I spent a lot of time in my past life around folks who wanted a "throw-down" gun, and that always comes first to mind when someone asks about "off the books".

Your clarification adds a lot. Yes, $250 would be nice for the family, but not a great deal for you, unless you just want to be of financial help without just handing them money. They will certainly not get much more than $150 selling it to a LGS, if that.