What to do with my guns?

[RED]

I'm 75 and have no idea of how many guns I own. Most of them are in a well hidden in a secure safe at my son's house in KC. I will never shoot them again... I don't have acreage any longer, and the only public range around here is closed because vandals kept destroying the outhouses as well as the benches (togor's protesters in action).

I am considering leaving my Colt's to a museum. I don't want to sell them because that would just increase funds the Fed's will take when I have to go to a nursing home. I don't need the money and my grandkids education is already financed in my trust.

If you are an old fart with this problem what are you goin to do your guns?

[k arga]

they all go to my son and he can do as he wants.

[S.A. Boggs]

Same here, Samantha already has them so I know they ae in good stead. What about the NRA museum?
Sam

[Major Tom]

My Grandson will get what guns I have left. I've been selling a few at a time for extra income. He will also get all my reloading equipment/supplies and other firearm related stuff.

[clintonhater]

Same here, Samantha already has them so I know they ae in good stead. What about the NRA museum?
Sam

I promise you they don't want them unless they're truly museum quality.

[clintonhater]

If you are an old fart with this problem what are you goin to do your guns?

A big problem I worry about all the time. If you're talking about modern guns, & don't need the money, give them to some organization you support, let it auction them off. Most of mine are antiques or collectibles, so much harder to dispose of properly. Even the dealers I bought many of them from are as old as myself & now retired!

Leaving anything to a museum is generally a bad idea--most museums are already stuffed to the rafters, far too much stuff to display more than a fraction, & will merely sell them to raise operating funds. As for giving them to your kids, what usually happens the next day after you croak is a phone call is made to some big auction house, their truck arrives, problem solved.

[SUPERX-M1]

What to do with your assets:

Yes, a problem. Children, grand children probably won't be grateful enough and see your assets as their right. Still a solution. Charities benefit themselves too much, too often. Museums, well, it is the curator who would appreciate your collection. You could make it your focus to turn them into cash. Money may have dried up re common guns. There is Gun Broker, Rock Island Auction and the other high end auction that ria disparaged, perhaps out of self interest. Some have consigned guns to dealers, gun shops and when they go belly up, all goes to the bank including your consigned guns. Be careful, folks are happy to take advantage. Auctions are an auction, goes to high bidder and that bid could be low. Some have taken bad hits. If you are not going to arrange the actual disposal, you need to plan the disposal, label, describe, value roughly each, method to sell each. Big or small , collections , of anything, are a trap and a problem. Difficult to turn over and get out. Online auctions are said to be the thing now. RIA has events where guns are high end, and other events are more common guns. They are online, and each lot is gone in 30 seconds. The auctions are big with many,many lots. The descriptions seem tiny and inadequate at ria. The ria auctions are very large so I suppose they are working ok. Still, I feel dubious with success at RIA- probably somewhat unfounded concerns. Gunbroker has reserve price if you want, some say better not to have reserve, then less buyer reluctance.

Lyman, of this board, is a gun shop owner who has sent collections to auctions. Perhaps, when he has time, he can give his know how to us. In the mean time, hit the internet, there must be info out there. Tell the rest of us. Don't keep knowledge to yourself.

I have inherited silver-plate and china and glassware collections and also baseball cards- still sitting, items not id and labeled, so hard to value without knowledge and current valuations of. There are books out there. Specialized dealers know. Value of such collections has collapsed. People, who are now old collected. Now, younger are not interested, have no room, no desire for such items. Current value may be 25% or 50% of value 10 years ago for many collectibles. See PBS Antique Roadshow. BB cards of 80s and 90s have no value.

How about a bit of philanthropy- endow educational scholarship for less privileged. or...

Read this book: Die Broke . Leave nothing. Spend it all.

Most of us will prob leave this mess behind for others to botch taking care of it. Good luck to all of us.


Edits: Need ffl contact for shipping. Get curio and relic license to ship older guns.
FedEX and usps ship info. Get camera, learn how to post with pix, pix on gun broker, go to some gun sites as cmp-for sale and list with a price. There is Blue Book of Gun Values-sometimes not accurate. Can look at completed auction sale prices at GunBroker. If you think this is overwhelming, so it will be for your successor. Looks like the shooters, not the collectors, have the win here.

