Jed Clampett said it best "PATHETIC". Since this Venue started back a couple of years ago it has been BAD. Sorry for the Vendors that buy tables and SORRIER yet that BradB and I wasted our time and $ to go. With that said , ALWAYS nice to see Fellow collectors and Vendors who have made collecting a real Fellowship in this area of SE Virginia.
Norfolk (VA) Scope Show Report
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675 Posts
I have wondered how the shows down in Norfolk were. I live in New kent and my Father-In-Law lives in Williamsburg. I was thinking of going someday but maybe I will just stick to the Richmond show. Some people say that it is not that good, but compared to the shows in California it is better.
Charlie, Sorry you had a bad time. Please don't judge all shows in the area by the Scope. The last weekend of September there will be a great show at the Virginia War Museum just across the river. It's put on by the local military historical society and Tidewater Military Traders, a local gunshop that's more of a museum where you can buy the exhibits. Robert House runs the show and it's a great time for collectors, reenactors, and the like. They normally have operational military vehicles, auctions, a myrid of sellers, and the museum is open free. I hope to be coming down from CT to go this year. I think this is their 6th or 7th year and it's gotten better each time. Give it a try, you won't be sorry.
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4,345 Posts
Charlie is making his "call" on the Scope show based on some pretty extensive background with local gun shows... he and his wife have lived here for 30+ years. He is the one that "oriented" me to the area (which has changed quite a bit even since I came here the first time in 2001). He found me wandering the Hampton show in 2002 carrying a SIG barreled 91/24 that I had just purchased for $125; we have been freinds ever since and gun show travelling partners since I moved back in July 2006.
My observations locally are:
The HRMS/Museum show is always great; the vintage military vehicles and re-enactors provide a much better atmosphere than beanie baby vendors often found at more commercial venues. Robert's nightly auctions are also a collector's buffet. BUT, it is only once a year (sad face).
The best "big finds" for my collection recently have come from the Hampton Coliseum show (there is one next weekend). Not a huge number of sellers, but some reliable ones and good walk-ins.
The Richmond shows (both the showplace and the speedway) are pretty good. In addition to the larger and familiar dealers, there always seem to be some collectors selling off some stuff. I have also seen a few nice walk-ins come out of there. There is still some frustration and residual concern from the local police and ATF's "over active" methods at one particular show a couple years back (taking names from a lot of folks doing legal individual sales on the floor).
My opinion on the Scope show is a little better than Charlie's, but not much. The first four rows or so on the right were great, the rest was mostly crap. Promoter is struggling to fill the hall, so there was MUCH that had a a less than strong relationship to guns. This was disappointnig since the Hampton Roads area hasn't had a real show since May ("forcing" us to drive to Richmond and sending Charlie and Badger as far as Chantilly).
My observations locally are:
The HRMS/Museum show is always great; the vintage military vehicles and re-enactors provide a much better atmosphere than beanie baby vendors often found at more commercial venues. Robert's nightly auctions are also a collector's buffet. BUT, it is only once a year (sad face).
The best "big finds" for my collection recently have come from the Hampton Coliseum show (there is one next weekend). Not a huge number of sellers, but some reliable ones and good walk-ins.
The Richmond shows (both the showplace and the speedway) are pretty good. In addition to the larger and familiar dealers, there always seem to be some collectors selling off some stuff. I have also seen a few nice walk-ins come out of there. There is still some frustration and residual concern from the local police and ATF's "over active" methods at one particular show a couple years back (taking names from a lot of folks doing legal individual sales on the floor).
My opinion on the Scope show is a little better than Charlie's, but not much. The first four rows or so on the right were great, the rest was mostly crap. Promoter is struggling to fill the hall, so there was MUCH that had a a less than strong relationship to guns. This was disappointnig since the Hampton Roads area hasn't had a real show since May ("forcing" us to drive to Richmond and sending Charlie and Badger as far as Chantilly).
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1,673 Posts
I didn't go to this one. It's one of the few shows I have missed within a 3 hour radius of Williamsburg, Virginia. The last one I attended (Scope), took about 15 minutes to cover all of my interests. I was born in Norfolk in the year 1950.
Brad, Charlie, and myself combined have probably more than 100 years combined collecting experience. My first gun show was 1969, at age 18. At one of the previous War memorial Museum shows I bought a 95 Winchester barreled action, Russian Contract for $150, and at another a Finn dragoon for $265, a nice 31 Tula.
