Over the years, I bought a LOT of guns, just because I liked that particular gun, not for any practical reason...I'm a widower, live alone, no kids and none of my family lives around here nor are they interested in guns. I haven't been hunting or even at the range for a while because of some medical problems. I have a lot of various handguns and about 10 rifles, some pretty interesting some just interesting to me. I have been selling some of them over the last year, and I am thinking of getting them down from a collection to maybe a few handguns and rifles. Money is not a big problem but I hate to get skinned by the local shop...and Cabelas is even worse.

I'm looking for good places to sell to get a decent price...not looking for a profit, but a fair price...

Has anyone sold to Collector's Firearms in Houston? They have a lot of very similar odd guns to what I have...but I live in PA and am not a FFL.
Thoughts?

Thanks

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Liberals made the USA

You could put an ad in the classifieds on this site .

Have you given any thought to list them here ?

I agree with putting them up for sale here on the forum. You could make some members very happy & get a fair price also. On here they would be getting a good home.

List them here
Put on consignment at a lgs
Gunbroker
Armslist
Donate them to me I'm in Bucks Co.

skip Collectors for selling your guns.
You will be insulted.
I'd suggest using this Forum.
Beruisis

I traded with Jerry Bernal there (between 2004 & 2008 or so), and I know he was a very fair person to deal with. But I have no idea if he is even still there, and the rest of the folks I dealt with there were...how can I say this politely..."not particularly pleasant." But I think this is common to lots of gun shops.

Plus, a trade isn't the same as outright sales to the place. But if Jerry Bernal is still there, he'd be worth chatting with.

Though if your health would permit you to deal with selling to multiple persons, selling here on the forum would likely find them good homes.

Best of luck either way my friend.

Yes, put a classified here on the forum. Just remember to follow the "rules" and don't post more than one ad at a time in the same forum. Since you've been looking at various sites, you probably have a pretty good idea as to what's fair for both you and the buyer.

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I'm gonna grow fins.

Yeah, what Loeman said. Post them here for your fellow forum
members. Put a price that you think is fair. If the price is too
high, you will know because no one will jump on it. Small
price reductions will find the sweet spot.

I've had very good luck buying on this forum. Yeah, ran into one guy who skinned me but overall I've got some good deals. I buy and sell parts on another forum and I'm always getting good deals and selling stuff if it's priced right.

I highly recommend this forum.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I have been using Gunbroker.com for over 10 years. Easy site to use, register to open an account, no listing fees (small fee on final value when an item sells). I like to research current listings and "sold" auctions for items similar to what I am selling, which provides me with a good estimated value range. Then I set an opening bid at the minimum I am willing to accept, usually with a "buy now" offer at the upper end of the value range. Take good digital photos and provide a detailed description (including any deficiencies or problems).

Everything sells when it is priced right and presented well. Nothing sells if it is overpriced or people can't see what they are bidding on.

Shipping is not as difficult as some think. An individual may ship interstate to a licensed FFL dealer (some dealers will only accept shipments from other FFL's, so be prepared to deal with that by making arrangements with a local FFL near you who can handle the transfers for you for a small fee). Long guns may be shipped via common carrier (FedEx, UPS, etc) by ground service, usually less than $30.00. Handguns shipped by individuals must go next-day air via common carrier, which is expensive (typically $60 to $75); but you can have a local FFL dealer send your handguns via Priority Mail (usually less than $15) and pay the dealer's transfer fee and save quite a bit. The buyer typically pays for shipping, insurance, and FFL fees, so make clear what you are willing to do and what the buyer must expect. Many FFL dealers will handle a transfer for fees in the $20 to $30 range, but it pays to shop around and have a clear understanding in advance.

My local FFL charges me $25.00 to handle a transfer. When listing a piece for auction I provide a shipping quote, usually $30.00 for a long gun and $20.00 for a handgun, plus my FFL dealer's fee if required. No surprises for the buyers.

