I am getting old

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J

Just Jim

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That is a fact. I have way to much gun stuff and guns and should be selling most of it so my family doesn't have to deal with it. I have seen far to often how people take advantage of a family after someones death to let it happen to mine.

So I am asking what you guys think is going to be the easiest way to rid myself of most of my toys? Isn't it a hassle to do the net sales? Would buying a table at the gun shows be the best bet or just posting at my gun clubs news letter.

How are you guys going to handle it when it comes your turn??

jj
 
All of my stuff will go to my daughter easy enough.

For you I would just put it all on consignment at a local gun shop easy enough also.
 
i humbly submit that if you give it to me , i will absorb the stress for you.
actually, i do feel your pain. over the holidays i did inventory with an eye towards just your thought in mind. 40+ years of accumulated stuff is a lot. some goes to family, so i am doing transfers now. also assigning who gets what & when. started separating the wants from the needs ( ya, right--i can so be objective). amazing how friends gobble stuff up when ua just mention what you are doing. in the fall i will re-evaluate what is left and put items on consignment ( 15%)
 
I'm keeping detailed history and estimated value records of my guns (80+ collection). I'll denote what is family heirlooms that are not to be sold no matter what, and then my kids will get pick of what they want after that. Everything else can be sold...but at least they'll have some idea what stuff is worth so they don't sell the pristine Garands for $75.
 
:D The only stress I had was buying the stuff, I had to work to have it:D All those years of accumulation and alot less time to sell the stuff.:banghead: I have thought of just taking a pile of stuff to dealers and let them give me a bulk bid on it.

jj
 
It's no fun, is it? For many complicated reasons which I won't go into here, I have to start my cleanouts, too. Last fall I knew it was time to do the initial culling of the safe. For me, that meant selling the guns that were (a) of non-sentimental value and (b) that I was no longer interested in shooting. It was not that hard to identify those sixteen.

To sell them, I finally decided to put them in to a local online auction. Since I had been an online reseller, I was acquainted with some of the problems of online personal sales--and, I didn't want the hassle of either FTF or FFL-transfers.

The hardest thing for me to do was to accept the auctioneer's advice to not put minimums on certain guns. But, that was the best advice I got: Letting the market drive it also allows the dynamics of bidding to work.

FWIW, here's the site: http://www.k-bid.com/index.htm I'm fortunate that the physical site is only a mile or so away from my residence, and the company is a long-time family auctioneering business that's changed with the times.

Only one gun went for somewhat less than I considered a fair market price, and several others went for noticably more. I can't help but believe this coming fall's auction will be good, too, what with being on the cusp of Democrat Party control of the government.

The auction turned out fine--fine in the sense that I got a fair price for my guns (market driven, that is)--and didn't have a hassle. The cost was about 15% to me, AFAICT. I plan on probably having another batch, I think, in next fall's auction.

As for "the small stuff" that's gun related, our club started having a one-hour sale and swap-meet before the monthly meeting. It's easy for me to put together a banker's box of various reloading gear and bring. Sale prices are ridiculous--e.g., garage sale--but the point is, the junk is no longer cluttering my life.

I think that I may try a big garage sale this spring if our small town does its garage sale community promotion again. This will not include gun stuff--but it should help me continue the cleanout.

The effort it would take to move into a gun show is probably more than I want to do, but that seems to me to be a good route with certain hand-picked gear.

Jim H.
 
so they don't sell the pristine Garands for $75.
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Heck, I'll give you $200 each for those Garands, cuz I'm such a nice guy.

I'm planning on giving everything to my three sons. Hopefully at least one of them will be a gun enthusiast.
 
I know of a place by me that charges a flat rate of $20 another place charges 10% so I say shop around a bit and look for the best deal. I will send you a pm.
 
Heh, the people posting here should probably send each other the lists we develop, and simply pass the stuff around.

It looks to me like we are all pack rats, and it will occupy our time some more.

Jim H.
 
I would say that your three best options are:

A) Consignment, via a trusted dealer
B) Sell yourself via the trader
C) Internet auction via a dealer who gets a percentage.

