If you were going to sell off some guns in your collection....

G-Mac

G-Mac

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If you were going to sell off some guns in your collection, how would you decide what you wanted to keep, and what to sell? I don't need cash, I just have a number of guns that I don't shoot. It doesn't mean that I don't like them. I just work a lot and don't have time to use them. If something were to happen to me, I wouldn't want to burden my wife with disposing of them and probably getting taken advantage of.
 
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That's such a personal question that I'm sure everyone woulf give a different answer.

Personally, I don't need the money either, so I see no reason to sell. I have a spreadsheet that shows each item, purchase price and current value. I update it every year. When my time comes my kids can decide who gets what and the wife has the data to call in a gun buyer.

I figure if she takes 85% of the value, the dealer will be thrilled and she will still get more than what was invested.
 
Usually six months or so after I get rid of a gun regardless of how long I have owned it I will discover I need it which puts me back in the market to get a replacement (at a higher cost than I sold the previous one for of course).
 
I decided to sell off most of my modest collection about five years ago.

The way I decided what to keep, in most cases, was by keeping those handguns that I thought unlikely I would get back what I had in them. I like to customize my revolvers, and I kept four of these. Kept a fifth I had promised to a friend.

Kept two of five rifles just 'cause they were the two I liked best.

I was surprised that the gun I had the most in I was able to get back what I had in it. I kinda regret letting that one go, but when the buyer said name your price, and I named what I had in it, assuming he would quickly back off, and he instead immediately said he'd take it.... Well, he kinda had me over the barrel at that point, so off it went.
 
I keep my wife updated on the value of my guns so she might not sell but she won't get taken advantage of. I think this is a good topic for you to talk to your wife about. My wife does not plan to sell the guns, she likes them too. But when the time does come she knows what to do and most importantly not to get in a hurry.
 
If you think it's time to start
paring down, think what you
shoot the most, which are your
"old friends." Keep them.

The rest while worth owning
are surplus to your shooting
needs or desires.

Some times the decisions are
made easier by the advancement
of time and your physical
capabilities.

You might have,
for instance, several or more
than several heavy, big bore
revolvers. What good are
they if you no longer can
reasonably handle them or even
enjoy what they once were to
you?

So, OK, keep just one big boomer
and dump the rest. The same
might be said about multiple
auto pistols, rifles or shotguns.
 
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This may not happen nowadays, but there was a longtime dealer in the Dallas area years ago. He often bought entire collections and would travel extensively to do so. He simply computed what he could sell each gun for and offered 70% of that figure. Figuring overhead like travel expenses, etc., I doubt he was making much, but I suppose if he sold many, he did okay.

I think there are much better ways to invest instead of buying guns. Many fail to realize that the gun they paid $300.00 for forty or fifty years ago that can be sold for $1500.00 today may not even be close keeping up with inflation, let alone actually making a profit. There are certainly exceptions and money can be made on guns, just not as often as some think.

Many get in a position where it's necessary to sell a few or many guns for a variety of reasons: we no longer use them, we've lost interest, health problems, etc. It's easier for the owner to get the best dollar figure now than leave them to a disinterested party for disposal after we're gone.
 
You'll know what to keep and what to sell. Years ago I sold a few because they were duplicates.

I'm at a point where I'm going to sell a bunch. I'm 72 and just don't shoot as much as I used to. So, I don't care if any were my favorites, it's time someone else got to enjoy them. To me it's a good feeling that I don't have to decide.
 
That's a tough one and I'm in the same situation. I've helped a few widows of close friends liquidate collections. It's a lot of work, takes time to get fair value and I don't want to put others in that position. My wife indulges me, but isn't really interested in my stuff.

I know you're fairly well informed, so no one knows as much about your goodies as you. I've been trying to thin my collection, but it's difficult and I seem to have a hard time not adding new found treasures. :rolleyes:

I focus on local collector shows and try to decide what I can live without. I try to pick higher dollar items that I don't use and are redundant to my collection.

A couple of examples...