On desirable pieces and collectibles be aware that there are "parts thieves" lurking out there. They will buy a gun, trade out the parts they need for their piece, then call foul and demand a refund on the "defective" gun you sent. On collectibles and high dollar guns I detail strip them, take good photos of everything inside and out, save those photos in a zip file. I advertise "no disassembly" and "no shooting", "as is", "ask all questions prior to bidding", and "no returns" (although I have accepted a couple of returns, but only with the provision that I will be stripping the piece down and comparing everything to my photo file before sending a check, and if anything at all is not correct there will be no refund, period). I do not allow any "try it before you buy it" nonsense.

National exposure beats any local advertising or consignment shop deal. Actual costs to sell on Gunbroker will be under 5%, so much better than any consignment deal.

Needless to say, the only acceptable methods for payment are cashiers' checks or US Postal Service money orders. Shipping takes place only after the payment has cleared the bank.

I am guessing you don't want the tremendous hassle of selling a lot of guns one at a time on line. Unless you have some camera experience, high speed internet, and access to a reasonable FFL, selling a lot of guns on line is a MAJOR hassle.

Every site including this one has massive compression of photos and for some reason that compression distorts all my pictures and gives them fuzzy edges. You may be one of the lucky people whose pictures post without distortion. How some people get clear pictures posted here and on gun broker is beyond me. So while this site or gun broker are fine for selling a few guns, unless you are really set up to do so they are not very viable for selling off say 50 or more guns.

However, if you want a reasonable price for your guns you don’t have a lot of options. (1) would be Gun Broker and a lot of time and hassle (2) would be allowing a local gun dealer to sell them on commission or (3) setting up a table at a gun show and selling them that way. You might be able to work with a local dealer at a gun show if non-FFL dealers cannot have tables at your state’s gun shows. At one time the gun show option was a lot of fun, but these days they are less fun and more hassle.

If you are not in a hurry and at age 68 there is probably no reason to be in a hurry, just make it a hobby and use this site and Gun Broker and put up with all the time consuming hassle. Any gun shop is going to have to build in a big profit to buy your guns for resale. Most will offer you 50 to 70 percent of their retail value, so that would be my last choice.

I have sold a few guns on consignment at local stores. The one I use most often is very fair and writes me a check as soon as the gun is picked up by the purchaser after it clears the background check. I recently sold a drilling through another shop and getting paid was like pulling teeth. It took over 2 months after the gun had been delivered to the purchaser before he wrote me a check and then only because I often walked into his store unannounced and asked where my check was when he was with other customers. I will never shop at his store again and it is too bad because I have bought some nice guns there. I guess what I am saying is if you choose to do consignment sales make sure you know what the their terms are about you being paid and what their fees are.

Selling to a dealer or through a dealer will always get you substantially less than selling to an "end user".

That's only logical, because for a dealer, any transaction, selling or buying, has to be a profit action, or his business won't last.

On the flip side, a dealer offers convenience, especially if you live in one of the private-sales background-check states. So if maximum financial return is not the priority, and you know a dealer you trust, you dump your guns there, and eventually get a check.

Personally, for the last 20 years or so I haven't had a storefront dealer in convenient reach, and I find gun shows a hassle, although I've occasionally chipped in a few bucks on table rent and put a gun on a friend's table. But generally I sell on Gunbroker, and I find postings and pictures easy to manage; I have a part-time FFL on hand who handles shipping for me for a very reasonable fee (I'm a good customer otherwise), and I have never had a bad transaction yet.

If you use Gunbroker, just follow Lobo's advice above. Take good pictures in good light, preferably natural. It's easy to stick out with good photos. You wouldn't believe how many bad photos there are on GB. I've looked at photos that were so badly flashed out that I couldn't tell if the gun was blued or nickel-plated. And these days, you really have to work at taking bad photos; I've sold guns with pictures taken with my phone because my camera wasn't operational at the time. It doesn't require art; people just want to see what they are buying.

