Patriot Gun & Knife show: Don't waste your money!

[Brian D.]

Hello. I don't really like panning an organization that's trying its darnedest to put on gun shows. But the folks at Treasure Aisles Flea Market (I-75 exit #29 Monroe Ohio) have been trying to run this thing for years, without much success.At the very beginning it was every Saturday and Sunday. I guess Sunday bombed because in a couple months it became Saturdays only.

If there is a Bill Goodman, C&E, or Ohio Gun Collectors Association show going on at the same time, the Patriot event is a dud. 15 or 20 tables maybe. Not worth the $2 to enter the flea market lot, plus another $4 admission to the Gun & Knife thing.

This week they decided to ramp up their advertising and make it a Saturday-Sunday show again. (radio ads on the most popular AM stations, billboard space around Cincy, etc. Several thousand spent on promotions I'd guess. Well, now it's $2 parking plus $7 admission fee. (Guess they had to pay for the ads!) They opened up another room so theoretically the thing could have doubled or more in size. But, it didn't, there were maybe 10 more tables in that other room.

In the interest of full disclosure the show lets in police, fire, military and EMS for free, so there's only the two bucks drive-onto-the-property-fee for me. But even at that, more often than not I skip the thing. Will admit it's got good HVAC so not a bad way to get out of the weather some morning or early afternoon, and you never know what somebody might bring in to sell or trade.

[TJW815]

I live just a few minutes from there and never had the want or desire to attend that particular show.