[PaFrank]

I'm a bit younger, but like you, was concerned about what to do with my more desirable or collector grade stuff. I've been selling it off. All my collectible stuff is now gone, save for one rifle. My M1. All thats left is common stuff, and my kids have already called dibs on which they want. I'll continue to casually sell off the common stuff I don't use anymore, just to save them the aggravation and the strong possibility of being taken over the coals by a greedy dealer or other smooth talking shooter..

and besides if you sell it, who says the money has to go back to you? Have it paid to your kids now, the NRA, your favorite charity or whatever.. I know its hard, but there is a lot of ideas here and you have lots of options... just not a lot of time, so to speak..

[togor]

Gradual sell-off of those pieces that are not going to family or friends has worked for some collectors getting out of the hobby. Good luck, hope it goes well for you.

[Gun Smoke]

I am lucky in regards that both my son and daughter have some interest in guns. Their history? Sadly no. Just what they are at face value.

My daughter has her own place and so far I've given her a couple of my 2" snubs to carry with her after she obtained a conceal and carry permit.

My other guns will be given to them if/when they put dibs on them. I will have to keep things equal though. To make things worse, one day I will either inherit my brothers guns or at least be left to dispose of them. This puts quite a few guns in my hands including my own to farm out.

For those of you who want to sell and can not or do not wish to go through a local dealer you can always sell on GB. You don't need a FFL but the gun of course goes to an FFL dealer after being sold. All you need to send with the gun is a copy of your DL. The best thing is to send your guns to dealers on GB who sell on consignment. Most charge 15% and do all the work of listing, photo-ing, boxing and accepting payment. For some reason these sellers get more too than an individual would fetch so that makes up for the 15%.

[JB White]

Gradual sell-off of those pieces that are not going to family or friends has worked for some collectors getting out of the hobby. Good luck, hope it goes well for you.

Bingo! The ones my son wants are either already his or are tagged with his name on the gun sacks. My daughter only wants to know how much they're worth. (Flaming teeth gnashing liberal she has become)
So the safe queens have been slowly going down the road. After a few good sales, I've told my son "Let's go spend your sisters inheritance"
That makes his day!

[Sako]

Bingo! The ones my son wants are either already his or are tagged with his name on the gun sacks. My daughter only wants to know how much they're worth. (Flaming teeth gnashing liberal she has become)
So the safe queens have been slowly going down the road. After a few good sales, I've told my son "Let's go spend your sisters inheritance"
That makes his day!

Hahaha that's a pretty cool way to handle it.

[clintonhater]

After a few good sales, I've told my son "Let's go spend your sisters inheritance"
That makes his day!

Bravo for that! But it would be safer to actually get them into your son's possession without her knowing about it. If you drop dead & they're still in your house, tags won't mean anything.

[SUPERX-M1]

This thread needs YOUR helpful comments.

[Griff Murphey]

48038An Air Force armorer who rebuilt two M-1s for me became a wheelchair case after some USAF back surgery that went poorly. He passed away in 1991 and when some of his USAF marksmanship friends went out to his house to pay respects and were treated to seeing his relatives walk out with armloads of guns, specie, etc.; rather appalling.

I prefer the concept of selling through a dealer / my favorite local just raised their commission from 15% to 20%, which is too high. Grrrrr! I think a gradual sell off is the best idea when a person gets to that point.

Now I have a collection of about 1,000 1:1200 scale waterline ships. Some are WW-2 ID models, some kitbuilt, a few are scratchbuilt. The average one is probably worth $15-20 but you’d be surprised at what some of the finely detailed ones out of Germany sell for. Not a “big” hobby. Hard to part that one out...

[JB White]

Bravo for that! But it would be safer to actually get them into your son's possession without her knowing about it. If you drop dead & they're still in your house, tags won't mean anything.

That has been discussed. As it stands, he's raising my grand daughter in an apartment and his wife feels as though its best to leave them in the safes they're in right now.

[Gun Smoke]

Bravo for that! But it would be safer to actually get them into your son's possession without her knowing about it. If you drop dead & they're still in your house, tags won't mean anything.

+1

Not to leave your daughter short ended, you could always leave her other things such as your wifes jewelry, furniture, car, etc...

