Aaron,

I, too, have decided the Reno show is no longer worth the expense/time of attending...but I do miss the friendship of fellow luger collectors that attend...both from the Luger Forum and Jan Still's Gun Board.

The show is typically full of refinished lugers sold as original and that has come to represent nearly 80-90% of all lugers on the tables...same old sneaky guys selling their wares...

In a reverse-universe, bizarro-world sort of way...I have found the Reno show over the past 1-2 years as an excellent place to see the "state of the art" of luger boosting and one can learn a lot from seeing such pieces and be able to compare them with honest lugers.

The "good" lugers at Reno seem to have a way of staying underneath the tables and they seem to trade hands without ever seeing the exhibit hall lights...if one is connected to that network, buying at Reno can still be productive.

Pete and Aaron, i agree with what you've said (except I have picked up luggers while there, oh that was from Howard and Pete and russ)!!

Mainly I figure I am visiting more than anything... the other gunshows have conflicted with my work schedule (so far)...

Ed

I rarely have had the resources to make significant purchases at any gun show. My primary reason for attending was and continues to be the opportunity to meet and associate with members of Luger collecting fraternity, and to pick up on little tidbits of information. Even after almost a half-century of Luger study/collecting there is always something new and exciting to learn. With any luck, I might also be able to help someone else learn a little bit too.
I consider the contacts and friendships that I have made through the forums to be one of the most rewarding parts of collecting. So, the opportunity provided by gun shows to meet some of the people that had only been names before is a real joy.
I look forward to repeating the opportunity to vist with you guys as often as I can, and if perchance I do find a new Luger...wow!

Ron, Does mean that you are or are not attending the March Reno show? You are the one we in the "fraternity" get most of the formation from. Hope to see you there.