Older guys - when/how do you decide to sell your guns?

Hokkmike

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I have moved to a semi urban area, at least compared to where I used to live. Also, I am up in age. I have some guns decorating the inside of my safe. I will always keep my CC and at least one rifle. But the others, I don't know. The money I could get from them might serve me better in other applications.

How does one decide when the right time is?
 
I used to sell guns to finance new ones, or when I became really bored with one and noted I wasn't using it very often.

Now, I'm considering selling some of the guns I've not regularly used (outside of some infrequent use at range quals) since I retired quite a few years ago. They're just taking up space in the safes, and other than some fond memories and nostalgia I just don't have any practical use for them anymore.

Of course, for every couple of the old ones I might decide to sell, I may well buy a new one I don't already own. :neener: A couple more revolvers that are suitable for practical carry (including adding to my bevy of J-frames) may get the nod sooner than some other gee-whiz tactical pistol. :cool:
 
Stopped hunting due to age and sold a pristine Savage 99 F in 308 cal that i bought new in 1964 and a Rem Sportsman 5812 Ga. Many years later i still regret selling them. (didn't need the money) Kept the Victor Sarasqata 12 Ga double tho Haven't shot in 20 yrs.
 
If they have no further use for me, and they hold little or no sentimental value, and I don't think my children will be interested, then I get rid of them. I significantly downsized my collection over the course of several years, and have no regrets whatsoever - but there were several guns I dithered about, and am glad I decided to keep them.

So the short version is that if you're unsure, I'd keep thinking on it. You can always sell them later, but it's awfully hard to unsell them!
 
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1. If I need the money, Not unknown for older folks
2. I probably won't shoot them in the time I have left
3. If they will be a pain in the butt for my heirs to deal with not being gun folks
4. Deal with wife not to buy something new unless I trade. Otherwise she will make me buy new furniture or something for house.
 
I have 3 young grandsons and 2 son in laws. I'm hoping to get an idea in the coming years as to if they're really going to get more interested in guns and shooting. If not there are a couple I'd gift to buddies. Then sell some. Almost all of my guns are not just stock firearms but have been upgraded, most for competition. I know that selling guns like that you seldom get much of the money back but I'm not concerned about that. I know I can sell some to fellow competitors for a decent amount. I'm 71 and still competing regularly.
 
I worried about not getting a good price back. Certainly when I sold some, some dealers were drastically unbidding but a bid of trying got something reasonable.

But I came to a theory. It goes like this. I bought gun X for $400 back in 2004. I sold it for $300. Thus I rented the gun for $5.00 a year. Compared to what I pay for Media connections and the thieves of health care, that's trivial

Now that is my world view now, when I'm solvent and not in crisis. Many years ago when up against the financial wall, I sold a revolver. The first dealer was an arrogant sexual organ. The next came up with a decent price that saved my bacon for that problem. Working my butt off cured for the long term.

Later when I moved across states and had to face the guns being held by an FFL and numerous fees, I sold things I didn't use or worth the transfer fees. It was worth selling them and rebuying. I transferred the special, higher end stuff. I sold to competitor friends with licenses or a good LGS on price. I won't sell to an unknown private person.

I currently have my gun savvy lawyer on retainer. If I just drop dead, he will take over the gun dealings for the family. They don't want them.
 
I'm 75, and don't shoot much anymore. But, I have three kids and their spouses, plus 11 grandchildren, most of whom like to shoot. I'll just leave a legacy for them fight over.

Same with my pristine '40 Ford Coupe, I hope someone drives it to my funeral.
That '40 Ford Coupe was my Dad's first car before he joined the Navy in late Dec of '41. His looked like this pretty much. thumbnail.jpg
 
I have been getting rid of the ones I just don’t shoot anymore and I don’t have much of a attachment to I am just trying to get to 8 or 10 guns I like to shoot and guns I really don’t want to part with. I have 3 more that I am going to move after the holidays a Magnum Research BFR in 45/70 , a Ruger Super RedHawk in 454 Casull and a Ruger 10/22 rifle with a scope these were my father in laws I inherited them when he passed away.

We have no children, I am 69 soon to be 70, only one of my nephews has really any interest in firearms and I don’t want to leave a mess for my wife to deal with in the event of my demise. I have also been trying to sell off reloading equipment I just don’t use anymore and have given away quite a lot of it to a young man starting to get into reloading I set him up with 2 calibers in dies , gave him a scale, powder measure, brass , 200 primers and 200 bullets for each caliber. And a friend of mine who has got out of reloading gave him his old single stage press he is 73. I guess you just kind of sense when it is time to start the reduction I did because of my circumstances.
 
I was never much of a gambler but when I did, I cashed in my chips when I was done.

