Let me tell you about gun shows (also known as the local camo fashion show). The Nipissing Rifle and Revolvers Club’s Gun Show has been a yearly tradition for as long as I can remember, even years when I was sick with the next generation of hunters on the way, we went. As luck would have it my phone number at the time was one digit away from the Fur Harvesters so I always knew when the show was coming because of all the wrong number phone calls asking about the show. My dad would drive in from an hour away despite the fact the only thing I can remember buying was one gun. His birthday is always on or around the gun show and I went back to get the gun as his gift.

Going to the gun shows as a vendor now is a whole new experience. It starts months ahead by deciding which shows to attend and then ordering whatever extra items are needed to bring to the show as specials. Then comes the real fun when the items are lost by the shipper and the fight is on determining where they went and how we are going to get them in time for the show (yes this happens every single show!). The day before is spent packing-the dreaded packing. At the beginning the plan is to take EVERYTHING. However once about half the items are actually in the vehicle and everyone is exhausted a lot of things are no longer needed. One year everything fit into a Dodge Durango, the last gun show it all required a 15ft Uhaul and the Oley’s Ram to have enough room to transport It all. Overall it now takes about a day to pack with 2-4 people. Going to gun shows is a lot of work but it is also a lot of fun meeting all of the people we only get to see there each year, telling new people about all that Oley’s does and don’t forget getting to buy and wear a new set of camo heels or camo dress.

Going to the gun show in North Bay has the day starting around 4 am to get ready and other locations start as early as 1 am and even then we arrived late. One gun show tradition which must always be upheld is someone must spill a drink on or behind the tables, bonus points if you wear some of it. It is not a gun show until you are running around looking for paper towel to clean up a mess. The day is insane even with multiple staff talking to customers the entire time and keeping up with sales. This is where the good pricing at Oley’s really becomes noticeable. Customers can compare prices from multiple vendors in the same building. The price that always sticks out in our memories is the year we had SKS’s on sale for $225 taxes in and the vendor beside us was selling the same gun for $379+tax. We have yet to sell out of guns at a gun show but we can always hope that day will come. And in case it never does, there is always the option to sleep in on September 9^th, the day that the truck needs to be unpacked.