There was a somber mood the New Eastcoast Arms Collectors Association gun show at the Saratoga Springs City Center on Saturday, possibly the last incarnation of the event to be held at the venue.
Cathy Petronis, who is the co-owner and operator of NEACA with her husband David Petronis, said attendance was down and slow from prior years, likely due to the Saratoga Springs City Council's decision to ban the sale of guns and ammunition on city property in March in the wake of the Parkland, Fla. school shooting. This NEACA show was previously scheduled.
Cathy Petronis said school shootings, like the one in Santa Fe, Texas last week, are not helping to increase gun sales in the same way that they sometimes did in the past.
"The shootings aren't affecting sales, what they are affecting is that we can't have the show here anymore. It was a knee jerk reaction to the shootings in Florida that caused the city council to pass this new law," Cathy Petronis said. "What happened was, everybody was ecstatic when Trump was elected, including ourselves, but there was a lull in gun sales because people didn't feel the immediacy because Trump is pro Second Amendment. Now, the sales are picking up, somewhat."
Gun sales have been slow across the United States since the election of Trump in 2016. American Outdoor Brands Corp., which owns gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson firearms, has reported a 32.6 percent drop in net sales since last year, citing a lack of "fear-based buying." In February, gun manufacturer Remington filed for bankruptcy. FBI firearm background checks, often seen as reliable barometer of sales, increased steadily throughout the administration of President Barack Obama, but dipped by 8 percent last year.
Dean Adamski,
