This is my first post, thank you for this privilege. I have been reading the Forum for about a week now, and am impressed not only with the knowledge possessed by this group, but by the sense of humor with which you often dispense it. Let me get to my question.

I turned 66 today and have been purchasing firearms since I was about 22. I am a hunter and a shooter and a "I have just got to have that M-57" kind of a collector, and was once a low grade bullseye competitor. So I have a safe full of a lot more firearms than I ever thought I would have. I can see threads in and tell stories about a kind of lineage displayed by the pieces ("See, this is an I frame and S&W had to make it a J frame that would accommodate .38 Special cartridges"), and also tell stories based on many of the pieces ("This was Harry Beckwith's personal Model 29"). So, I am wondering if I might try talking any of my family members into taking the collection as a whole under their wing after I am gone. They show mild interest to none at all in collecting firearms.

What is the general experience with this concern? Do most folks liquidate their own collections before taking their dirt nap, or are there many different situations?

Regards

Welcome to the forum. Perhaps we can hold off on the"dirt nap" for a bit. Some of my "kids" have no idea what I collect or any interest in it. Those that do have already been identified to receive "special" gifts such as the things I was given as a child or are from various family members. If they have no interest in your toys I recommend selling them and using the proceeds on your health. Harsh,maybe, but I know folks that have left wonderful collections to crack addicted kids only to learn that this exceptional stuff was traded for ****! Kyle

First, Welcome to the forum. With a collection like that, where you been hiding?
Second, you've asked the one question that us old collectors struggle with, What will become of something I care dearly for? No easy answer is just laying there waiting for the finding. I can't tell you how many times in the past few years I've thought of that myself.
I don't have a 'top drawer' collection, but i do have many pristine examples of S&W's and many other firearms, I've tried hard to acquire/collect the finest grade firearms I could afford, probably like you I don't have any 'junk' in the safe. What you've asked is a difficult decision that we all will have to deal with.
Sadly I've not hit on anything yet. Sell them? Just keep them and let someone else worry about it? It bothers me alot, especially lately, I've been dealing with some health issues that have brought home the point that I have to arrive at a solution.
What I've come up with is to catalogue each and everyone of my firearms in a journal, writing out pertinant info like S/N's, descriptions, what each is, what makes it valuable, what each means to me and any family history attached. I've got that done and have taken the little paper 'hang tags' and marked them with the corresponding refernce number to the journal and put them on each gun. Also in the 'book' I've included where to look up the values of these guns and am trying to update the values as time goes by.
I've left room on each page to write down what I want done with each one, I'm working on that aspect now and it's proving to be the most difficult part. Basically, who gets this one, who gets that one kind of thing, and notes to that person as to why I want them to have it and my wishes for thier ownership. Many are going to family, some to good friends, each of the guns and the future recipient has meant something to me over the years and perhaps in the future they will think of me.
What ever you decide to do, do something. Don't just put it off and wait for your widow or family to try to figure out what it is you had and what it's worth.
Again, like me (and us, I'm assuming) you've spent a good many years studying firearms, to me that is half the fun. But those left behind may not have the time, nor the inclination to do so. To them, they may just be a quick source of income, and that is disturbing to me to think about. With my journal and cross reference tags i hope I've helped them along. In the end, thats all any of us can do. We've spent a good portion of our lives working to acquire something that means very much to us, but at the final reckoning will it mean as much, or anything to others?
There is the question, good luck with the answer. Hope I've helped.
RD

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Got a Phd from Hard Knocks U

The dilemma of the ages. What to do with special collections. Of course it isn't just guns it's everything -- property, autos, coins, stamps, jewelry, stocks .... everything!!!

My wife and family are aware, updated and informed about everything I own, including my gun collection. They know what I have, what it is, what I think it's currently worth, who, where and how to sell everything.

I'm fortunate enough to be able to target certain items to organizations other than my family upon my passing. There are several organization I belong to who are going to be very surprised with what they will receive.

Targeting very special items to organizations that know and appreciate the collections rarity or uniqueness is really the only way I can see to keep highly valued collections together. My family knows this and agrees with it.

Sometimes it's also advisable to go outside the normal family recipient "pool" and pick certain individuals who you know will cherish and prize the items they are given...

Guns are very special treasures to us. Some will say the ultimate heirloom..... We'd like to know someone else will "suffer" someday with the decision of whom to leave that wonderful gun to that we trusted to them....

Choose wisely....

JMHO

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Terry

Hi Springfan,

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you document it. When my granddad died many years ago, I was just a little kid and he had an extensive collection of beautiful Brownings and Benellis, among many others. All of that stuff got grabbed by cousins and others who had no interest in those guns other than the fact that they were valuable. I watched through the years as many of them were promised to me "when I got older" but I can tell you that I received exactly zero guns from anyone.

The toughest parts were when the family members died and their wives gave my granddad's guns to their family members. None of who even know who my granddad was.

So if you're worried about it, write it down. Or sell them. And spend the money on something nice. That's what I'm going to do. My relatives can all go eff themselves.

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John F. - recovering Statist

First off, welcome to the forum.
Your thoughts are not unique, most of us, including me have given this a great deal of thought. My Dad died almost 17 years ago and had a modest number of guns in his collection, some that are worth thousands of dollars and some that aren't so valuable monetarily. They are priceless to me, however, just because they were his. At this point they belong to my Mother, and she will have to decide what to do with them. I know I am named in her will as the recipient when she passes, but if it gets to the place where she needs the money, she may have to sell them. That would sadden me greatly, but I understand and would support her in that regard.
I have a collection that is greater in the number of pieces than my Dad had, although not as valuable. At this time my son has little interest in them, nor do my daughters. I wish they did, and that may change, but I can't control that. I fully intend to catalog them all with values and the "stories" behind each one. (someday). I have told my Wife people to contact to help her sell them should I pass. I trust them implicitly to give her good guidance. One of those people is someone I met through this forum. And that brings up an issue I want you to think about as well. I know you are new to this forum, and you should always be on guard in who you entrust, especially in cyberspace. But as you spend more time here I'm sure you will be impressed with the honesty and integrity of most of the people here. There have been threads about people dealing with widows faced with selling their late husbands collection. I have never seen anyone posting offers to lowball anybody. Usually advice is offered, and condolences. That impresses me, and I think it speaks to the character of the members as a whole. Get to know some people on here and I'm confidant you will come to the same conclusion. Please consider this a resource, for yourself and your family. We're glad you're here.
Take care.
Jim