[lyman]

togor is correct,

sell them off gradually until they are gone,

however, you still need to know what you have, and what goes with them (as in do you have a box of accessories etc for them)

may be a good idea to do a good inventory of what is where,


meanwhile,

museums, generally it will either be sold for funds,, or put in storage until someone decides to sell them for funds, unless it is a truly unique piece,


with out knowing what type of firearms you have, or the rarity if any, auction houses are generally not that great an idea,
RIA and similar only really push the nice stuff in the big catalog auctions, full retail is rarely achieved in the other lesser auctions,


and most dealers or LGS's have to make a profit,

some may treat you well, some may stick it to you,

[SUPERX-M1]

OK, thanks to Lyman, we now know not to send common guns to ria. Only send elite guns. One man posted he sent very expensive Luger pistols, ria not co-operative, said don't worry, Results were terrible.Again, poor descriptions and the lot is sold in 30 seconds.The poor descriptions make it dangerous for seller and buyer.

Lyman has posted that he sells at his gun shop, at gun shows, and E-Bay, and GunBroker.

Re gunbroker and ebay: Should a reserve price be set? What about the starting bid price? And BIN - Buy it now price ? What works with these? Guns are expensive, not a 40 buck item. Buyer wants to steal it and you want their value.

It would seem that if you know your price, you could sell at cmp forum Buy or Sell section. Maybe , other gun sites have such sections. Such as Smith and Wesson Forums?....

Also, issues with fraud-not receiving actual , genuine payment. Item returned with the stock or parts swapped out. I have heard that it is difficult to cope with swapped parts, and that ebay protects the buyer and not the seller. Claims they never received item. Escrow companies?? Possible to receive payment via paypal or? There will be books at the library re selling on ebay that would address these issues. and maybe internet articles on ebay and gunbroker.

Also, if known that you have guns, at risk of theft. One burglar said that he just followed autos that had NRA stickers home. Some have been robbed at the point of sale. Home invasion and burglary.

Comments and advice would be so appreciated . How did you sell your guns. Where did you find your buyer?

[kj47]

Been selling off gradually as I go, keeping the best for last. Even bought a new one after selling 4, Always wanted a single actio army.

[lyman]

OK, thanks to Lyman, we now know not to send common guns to ria. Only send elite guns. One man posted he sent very expensive Luger pistols, ria not co-operative, said don't worry, Results were terrible.Again, poor descriptions and the lot is sold in 30 seconds.The poor descriptions make it dangerous for seller and buyer.

Lyman has posted that he sells at his gun shop, at gun shows, and E-Bay, and GunBroker.

Re gunbroker and ebay: Should a reserve price be set? What about the starting bid price? And BIN - Buy it now price ? What works with these? Guns are expensive, not a 40 buck item. Buyer wants to steal it and you want their value.

ebay is for parts and accessories only, (and even then there may be restrictions or stuff prohibited)
example, if you have a rifle with a ton of accessories , or reloading gear, or just some parts/sights/ scopes, you will do better selling them on ebay , usually,

detailed description, and set a price (buy it now) or start at a fair price and let it run (BTW, some folks like penny starts, others do not, your choice)


gunbroker is the same, fixed price listing, or run an auction, start at a penny or start at what you think is a fair price, and let it run,

both have provisions where you can see completed sold auctions, to give you an idea of what similar items have sold for,






It would seem that if you know your price, you could sell at cmp forum Buy or Sell section. Maybe , other gun sites have such sections. Such as Smith and Wesson Forums?....




most forums, including this one, have for sale/trader type sections,

you may get more hits, and better confidence from buyers, if you post them for sale in forums you are known in




Also, issues with fraud-not receiving actual , genuine payment. Item returned with the stock or parts swapped out. I have heard that it is difficult to cope with swapped parts, and that ebay protects the buyer and not the seller. Claims they never received item. Escrow companies?? Possible to receive payment via paypal or? There will be books at the library re selling on ebay that would address these issues. and maybe internet articles on ebay and gunbroker.



paypal will lock you account and keep the funds for 180 days if you sell firearms or stuff paypal does not like,
this is a fact,

I am on my 4th or 5th paypal account because some buyer did not know what discrete payment was, or paypal did an audit, (and once they asked to us to put the paypal logo on our listings, then got mad cause we sold guns,,,)

most folks are honest, do a standard 3 day and tell them you don't ship until payment clears (generally 24/48 hrs) if you are unsure,


and yes, ebay cares little about the seller, other than monitoring what is sold, and getting the fee $$$




Also, if known that you have guns, at risk of theft. One burglar said that he just followed autos that had NRA stickers home. Some have been robbed at the point of sale. Home invasion and burglary.

unless you are selling a large lot to a dealer, never ever do a private sale at your home,

meet in a parking lot (well lit , daytime only etc etc) and swap funds for item, if it is legal in your area, or meet at a LGS,


you may be dealing with the nicest most trustworthy guy in town, but he tells his buddy, who tells his buddy, who had a kid or whatever that tells a thug and then you are a victim,




Comments and advice would be so appreciated . How did you sell your guns. Where did you find your buyer?