I would strongly recommend against selling at a live-auction, because as we all know, half the people that go don't know a damned thing about what they're bidding on and the best stuff will go for pennies while the .22s go for double retail.
 
I am giving some of my 22 target rifles to my gun club for the junior program. I feel that kids need really good guns to shoot to keep them involved. I have been a club member most of my life and will give back for the enjoyment I have had.

The rest is a problem I am not looking forward to. I do thank you guys for the input and you have given me some good ideas.

jj
 
I think selling at a gunshow might be more enjoyable but then again, you are not assured of a sale unless you have it priced low. The online auctions seem to bring decent prices but you are stuck with shipping and answering emails. Consigning with a gun shop might be the easiest for you, but depending on what you are asking, those items can languish in a gunshop for months or even years.
Here in Kansas, gun auctions are well attended and items ususally go for market prices and often higher. I'm not sure what the auctioneers ask, but if it is reasonable, you have sold your entire collection in a day. Occasionally, there will be a consignment auction with the collections of 3 or 4 owners combined. These are very well attended and bring great prices.
 
You make it sound like such a pain, if you don't have a family member
you know would love them then simply put them on consignment.

If your looking for maximum cash-out then gun shows or auctions are your best bet.

You also know that gun owners will pick you to the bone if you let us, give me a break.

Just sell your precious loot and when death smiles at you remember to
smile back.:neener:
 
ahem*. I volunteer to be adopted. ;)

Jim, when my uncle got too old to shoot he needed to sell all of his stuff. he initially wanted to put it all on consignment, 12 guns at a time. but then i convinced him that he had put a lot of effort and personal attention into these guns, and so wouldn't it be better if he could see them go to nice homes?

so i went over to his house and took a picture with a digital camera of every gun he hand. then he posted it up in his online forum with a note that he could not take anymore pictures and that there would be no returns. shipping was also $40 which included postage (UPS) and a hard case (we bought them cheaply in bulk from sportsman's guide)

the cases were secured with good old duct tape, which worked real well.

the downside to this was that it took time, and effort.
the upside was that he got to know the folks who were going to carry on shooting his guns.

IMHO this is the best way to pass your collection on - to your friends and acquaintances of like mind.
 
I admire just jims approach. In the past I've had two young men borrow long guns to hunt with. While they were gone I realized I didn't miss them and told the fellas not to bring them back to me. I'll plan to to the same with the rest of my "stuff" when the time comes. Donating firearms or the proceeds to a shooting program that teaches young people is a great way to go.

I know that I have benefited from the generosity of strangers.

Tom
 
I admire just jims approach. In the past I've had two young men borrow long guns to hunt with. While they were gone I realized I didn't miss them and told the fellas not to bring them back to me. I'll plan to to the same with the rest of my "stuff" when the time comes. Donating firearms or the proceeds to a shooting program that teaches young people is a great way to go.

I know that I have benefited from the generosity of strangers.

Tom
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WOW can I be your friend too please?
 
Yep I do have friends that would like some of my stuff, some would even pay me for it:D However most are like me and getting old and less involved in shooting. Thus the rub, most have the same problem I have.

Most of the young men don't hang around with us cranky old farts so I guess I will have to find a way that reaches other shooters without it being a time consuming ordeal. I am going to a gunshow this weekend and have even got a table. Going to be some happy buyers at the show.

jj
 
Well you do have the option of posting what you want to sell on here along with prices and seeing who is interested. I know that many folks o here have C&R's for 03 type guns and all have access to FFL's for transfers so it might take care of itself w/o to much fuss and muss.
 
Bury it all somewhere noone would expect, then e-mail each of the members on THR here a treasure map, or PM a clue to everyone. The first one to find it wins.

Should look something like "its a mad mad mad mad world" but with a few thousand more people looking for your "treasure".

Sit back and enjoy the highjinks.
 
My wife and I have no heirs, and have talked about what to do with the farm, firearms, etc. I had a "good" experience selling my firearms at auction 10 years ago when divorced, so it's not a bad option.
 
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