If you’re looking for unique gun show finds, they’re coming to an event center near you. When you visit a Midwest Arms Collector Gun Show, you’ll find a lot more on sale from our vendors than the same old commercial guns you’re used to seeing at sporting goods stores. While almost everything is available for sale online now, the range of goods carried by local stores and sellers is contracting thanks to rising rent and supply costs and a public that’s more interested in keeping up with the Kardashians than living their own lives. That’s why if you love collectibles, your local gun show needs to be circled on your calendar.
You’ll find plenty of guns at our shows, but our vendors offer a whole lot more. They know gun owners are interested in a lot more than just guns for hunting, sporting, and self-defense. There are quite a few hobbies and interests that intersect with those of enough gun owners to make renting table space at a local gun show worthwhile. These vendors are just as much a part of our extended Second Amendment community, and we welcome them to our family-friendly gun shows so that there are gun show finds for everyone who walks through our doors, young or old, new-to-guns amateur or experienced professional.
Every one of our shows offers a different and unique mix of vendors and products. While some follow us from town to town, others may only show up at their local shows to sell to their neighbors in their local communities. That means if you have your eye on one-of-a-kind collectibles, every show is your best chance to find just what you’re looking for or something you never knew existed but have to have.
Sure, these are guns, and we just spent all that time talking about how you can find more than guns at a gun show. That’s why we wanted to get this one out of the way early: These firearms are about as far as possible from what you’re used to seeing at the range, carried for defense, or for sale at your local gun shop. Historical weapons give you a snapshot of history and the evolution of firearms. You’ll find both authentic historical firearms and replica reproductions on our sales floor.
Antique military weapons, like the M-1 Garand or the Mosin-Nagant rifle in all its variants, are legal to own and widely available in a range of conditions. Well-used models that tell a story with every scratch in the finish and chip of the stock are usually reasonably priced, giving anyone a cost-effective entry point into this part of the gun-collecting world. Pristine examples that still look like they just rolled off the assembly line may come at a premium and lack the character of their cheaper counterparts, but they always make a beautiful addition to your gun cabinet.
Replicas range from modern reproductions of the muzzleloading rifles that set out west alongside settlers and trappers to commemorative editions of popular six-shooters and lever-actions. These give you the chance to add a piece of America’s history to your collection blended with the reliability of modern manufacturing techniques. Best of all, you don’t have to feel bad about exploring the past by using these modern versions of their ancestors.
Military collectibles, or militaria, give you another way to own a piece of the past centered around the lives of those who fought to preserve our freedoms. Some people pursue this as a way to honor their parents or other relatives who served, assembling collections or shadow boxes filled with items they would have used in the theater of combat. Others focus on aspects of the military over the years, such as a collection based on evolving military communication techniques.
Military surplus is similar to militaria but is largely sold for use rather than for collection. Plenty of excess gear, both used and unused, ends up in the civilian market, where it’s a favorite of hunters, hikers, campers, and scouts coast to coast. From canteens to camping tents and rucksacks, you can outfit your next adventure with (formerly) government-approved equipment.
Antique collectibles are another popular gun show find from both professional antique vendors and private sellers who want to see their family’s old and historical items go to new homes where they’ll be cherished. From cast iron cookware to buckskin clothing, Old West and Frontier items abound. If you’re looking for housewares made to last, you’ll often find vendors who have kitchen and home gadgets from the early to mid-1900s that are still in good condition. Feeling nostalgic, look for the toys and lunchboxes that got you through elementary school–some still fresh in their packages. Whatever your flavor of favorite collectibles, they’ve shown up at one of our gun shows.
Collectible coins and currency are popular for their historical worth, investment value, and, in some cases, their practical use for barter. Coins are durable pieces of history that passed through many hands before they reached yours. The same is true with currency, or “folding money,” which can be harder to find in pristine condition but feature quality artwork you don’t see in production anymore. Starting a collection is as easy as reaching into your pocket, and many of us began collecting by looking for pennies to press into albums. They’re still popular with all ages and make a great way to find something to do with your kids they don’t roll their eyes about.
A subset of coin collecting focuses on bullion or the precious metal value in old coins. Modern coins, bars, and rounds are struck from 99.9% pure precious metal, with silver being an economical entry point, gold (the time-tested bullion champion), and platinum for the high-roller collectors. These can be accumulated as an investment against when fiat currency weakens and precious metal values rise. They are also popular barter items for those who like to keep their transactions paper and paper-trail-free.
Your community is filled with skilled, imaginative craftspeople who are phenomenal quilters, sewers, carvers, painters, furniture makers, and chotchke artisans. It can be hard for them to find a place to offer their projects for sale, and a garage will only hold so much before something has to go to make room for the next one. Gun shows are a great place to find local goods, support local makers, and get the bespoke collectibles you’ll pass down to your kids one day. These are some of the most unique and rewarding gun show finds you can buy because each one was made with love and a personal touch that mass-produced goods don’t have.
Check our gun show calendar because your next local gun show is coming up fast. That’s your best opportunity to buy, sell, and trade guns while looking for the gun show finds that you can’t live without. Order your MAC Shows Gun Show tickets online today.
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Text STCHARLES to 620-205-5776 to get $3 off your ticket to the St. Charles Gun Show when you buy your tickets online!
