Lenoir City Gun Show 11/14 and 11/15

[Guest MCRAIG]

There is a gun show this weekend at the Loudon County Nation Guard armory on 11/14 and 11/15. Anyone ever been to one of these?

[Garufa]

There a story in Today's excuse for a paper. This sounds like something I might need to see.

Gun collectors mark 50th anniversary Knoxville News Sentinel

Gun collectors mark 50th anniversary

Show this weekend; group displays collectibles, classics

By Jim Balloch

Thursday, November 12, 2009

From humble beginnings a half-century ago, the Smoky Mountain Gun Collectors Association's semiannual show grew into one of the South's premiere events of its kind and a winner of national awards.

The nonprofit club used the proceeds to support Boy Scout marksmanship programs and gun safety education and contribute to a variety of community charities.

But by the mid-1990s, competition from a glut of for-profit gun shows was growing and eventually forced the club's show out of business for a few years.

In 2006, a smaller version was re-established.

The club's 50th anniversary show will be this weekend in Lenoir City, and it will be much more like the shows of yore, said club president Mike Waggoner.

There will be no more than 100 tables, he said.

"It's like we have come full circle and are getting back to our roots," he said. "This is a show exclusively about guns and gun-related items, not a flea market. We emphasize collectible and classic type guns."

The first few shows were held in a building in Oak Ridge that housed a dance hall, recalls Marie Wiest of Oak Ridge. Her late husband, M.C. "Red" Wiest, was a founding member of the club and a driving force in establishing the show.

In those days, firearm hobbyists were commonly called "gun cranks," not "gun nuts." Gun shows were rare, occurring only once or twice a year in a few communities.

Marie Wiest recalls admission to the very first show was free. The next year it was 25 cents.

The show soon moved to Kerbela Temple in Knoxville, where it remained through 1982. Aisles were usually packed. In 1983, it moved to the Convention Center at World's Fair Park and often featured several hundred tables of displays.

Buying, selling and trading were always part of the attraction, but displays of themed collections remained the main focus of the show, recalls Ralph Simpson.

"We prided ourselves on having as many displays of historical or collectible significance as we could," said Simpson, a longtime member and fixture at gun shows. "There were awards for best display. Displays like that make the difference between a true gun show and a gun sale. If there's a price tag on everything, it's not a show, it's just a sale. In my opinion, we have too many (shows like that), too close together."

"It is virtually impossible for a small collectors association such as ours to compete with people who promote gun shows for a living," Waggoner said.

So, for now, the club has no plans to expand.

"We are quite comfortable with where we are," Waggoner said.

The show is at National Guard Armory, at the intersection of Highways 321 and 70. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6; children under 12 are free if accompanied by an adult.

[Guest Traumaslave]

I used to go to the Ohio GCA shows. You had to be a member there. Fantastic show if you know you stuff. Quality representations to be seen. Lenoir is just up the road, I'll be there Sat to open the doors.

[FUJIMO]

This show is always great. NO cotton candy, peanuts, or flea market items, just the things you show up to see...........sweet sweet FIREARMS. Some pretty amazing collections last year. There are a lot of older guns that are not for sale. But you will always manage to find something. Besides that, it will give you a break from hearing those tazers !!!

I will be there

[rbishop]

Went on Saturday. This is a gun show? No beef jerkey? No army surplus junk? No jewelry? Just excellent displays of Parker shotguns, Colt SAA, old revolvers, shotguns and rifles? Very nice indeed.

[Guest Traumaslave]

Great show. Went this AM. Didn't see an empty table in the house. A couple of proud dealers with "Obama Scare" prices but, ya know. A table full of very fine 100% M1 Carbines took the cake for me.

[FUJIMO]

I went saturday as well.

Parker collection

M1 carbines

Cowboy pistols with hand engraving and scrolling

Overall show was excellent. Several deals to be found depending on what you were looking for.

[sbeck37923]

I went Saturday morning. Very good show as usual.