Trying to frustrate my future self

[DeepSouth]

Stagnant should be an option. Building a house has made a massive cut into my time and budget. I think I’ve acquired 2 guns in the last 3-4 years.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Lately, I have been trying to trade stuff off that I don't use. It is working out pretty well so far.

 

[armoredman]

Is that your Cowboy Action get-up?
Remove the gun belt and I would dress like that every day.

One of them - I liked to shop at Wild West mercantile, before they closed up the brick and mortar store. But they are still online.
Remove the gun belt? Why on earth would I do that - I live in Arizona!

 

[d31tc]

"Getting tired of dealing with this crap. Get it out of here. Just so much to get rid of."

The clear frustration and stress in the seller’s message just struck me as inconceivable to the present me and I am having a hard time understanding how buying stuff that makes me happy could frustrate the future me.

If I have something I don’t want, it no longer has value to me. I can get rid of it by selling it for the current market value, and that makes me happy. That takes some effort, but I get to decide if I want to put in the effort. OR, I can get rid of it by giving it away. Things that have value to others that they get for free makes them happy and me happy and is really easy to do - “I have item X. If you want it, you can have it - for free!” Poof! It disappears.

When I’m gone, if my wife or kids decide keep it, to sell it or give it away, their choice. Whatever makes them happy. Whatever level of value they perceive. It’s not like trying to get rid of a piano. OK, I’ll concede a gun safe could be difficult, but give it away for free, someone will move it for you pretty quick.

 

[luzyfuerza]

I recently inventoried all my guns...BIG EYE-OPENER! I knew that I had them all, but seeing them all at once in one place was a surprise.

I took ten I haven't used in years and won't shoot again down to the LGS to sell on consignment. It felt good.

Once some of those move, I'll take some more down.

 

[horsemen61]

I’m always getting more stuff but now I’m looking at getting more better stuff

 

[Steve S.]

It does not matter how much gun “stuff” is coming or going nor how young or old you are; when the angels come to get you, everything must go - everything. The range and the hunting seasons will eventually close forever. By far, the most precious commodity you have is time.

 

[Boattale]

I've moved about everything I don't shoot to grandsons. I'm down to three rifles - all Ruger. A .22 LR 77/22 walnut and blue, an All Weather .22 WMR 77/22 and a Gen II RAR in 5.56. One centerfire handgun - 3" 686. and three .22 handguns. A Mark II, a single six, and a Walther TPH. There are still 5 shotguns here. Two 870, a Benelli Super 90 and a single shot H&R all 12 gauge. And a 20 gauge 1100 cut down for my wife.

I gave them a lot of ammunition for what they got too. All the miscellaneous stuff that had accumulated in the gun safe is gone to new homes too. I'm happy to have done this.

 

[Hookeye]

Heck I now have three .22 lr rifles. None of them would work for a kid.
So proly have to get a CZ scout for the grandson.
I only need one for me, and testing will determine what stays and what goes.

 

[Legionnaire]

I'm at the tipping point. I'm retiring next month after a couple of years that were so busy I've not shot or loaded much. Over those years I have culled a few more than I added, but I still have more than I need or really want. My plan is to do a complete inventory of arms, shooting and reloading gear to determine what to keep and what to get rid of. I'm a long way from the OP's seller's frustration, but I can understand it. I want to cut back to a workable and meaningful inventory before we relocate in a couple of years.

 

[Hookeye]

It does not matter how much gun “stuff” is coming or going nor how young or old you are; when the angels come to get you, everything must go - everything. The range and the hunting seasons will eventually close forever. By far, the most precious commodity you have is time.

I waste too much of it.
Did purchase a turkey tag so getting off my butt tomorrow and giving it a whirl.
Too crippled up today.

 

[doubleh]

I have been giving guns to family members as I can see the end of my shooting days on the horizon. Since this is flat country the horizon is still a fair distance away so I'm not finished yet and have purchased two handguns this year.

 

[armoredman]

I was the recipient of a "move it now" deal once, where a guy was trying to get rid of a huge amount of reloading supplies but refused to sell parts of it, only one large lot. Nobody had time or money for that, so when crunch time came, he contacted me, the only guy who made a half arsed offer, and said, "I gotta get this out of this house by tonight, just come up and take it away. "
There was so much powder, primers, tools, brass, bullets, that it filled the back of my old Jeep Patriot to the top, all free, and darn near dragging the back end on the ground. I gave away a TON of it to other buddies who reloaded, (pay it forward, as it were), and I am still using some of the gear, well over ten years later.
The storal of the morey is, don't get greedy if you have a deadline, (no pun intended), or you might as well plan on doing a fire sale/giveaway.