[JB White]

Been selling off gradually as I go, keeping the best for last. Even bought a new one after selling 4, Always wanted a single actio army.

Selling 4 to pick up one isn't any loss so long as the collection improves. I have sold dozens of common arms to afford more scarce ones.


+1

Not to leave your daughter short ended, you could always leave her other things such as your wifes jewelry, furniture, car, etc...

Right now her college indoctrination is making it so nobody in the family (conservative, liberal, or in the middle) is likely to leave her much. Including her own mother. Everyone is a white privileged racist and she isn't shy about yelling it in our faces. We all want to deport her fiance just like Trump does. Doesn't matter his family is from Texas pre-republic days and has been US citizens before our family was. Heck, he looks as white as we do for chrissakes!

[SUPERX-M1]

Re swapped parts: If you object to this, will get negative feedback and perhaps, in some way, ebay or.. will sanction you , the innocent seller. You could ship item back to buyer, refuse to refund. I do not know the consequences of this. Nor, what can be done to protect self. Good photos before ship. And..? I do not know what this Escrow Acct w companies is all about. Internet and books may have a few answers on swapping..

Discrete PayPal. Check out the internet on this. Paypal is owned by ebay. Neither abides firearms. Discrete PayPal is a work around payment. Apparently, paypal is the only workable online payment system. Perhaps , buyers are afraid of use of credit cards or too hard to set up the use of. I do not know any of this. Or how the buyer messes up the discrete payment or how one sets up new acct if first is cancelled. So, go to internet.

It may be very hard to find good buyer for elite or specialized items. That buyer may be reluctant to pay proper value. Also, can go to ria and attend sales in person for purpose of buying. Do a pre sales examination of items or lots. Less expensive rifles are clumped into single lot of perhaps 5 items.

[lyman]

paypal and ebay have split,

ebay is moving on to a thing called Managed pay or something similar, eventually most if not all users will have it available

your paypal, if that is what you use, pays into my managed pay account, that ebay pays out to me,
or your CC,

I also process CC's on Gunbroker thru my phone app, (I don't trust GB yet with my processor, since they can't seem to get the messaging system right)
most folks have no issue calling me and letting me run the card,
some even email the CC numbers, (similar to how Empire Arms does)


venmo is another online payment option, but I have not tried it and likely wont

[dryheat]

Selling 4 to pick up one isn't any loss so long as the collection improves. I have sold dozens of common arms to afford more scarce ones.



Right now her college indoctrination is making it so nobody in the family (conservative, liberal, or in the middle) is likely to leave her much. Including her own mother. Everyone is a white privileged racist and she isn't shy about yelling it in our faces. We all want to deport her fiance just like Trump does. Doesn't matter his family is from Texas pre-republic days and has been US citizens before our family was. Heck, he looks as white as we do for chrissakes!

Man I hate youong smart assed girls like that. They(in general)are the product of poor child raising. But they can be hard to corral. One; no blacks or Mexicans. You want to start that, find somewhere else to live. I don't have kids, but a guy in a bar told me that. His daughter was some kind of and officer in a corporation.

[Gun Smoke]

Right now her college indoctrination is making it so nobody in the family (conservative, liberal, or in the middle) is likely to leave her much. Including her own mother. Everyone is a white privileged racist and she isn't shy about yelling it in our faces.

Her name isn't Greta is it?

[SUPERX-M1]

Many free articles to download.

One on selling/buying on line. 16 pg. by Jim Thompson of garand and book fame. READ IT. Go to site, register for their newsletter with email address, click on article and download. EZ.

Hunt around on site : gun articles,

Go to home page, at midpage it will say gear, to the right says more. Click.
then click on auctions, also collecting, ...

I recommend that you do this.

[retread12345]

NO EXPERT If you have grand kids sell the collection and put the money in a trust for them

It is as much fun selling as buying I am 72 and since there is no one really interested in guns. or history it was a good solution

[Former Cav]

Red,
I am 73 and had triple bypass, 2 heart attcks, and 1 stent in that order
HAD 43 guns. Only son didnt want any.
I sold 31 of them
Now, he wants a 45 (after I sold 5 of them)
and a shoty and assault weapon. I already sold the pre 87 model870, and two pre 1980 m1a"s
guess he is a day late!!
all i got left is bolt guns in 243 and my ccw which im keepimg till i die.

