite awhile, but it’s the same place.
 
Roger Webb said:
As a native, this is sad to hear. I have attended the Dixie Gun & Knife show in Charlotte for a lot of years. IMO it was the best offering in the area, certainly the largest. I liked the switch from Metrolina to The Park as it put everything into a single space as the parking lot was not muddy 😄. Maybe one of the adjacent counties will connect with DG&K. The closest I remember in our post COVID world has been Hickory or Fayetteville.
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I loved Metrolina. Cold and muddy, a true "country" feeling. The Merchandise Mart had a 2005 Eastland Mall feel to it. Went twice in one visit, my first and last.
 
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SimpleMan said:
Anybody ever been to anything here?

Camp North End

Camp North End: Charlotte's vibrant 76-acre hub for work, play, events, and community. Explore creative workspaces, dining, art, and innovation.
camp.nc camp.nc

I saw where they had a bike show I might have gone to, with the possibility of leaving immediately. Not sure of the vibe of this place.

www.thecongregationshow.com

The Congregation Show

www.thecongregationshow.com www.thecongregationshow.com
Click to expand...
Camp North End is an old Ford factory turned missile factory turned warehouse turned hipster event venue. It’s where the VanGogh experience was. Pretty cool facility. I would fall outta my chair they’d allow “those people” and their “guns” to have an event.
 
9outof10mms said:
Camp North End is an old Ford factory turned missile factory turned warehouse turned hipster event venue. It’s where the VanGogh experience was. Pretty cool facility. I would fall outta my chair they’d allow “those people” and their “guns” to have an event.
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Do they prohibit concealed carry there?
 
SimpleMan said:
Do they prohibit concealed carry there?
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There are a few words in the Engrish language that I don’t know how to read when lumped together. Unfortunately those ones are some of them. So couldn’t tell ya!

Seriously though, I don’t recall signs. The VanGogh thing might have had something in their rules but no detectors or other active measures. The bigger issue is being in a crap part of town. I’ll be damned if I’m not allowed to carry where the homeless population is larger than the regular population.
 
SimpleMan said:
Anybody ever been to anything here?

Camp North End

Camp North End: Charlotte's vibrant 76-acre hub for work, play, events, and community. Explore creative workspaces, dining, art, and innovation.
camp.nc camp.nc

I saw where they had a bike show I might have gone to, with the possibility of leaving immediately. Not sure of the vibe of this place.

www.thecongregationshow.com

The Congregation Show

www.thecongregationshow.com www.thecongregationshow.com
Click to expand...

Went to the Congregation. Awesome show aimed primarily at old school bikes / choppers with the 1950's-1970's in mind. For that type of event it's an awesome venue. I posted some pics somewhere on this forum maybe two years ago.

.
 
9outof10mms said:
The Monroe Ag Center would be a good alternative place for Charlotte. Probably attract a good family.
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Gem Capitol holds a show there. Not sure how much they advertise, but the couple times we did it, the crowd was underwhelming.
 
Pinto said:
There was one there just this month, Dec 10-11. When I was there on Sunday, it was lightly attended but one vendor said that the Saturday attendance was quite strong.
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I haven’t done it since before COVID. I think it could do quite well with adequate advertising, especially in Charlotte.
 
cubrock said:
Gem Capitol holds a show there. Not sure how much they advertise, but the couple times we did it, the crowd was underwhelming.
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I missed this. Would have attended had I known…where does Gem Capitol advertise schedule? Any good sources for Charlotte area shows?
 

I think Sixshooters Gun shows has one in the Charlotte area as well.

There is also the Concord gun show out on by C&E several times a year. It is hit or miss on being worth attending.
 
cubrock said:

I think Sixshooters Gun shows has one in the Charlotte area as well.

There is also the Concord gun show out on by C&E several times a year. It is hit or miss on being worth attending.
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Every 6 shooters show I've been to has been awful, unfortunately. I miss the days of the Dixie gun show.
 
Doberman5.0 said:
Every 6 shooters show I've been to has been awful, unfortunately. I miss the days of the Dixie gun show.
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Man I just went to the Salisbury one last weekend when trading with a guy from here and you’re right.. just kind of a pitifully weird experience
 
kcult said:
The last show I've been to in Charlotte was at the Merchandise Mart
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Back in the 1900s.......in the 80s to be exact....Mike and I used to save our money all year to have a table at the "Big Show' at the Merchandise Mart. There were 1,300+ tables with paid attendance of over 10,000 people. It was a steady line moving one person at a time by tables. On several occasions we bought guns there and stopped in Monroe on the way home and shot guns beside the road. Try that today....didn't raise an eyebrow 40 years ago.