And describe the gun well in your narrative. One of my pet peeves is sellers spending one sentence fragment on the gun they want to sell ("Smith&Wesson Hand Ejector .38 Special, good condition") and then a paragraph of boilerplate the length of "War and Peace" about what kind of payment they accept and when they ship and what you have to do and what you must not do and what a great seller they are and yada yada....

The nice thing about Gunbroker is that you do it at your own pace, post however few or many guns you want at a time, and don't have to go anywhere or negotiate with anybody until you ship the gun after the sale. And if someone has a question, they e-mail you, and you answer at your convenience, or not if they sound too rude. Zero pressure.

You get your best price by contacting an auction company that has gun auctions, particularly those that are on Proxibid. You may pay 15 - 20% which is much better than selling to any dealer. If you can find a buyer here on the forum you save the l%, but have to worry about the shipping etc.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Jerry Bernal is still there. If your collection is large enough, they will come to you. No hassle way to handle it. However, it will not be the most bang for your buck.

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Bill
Dis B. Leaf

I have sold about 25 guns in the last year. I sold the first 10 handguns by using a dealer to sell them on Gunbroker. My dealer paid all the fees and I paid him 13.75% of the sell price. I sold the next 15 to one guy that had similar taste to me in guns. I probably broken even, my goal was to convert the guns to cash. I will likely sell the rest on this forum, a Colt forum, and gunbroker myself. I collected shooter types made from 1910 to 1990, autos and revolvers. If you are willng to sell at a fair price for condition the market is there. The things you own also own you, the hassle of selling is part of the buying.

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Dennis

I just turned 67 on the 12th. What's going to happen to me between now and next August 12th tba is going to make me want to sell my guns?

Sometimes I wonder about that. It's like it seems some sort of crime to die with your collection/accumulation intact. And usually the declaration to sell is accompanied by the statement that the seller doesn't really need the money.

I can't criticize because I feel that same way from time to time. I'm not sure what makes us feel like our possessions own us as we get older, but that phenomenon helps to keep the gun market churning.

I would go with Gunbroker or selling here if you have the technical knowledge. It is not that tough. If you don't want to do that and you have enough guns that it would be worthwhile to a dealer, maybe negotiating with them to sell a batch of them (individually, of course) on Gunbroker for a fixed percentage would work for you? The 13.75% figure noted above does not seem unreasonable as long as your guns are not terribly expensive.

I have no real knowledge of the dealer you mention but a phone call will almost certainly tell you if there is anything there you want to pursue. The only purchase I made from them was uneventful, which on an Internet transaction is exactly what I want.

I am 62 and looking down the road I wonder what I will do. I have a wife who will outlive me by a long ways Lord willing and two kids who shoot, but not much.

What I would do is take a list of what I have including year, make, model, condition, original cost, etc and even pictures if you have them to a local dealer. Before you do anything, set in your head or on paper you absolute bottom dollar. If the dealer will agree to your prices then he looks them over and makes the final call. Gives you the chance to unload several at one time if you want.

The other option would be to list on this and other forums. I don't like ads that list multiple guns at one time - over 3-5 gets confusing for everyone. Find a dealer who might ship these from FFL to FFL although as has been pointed out, most FFL will accept from a private person with a drivers license copy. Also calculate your shipping beforehand as well. It is expensive and a hassle so that offer from the LGS might not be so bad.

There is always Gunbroker and you do get a big audience there. I have never sold on there, only purchased so I have no experience. You still have all of the issues with shipping.

The other option that I have explored and would highly consider is renting a table at a bigger gun show. I have kicked this around for myself and a brother in law who is considering thinning is stock. Rent a big enough table, a single table can cost 40-100 for a show and will hold a lot of guns. In most states those are private sales. I would clean them all up, make sure boxes and papers are in order and haul them in. Hire a young guy who likes guns and gun shows to help, give him a gun he might want. Have all of the prices on a spread sheet so when someone says "how much for the Model 19 (assuming you have it marked) you know exactly what you want to get and what your range is. Yes, you take the risk of hauling the guns around that don't sell. However, if they are marked right I know of several shows in my area where they would be gone in no time. Plan a series of two or three shows and keep things loaded up.

