Best way to sell collectibles?

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Lizzie Borden

Lizzie Borden

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I apologize if this is the wrong forum for this.

It's starting to look like I'm going to have to start selling my collectible firearms - four rifles (all milsurp) and two handguns. I know about the Gun Broker auction site, but are there others I should know about?
 
I would consider consignment sale through a nearby gun store that has a good reputation. The store will take a percentage but I think it would be a lot less hassle than an online auction site. If you have a cowboy action club close to you, let the club secretary put out an ad for you. Your guns may not be cowboy guns but the shooters have other tastes as well.
 
I would list them here and on similar forums. How it works, a buyer contacts you after your listing (with great descriptions and excellent photos. A price is agreed upon and the seller remits payment and a copy pf his dealer's FFL where the gun will be shipped. (If intrastate in Idaho, I believe the dealer can be skipped for the long guns). Once you get the funds (I prefer USPS MO which I cash first), the guns are sent on their merry way, well packaged. Since you are not a FFL, it will be cheaper to have your local one ship the handguns as he can use USPS for a lot less than UPS or Fedex overnight that you would be forced to use.
 
I'm with J-Bar. Having sold hundreds of consignments online, I can assure you that a good listing on GunBroker will sell if priced right. Especially when you are talking about collectables. Find a licensed dealer who sells consignments online and let him handle it. He can post pictures, write descriptions, price, box and ship. All for a nominal fee of course.
 
J-Bar said:
I would consider consignment sale through a nearby gun store that has a good reputation. The store will take a percentage but I think it would be a lot less hassle than an online auction site. If you have a cowboy action club close to you, let the club secretary put out an ad for you. Your guns may not be cowboy guns but the shooters have other tastes as well.
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There isn't a dedicated LGS here anymore - there's not enough business for a store to survive. There's a sporting goods store with a good reputation; I'll ask them about their consignment policy. One of the rifles would certainly sell, but I doubt it would sell for what it's worth. Still, a good option to consider. Thanks!
 
Captcurt said:
I'm with J-Bar. Having sold hundreds of consignments online, I can assure you that a good listing on GunBroker will sell if priced right. Especially when you are talking about collectables. Find a licensed dealer who sells consignments online and let him handle it. He can post pictures, write descriptions, price, box and ship. All for a nominal fee of course.
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I'll call around and see if I can find one. As far as I can tell, collectibles aren't big in this area; all the firearms activity seems to be focused on hunting and AR style rifles. Not much call for Enfields.
 
I would vote for letting someone else do most of the work for a few guns like this. Plenty of local gun stores that will take them on consignment.
 
What guns are we talking about and just how "collectable" are they? Are we talking, say, an M-1 in good overall condition, or one that is near new and was never issued? High conditioned milsurps can bring a lot of money these days. Do you have a good, realistic knowledge of what they are worth now? If not you need get educated. Knowing what your guns are actually worth in an all-important first step. The internet is your friend. See what similar guns have sold for online at gunbroker and others. The big auction houses sell a lot of milsurps, usually the higher conditioned guns. Their catalogs can usually be viewed online. Find examples similar to yours and see what they are estimated to sell for. Most auction houses will post "prices realized" on line and you can see what the gun actually sold for. This allows you can set a realistic "reserve" price on your guns.

Some pics would really help
 
Sell them one at a time, on gun broker during the pandemic.
 
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tark said:
What guns are we talking about and just how "collectable" are they? Are we talking, say, an M-1 in good overall condition, or one that is near new and was never issued? High conditioned milsurps can bring a lot of money these days. Do you have a good, realistic knowledge of what they are worth now? If not you need get educated. Knowing what your guns are actually worth in an all-important first step. The internet is your friend. See what similar guns have sold for online at gunbroker and others. The big auction houses sell a lot of milsurps, usually the higher conditioned guns. Their catalogs can usually be viewed online. Find examples similar to yours and see what they are estimated to sell for. Most auction houses will post "prices realized" on line and you can see what the gun actually sold for. This allows you can set a realistic "reserve" price on your guns.

Some pics would really help
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I don't have photos yet, but I'll try to get to them this evening.

1942 US Lend/Lease No. 4 Mk. 1* Enfield, built by Savage. All metal parts are stamped with "S". Union of South Africa proofmark. Sling and bayonet with scabbard. Rough finish and bore, but shoots well. WWII combat .303 ammo had corrosive propellant and primers.

1952 No. 4 Mk. 2(P) Enfield with bayonet. Numbers match, good condition.

1952 Soviet SKS, manufactured at the Tula facility. Fewer than 100 rounds fired.

1.9 Astra 400's. One complete; one with missing parts.

1974 Smith & Wesson Model 10-6. 4" barrel, .357 Magnum, combat trigger. New York Highway Patrol. The 10-6 is the only Model 10 that was made in .357 and it was the prototype for the Model 13. Moderate holster wear and cylinder scratches from the indexing pawl. Hogue Monogrip. Shoots like a dream.

I'll have to look for prices realized.
 
Lizzie Borden said:
I'll call around and see if I can find one. As far as I can tell, collectibles aren't big in this area; all the firearms activity seems to be focused on hunting and AR style rifles. Not much call for Enfields.
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All the more reason to list them online. I sold a Longbranch Enfield last week for $580. Other military guns sold lately include a pair of SKS and a Saiga AK. Military collectables sell well online. More clients will see them there than at our local gun shows.
 
J-Bar said:
You have good taste in guns. Don’t be in a rush. You should be able to get a very fair price for those.

I laughed at “a blue dot in a sea of red”! You are already my friend.
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I suppose it should actually be "a speck of red in a blue dot in a sea of red" but who's quibbling.
Most of the firearms came from my idiot evil twin brother's gun store. He took off for parts unknown in March of 1996 and I ended up stuck with everything. It wasn't that bad a deal, since I love guns, reloading, shooting and detailed cleaning, but I had to clean up his 4473 mess as well. The store may have been a bad idea but I learned quite a lot about firearms. Col. Brower was particularly informative on milsurp weapons.
 
armedwalleye said:
The Rifle or Handgun sales section here on THR is a good option as well.
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Lizzie Borden said:
I don't have photos yet, but I'll try to get to them this evening.

1942 US Lend/Lease No. 4 Mk. 1* Enfield, built by...

1952 ...

1952 Soviet SKS, manufactured at the Tula facility. Fewer than 100 rounds fired.

1.9 Astra 400's. One...

1974 Smith & Wesson....

I'll have to look for prices realized.
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Mr. OP Sir,

It would seem to me, this^ is the best option? And in effect by giving a somewhat detailed list^^ have you in fact, already started that process, perhaps?. My $.02 ? Gather some more info via HERE, GunBroker, etc. , and LIST THEM HERE:thumbup:. Put a price on them, if they do NOT sell U can still list on GB
 
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It costs you nothing to list them in the classified section here, and if they are truly collectible than someone who wants them would be willing to drive to you. I’ve sold a couple of guns here and it’s gone very smoothly. Plus, I’ve met some nice people.

Selling them here will get you a fair price. Selling them on GunBroker might get you a crazy price, but you’re almost always have to deal with shipping on GB.
 
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