We stopped going to all N.C. gun shows when they were locking people up around the picnic tables buying and selling at the fairgrounds.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Back in the 1900s.......in the 80s to be exact....Mike and I used to save our money all year to have a table at the "Big Show' at the Merchandise Mart. There were 1,300+ tables with paid attendance of over 10,000 people. It was a steady line moving one person at a time by tables. On several occasions we bought guns there and stopped in Monroe on the way home and shot guns beside the road. Try that today....didn't raise an eyebrow 40 years ago.

We stopped going to all N.C. gun shows when they were locking people up around the picnic tables buying and selling at the fairgrounds.
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My most memorable Charlotte gun show moments;

Buying my first handgun at 19 years old at the Merchandise Mart. A S&W 29-2. Nickel plated in the presentation box. Yeah, I know.

The other, was when I watched a grown ass man, at the fairgrounds, steal an ammo can full of ammo from the Georgia Arms table. Also saw him reach through two guys and steal a few boxes of Gold Dots. While Dad was looking for security, my son and I followed him over to the magazine lady. I told my son to watch him. Sure enough, he reached out, grabbed several mags, then shoved them in his pocket. My son looked up at me in disbelief.

Yes, he was arrested. Turns out he had also stolen a couple of handguns, too. All the stuff was in his car.

Oddly enough, he looked like he could have been any of us, here. Almost like he stepped off the golf course, and decided to steal some stuff.
 
There’s got to be a market for resurrecting—scratch that; reinventing the gun show. To get 10,000 customers paying $6 or $7 each, that’s a cash cow waiting to be milked! Plus vendor table fees.

I know there are costs of doing business like staff and security and facility fees. But still.

It would be great to have a central location to hold one or two kick ass shows a year. I’m talking a gleans of an NRA/SHOT Show and an old school gun show. New products to fondle and everything else to buy. Even if I don’t buy a single thing, it would be worth the price of admission to just kill half a day browsing.

Have strict rules of no BS like beef jerky and Chinese tasers. Legit military surplus and items directly related to firearms.

If I had the grounds for parking and covered sales space I’d be your Huckleberry.
 
9outof10mms said:
There’s got to be a market for resurrecting—scratch that; reinventing the gun show. To get 10,000 customers paying $6 or $7 each, that’s a cash cow waiting to be milked! Plus vendor table fees.

I know there are costs of doing business like staff and security and facility fees. But still.

It would be great to have a central location to hold one or two kick ass shows a year. I’m talking a gleans of an NRA/SHOT Show and an old school gun show. New products to fondle and everything else to buy. Even if I don’t buy a single thing, it would be worth the price of admission to just kill half a day browsing.

Have strict rules of no BS like beef jerky and Chinese tasers. Legit military surplus and items directly related to firearms.

If I had the grounds for parking and covered sales space I’d be your Huckleberry.
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Nope.
There was less regulation, people were less afraid of the law and the law was less concerned with the shows.
There were a lot more guns for sale because there were fewer other outlets. Gun trader is gone, but the internet is thousands of times what it ever was. With the internet options there simply aren’t as many buyers or sellers.
Also, with the internet the pricing has become boringly consistent and if anything you pay a premium at shows.
They can never again be what they were.
 
JimB said:
Also, with the internet the pricing has become boringly consistent and if anything you pay a premium at shows.
They can never again be what they were.
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While this isn't even apples and oranges, in S.C. the gun show experience still exists. Face to Face sales with a DL only and prices are all over the place. Gun Broker prices do not apply here to knowledgeable buyers. They realize that when sales tax, shipping and FFL fees are included it gets pricey. @Etruett has the best Gun Show savvy of anybody I have ever known. Firearms here can be bought for 75% of GB prices. Glocks still sell for $350-$450 for the common models. I see S&W 2 1/2 inch 66s go from $400 to $1,200. You just gotta be patient.
The old Merchandise Mart Show conjures up some of the best Firearms memories of my life. Ifin ya ever make it this way we'll share some..BB
 
JimB said:
They can never again be what they were.
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"The Hill" at the Hillsville, Va. Labor Day Gun Show and Flea Market.
Traders literally covered that hill. A lotta shotgun-n-22 tradin'. S&W. Nice varmint rifles. What-have-ya.

Which one of those Charlotte shows was the one that took up 3 or 4 large buildings and took half a day for the 1st round?
I wanna say it was off Harris Blvd.
All this makes a fella wax nostalgic. :confused:🤠
 
HawgBonz said:
"The Hill" at the Hillsville, Va. Labor Day Gun Show and Flea Market.
Traders literally covered that hill. A lotta shotgun-n-22 tradin'. S&W. Nice varmint rifles. What-have-ya.

Which one of those Charlotte shows was the one that took up 3 or 4 large buildings and took half a day for the 1st round?
I wanna say it was off Harris Blvd.
All this makes a fella wax nostalgic. :confused:🤠
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That was the Metrolina Merchandise Mart. Kinda sorta WT Harris area.
 
Gator said:
Metrolina Expo was on Sunset Road. Merchandise Mart is next to Bojangles Arena.

.
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Yeah you’re right.

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