Welcome.
This is from a stoic position & the thoughts are mine---they may not suit you.
I am not a citizen of this world, my home is one that is given by grace.
I do what I do because it brings me pleasure--I have fun doing it.
That is me, I can't pass on these feelings, thoughts or faith.
What happens after I am gone will not make one whit of a difference to me.
These THINGS are left to the ones I have designated. They then become their responsibility.
I was born to die, I have life eternal. These things will also pass away.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD

Unlike with other collectible items, firearms are considerably more difficult to liquidate, which could be problematic for heirs who are not savvy, or simply not interested in what you have left them. That said, even a modest collection can be worth significant $ in today's prices, thus a clear plan should be in place for how your firearms shall be disposed of in the event of your passing. However, if you're lucky enough to have heirs who are as passionate as you are about the collection, then there's nothing to worry about. Hopefully all of this is moot, and you will be postponing the dirt nap long into the future.

As has been stated above, your thoughts are very understandable and not so unique.

A great part of the pleasure in gun collecting that many will never grasp is a satisfaction and appreciation of the marriage of art, form, and function that appeals to a certain type of person on a very basic level. Some who can't understand it are frightened or disturbed by the fascination, since to them they are only "weapons" that can "hurt or kill" people. The best analogy I ever heard describing such came from the late Colonel Jeff Cooper who said that 'a rabbit cannot be expected to understand the mind of the fox, because he is a rabbit'. Just so. The reason your dilemma disturbs many of us in the same way is we look at those we have associated with and those we have begot and marvel at how they have no interest in something that we find so fascinating and enjoyable. We worry that they are perhaps more rabbit than fox and wonder how that came to be and what that might mean for them when we are no longer here to protect and provide for them.

While I have wrestled and continue to do so with the same problem, I, like others here have come to a place of peace on another level about it. Not just my firearms, but everything I own that might be valued or useful to someone else will soon (in the scheme of things) belong to someone else. It is a human tendency to grasp and hold onto that which we have acquired, especially what we have worked and sacrificed for. But I came with nothing and shall leave in like manner. Hopefully part of my maturing process is developing the ability to see that in a practical way and choose to enjoy what I have been blessed with while I'm here and not worry about the disposition of it after I am no longer able to make use of it.

Most would like to leave those we love with some security and better off than we were - that is the natural feeling of a responsible person. But at the same time the uniqueness and value of the collection of someone who has spent 40 or 50 years accumulating these "trinkets" that we value so is such that it has become part and parcel of who we are. And we wish that that was appreciated enough by those we leave behind that they could 'keep us alive' in some way by perpetuating that interest. But that is the vanity of man and the pride of life. We want to be remembered and we want to have counted for something while we were here. But the vast majority do not have a 'place in history'. It is not the natural order of things, as much as we sometimes wish it were. We play our part in anonymity and move off the scene the same way.

Enjoy your guns, shoot them and use them; seek out and associate with people who have similar interests and try to learn not to fret too much over it if those you wish had more of an interest do not. How you choose to oversee the disposal or dispersal of them is only up to you while you're here. And another natural tendency is to avoid making those preparations in the vain belief that we will always have enough time "later" to do so.

If you think that the foreknowledge of how your collection will be dispersed will bring you peace of mind, I urge you to make those plans sooner than later. It is really a little thing compared to the more important questions of facing eternity.

Just one man's view . . . .

I think the answer is that there are many different situations, but I personally am in the same situation as you other than being only a few short years younger than you (but still over 60).
For my part, I see no reason whatsoever to keep a collection together after I'm gone because my collection (more accurately "accumulation") of guns and other things of value I've ended up with are only those things that I personally took an interest in.
Additionally, I have been part of liquidating older relatives estates after their demise, and it is not a fun thing to do.

So the way I look at it, I'm going to need every dime I can to fund my retirement and later years, so other than giving away a few guns to nephews (while I'm still alive) who will really appreciate them, the rest will be sold and the cash used to pay for my end times.
If I guess wrong and check out before I've sold off all my "valuable" stuff, then who cares?

But that's just me...

Guns are inanimate objects that only hold importance to those who actually collect them. My son is young, so it's not even an option, but if I had nephews, nieces, or grandkids who would actually appreciate them, I would leave the guns to them in my will. I agree it's better to sell them while you're still alive and fund a nice vacation or something then to leve them to someone who doesn't want them or has no idea what they are worth. I just stumbled on a perfect model 19-2 made in 1967. Old lady walked into the gunstore with it and a few others and promptly got hosed on the value. So much so that I was able to get the gun for $250. he probably gave her $100. The deep blueing and mint condition of it indicates the original owner probably bought it new and cherished it. Then he dies and they simply get sold for peanuts. While I am glad I got such a good deal, I am sure that man would have rather left that beautiful gun to someone he cared about who would appreciate it and care for it like he has. While I never knew the man, I sure will cherish it and care for it.

Life is short. If nobody wants them or will appreciate them, sell them on a forum like this to someone who will give you a fair deal and appreciate them like you do.

It's been my experience that no one will care about them except you. If you know of others that are fond of them, see that they are given or sold to them while they are still under your control.
I intend to start selling off my stuff when I stop using it, cease to enjoy it or just can't handle it anymore.
No one I know of cares about anything except for what it will be worth when I'm gone and I don't want to think of some of my nice things being sold for a mere fraction of their value.
I intend for the vultures to have very slim pickings from me.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

First of all, thanks for starting this thread. This subject has been on my mind a lot lately. Let me relate two instances to you. At the time of my divorce, I gave my son some special firearms: my first rifle, my granddad's shotgun, my dad's old Browning, and a mint 624. Within 6 months they were pawn shop fodder, and gone forever. Last December my dad died. With no thought to me (only son), Mom gave all dad's guns to my brother-in-law and his son. I'll be 60 this year, with some health issues, and am trying to save everything I can for retirement. I certainly don't have the collection some of you guys do, but it's in the 15-20 K range. I think I've decided to sell the majority, keep a few special pieces, and give a couple to old friends. I guess the reality is that no one will care about our "stuff" like we do now. Thanks again, Bill.