If you do an on-line ad do yourself a favor and take really good pictures. I think a lot of guns don't sell because they use a cell phone camera or something less than ideal. Nothing more frustrating to see a description of "slight muzzle wear" and "see it in the picture" only to see the picture of a model 10 you can barely recognize because it is so out of focus.

If you have a local gun club you could also take your list to the members there. I know that would work at mine.

Happy selling

I'm in the same boat as you. I've sold handguns on this forum with luck and a LGS (of course they take a commission), plus several on Armslist. For me, Armslist has worked best. I research the current "used" selling price and consider any add-ons that upgrade the value. All have been FTF transactions in an agreed meeting location. Just be careful and sell on your terms.

My greatest fear is my wife will sell my guns, cameras, watches, cars and bikes for what I told her I paid.

You fellow old farts are making me nervous! I'm 65 and I'm still in accumulating mode. Should I be rethinking that???

One fellow forum member has suggested that I've only got 5 good years left. Hard for me to think that way but Lord knows I am no spring chicken anymore... ... so perhaps he is right.

Here in the People's Republic of Taxachusetts, we are only allowed four FTF sales/transfers per year. Because of our lists and restrictive laws, in-state FTF transfers make the most sense and generally yield the highest net return. But it would take a lot of years to liquidate my collection/accumulation that way. All other methods would require the use of an FFL so there goes a good chunk of the possible return.

So at what age should I stop buying and start the liquidation process? Or am I already too late?

Whatever you decide to do, don't sell to a dealer. They will probably give you 50% of the actual value.
I suggest listing them on Gunbroker. It's easy to do, and I can offer my assistance to help you if you want.
Your major job would be to determine a price at which you would be happy to get for a particular gun. When listing, you can either make that price a reserve price, or make it your opening bid. That way you are assured not to get less than you want.
I've sold/bought maybe 15-20 guns on GB with good results.
You must be able to take decent pictures of each gun from different angles, and show at least 5-10 pics from different angles.
Your local dealer will do the shipping for you, so include a shipping fee in your auction listing so you aren't the one paying the cost. If you have a few dealers in your area, visit each one and ask what their fees are to ship. They can vary widely. It should be no more than $40 in my experience, as many ship via Priority Mail, which we cannot do.

I'm already 68.

My attitude is " From my cold dead hands ! ".

YMMV

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I like Ike.

Martin Luther (the leader of the Protestant Reformation) supposedly once said:

"And if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant an apple tree today."

I don't care about apple trees, so I've modernized it:

"And if I knew I'd get run over by a dump truck tomorrow, I'd still buy another gun today."

Probably not exactly what Luther had in mind, but hey, you gotta go with the times.

Put something workable (not sentimental: they're nothing but chunks of metal and wood to other people) in your will about how to dispose of your guns, and then enjoy them as long as you feel like it and it is safe and possible for you to do so. Sell them only if you don't any more or need the money.

I turned 70 a couple of months ago. I recently sold 4 guns on consignment. These were guns that were surplus to my current needs. With the proceeds I purchased a Browning Citori grade 3 28 Ga shotgun. I have no children to leave anything to and I am still enjoying shooting. My plan is when I am no longer able to get out and shoot then I will liquidate my collection. I will also start drinking 20 year old Scotch and smoking fine cigars with the proceeds of the gun sales.

The solution is simple - don't use this forum's limited image hosting capability. Instead, use a standalone image hosting website. I use Flickr.com. Here is an article describing several other popular site:

Five Best Image Hosting Web Sites

Once you have your photo uploaded to a hosting site, obtain a link pointing to that photo file. In your post here, include that link. Precede it with "[img]" without the quotes, and follow it with "[/img]" without the quotes.

