Market Hall Gun Show - Price Gouging at its Worst

Catfish and I stood in line almost 25 minutes to get inside the Market Hall Gun Show this Saturday, in a winding line that traversed the parking lot.

My first treat was that the cost of the show had increased. It's now $8/person.

We made our way back to the left side of the hall, to a table that appeared to have a fair amount of ammo. The dealer's name is Gerry C. Haight, and I think he's out of Arlington, TX.

When I asked the pretty blonde girl the price on the box of .40 American Eagle, she looked on her sheet, then told me, "47.50." I just blinked. I asked her to check again, because that couldn't possibly be right for 50 rounds (a single box). She looked again, then consulted the guy who (presumably) was the dealer - Gerry C. Haight. He looked me straight in the eye, and said that was correct. I asked if he realized that was almost ONE DOLLAR PER ROUND. He affirmed that he did.

I'm pretty sure my face got red at that point, and I stuck my finger in his face. I told him that was gouging, and that it was "f*cking wrong." I told him that I'd personally make sure that every shooter on every forum knew his name, and that they all remember him as the so-called "shooter" who was taking advantage of other shooters.

I don't mind someone turning an honest buck, and I certainly don't begrudge the occasional price hike to help offset costs. But when I could literally turn around and buy the exact same ammo for $20/box (still too high, btw) at another table, it's just a little too much for me to take. He had CASES of this stuff, and he was out to squeeze as much out of you and me as he possibly could.

Remember this guy's name, and the others who are taking advantage of you and me.

And the first one of you that tries to chastise me for dogging on other "shooters," let's be perfectly clear: I DIDN'T START IT. I'm not trying to steal money from you and keep you from enjoying your sport.

I'm pissed off, and I'm not going to stand around idly while predators try to take advantage of me. If you've encountered gouging, please let us know about it. We're keeping a list of these creeps, and we'll be using it, even after the prices normalize again. I don't plan on forgetting those who took advantage of us. I also plan to talk about those dealers who aren't gouging, because they deserve your business.

Stop buying from people like Gerry Haight. Run these carpet-baggers off, and let's set things straight again.