I've owned a Belgian FN/LAR match for decades. It's a great shooter and a superb battle rifle. I picked up a Belgian folding stock paratrooper a few years ago, but it just sat in the safe. I showed the folder to friend/collector and he paid my price on the spot.

I like the .41 Mag cartridge. I purchased an early 3-screw Ruger Blackhawk from a friends estate. I liked it enough to get a basketweave Lawrence western belt and holster for it and a fancy Silversmith buckle. I also had a nickel S&W Model 58 that was new in the box with all. I had no intention of ever shooting the 58, so I priced it at current market value and put it out at a local show. It was gone within the first hour.

I know most of us spent years accumulating our collections, but we can't take them with us. If you don't have heirs who would really appreciate them, thin the herd.
 
One day on a lark I wrote a list of the ten favorite guns I own. Then I wrote a list of the ten guns I owned I liked least! I sold 8 of those ten and started again. I sold about 25 guns that way. I had 8 guns I didn't really want any more, and took them to Cabela's 2 at a time and sold 7 that way. Now I only have 1 unloved gun. That took over 3 years and ended about 4 years ago. About time to start again.

Ivan
 
Some years ago I was in a bad financial situation and decided to sell most of my guns. I kept one, a 642-1, because it was the most versatile carry gun I had, so my choice was a pragmatic one.

Now, I have some guns with sentimental value that I won't part with whatever the cost, and despite being in financial difficulty again I'm going to do everything I can to avoid having to sell any of my guns. Then again, I don't have many guns to begin with, so even selling one would be a significant portion of my collection.

It's pretty much up to you how to decide what to sell and what to keep. We can all share our opinions but I'm not sure that will really be of any help to you. You'll have to decide what your criteria will be and choose accordingly.

Just my opinion.
 
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My approach is the same with everything I collect or better yet hoard, tools, cars, motorcycles, t-shirts, you name it......somebody is going to get them or have to dispose of them......I am not losing sleep over what happens when I don't wake up one day.....the guns are just like the dozens of socks, or boots or gloves or watches or knives or pens I have collected.....When the good Lord wants me those things ain't my worry.
 
I started that process a few weeks ago. Basically, I'm selling the guns I don't shoot.

If it's something I only took to the range once or twice after buying it and then put it away, it can go . . .

There are others that maybe I've shot a bit more, but there's just something about them that doesn't move me. Those can go, too.

Also, I'm selling some that I fear would sell too cheap if sold at a live auction or wholesaled out. I want to make sure the value is maxed out on those.

I've sold about 25 guns over the past three or four weeks. Quite a few more to go. It helps that it's a GREAT time to sell guns. People are buying and they're paying top dollar.
 
A while back I quit hunting and sold off most of my rifles.
Kept my Pride and Joy LH Carl Gustaf.
Lately, been buying a few Long Guns.
Tomorrow I'm Picking up a long gun safe from Cabelas.
 
G-Mac said:
If you were going to sell off some guns in your collection, how would you decide what you wanted to keep, and what to sell? I don't need cash, I just have a number of guns that I don't shoot. It doesn't mean that I don't like them. I just work a lot and don't have time to use them. If something were to happen to me, I wouldn't want to burden my wife with disposing of them and probably getting taken advantage of.
Click to expand...

I did exactly that.

I kept my favorites, sold the others and the Safe Queens.
 
I just did some mental addition and in my life I have sold 7 guns. 6 I sold because I needed money. When you have 2 defensive autos and no electricity, needs outweigh wants. I don't regret selling 2 of them. One because it was my deer gun and I inherited my brother's Pre-64 Mod. 70 that had been my father's. The other was my Uncle's Mod.12 that I had to buy back from my other brother because he was gonna sell it at a pawn shop. My aunt had given it to my father when my uncle had passed. He gave it to my brother. I bought it from him to keep it in the family. My aunt wanted to give it to her son and asked if she could have it back. I went to hand it to her and when she found out I had to buy it back, she wrote me a check for what I had paid, over my objections. Every other gun I wish I still had.
 
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