Another Widow Wants Help

[redlevel]

Y’all might remember. Just over 10 years ago, a widow lady in my church wanted me to help
with her late husband’s collection. I documented the process here.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/firearms-knives-other-brands/181056-looking-widows-guns-tomorrow.html
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/186956-update-widows-guns.html
I had an interesting time. I learned some stuff about some guns I wasn’t so familiar with, and
had the satisfaction of helping a lady get a fair deal on her firearms.

Today, another widow lady called my wife and wanted to know if I would help her determine a fair price
for her deceased husband’s collection. I’m not sure I’m up to the task this time. It sounds, and looks from
the pictures she sent me, that she has some nice guns. A couple of Thompson Contenders with multiple barrels,
a Bushmaster AR that looks like it is pretty well decked out with accessories, a Thompson Encore with multiple
barrels, a nice Kimber .45, and a few other pieces of quality manufacture.

I’m just not sure I want to invest the time and effort necessary to do right by the lady. She is a pretty good friend
of my wife. Both my wife and I taught with her for many years. I almost feel obligated to help her, and I guess I will

This brings another line of thought. I will be 73 years old a week from today. Is it time?
Is it time for me to “sell out” and distribute the guns I want family to have? Just keep a rifle and a couple of shotguns, and
2-3 handguns for home defense and carry? I have guns I haven’t shot in 10-15 years. I like to think I’ll
get around to dragging them out, but realistically, my shooting now is confined to .22 rimfire rifle and handguns,
and a couple of .38 Special K-frames.

I have these spells of thinking it is time to “divest.” This current situation with the widow just brings
it to the top again. I am in pretty good health, but one never knows. I have a nephew who is capable of selling my collection,
but he is involved in operating a multi-million dollar family business, and probably wouldn’t have the time to devote to the project.

Just dreary thoughts on a dreary Georgia day. Has been overcast, foggy, and rainy here for a couple of days.

 

[tops]

The weather is making you feel bad. You will feel better when the sun pops out. Larry

 

[MSgt G]

I agree with the post above. Today's a new day, with new hopes and opportunities. Embrace it!

 

[gjgalligan]

I'm 70 and I am also thinking about starting to sell off my guns. My son isn't into guns so I don't think he will be interested in any of them.
I don't want to leave a big mess for my wife if "I go first".

 

[Jessie]

Just have instructions to contact an auction house after your passing.
It’s not free but so what? Returns could well pay for expenses.
I also think some of the angst involved in not getting fair prices is in OUR heads. We know the values but hey, we’ll be gone and it won’t matter as much to those left.
It’s only the end of the world for us.

 

[robrossk]

Good luck and I am sure you will make the right and best decision. Why burden family that are not interested and why give things away (so to speak) through an auction house.

 

[jeffrefrig]

"Just dreary thoughts on a dreary Georgia day. Has been overcast, foggy, and rainy here for a couple of days."
You're lucky you don't live in PGH if you don't like a couple dreary days!! And, I bet you have a real pro baseball team you can root for if you want!
Not a bad idea to maybe give any special guns to any special people if that's part of your intent while you're able to see someone's enjoyment. But that's a hard choice that I've seen members on here talk about once in a while. Good luck!

 

[Justin T]

I think I might take a step back and give this one some thought when the weather’s better, and when I can do my best thinking (in the morning, the earlier the better).

As regards the lady friend, I’d probably help her, even if I didnt really want to. Friendship is worth more than the effort involved in the disposition.

As regards my own little pile o guns I don’t have anything in any quantity that i would need special attention for. But failing the presence of any gun nuts in the family I would likely start selling them off a few at a time until i got tired of that, and put the rest on consignment or have a large gun store come to my house to make me an offer on them (there’s one in Houston that will do that for large collections).

 

[lrb1200]

Well OP,

I'm in your age neighborhood.

If it's me, and the widow woman means something
to me or my other half......I have no choice, I'm compelled to
help her with something she has no clue of how to deal with,
and I do.