 

[Chuck R.]

I've been reading threads such as this for at least five years (currently 68), and in that time I have helped two widows dispose of the stuff their husbands did not.
So I have had a solid spreadsheet with everything I own, make/model/serial number, current value, etc. Just in case.
Had a cancer diagnosis last July, and a second one in Oct...that kicked me into gear. Sold about half of what I owned (and a few more still for sale), and any future purchases (if any) will probably be upgrades in quality while trimming down the quantity. Sometimes, less is more.

Sound advice, I also have an inventory.

A few years ago one of my friends at work passed away after a brief illness, he was 67 at the time. He was a prolific militaria collector, and apparently an ammatuer horder. He had no inventory, no costs, etc. It was a nightmare for his wife and kids sorting through this stuff, some of which was quite valuable. The family wanted me to work on estimates and I frankly told them that I wasn't qualified and to contact an auction house. A classmate of his from West Point flew out to go through some things and did give them some estimates, for instance he estimated that one of his WW2 German SS helmets was worth about $10k due to its condition. He also recommended an auction house that specialized in that stuff. He also had a mint Gewehr 43 with kit and a couple magazines that he'd brought out to my place a couple times to shoot.

So this convinced me of 2 things;

1. Retiring early while I can still enjoy it.
2. Downsizing as I go.

I've accomplished #1 and hit neutral on #2.

 

[Hookeye]

The last yr of my dads junk didn't even pay the storage bill.
The good stuff goes quick, the medium stuff takes a while.
Lesson learned.....when the mid level goodies are gone, scrap the rest.

 

[LV Gun]

Sometimes, less is more

That statement is so true, what I have found out from scaling down is I no longer have to buy Small Rifle primers , Large Rifle primers and Small Pistol Magnum primers as I have found I can use SP primers for 357 with good results. Powders same thing I now only need three instead of six and could go to two if I really wanted to. Large pistol primers I now only need for 44 magnum and 45 Auto Rimmed as I switched all my 45 Auto to Speer SP brass and if I really wanted to I could buy Moon Clips for the 45 Auto Rimmed and only need LP primers for 44 magnum.
After doing the scaling down I am finding some efficiency in this because I now buy primers by the case of 5000 at a better price and I am moving to this for powder also as I am now using more W244 and TiteGroup than ever , so 4 or 8 pounders now becomes a good option for me. And as far as new guns go I am picking Quality over Quantity as you are doing.
So yes , Less is More your statement is so true!!!.. Now I just have to inventory everything I have left because my Wife and Nephews will not have a clue as to Value or what to do with it, my lawyer also advised me to do this a month ago.

 

[tws3b2]

Neither, both.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Only one kid who doesn't care about guns plus they have issues that would prevent them from owning them anyway.
My one good buddy has a couple going to him plus he has two sons and they will get to choose.
I sold some stuff at a muzzle loader convention in February but still have more to go.

 

[lightman]

I'm doing some of both. Sold some stuff that I don't use or lost interest in and replaced it with stuff that holds my current interest. We all remember the one that got away!

 

[WestKentucky]

I’m building up still. I’m right at the point where realistically I have about the same time left as what I have spent on this planet. I have kids, hope to have grandkids someday and maybe even great grandkids. I need to have something to keep them occupied when they come to visit.

By then it may be wanton endangerment of a minor to teach them to shoot a gun. I really don’t care though, somebody needs to know how to do it. As for reloading, there’s stuff I’m loading now that hasn’t been factory cataloged for decades. It’s a wierd satisfaction to be the only one I know shooting XYZ. I hope to pass that on.

 

[Elkins45]

I’m doing both, but my hope is to get rid of more than I add.

 

[luv2safari]

Both ...

I have so much old stuff I don't have any room for the new stuff !

I have been trying to get rid of some of the old stuff to make way for the new stuff !

I don't like to throw stuff away but I'm learning ...

You never stop getting new stuff... that takes all the fun out of life !

Gary

Yep

I sometimes sell to make room new toys. The operative word is "sometimes"?

IMO that's heresy and dangerously radical.

 

[Ks5shooter]

For years freind on mine an FFL would get boxes of guns to sell for the county from confiscations due to domestic violence etc.I would go for one and leave with three.Some cool stuff but a lot I didnt need or shoot.Downsizing now, wife only likes certain stuff.Loves her carry pieces and hunting guns. Getting older now ,selling off and funding vacations with her as she is younger than me.Loves her Glock 43x for CCW.