Judging from the number of 1st time posters asking what the guns they just inherited are worth so they can sell them I say that saving guns for children or grandchildren isn't a great idea, anyway. It seems few appreciate them.

I don't have any children. So, my wife will sell the guns and do what she wants with the money. I did tell her to let each of my close friends take one gun as a last gift from me before selling the rest. A couple of the friends have expressed interest in buying some of the guns and I told them they have to deal with the widow.

all good ideas for dealing with a basically unpleasant problem. i have an inventory written down with two prices. one for what i paid and i for what the gun is worth at the time i acquired it. i do a revaluation every 12-18 months to stay as up to date as i can. i have one friend that i am leaving some of the jets and all the ammo and jet related loading supplies too. he will help her move whatever guns she wants to sell. i have also been fortunate to be friends with one of the larger collector gun dealers and one of the originators of a large gun auction house. this way she will get more than one opinion on what to do and then decide herself. these thoughts are not the most pleasant,but it is something most collectors will have to deal with. best to have some decisions out of the way before the final event.

Well I'm 67 and facing the same issues about my guns, coin collection, and other stuff as I fade into the golden years. Last year I made the decision that I would give my two sons that hunt the rifles and handguns that I knew they wanted right then rather then make them wait till the end. That way I would actually get the pleasure of seeing them use the items before I took the dirt nap.

Then I told them the rest of my guns were part of my 401K and I would sell them when I needed to to fund vacations, buy different toys , Etc and they actually thanked me because they said didn't look forward to dealing with all the guns that I own and would prefer me doing what I wanted with them before hand.

It was funny how that decision freed me up and sort of cleared the air as now I have no regrets about what I want to do with my stuff before I go. It was like a weight was taken off of my shoulders and now I feel good about it and have no concerns.

..........

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Andy

First welcome, it’s always nice to have a new voice around. Congratulations on your collection, I hope it has given you pleasure over the years.
As I’m only a few years younger than you, I to have given some thought of what to do with some of my prized items, my small assortment of revolvers and knives. I only have one child, a son, who sadly, will never have the chance to get his hands on any special items I may have. My wives nephews and nieces have no interest in any of these items and would only sell or give them away. I do though have a very good friend who appreciates quality handguns and knives, so I’ve made arrangements for these items to go to him upon my untimely passing. I tell him don’t expect to get your hands on them any time soon.
If selling is an option for you, remember in addition to the influx of cash you will receive the sale will also allow someone else to gain pleasure from an item you once owned.

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Always Stay Strong!

I pretty much feel the same way as Joni_ Lynn. I have no real kids- 2 step boys and they really don,t deserve anything-nor will they treasure it. So I sell as I go. But if you do have anything that is special YOU need to give it to them before you pass on. I really don,t own that much and my plans are to leave the earth as I came in but in my personal will which I keep on a thumb drive are my directions of all my personal belongings.It is ever changing as my mood or insight changes. In case I jump off without time to deal with it.My wife gets all my money for putting up with me.

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T. Johnson

fyimo said:
Every time I buy a new gun, I tell my wife I've added another stock to her retirement portfolio. I keep track of what was paid for what so hopefully she will have some idea of their value. I sometimes imagine there being a big auction after I'm gone, with my better half sitting in the back, getting a big kick out of watching them all sell. She'd enjoy that and that I'd be smiling from the grave. If I knew that a close friend or relative likes a particular gun then hopefully I will enjoy the pleasure of making it a present to them before I go. But when I'm gone I really wont be caring what happens to my collection and I'm sure not going to waste any time worrying about what will happen to them while I'm alive. Life is for the living and the dead have no voice in it other than through those still alive.
John

They are my wife's if I die, a kind of savings account, and she knows enough to be careful selling them. If I hold on but can't enjoy them any longer I will sell them so someone else who likes guns can enjoy them.

Dave

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RSVN '69-'71
PCSD (Ret)

Welcome to the Forum. What a great thread and great responses from the Members. I agree with all who said the key is to document. The way things work is no matter what you decide to do with your treasures it is extremely important to document, document, document. In our society it's simple, if it is not in writing, it didn't happen. When my father passed many moons ago, it was included in his living will what would happen to his collection, which all of us (his sons) received a portion. Unfortunately, today most of the younger generation don't have the appreciation for things that are to be passed down and usually can't wait to sell them off and grab the money. At my Dad's funeral my brothers and my Mom placed my Dad's favorite most loved piece, a Colt Single action Army in the casket with him right before it was closed and now it rests with him forever. Who said you can't take it with you.

There are no experts on this, and horror stories abound. Because I'm in my 60s and had heart surgery a while back, I do study the subject and watch very closely how other peoples estates and gun collections are handled. I'm not impressed.

The number of instances where offspring sell the stuff for toy money greatly exceeds the number where they're treasured. The old joke is nieces and nephews sell them for drug money isn't far off the mark. Extend that to include electronic toys and you cover most of the instances.

I have a bad habit of turning these posts into novels. But if you don't like reading them, just pass over it.

My own situation was my father died unexpectedly. My mother hated guns. So she wanted them all out of her house, the next day. We went to their bedroom, my older brother and I, and my mother had all his guns lying on the bed. We were told to look at them and she left the room. I was the younger one, and I was pretty well used to getting the short end of the stick, so to speak. So I picked up dad's old .32 Regulation Police, his only handgun. I looked at it for a few minutes and then placed in back on the bed, not where it had been but close to me.. Then I picked up a .270 Remington I'd owned and sold to him because I hated it. But it also was the only scoped firearm he owned. I put it down again, close to where I was standing.