No, your comment of "YMMV" is totally wrong. You *ARE* going to die. Any guns you leave behind *will* fall into someone else's WARM hands. You can decide now what will happen then, or you can ignore this aspect of your estate.

A male currently aged 68 in good health can expect to live for another 17.85 years. From
Actuarial Life Table

I turned 82 in July. Just before that I bought a nice S&W Centennial at the local gunshow. I'm getting rid of some guns I dont want anymore, but I'm still on the lookout for my grail guns.

Ahhh... actually, that would be for a female. Ain't worth doing the Bruce Jenner thing for me to live an extra 28 months.

You could experience "new things"........................................at little or no cost

I'm with you guys! I plan to liquidate 4 of my guns before the end of the year... but only so I can go after even better, more desirable guns next year. Can't achieve my goals based on savings or income anymore so this is my next best alternative.

Well, it might be if you could be certain to do it the day before you expired, and then add an extra 28 months! But to do it now to add an extra 28 months, well no way Jose. That is one gun I have no plans to sell, ever.

I don't think you need to explain my mortality to me. I have survived four cancers since turning 60. The last had a 2% survival chance for 7 months if I hadn't had a transplant and even then there was only a 40% chance. I also spent decades working in a hospital and have more than a passing familiarity with death.

I have made arrangements for how my firearms will be distributed when I die .

My YMMV references the idea that others may not choose to look at death the way I do.

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I like Ike.

Take care ........ and may good luck and God go with you!

Thanks. I have been amazingly lucky. I am almost 4 years out from the worst of them and am quite healthy.

I am addicted to studying a number of interesting martial arts and have my final test for a particularly efficient martial art this Thursday. I will then be the oldest person to pass the black belt test in that style. One of my grandsons was the youngest person to be a second Dan in that style a few years ago.

I saw a lot of death as a child and don't have the same views as most people I know. Perhaps it's a kind of denial but when I was close to death I was more curious than anything else. A little weird.

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I like Ike.

Get a table at your local gun show. It sounds like it is time to sell if they are just stuff to you.

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Front sight and squeeze

Man, that's the point right there. Lots of wisdom also collected around here. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I'm 73 and just bought 3 more last week. Loaded 500 rounds this morning, and shot 250 last Tuesday. Only got to 106F Tuesday. Perhaps I'm addled? I'm still goin forward. I admit, I have thought about it but what else would I do? I think we are as old as we let ourselves be! And I don't want to be there. Son and Daughter both shoot a lot and want my collection so what the hay.

Let me know if you guys are gonna sell.

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Bill
Dis B. Leaf

Young Man. My advice is to set up a Firearms Trust. Do all the leg work first, like pictures,serial #,description,est value, get yourself a lawyer,and then do some due diligence on a recipient. Club, Org. Individual?. This way you can enjoy them with peace of mind until the end. You have complete control.

Interesting thread. I'll be 68 next year and have collected over two dozen each of long guns and hand guns. Just added a new FEG HP to the group. I now enjoy some resources to do the things I like but am I getting behind the power curve with regards to thinning out the collection? Shame on me, but I haven't really thought about this before. Hmm,....?..

I'm in the same boat of selling my collection of 50+ years. I watch the Want To Buy Forum and offer what I have to someone who is looking for the item. I've sold many guns that way and I know they are going to good home, not some resale distributor. I've sold about 100 guns so far using this method.

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Bill

If I didn't need the money, no way I'd be looking to sell them just to sell them. Why would I care what happens to them when I die? No point in selling them just to get rid of them.

When it comes down to it, and you can't live on your own anymore, just bring them to a gun shop, and put them on consignment. Whatever you get for them will likely go to the old age home anyway.

You've worked your whole life, you are in your golden years, enjoy what you have worked for.

