Well I am glad so many of you are not attending the shows. More for me! I go to a lot of shows. I know what stuff is worth. I do a lot of dealing. I quit setting up a long time ago. I walk the floor and end up seeing a lot of good deals. I buy and sell a fair amount. I am only trying to add to my collection, not trying to make money. I only sell if I end up not liking something, or if a gun no longer fills a need for me. I agree there is a lot of high prices, so keep walking or try dealing. I see a good selection at many shows.
I have gotten to know a lot of the dealers. I spend as much time talking with friends as I do looking at guns. That is NEVER a bad day.
Pawn shops here locally probably help clear more theft cases. Their cameras catch license plates, take great pics of the individuals, get copies of ID's and permits as required, get signatures and fingerprints. All items are checked by the police and are held for 14 days for those checks. Stolen items are held back for police. Yes its possible for some items to slip by, but how much stuff at garage sales, flea markets, Craigslist, etc. are also stolen. A LOT are!!!! The police can't check those items.