i go to them gunshows and I have yet to find a shortage of guns. I have never seen people wanting to sell guns and they are turned away so a guy selling military surplus or a woman selling jewelry can have a table. Seems to me there is always room for a few more vendors. I don't see what the big deal is if knives or whatever else is being sold.
As for gun prices they seem to be what the market will bear. I also have no doubt there are some vendors that do guns shows as a hobby and don't care if they sell anything. Maybe they set up to see old friends or to just be part of the circus. Who knows? If you don't like their prices then don't buy. I never fail to see some stuff that have very fair prices. Check the gun ads here and see plenty of high prices too, as well as fair prices. It's just not guns shows.
I really don't get the complaining about it all.
As for the Smiff and Western the OP bought, I have NO doubt whatsoever that it not only had Garufa's grubby paw prints on it, but had plenty of his slobber as well