Gun knife show advice

[espn77]

I have 2 tables and my first gun and knife show. Selling g knives obviously. Most of my knives are 70's case and 80s and 90s remington bullet knives. Do I put prices on everything or let the person ask me what I'm asking for it?
Thanks Keith

[Dinadan]

Just me, but I always figure that if someone is unwilling to display the price, then the price is scary high. So I usually pass on by instead of asking.

[espn77]

I struggle with where to put the prices. Nothing makes me more disappointed than having to remove the 10 year old glue from a knife.

[Paladin]

I have 2 tables and my first gun and knife show. Selling g knives obviously.
Thanks Keith

Keith,
Considering you are located in Muleshoe, where in the world is the show you are headed for?

Ray

[espn77]

Headed to Ruidoso new mexico. About 3 hrs away. Really want to represent the knife community well.

[gsmith7158]

I have 2 tables and my first gun and knife show. Selling g knives obviously.
Thanks Keith

Keith,
Considering you are located in Muleshoe, where in the world is the show you are headed for?

Ray

Ray, I hope you know just recently Muleshoe regraded and poured new concrete to their section of US 84. They are coming up in the world.

[Paladin]

I have 2 tables and my first gun and knife show. Selling g knives obviously.
Thanks Keith

Keith,
Considering you are located in Muleshoe, where in the world is the show you are headed for?

Ray

Ray, I hope you know just recently Muleshoe regraded and poured new concrete to their section of US 84. They are coming up in the world.

Yep, I was thru there in April. Actually, it's my kinda town. It's just a long ways from most anywhere else, at least anywhere big enough to have a gun show. Ruidoso is a nice place and it will probably have a good show.

[espn77]

I'm hoping it will be good. Opening weekend of the horse races. Do you have any advice for a kid in his first show?

[Paladin]

I remember my 1st show pretty clearly. I didn't have a lot to offer and sales were poor, really poor. I guess I would tell you not to get your hopes so high that you set yourself up for a big disappointment. Be friendly and speak to potential customers. Offer to help them find what they are looking for.
Don't forget to take your loupe and I usually take a Traders Book or some such since you'll likely have a chance to make a purchase or two. Get change (bills) before you get there. Have some $1s and some $5s and a $10 or two. I usually take a note pad and pen to keep a record of sales.
Best of luck and be sure to give us a report.

Ray

[espn77]

Thanks so much.

[espn77]

One last question. Does a person ever want to put something on there table that is only for show and not for sale?

[btrwtr]

If you want to ad an item that is not for sale make sure you mark it clearly as such, "NFS" or "Not For Sale" and then don't be surprise if you still get inquiries about selling.

I agree with Dinadan that if the price is not marked I am less likely to ask about the knife. I like to have everything I offer for sale with a price marked. You can always argue price after that but many people will not ask if they don't know what the asking price is.

Good luck with the show!

[espn77]

Thanks everyone for the great advice

Keith

[vfdsrneat]

I have not done a gun & knife show so I cannot answer your question but since we are neighbors I thought I'd say hello.

[Baykeeper]

Dang, just drove through where that show will be and will miss it.
Having done shows, (not gun shows, but a show is a show, selling is selling), I agree; price everything, but also be open to dickering within reason. Price a little high then come down a little to make the buyer feel they are getting a deal, (don't offer,a discount unless they ask for one, then give 'em your bottom line). I just bought a pair of knives at a gun show where the seller was pretty firm on the individual prices, but accepted my counter offer of a combined deal; win win, he sold two knives, I got a reasonable deal. Above all do your research and know the current relative value of what you are selling and price accordingly. A collector at your table will probably already know what a knife's value is, and might also know much more about a particular knife/frame/maker than you do. If you know at least a little something too then you can both arrive at a price that works for both of you. You also have to be THE expert to casual knife buyers.

Some general show hints:

Get yourself a comfortable folding chair but be prepared to stand all day.
Have someone there to help watch your table unless you have an iron bladder.
Bring your own food, show food is costy. I've done shows where I spent more on food than I made at the show.
Try to not let the promoter stick you in a low traffic closet if possible.
Be prepared to suffer fools, remember they have money in their pockets too.
Have a mixture of tactical and traditional knives if possible
Be friendly, outgoing and helpful, (even to those fools I mentioned above).

In case you want to scope out your competition and see how others are displaying their knives, I took some photos at a gun show In Marietta, GA last month of the only knife seller at the show. That is where I got the "two fer" deal. Good luck and good fortunes!