Then my mother came in, looked at my brother and said he got to pick first because he was the older. Just as I suspected. So he selected the old handgun. So I took Dad's Winny M12, the gun we'd hunted together with for so many years. It kind of confused my brother, but he then selected the Remington. Great, no skin off my back. I took the 1917 Enfield, the one Dad and I spent hundreds of hours ruining in our attempt to sporterize it. Yes, it did look nice, and it had special meaning to Dad because he carried one in WWII. Then I did the unexpected, I pivoted and left the room.

My mother yelled "where are you going", to which I replied "I've got 2 sons, and the guns that have the most family value." My brother then had to take the other dozen items I never figured out why Dad had bought over the more recent years. He knew I felt they were just clunkers and junk. He even agreed about some of them. Spanish doubles, a few milsurp guns I have no idea why he picked up (probably because they were cheap, or someone needed a few bucks so they were selling.)

I don't have either of the guns. I moved them along to my sons. My brother sold all of his bounty to a gun shop where he lives. To him they were just things of value to be sold off. He's a liberal, too.

My gun show partners always joke (but we know its true) that cheating widows and orphans is a long standing American tradition. Most gun nuts (I say it in a favorable manner) have a fair idea of the value of the guns in their collection. Remember guns do vary in value so our ideas may be off the mark. I've found widow usually fall into two categories. The first feels everything their departed honey had was worth millions, or the guns were just a waste and of no real value. Its amusing to watch the events unfold. The first group almost never ends up selling the guns because they're convinced everyone is trying to cheat them. The second group usually gets some money, but they're generally treated pretty roughly and end up with only a fraction of the value.

The success story in recent years was a pleasure to watch. A nice lady who is now one of our "gun show partners" had her husband pass away. It wasn't unexpected, but she wouldn't even sell anything for the first 5 years! But then she did have an estimate from a LGS near her. The full collection was just over 300 guns, and the LGS offered her about $200,000 for it. Yes, I may be violating some confidences here. But she called in one of our members here and asked him to dispose of them for her. I was even leery of the arrangements, but they turned out well for her, she got as I understand it about 2 1/2 times that amount, less commission. It was an arms length transaction, sort of. On the happy side, I even ended up with one of her guns, an nice old 32-20 target at what I felt was a very fair price (and I'm a cheap skate!)

An example of the other kind of situation took place a couple of years ago. A friend called me and wanted me to "price out" some guns a co-worker had. The guy's wife had called and wanted to dispose of them. He came over with a list, not the guns. All common guns, as sold in our WalMarts. I did the unreasonable. I took the list on the hood of my friends truck. We looked up the first 3 guns in my bluebook (I hate the things because they often can't even separate the rare guns from the usual, and if you want an example look up K22s). Then I showed the friend the condition ratings, and handed him the blue book to take back and do the clerical work himself. The next night he called me and said it didn't work out so well. The widow wasn't willing to even entertain the idea her hubby's beat up old hunting guns were worth less than the day he bought them. I had a bad feeling about it, and a few years later got to see a few. Scratched, rusted, and beat up. Most weren't worth half what the widow felt she should get. Didn't bother me, my job isn't to pump sunshine up other peoples skirt.

Another thing everyone should remember is selling our own guns can be fun. Selling someone elses guns can be a real chore. There's no way most widows will go to a gun show, rent a table, then sit for 8 hours both days. When they expect you to do that for them, all at your own expense, and then carp and cry about the low return, its a loser of a situation. Most purveyors or resellers will take a gun to sell on commission. And the usual fee is 15% and then only if the person establishes a bottom line. If its unreasonable, the reseller won't even bother trying unless he's about out of his own goods.

Selling guns and squeezing the last drop of blood/top dollar out of them is difficult. As evidence, I suggest you attend gun shows. Pick a vendor (lets use the big monkey here as an example). Look at his wares, admittedly some are pretty nice. Then go back to the next few shows and watch. Many of the same guns travel with him, show to show, month after month. Yes, he does sell some, often most over time. But he's working at it, and spending significant bucks on tables, motel rooms, meals, and fuel. And he has a fair idea what his stuff is worth, he just needs to expose the guns to the air for others to see and stew over. You don't sell off all your guns in the first few hours of the first gun show.

For what I think is reasonable will probably end up with others not agreeing. The large collection I started this post discussing took a couple of years to liquidate. There may still be a few (like less than 5) that haven't sold. Costs were fairly significant, probably around the 15% figure in total. She spent a generous amount of time doing the non-gun sales herself. But she was no novice to the gun show circuit. She was also smart enough to realize that to sell the stuff in a reasonable length of time, she'd have to absorb some minor losses.

So in all this maybe the most important issue is does the widow have enough ready cash to eat tomorrow? Next week and next year? It might turn out she'd be better off calling a few of the better known sellers and asking them to visit and make a proposal on how to sell them. If quick cash is the goal, then don't expect top dollar. If top dollar is what's needed, then temper your expectations on when it will be realized.

A large collection needs to be inventoried. You can do that before you die. It can/should include all the pertinent information like gun model, barrel length, serial number and any accessories that need to go with it when sold. You'll need a system to include those items, too. I know what a SIG P210 mag looks like, and how they're worth $150 each. My wife surely doesn't. Its also fair to assume she will be stunned by the total value.

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Dick Burg

Wow... First off - Welcome aboard, Springfan! Quite the discussion you've started. So many different points of views and mostly, experiences. I'll be 42 in a few weeks, so I can't claim to have spent considerable time thinking this through. However, I've bought each of my guns (only 3 longs, 1 shot, and 1 pistol) with the idea of passing them on to my 2 sons. I've also used guns as a "coming of age" gift. Each of them got their own, brand-new Remington 870 in 20-ga on their 12th birthdays. I can't even count the great times we've had shooting together already and they're only 17 & 13. My hope and prayer is that when I go home, the guns they receive will resurrect the great memories and help them maintain a connection with their heritage.