Charlie and I have been to probably more than 30 local shows together over the past 3 years. My best successes were at the Richmond shows, both Fairgrounds and Showplace, with Chantilly a distant second place. $300 SVT 40, $100 Tikka 91-30 two times, $150 M28-30, $330 Ljungman, beautiful Arisaka with a perfect bayonet, etc.
The show at the Va Beach Pavilion is pretty much the same as Scope, I will drive 3 hours to Chantilly, and the last trip I picked up an all matching KAR 88 WW1 bring back for a great price, and in excellent condition considering it sat in an attic for about 70 years.
If I will drive 3 hours to Chantilly, but not 40 minutes to Scope, just let that be the litmus test of what you should expect at that show. I will attend every show at the war Memorial Museum, the first time I went there (to the museum) Eisenhower was president, and a lot of the "militaria" there now had not been made or was in current inventory in the military.
One thing neither Brad or Charlie mentioned was they are both vets, a big plus in my book, thanks for your service my two friends, its always a pleasure to join both of you on a gun show trip. Six hours on the road passes quickly in the company of freinds, never a sleepy moment for me.
regards
badger
Brad, Charlie, and myself combined have probably more than 100 years combined collecting experience. My first gun show was 1969, at age 18. At one of the previous War memorial Museum shows I bought a 95 Winchester barreled action, Russian Contract for $150, and at another a Finn dragoon for $265, a nice 31 Tula.
Charlie and I have been to probably more than 30 local shows together over the past 3 years. My best successes were at the Richmond shows, both Fairgrounds and Showplace, with Chantilly a distant second place. $300 SVT 40, $100 Tikka 91-30 two times, $150 M28-30, $330 Ljungman, beautiful Arisaka with a perfect bayonet, etc.
The show at the Va Beach Pavilion is pretty much the same as Scope, I will drive 3 hours to Chantilly, and the last trip I picked up an all matching KAR 88 WW1 bring back for a great price, and in excellent condition considering it sat in an attic for about 70 years.
If I will drive 3 hours to Chantilly, but not 40 minutes to Scope, just let that be the litmus test of what you should expect at that show. I will attend every show at the war Memorial Museum, the first time I went there (to the museum) Eisenhower was president, and a lot of the "militaria" there now had not been made or was in current inventory in the military.
One thing neither Brad or Charlie mentioned was they are both vets, a big plus in my book, thanks for your service my two friends, its always a pleasure to join both of you on a gun show trip. Six hours on the road passes quickly in the company of freinds, never a sleepy moment for me.
regards
badger
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74,962 Posts
Never been to that show, but it sounds like manu others I have seen.
Anymore, there are few guns shows that are actually gun shows. Good ones are Tulsa, Kansas City, Indy 1500, Reno, Chantilly, some in Texas I understand. Unfortunately they do not occur often, which may be the reason that they are good.
Anymore, there are few guns shows that are actually gun shows. Good ones are Tulsa, Kansas City, Indy 1500, Reno, Chantilly, some in Texas I understand. Unfortunately they do not occur often, which may be the reason that they are good.
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353 Posts
Charlie, enjoyed talking to you yesterday at the show.
Difficult to get over the $4 parking fee at Scope when
all the other shows have free parking (of course there
is free parking nearby but how much security for "toys"
in vehicle?). There appeared to be less tables than
last time and hardly any ammo dealers. The 91/30 ex-
PU that i pu made my day. 1942 Izhevsk,refurbed match,
scope # on side, no lineouts anywhere, original stock',
(has the fillin splice where originally cut out). Best
part was getting home and finding out the bore was great
+ bright and shiney ! Will be looking forward to seeing
you, Badger and Brad at Hampton next weekend.
Regards
RC
Difficult to get over the $4 parking fee at Scope when
all the other shows have free parking (of course there
is free parking nearby but how much security for "toys"
in vehicle?). There appeared to be less tables than
last time and hardly any ammo dealers. The 91/30 ex-
PU that i pu made my day. 1942 Izhevsk,refurbed match,
scope # on side, no lineouts anywhere, original stock',
(has the fillin splice where originally cut out). Best
part was getting home and finding out the bore was great
+ bright and shiney ! Will be looking forward to seeing
you, Badger and Brad at Hampton next weekend.
Regards
RC
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1,389 Posts
Chantilly and The Showplace are about the only venues that get my entry fee these days. I seldom come away from those shows without getting what I came for. I'm too far (Shenandoah Valley) for the tidewater venues.
We have alot of small venues here that just plain suck too. The Roanoke (civic center) show used to be good (like the Showplace) but I haven't been there for a couple of years.
We have alot of small venues here that just plain suck too. The Roanoke (civic center) show used to be good (like the Showplace) but I haven't been there for a couple of years.
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