I'd take on getting it all to the big auction house in Illinois,
and hand her the check when it was all gone and done.
I don't need or want people's money that I help.

My collection at this age, have moved some of the high end stuff, I have the knowledge, contacts, and experience.

My other half is tuned up how to move everything else
through that same auction house if I tip over.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

In my 70's I started giving some away, those I had not shot and had some sentimental value to me. Others I had to sell to pay for some of my wife's hospital bills.
I'm now down to sort of the bare essentials and have instructions as to
where these will go when I no longer have a use for them.
I know one does not want to think about their own demise, I want to
live to a 100 if I'm not setting in a corner drooling on myself, but the
grim reaper catches us all in due time.
All that being said I now am thinking about another .44 black powder
revolver.

 

[doublesharp]

We have a great auctioneer who has a large following and the prices are often higher than gun shows. Here is a link to this past June's completed auction to compare realized prices.

June Firearms & Ammo Online Only Auction

 

[biku324]

I've quietly divested myself of both rifles and handguns I seldom shoot anymore...those left are either shot regularly or have sentimental value (and not much monetary value). I have enough powder, primers, bullets, lead and Alox to carry me a few more years, if God grants me those, and whomever inherits won't have an untidy mess of oddball firearms that are difficult to value.

 

[robvious]

Picking the right time to thin the herd is difficult.. but if you are planning on passing treasures on to family and friends, Christmas is just around the corner.. opportunity to see how it "feels" when they are gifted. Plus you get to see their faces when you do.

 

[peterGun]

They say ghosts have unfinished business that’s why they hang around, I wonder how many were gun guys who couldn’t bring themselves to sell.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kaaskop49]

Picking the right time to thin the herd is difficult.. but if you are planning on passing treasures on to family and friends, Christmas is just around the corner.. opportunity to see how it "feels" when they are gifted. Plus you get to see their faces when to do.

Hate to 'gift' anything, even if they are respected family and friends. In my experience, they're selling it the next day for the $. Have experience in this area.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Rpg]

I’m 72 but seem to still acquire more than I sell.

Just last week, I stumbled on a prewar German 16 ga shotgun at a local LGS. This is a black gun store that often undervalues those undesirable trade-in guns from the pre Tupperware eras.

 

[sophie]

The thrill of the hunt for a new gun is still in my spirit so I guess when I leave this world it will be up to my 2 sons to decide what to do, after all what would I do with the money, just buy more guns.

 

[fordson]

You will probably winding up helping her, which will be a chore but the right thing to do. If the situation were reversed, would they help your wife?
On your other question…..
I’ll be 74 soon, so I’m following that discussion with lots of interest. Counting rifles, shotguns and handguns there’s over 40 pieces plus lots of reloading presses and equipment and supplies. Heck, I just got a new Rossi Model 92 lever action in 44 Mag last month. Not a collectible but something I wanted. Because of shoulder surgery, I won’t even be shooting it till next Spring. But, boy, it’s been fun learning the new rifle and tinkering with it. I’ve already sold over a dozen other pieces and regret each one, but they had to go. This is a tough decision, it really is….

 

[CLASSIC12]

I read your original post from 2011 now, good to see you did the right think.

I recently helped out a friends acquaintance, the gentleman is 90 yrs old and hasn’t fired a shot in 20 years.

Several nice pieces, we gave him a fair price for them, and I found buyers for the ones we didn’t keep. I kept a 1976 Walther P38 in 7.65 mm and two bayonets. My friend is just getting started in the gun world, so he kept a nice Sig P210, a Hämmerli 215, a .22 lr Röhm, an unknown Belgium antique revolver in .32.

The Swiss military straight pull rifles went to an LGS for a decent price. Some swords and an antique pistol went to an antiques dealer.

Anecdote as an added bonus : the wife had a restaurant here in Lausanne, Switzerland. David Bowie, who also lived in Lausanne, was a regular customer. In this pic she is next to him on his left.