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Ed

Welcome & thanks for starting this to see the varied answers. I passed 70 several months ago, and although I shot various games for years, I wasn't really a "accumulator until I retired about 7 years ago. My accumulation is modest, a little less than 100 guns, only a few of which would fall in the class of a "collectable". Most all are using guns, but most of good quality and in excellent working condition. I keep a listing with complete ID, #'s, etc as well as date acquired, price paid, and current value (which I update from time to time). In my will, there is a "Trinket Clause" where I have listed a few specifically to go to a few people, with the rest to be disposed of by my spouse, (assuming she will live longer). I am having thoughts recently about beginning to dispose of a few that I have little use or emotional attachment to. I plan to try some local gun only auctions, which I attend regularly and usually am buying, but now will be selling. I figure the current value of those I will eventually sell will fund about a year in a nursing home. (Boy, isn't that a depressing thought). I have one son and son-in-law that do a little shooting, and they have been mentioned in the will as well as a grandson. The rest of the family have no interest.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

just a piggyback to alaskavett...had an uncle who died and his brother got all the guns for various reasons...surviving brother trade or sold for booze the following: L.C. Smith 410 double, Browning Sweet 16, pre '64 Winchester 70, Python, Mannlicher-Schoener full stocked carbine in222MAG., several others as well....he's gone now as well.....Whine

Hi:
Sell the weapons indiviually on this forum and enjoy the money.
The forum members are the only ones who will appreciate what they are.
Due to serious medical issues I had to sell mine starting in the spring/summer/fall of 2010 to pay medical bills. The forum member are great and honest folks. They will deal fairly with you.
Jimmy

I am in my mid 40's but I have seen what happens with collections after people die and no one knows the value of things. What I have is a master list in Excel, make, serial, caliber etc. Also when purchased how much. Then I add a blow out value, might be less than I paid and I add a retail store price. I also add any features or important info and if I have the box and or docs. I also have instructions on how to get rid of it, sell it to the LGS and get about half the retail price on the lot. Take it and run, one lot one price. I also said leave the gun store with recipes that include serial numbers and on the way home stop at Tiffanys and buy yourself something that you like

Ive got no kids and no close family. The money isn't needed for my wife to eat or pay the bills. At this point it will just be a pain for her to deal with. So get a fair price and be done with it.

I have changed prices on the list, things can go up or down. Sometimes my guesstimates are off, so I adjust them when I feel they arent right.

My friends have there own guns.

It just they way I see it

I have witnessed the passing of someone who has a lot of guns a number of times. I have come to the conclusion it is best to move them along yourself when your time becomes short. Either give them to someone who really appreciates them or sell them.

si--------

I have been giving this issue a lot of thought lately as well. My dad passed away last year after a year-long illness that left him not making good decisions towards the end. Also, one of my closest cousins dropped dead of a massive coronary at 54! My two brothers and I split up dad's collection. We were able choose items that had some meaning to us individually, and some things that didn't that we are free to sell. In this case, it's a comfort to me that my brothers wound up with the things that I didn't get. They are still in the family. In my case, there is no one in line to give most of my treasures to, at least that would appreciate them for what they are. The sad fact is, in a lot of cases, all those beautiful weapons we searched the country for are going to be liquidated for 50% of their retail value when we're gone. With that in mind, I've started to unload some things when I get the opportunity and I can bear to do it. Also, as several people have said, make sure your records are up to date, and that any wishes are in writing! You never know, but live like hell while you can!

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Member MVGCA, OGCA, NRA Life

Joni's comments are pretty much 'on target'.

I found myself in your position. After determining that no one in my family really cared about having 'a bunch of guns', I did what I called a pre-estate sale.

I sold my Smith collection one at a time over 2-3 years. A number of them were sold on this forum. No auction sites.

Some of the buyers were really pleased, like the guys who bought NIB 8" 3T 27 or 29.

I do not regret the decision.

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Incoming fire has right of way

Springfan,

I am certainly available to take and safeguard your collection. Just let me know, and I will drive right over and pick it up. I would hate to see it fall into the "wrong" (meaning, anyone else's) hands.

I'm going to suggest that you have a smug attitude, and it very well could be misplaced.

The widow issue is amusing at best. If you asked them, a fair number would claim to have been cheated. Any fair reading of it would reveal the opposite. Just because they feel mistreated doesn't mean they have been. Its why I usually won't do any business with them at all. Its one of those situations where you can't win.

Just because you trust an internet dealer doesn't even vaguely mean your widow will get "max funds". Its good that you feel confident about it, but if you interview 2 or 10 other sellers, you'll get that many answers as to how much a collection is worth.

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Dick Burg

Welcome to the forum - I can't advise you - this is something you will need to decide on your own - I can say that the people in this world who would care for your collection would love the opportunity to do so. If you feel your family would not care, then I would suggest you pass them along to others who would cherish them - through a sale or auction or a gift - as you feel is proper. I wish you all the best and am sure that in the end you will do what you feel is comfortable for you.

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Don't tread on me

I'm posting this as a separate item so it won't be confused by my post right above.

I'll suggest that very few people really have an idea of the value of their collections. Those who are the most convinced of their own knowledge of values probably are the most wrong. Those who hedge any conclusions probably understand the problems involved.

Any valuation of a gun collection needs to have a memo entry showing the cost paid and the date it was done. Its just a baseline, but can be of interest. Even small features can add to the rarity, and might even make a gun unique.

Years of collecting and wandering gun shows has made me painfully aware of how bad we are at judging condition. The different prices I've seen asked just amazes me. Maybe everyone needs to understand that asking price doesn't mean much. Nor does a single internet sale. Guns are rarely identical. Just because one gun sells for a huge (or tiny) amount doesn't set the bar for the next sale.

You'll also see that we have some very knowledgeable collectors. They sometimes have very deep pockets and won't hesitate if there is a gun they really want (or need.) That doesn't mean the next gun will sell for anything near the same amount. Particularly if it lacks the feature the earlier one had. Minor things like target sights, or an inch (or even a quarter of an inch) of barrel length. Real estate sales types use comparable sales. There is probably no such thing in the realm of S&W collectors treasures.