If my heirs are not as smart as I tried to make them (they are even smarter), life will not be as easy on them as it should have been. Trusts kind of help the idiots though.

If it's not important ditch it. If it would add stress to you to sell it, I'm not seeing the point.
 
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I retired in 2016, and in the first couple years a couple safe queens went to the auction house. The money went to my son's Roth IRA. This coming year a few more will go that same route. Everyone knows he gets any remaining guns and this has been put into my will, which I finally got completed last February. My son isn't into guns like I am but he knows enough to get an appraisal or expert opinion before selling any of them.
 
For me it's been a gradual process. I gave both of my kids several guns years ago after they were settled into homes instead of rental property. I have a few set aside for grandkids. I have a few with family history that will go to grandkids, but I've not decided who will get what yet.

I've been selling off many that I no longer use over the years. I still have several that I never use that will be sold. As the safe's start to get empty it does get harder to decide which ones to let go.

As I get older my needs have changed too. I still hunt, but not as much as I used to. But I now have much more time to shoot at my local range. That has changed my choices. I'm much more interested in spending $700 for an accurate 22 than $700 for a magnum hunting rifle.
 
Firearms are my hobby - they were at 18 and they remain my hobby at 70. My wife can distribute/ liquidate them at will after she is handed the folded colors “on behalf of The President and a grateful Nation”. I plan to enjoy them to the end and then after the end, I am sure that I will not care what happens to them anyway - I will lay quietly with the rest of the fighting force and enjoy the peacefulness. But until then I will enjoy the ownership - I say why not.
 
Yes, I'm older.
I've been considering selling a bunch of mine that never see daylight anymore. Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns .... Probably 40 or more.
 
I've never kept anything around long enough to collect dust if it didn't either have sentimental value or was something I shot regularly. With most things in my life, I have a roughly 2 year retention limit. If I know it's been close to 2 years since I've used something, I don't need it. Tools for specific jobs get a pass and certain other things may only get 6 months.

If it didn't come from someone who meant something to me, it's replaceable anyway. Maybe significantly higher cost, but if I I really regret it chances are I can get another.
 
I'm 60 now. I anticipate having my firearms for a while yet, until something reasonably deems that it's time to let them go.

That might be health or simple age catching up to me. Whatever.

I intend to gift most of mine to my children, based on knowing what they prefer ahead of time. Some may go to other family members/friends. At some point I'll get organized and make a list of everything and put this in writing.

All of my kids love shooting. One, however, does not want to actually own for personal reasons. So I'll probably figure out some monetary way of evening things out for her when the time comes.

What's really important to me is that they all go to people who will genuinely appreciate and care for them. For family and close friends, the firearms will be gifted. For others, they will be sold at whatever is considered "fair" between me and the buyer...with the buyer being someone that I believe will genuinely appreciate and care for them.

I intend that NOTHING go through government hands if I can help it. My state does not require private transfers/purchases in state to go through an FFL, and so they won't.

I will also divvy up the ammunition as well. Ammunition which is common to more than one firearm will be divided up equally between them. Ammunition for which I only have one firearm will all go with that firearm. I don't intend to dispose of the ammunition separately.

And here's the part that will gain me a lot of "friends" here when they read this:

If I'm selling the firearm (meaning it's not being gifted to family/friends), it's the FIREARM that I will be selling. The portioned up ammo simply comes along with it. This is because I will ONLY be selling to someone whom I will have determined will genuinely appreciate and care for the firearm. That's an important criteria for me, more so than the ammunition.
 
I have moved to a semi urban area, at least compared to where I used to live. Also, I am up in age. I have some guns decorating the inside of my safe. I will always keep my CC and at least one rifle. But the others, I don't know. The money I could get from them might serve me better in other applications.

How does one decide when the right time is?
I look at it from this perspective - like my clothes in the closet - if I haven't worn it in a year or so, away it goes; for guns, I give a few more years, but not many. Now that does not pertain to family heirlooms, or something special like a collector version. I'm talking basic range and or hunting rifles. I haven't hunted deer since I moved to Florida 20 years ago, so I really don't need several hunting rifles; I only need to keep one for JIC. The same would go for a few handguns I really don't shoot any longer. And as you said, those funds can go towards a new toy or supplies like ammo. I have always been more into shotguns than anything else, but even those have been pared down somewhat to allow for fewer, but higher quality guns
 
Heirlooms?! What a pile of nonsense. $$$ is all that most people see. I have been bringing 1-3 firearms to an online auction house for the last three years. They post a realistic description, accurate images and handle sales, collection and shipping. Once a month, they send me a check. Am I selling my current collection? Not hardly. But the other crap I accumulated because it was “… a good deal…” are moving out!

Kevin
 
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