[SUPERX-M1]

Former Cav and others: How did you sell them, what venue, gun broker, set prices,find your customers,mistakes, would do different?

Help this thread out and give us your experience.

[Former Cav]

I Did strictly word of mouth.
I had a flood at my house and the flood mitigation outfit had all there workers bonded and insured. sold 5 guns to the owner of the company.
I priced everything very fairly priced
example: m1a preban 1980 with bayonet, scabbard, 10 magazines GI, stabilizer, E2 wood pistol grip stock and std stock wood, sling, chicom made bi-pod (good copy of GI model) and 500 rounds of radway green $1200 !
sounds LOW, but I bought it in 1980 for less then 600 with the E2 stock. and, I sold it to a life long friend. I could have sold it to my dentist, i was askimg 1500 and he wanted it for less! so?
sold an HK usp 45 with 5 14 rd mags for 600. In 1993 i paid about 500 for it, etc etc

[dryheat]

I have sold and bought hundreds of guns. I kind of hate doing the gun show. It's three days of standing watch and I hated standing watch. Not that it is all bad. You do meet some nice people. It's just that I can't stand still for that long. But the gunshow is $100 for three days and no fees or tax. DO be careful of your local and national gun laws. If someone comes up and wants you to sell a gun to his buddy who is a resident, so he can get it, look out. I swear we have had ATF set us up. We don't fall for it. But, some folks have multiple residences. Lyman would be better versed in this.
Gunbroker isn't bad. Yes, you pay a fee for selling something but it isn't onerous. Basically,you pay 6% on the first $250 and anything above that it's 3.5%.
6% X 250= 15. Say you sell a $900 piece. It's $15(for the first 250) and $22.75 for the remainder. Total- $37.75. You don't HAVE to use Paypal like you do with Ebay but you can't sell guns there anyway(don't get me started on Ebay).
Now the thing is with Gunbroker, don't look at guns being sold similar to yours and figure that's what you should ask. If you want to really sell something(and maybe not nine months from now) figure out a reasonable asking price, OR start your auction at a penny. If you have something that is nice the folks who peruse GB know what it's worth. It will get bid up to that amount thereabouts. The theory behind the penny start is someone is certainly going to bid $5 just to get it on their watch list. A couple more of those and you have few bids on your piece. That gets the herd interested. Something is going on. That has worked for me... and then sometimes it hasn't. GOOD PICTURES. Your selling something that no one can pick up. Don't be the guy that puts up a rifle with pictures taken on the kitchen table with no light. Everyone wants to take pictures with a white background. Wrong. The bright white makes the camera dim down the pic. You get a very dark rifle. Figure out how to get some shots of the important parts. Not fifteen pics of wood.
OK, that's enough.
Actually, just coincidental contact can work too. I sold a very expensive shotgun to the good ol boy who was working on a buddies house. A regular guy with a job. Just be careful.
And don't mention how much you hate most democrats. I'm not sure that will help.
I'm am probably going to croak with some guns in the closet. I have told my ares(sp) about what they are worth and it's up to them to follow through. I don't care.

[free1954]

i used to laugh when i was buying guns and say "this is my retirement." now it's not so funny, they are worth a heck of a lot more now than what i paid for them. some are family guns which will go to some other family member. the rest i will sell if i need to. some, fellow collectors are standing in line for. the rest word of mouth.

[Major Tom]

I once owned a Devine Texas M1A that I bought when they were first introduced. Paid $200 plus another $20.00 for GI ammo, came with a sling and 2 magazines. Serial number was real low at 00234. I sold it a few years later for $1500.00. Today they are worth almost twice that amount.

[Sunray]

Any of the grand kids interested?
"...funds the Fed's will take..." Won't be when you go to the home. But they'll tax what you have anyway.

[lyman]

RED,

did you decide what you wanted to do?

[dryheat]

I'd trust Lyman, well, as far as I'd trust anyone in sales, but his earlier post was accurate in every paragraph. If your smart and honest you can't go wrong. Here's a little ditty for you: You never go broke taking a profit. It's scary(Red doesn't get scared) to venture into something new like internet sale. But, unless you have horrible luck you will surprised how well it works. Another little ditty: I've never been screwed by a .30 cal. shooter.