[espn77]

That's awsome advice. Critique my displays. All of this is so helpful

[jerryd6818]

I have not done a gun & knife show so I cannot answer your question but since we are neighbors I thought I'd say hello.

Welcome to AAPK. Glad to have you aboard.

[leggo]

I don't know , but I think it stop the guy who wants to spend $30 from asking you how much you want for your $100 knife.

[Baykeeper]

That's awsome advice. Critique my displays. All of this is so helpful

Great display, beautiful. Lots of collectible candy there. I like that you have them arranged the way you do, (though there is room for more; look at the cases in the photos I posted...they are stuffed). Personally, if I were one of your customers I'd be looking at traditional folders, but to see them all I would need to look into ALL the cases; that's smart.
Be thinking ahead too. What if you sold half the knives you have on a good day? What then? What about the next show? Will you still have a decent display worth paying a booth fee for next week? I remember my life being all about having enough inventory to go on the next show, so do yourself a favor & have a plan. Nothing looks so bad as a display case that is only half full. Think about the shelves in a grocery store. Ever notice they are stocked to the gills? One of the main reasons for that is that it looks good to the customer and stimulates sales, so keep your inventory up and your cases looking full. Also remember that most folks carry around an average of $40 in their pocket as "disposable" income. YOU want that money, so make sure you have items priced accordingly. Have some higher ticket items, but your bread & butter will come from the moderately priced inventory. Not all of your customers will be a rabid, undisciplined "collectors" willing to spend stoopid money on a knife, (like me), so have inventory for the "casual" knife buyer too.
Also, part of being a success at shows is doing the RIGHT show. You'll find that some shows do better than others, but unfortunately the only way to know is to do it. You must be prepared for the occasional slow weekend, don't get discouraged when that happens. Eventually you will learn which shows are worth your time, (and money). Sometimes getting your booth fee back is a success, look at it that way and forge ahead.
Just a test to give me an idea of your pricing; what are you asking for that Camillus Marlin Spike?

[espn77]

$35 on that knife

[espn77]

All the things you said are very much appreciated

[Baykeeper]

$35 on that knife

About right. I found one at a yard sale last summer for $20, but you are at about what they are going for out on the bay, (I'd be offering $30 though). Do you know how to do a "Completed Listing" search on the exchange? If not send me a PM and I'll tell you how to do that, it is a very good tool for discovering what we used to call "street price" in the musical instrument business. Not the be all end all source of such info, but a good indicator and a good place to start.
I meant to mention also; Yes, put up a "Not for Sale" display if you think it will attract attention to your booth, (will help make your display look full(er)), but make sure it is clearly marked. You can use that to start a conversation with a prospective customer, and that could lead to a sale. Be excited about your products, be an ambassador of knife collecting, and you will find your excitement will breed excitement in prospective customers, and excitement sells.

[Bamarick]

Your displays are nicely done and very neat. Like Baykeeper said though, you should try to get a few more into each case if you can. Look at it like you are renting the tables so you should put as much product out there as possible. I try to separate brands as much as possible and it looks like you have pretty much done that as well. I try to carry as many knives as I can and even carry boxes of extras to fill in when I sell some. I prefer to put a price on each individual knife. On my Case knives I will put the year the knife was made and then put the price I'm asking right under the year of manufacture. You will find that a lot of folks will want to know the age of the knife. A lot of customers will relate to the age of the knife as well. If you don't know when the knife was made just say "I'm not sure". If they are really interested in the knife they will have a good idea about its age most of the time. The time of year the show is held makes a lot of difference here in Alabama. I set up at a show last weekend and it was pretty much dead. I only sold two knives on Saturday. Thankfully things were a lot better on Sunday, which is not usually the case. Always thank the customer, even though they might not have purchased a knife this time. Be polite, your patience will be tested at times. Give the customers a fair deal and they will come back again and again. I have customers who come to the local shows just to buy from me. Last, but not least, always carry a few just for the ladies and chat with the kids if they come around. Good Luck.

Rick

[espn77]

Thanks Rick. I will try to implement all the ideas you gave me

[Dinadan]

Espn - those are very nice looking displays in my opinion. I still think you should put a price tag next to the knives, or some of them at least. Everything you have looks like good classy stuff - just the kind of thing I like to look at. But, based on what I see folks carrying out of shows, maybe you should have some cheap, grotesque daggers festooned with spikes and fake gems for the young folks. Good luck and let us know how it works out!