You bought them because you enjoy them, they don't owe you anything. You could have spent the money on $100 cigars, or bottles of Dom Perignon, all you'd have left is full ashtrays and empty bottles.

A few years ago, I sold about a dozen rifles, mostly odd military ones through Auction Arms' JacktheDog. Since then he has sold a nice collection for a collecting widow that I knew. Yes, you will pay a 15% commission but, his auctions are so good that you will net out more by using a good reputable auction seller. I highly recommend him.

I have been to Collector's Firearms many time and have bought guns there in the past. It would be the last place I would sell my guns to. Nothing wrong with the business, but I would not sell any of my guns wholesale to any business. You will likely get half the value in any sale to a gun shop.

You can sell antiques on sites like Gunbroker. I have sold many guns on that website and with a little studying, it is quite easy to do. You will almost always get near or over what the gun is worth. Auction houses are another sure way to dispose of your guns. Sure they will charge you a 20% sales premium, but much better than wholesale.

I have not yet sold much, but when the time is right, I will most likely contact an agent who can sell modern guns on GB or go the auction house route. All the work and headaches of selling a large collection on your own are gone since they do all the work. Heck, if the collection is large enough, they will come to you to pick up the guns.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

Well, You can very well tell from the majority of responses that the average fellow without heirs, or heirs interested in guns, let alone handguns, is smart enough not to croak with a safe full of money, that his wife will be cheated out of once he's gone to his maker. Sorry, that was a long sentence.

I had the great joy of pursuing and ultimately owning (sometimes shooting) EVERY double action S&W and Colt handgun ever made. My collection was fortified by a vast library of references and contacts with personal relationships, many of whom you would recognize if I cared to mention their names.

One day, a heart attack. Pause and reflect......a long while compadre. I sat one afternoon and considered how much was invested, not only in cash, but in the VALUE, the SEARCH, the TIME, the REWARD.

If you have heirs that will pass it along to like minded family that would be wonderful. If not, it will be a foot race to the pawn shop without any appreciation of what they sold. I knew that, understood it, so as a draw to my end I liquidated most of my collection and I have no remorse. I can't afford a museum, don't want one either. I got to own them, shoot them, carry them and show em' off....just a little braggin'.

If you believe it's time don't hesitate. There are many young guns out yonder who will remember you if you take the time to let them know who you are and more importantly......who you once were. As we age, we seem to be the generation of "I once was" or "used to be". Kids get that, unless their stupid. Collectors never cease, we get old, they get younger the older we get. God Bless and best of luck to you.

Cheers;
Lefty

I've just figured out why they are called the "golden years." You are taking all the gold you have accumulated over your life time and giving it to the doctors to treat the ailments of old age!

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Bill

Amen. I used to envy folks with big boats and fancy cars and second homes and even third homes... until I started paying attention and came to the realization that all those possessions owned them and not the other way around.

The good news is that most gun collections/accumulations can fit nicely in one appropriately sized safe or at least in one "gun room" (okay, two rooms if you are into reloading!). And whether you own 10 guns or well over 100, the costs and hassle beyond initial capital outlay and paperwork aren't typically a huge problem.

In other words, there are a lot worse "things" to own... and "things" that own you... than firearms.

Aloha,

I too am thinking of thinning my collection.

I really would love to put my Smiths up in the Classified here.

BUT, given the headaches involved in moving a gun Out of Hawaii due to made up "rules" by local PD,
I'm waiting until after we move out of Hawaii to Texas.

The Wife and my FFL insisted I inventory my toys.

Good thing too, found some guns I didn't know I had.

Should I go before I'm ready, the Wife knows what I paid for everything, more or less.

Best of all, she's been around the block.

It will be fun to see someone try to take advantage of the "widow woman" selling her husband's gun collection.

As soon as the Wife retires in late 2017, expect to see us in Texas Hill Country by Spring 2018.

Her family and friends in Texas are waiting for us.