Ten years ago I was buying Registered Magnums for $600 or so. Today those same exact guns are selling for $6000. Just because you knew the price in 2001 doesn't mean you're even in the game today. Back then, Colt SAAs were thru the roof. Today they're almost at junk prices. Things go up and things go down.

The rule, flexible as it is, seems to be items still in production or available on the used market go down in value. Those out of production go up. It would seem the prices can move by several orders of magnitude, kind of like gold or silver. If you're building a spread sheet of the values, update it with newer ones, but don't dispose of the old ones. If you use prices seen on the internet, don't depend on receiving similar values. It probably won't happen.

Unless you're really good at appraising guns and gun collections, don't put a lot of confidence in your pricing.

Something we haven't discussed here and its very important to the thread subject. When you decide to die, your widow will need an appraisal of your collection. Its for tax purposes. It sets a baseline for what she'll pay in income taxes when she ends up finally selling the stuff. If its too high, she may end up paying estate taxes to your state or even the Feds. If its too low and she sells for more, she'll have to pay income taxes on the difference. Its a no win kind of thing, or can be.

Its part of the time honored tradition of quietly allowing sons to just take Dad's guns, no paperwork, on records, nothing. It works in many families where the value is low and no one really cares. Its the larger and better collections were it can become a real hassle. But those already have top notch appraisers helping out.

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Dick Burg

I'd better hurry up and find a wife and have a son so I can groom him from birth to be a firearms enthusiast.......so he can enjoy my wheelgun collection and I never have to worry about it

Otherwise, I take my guns out and shoot them as often as I can, no point in keeping my guns unfired and pristine so someone else can enjoy them after I'm gone. In 10-20 years when it costs $5 a round even to handload .38, we're all gonna be saying "Wish I fired these more back in the day......"

I've written a few wills and often a list of the collection accompanies the will, (with date identified relative prices and admonitions that the price probably has gone up to help the widow), referenced in the will bequesting guns by model and serial number to their designated beneficiary/heir/owner and alternate beneficiaries in case the primary designee predeceases the testator. With a residual clause specific to firearms for any guns not specifically bequested otherwise.

I think that theres lots of good advice here!!

I would think that setting values greatly depends on exactly what is in the collection. Its much harder to set values on a collection of RMs and triple locks than a collection of Model 10s and 28s.

Also I think its harder (and can take much longer) to sell a high dollar "rare" gun that say even a nice m28. I am not bashing 10s or 28s just an example. A m28 will sell quickly around here, to get a market price on a triple lock it will wait for the right buyer. Theres a big difference in price in the two guns, I know

My simple point is the rarer the piece the harder to value.

Its also hard to not fall into the mine is gold trap...

That's an easy one for me to answer. My son. Only problem is that I have to keep reminding him "AFTER I die dummy, AFTER!!!"

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Forum consigliere

well i would like to think my family and friends will get them, my grandson has his eye on them now and hes only 3! he comes over and wants me to open the safes for him so he can look, he get this big ole grin, i always tell him i aint gone yet boy!

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

My father passed away 2yrs ago this Oct. and I'm still liquidating his estate. Looks like it's time for me to start thinking about my own as well.

Thanks to all of you for these great responses. In my joy at seeing so many I made the mistake of telling my wife about it. She says this is another indication of my poor mental condition and that I need to be on anti-depressants. I told her I would be less depressed if I purchased another hand ejector.

I received a nice PM from a member who had been in ill health for some time and who had found comfort in selling his firearms himself. This brought up the question of going into this selling business too early. I told him that a surgeon had told my wife in 1990 that I had at most 3 months to live. When I learned of this I took it upon myself to sell my boat, my dad's Packard, and my motorcycle. The boat and the car I do not miss, but that was a nice motorcycle.

I have on the basis of your responses come to these conclusions:

1 - It is highly unlikely that any family member is going to jump in and become a collector, and thus keep my collection intact, just because of my passing. If they aren't memorizing SCSW now, they aren't going to do it when I'm gone.

2 - The first step in preparing for selling my firearms, whether I do this or my wife does it, is cataloging what I have, including circumstances of purchase and price, and what I estimate a fair selling price to be now. The latter can of course change.

3 - I need to identify some options for my wife to use in getting the pieces sold fairly.

4 - There may be some pleasure in selling the pieces myself, though I'm having a little difficulty seeing myself, for example, selling the Model 41 I used in the matches in Ocala in the 1970s.

5 - Finally this is a subject that many collectors face,and a lot of thought has gone into making good decisions.

Thank you again for this opportunity. I don't want to stop the thread (like I could?), but felt it was time to respond to your responses.

So you've decided to die. Not particularly you, just someone here.

And you've got some guns. Nice ones, too. But not all that many. Lets make a little list, imaginary, just for fun.

1. A really nice K22 Outdoorsman, been shot a bit, no box or anything else. And you have seen similar items selling for $1000, with some maybe a little more, some maybe a little less.

2. You've got a really nice postwar K22, maybe 1947 or 48 production, looks nearly unfired and has its box and accessories. Again, you've seen them sell for about $1000.

3. There's the ratty old K32 you've had for a long time. OK, so it got a pretty pronounced turn ring, but most of the blue is still there and you've seen a similar gun selling for $2000.

4. And then you remember the Dirty Harry days, when you somehow lucked into a 5 screw early 44. OK, so you shot the living daylights out of it for fun. Its shows a little wear on the high spots, but its still tight and you've seen them sell for $2000 in the same condition.

5 .you get the picture. Not over priced, not underpriced, just fair estimates of what the guns could be sold for. Say the total is $10,000.

What do you think a fair value for your collection will be, sitting in your hall closet? Do you think its the full $10,000? There are expenses involved in selling stuff. Time, effort, travel, you name it. If you were to take this imaginary collection to your LGS and ask them to buy it from the estate, how much do you think they'll offer? Remember, the lights cost money to keep lit, and the commando behind the counter earns his minimum wage.

I'll submit a controversial suggestion here. The fair market value of your collection is maybe $8,000, give or take.

Most gun stores (or hardware stores, or you name it) must make a profit to stay in business. Some sell used items and ask twice what they paid for them. They don't get it, but they start out asking it. On this basis, they'd offer, with a straight face, $5000. You'd be sure they're cheating the widow and orphan. You know your guns are worth twice that figure. Even the shops that get good traffic might only offer you $7500. That still allows a good margin for profit. Its what they're in business to make. They're not around to sell stuff for what they paid. And the $7500 figure would be a good guess of the top price you/your widow would be offered. You'd feel cheated.

And anyone here, not knowing the background, would walk into the store, take a look at the $1000 gun and offer him $900 out the door. If it was the first day, he'd say no. But in a couple of weeks of the gun sitting there collecting mold and scratches from folks handling it, he'd jump at the $900. And his profit margin just went down the tubes.

A reality of trying (notice I only said trying) to sell down a collection is that 20% or so will sell very quickly. Leads maybe to the conclusion the times were under priced, but how could you know? Then the middle 60% of the stuff will sell over time. Maybe 3 months, maybe 6, with the dregs of that middle group even taking a full year. And they won't all sell for the fair price you guessed. Some will, some won't. Might even depend on the sales skills of the person meeting the customer. Remember the gun store commando who makes minimum wages? He's part of the key. Now we get to the last 20% of your guns.

Nothing wrong with any of them. You might have an inkling that no one really wants those dogs, but you did so someone else might, too. The gun store is getting tired of them not moving. When your widow calls because she needs rent or grocery money (or tickets to Europe), they suggest maybe the prices are just too high and they'd like to reduce them maybe 30% or so. What does she say? If she says no, they may just tell her to come get them because they don't think they can sell them. At the one year mark, they're right. Every collection has its odd ball guns that no one really wants, or at least at the price you think is fair. Maybe not even at half that.

I'd suggest those are the guns you go get, bring back home and give to your uncle Bill or your hubby's ex-shooting partner. Not the plums of the collection (those sold the first day.) And its what's wrong with letting the nephews select the pieces they want. They're just going to sell them for beer and drug money, remember? Give them the H&R 22, the Rossi, or the Taurus. Not the Registered Magnum.

The alternative is even worse than selling or putting the guns up on consignment. Your wife tries to sell them herself at the gun show, or tries to impose on you, the knowledgeable shooting pard. You need to know that to sell a 100 gun collection its going to take you a dozen or more gun shows, Motel rooms for 2 nights at each one, plus meals, plus a few hundred miles round trip for each one. To summarize, 36 days of work, 2400 miles driving (IRS says $.50 per mile) $2400 in motel rooms, maybe $1200 in meals, and the table rentals of another $1200 ($100 per table x 12). You've got maybe $6000 in out of pocket expenses and not a cent for your time and efforts. Sure, back when you were alive you guys were good buddies, but we're now talking significant expenses.

And widows are cheap. Lets make that Cheap with a capital C. You should be selling the stuff to serve her, and the memory of you lost buddy. If it were a single day at a gun show, I'd even suggest it might not be too much of an imposition. But I'm one of those guys who lugs a few hundred pounds of junk from show to show. Maybe I'm cold hearted, but if she wants the stuff sold, she should be there trying to sell it, too. And paying for the 8' table she covers, and turning down reasonable offers because the dead guy said they will bring more $$$.

Mostly guys here on the S&W forum are upscale collectors. We take pleasure in bashing those who are so foolish as to won Tarui and other off brand trash. But many collections do have their dregs.

I'd advise anyone here to take a cold hard look at the stuff you don't take photos of and don't post. You don't even let your gun buddies know you own the worst of it. If you had one lick of sense, you'd have sold them long ago - or put them out for the trash. But instead there they are, in a drawer for your widow to find after you take the dirt nap.

And someone's going to come along and suggest to her they're worth at least $200 each. You didn't put a value on them because you know they can't be sold.

Want another subject to discuss?

Lets think about ammo. "to be continued".

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Dick Burg

Dang, Burg, bet you're a riot at parties !

Actually, he's told it just like it is, and then maybe a bit on the rosy side. It's human nature, but if you've ever watched "Pawn Stars" you've seen this mind set at work. The owner of the shop calls in an expert to appraise whatever 'priceless' treasure someone brought in who just stood out in the parking lot and admitted to the camera that they got it for free and have no idea what it's worth.

The appraiser tells them "it's possibly worth , say, $1,500."

So the pawn shop guy asks, "how much did you want for it ?" And 9 times out of 10 the mope who is selling says . . . "$1,500 !".

Well, he needs to open his own shop or take it directly to a collector and spend HIS time and HIS money running all over Hades to sell it. No concept of how things really work - all they see are dollar signs.

No body rents a table at a gun show to make money. At least nobody I ever met personally . . . .

This may be a little off track but the irony of the situation kinda freaked me out. A fellow motrocyclist passed away a couple months ago. His widow promptly advertised both of his motorcycles in the local paper. One of the bikes was a cherry 1952 ElectraGlide that she had priced at less than half its street value. A friend of mine jumped all over it and met with the widow to finalize his purchase. When he went to pick up the bike, out of the blue she showed him her late husband's guns. She told my friend she needed to sell them also. He bought them all on the spot. Don't remeber all the details except one - a Colt 1911 for $100.00. A week later he had a heart attack riding down the highway on his last ride. Don't know what happened to his recent purchases and I'm kinda afraid to ask.

I'm not a collector, but I am a shooter.
I'm almost 63 years old and I've been buying guns since I was 12 years old. I have over three large safes full.

What will happen to my guns.....

I have a son, two daughters, two son in laws, one daughter in law and nine grandchildren and two step granddaughters (I consider the grandchildren).

They are all shooters, all starting from the age of three on some to five on others. Started with BB Guns on all, my 16 year old grandson shoots the snot out of his ARs. 1911s and Browning HP that I gave him. My seven and five year old grandsons shoot my S&W .22lr AR and their Model 63s. Occasionally I'll let them shoot a Glock Model 19 for fun, but we only load one round at a time. My 11 year old granddaughter and 10 year old granddaughter shoot their 1911, Glock 19, Model 34s and J Frames like it going out of style. I had a female officer watching my 11 year old last fall shooting "failure to stop drills" and she said "she shoots better than most of our police women."

I have been buying the older ones ammo for their guns for birthdays and Christmas.

My children, grandchildren and children in law are all part of the gun culture.

My daughter in law killed men and wounded one when she was ten years old. Four men broke into her farm home when she was babysitting her three little brothers. Her mom and dad had run into the Grocery store in the near small town to pick up a few things on a Saturday. She used her dad S&W 1917 .45acp. that she had been shooting for several years. Brothers were in the bedroom closet and she was behind the kitchen counter with her full moon reloads stacked when they kicked open the door to the mud room and came in. When they were all in the mud room she started shooting. Six Rounds down range.
Reload and call the Sheriff's Dept. Local Police, OHP and SO units from all over several counties responded to a Shots Fired/Child needs Help Call.
Grand Jury gave her a Letter of Commendation and a no bill.

My Children, their spouses and Grandchildren will get my guns when I'm dead and gone, just as I have my fathers and one of my Grandfathers.

I will not leave my Children a lot of money when I die, but I will leave them the arms and ammo to protect themselves and their families in the troubled times ahead. And the knowledge of when and how to use them.

Rule 303

I offered to buy a collection (small one) recently from a widow (Not One Comment Burg...) and was at 70% of retail on the deal.
She never got back to me and a friend of the family told me she gave the guns away to sons and nephews.

I saw one long gun at the gunshop for sale from his collection this week.
Priced cheaper at a shop than what I'd given her for it. I bet more will show up later.

Reminds me of a saying, "The only one who cared what gramdpa had was grandma."

GF

I'm almost 58, my .02:
If I die suddenly, my son gets the guns and truck, wife gets everything else.
If I hang around awhile, see above.
Try to cheat either after I'm gone, they been hanging with me a long time and started off way smarter than me.
As to cheating widows, I did that once over 20 years ago. I was an FFL at the time and this widow wanted her 'ol man's gun outter the house.' I told her it was an early Ruger .22 flatlatch and worth a 'few bucks.' She said good, "Take it and git." I held out a Grant (all I had on me), she took it. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

OK, the thread was titled what happens to the collection. Think for a minute about it. To me, the collection consists of not just the guns, but all the guns stuff (stuff is a kind word that passes the filters here.) Sometime when you're driving along, like home from a gun show, reflect on how you spent the money that weekend. Or just as important, stop in your gun room and just look around at what you see. Sure, the guns are the big and obvious things. But everywhere you look you see other stuff.

The ammo was a huge expense. Most of us old codgers also collect it. When the bad times hit in the fall of 2008 (or back in 1994), all the new comers went crazy and tried to buy ammo. And they did, at any price. Those of us who'd been in the game for decades had predicted what was going on and just loaded up before hand. Truth be known, we'd have even weathered it just fine if we hadn't bought in big time. Have you ever counted how much 22 ammo you've got?

First, lets just talk about factory ammo, the stuff you bought at a gun shop, a yard sale, a sporting goods store going out of business, a hardware that was dropping guns, or each of the 10 or 12 gun shows you attend each year. I put up a post the other day about Kliens. I've got 22s from the 1960s with their 66 cent price sticker still readable. What's the widow going to do with all of it? It does sell for real cash at gun shows. We're all painfully aware that 41 Magnum ammo is now priced at $66 a box of 50. The stuff I have was bought for $16, and I thought it was high then.

In the cheating widows department... Over a year ago one of our table partners at gun shows started bringing in all her deceased hubby's ammo. For the average gun nut, its a pain at best. She was doing pretty well selling the stuff off. But one thing that she'd lugged in and back out for more than a few shows was her 22 Magnum stash. She was kind of a fussy shop keeper, constantly rearranging the display to suit herself. After a few shuffles of the 22 Mag ammo, I told her I'd make her an offer. If she hadn't sold it by the end of the show, I'd pay her $5 a box for it. It was marked at $7.50 with generic store price tags. She took it under advisement. About 10 minutes later, with one sweep of her arm all of it was on my table! She was painfully aware of how much it weighed, and how she'd not gotten any serious inquires. She solved the problem.

I was a little taken back, and tried to explain she had the entire show to try to do better, all I was doing was giving her a floor. Her response was pretty simple "Mike didn't pay that much and you know it."

But salable ammo will bring buyers if priced right.

Now the reloads are a totally different matter. Many folks won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. They don't know who the reloader was, how careful he was, and they don't want to risk a fine gun or their shooting hand. I only wish my son's would shun my ammo like that. Basically, other people's loads are just ballast. Unless you know and trust the loader.

Reloading supplies are just as bad. We pour a lot of money into buying them, but no one really wants to use someone elses open powder cans or primers of unknown vintage or storage conditions. Well, except my sons...

Its not unusual for us to have well over a thousand bucks in supplies alone. Maybe I'm the odd case, but I doubt it. I'd guess that the $ grand estimate is a low ball. How is the widow going to dispose of all of it? She can call the fire department, or the police and they'll scare her to death because many of them consider gun powder to be the equivalent of nuclear waste. Or they'll politely offer to haul it off for free. Then the guys who reload have just hit the lottery.

I'm going to make the suggestion that if the widow wants to pass something else along (besides the clunker guns), reloads and reloading supplies make a lot more sense. Good guns can be sold, factory ammo can be sold. But the reloading dies, presses, scales, and supplies might best be given to trusted buddies.

I've been given a few chances at buying the reloading set ups from guys who've passed away. I don't even waste my time going to look. Often its just junk that no one would want. Its sometimes rusty, usually stuff that looks like its been passed down from someone else, too.

When a widow asks you to see if you can sell it for her, be polite but try to refuse. Its just aggrivation you don't need. If you can actually sell it, you'll end up hauling it all over creation. Its a lot like selling manure, sure, there's a buyer for it, but hauling it exceeds the value of the items.

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Dick Burg