As for your dilemma, I cannot help. I am 53, but I am already thinking what I will do in about 20-25 years time when I give up shooting. I am thinking either auction house or take a table at a large gun show.

 

[quikdraw67]

I am a year older than CLASSIC12. I have everything documented, with a money number attached to each piece.

I also have instructions as to who to contact concerning which pieces. One LGS is geared towards S&W's , another is more tactical, and the 3rd is more hunting oriented.

Just in case something happens to me, my wife will have a good starting point. All this is in our safety deposit box .

At some point in the future, I'll probably start culling the herd. But I'm not there yet

 

[johnjohn]

I am 78 and have 1 grandson who is into hunting and guns of all kinds. So he will get the "lions share" of my meager assortment. If any of the 3 grandaughters want anything they'll have to "sortit out".

 

[Grayfox]

Rule 1: keep good records! make, model, serial number, what you paid for it and what its currently worth. Your heirs will greatly appreciate it and it will keep them for being screwed by unscrupulous buyers.

My best friend passed away from cancer in 2017. We had promised each other that whoever went first, the other would help dispose of their collection for the wife. I kept my word.
He was a mil-surp collector, but had quite a few modern guns as well. Over 100 guns in all.
It was a long and hard task, but thanks to his records, I was able to sell them at a very large profit for his widow.

I'm 67 and my plan is to hang around this old world for at least another 20, maybe 30 years. But I do have some health issues. Truth is that I could drop dead tomorrow.
My sons are both knowledgeable about firearms, but neither has ever been into them like I am. They each have two which serve their needs. I've made sure that they know where my records are and have the combination to my safe. I've told them to keep what you may want and sell the rest. They need the money much more than the guns.

Right now, I'm still enjoying my collection. I rarely sell a gun. But I've decided that if I'm still around at 80, I'll start thinning the herd to save my sons the trouble.

 

[Inusuit]

Hate to 'gift' anything, even if they are respected family and friends. In my experience, they're selling it the next day for the $. Have experience in this area.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Had that happen also, but once I gift something it belongs to the recipient to do what they wish with it. Also the reason I donated my father's small collection of working guns to the Museum where I grew up. Those will never be pawned to buy a new smartphone.

I'm currently in the process of inventorying my collection on an Excel spreadsheet with all pertinent information. Will provide the list to my FFL if I decide to put some on consignment now. If I don't and get hit by a beer truck, it will simplify things for my survivors.

 

[H Richard]

When I turned 80 I started. A few were to local friends that wanted a particular piece. The rest have gone to Auctions. A string of collectable C&R guns to a specialized seller, and the rest so far to a relatively local Auction house that does Gun Auctions only on-line by Proxibid. I'm well pleased so far with the results. Even my wife has been surprised by the amounts some of them have brought. She finally realized what I had been saying about buying quality guns was smart, you can play with them for years then sell for more than you paid.

 

[Golddollar]

I'm currently in the process of inventorying my collection on an Excel spreadsheet with all pertinent information.

Being a Luddite I don't have a clue as to how to do something like this. But for all of us who aren't computer whiz bangs, all is not lost. I use the envelopes that come from outfits trying to sell me something or solicit money. Costs me nothing. Each gun gets a dedicated envelope that contains all the pertinent papers (receipts, governmental paperwork, etc.) that relates to that particular gun, and a description sufficient to identify that gun is written on the outside of its envelope. All of the envelopes for guns currently owned are kept in bags in a safe. All the of envelopes relating to guns that have been transferred are kept in another bag in another safe.

Whether you use pen and paper or a computer, the big thing is to get the records made while you are still able to do so. Save your heirs a lot of grief.

 

[charlie sherrill]

I guess I'm lucky. My son collects the same things I collect, so when I take the dirt nap it will go to him. He doesn't have children and probably never will so he's looking at my grandson, his nephew when it's his turn to go. If for some reason that doesn't work out Junior has liquidated many estate guns and knows how to do it. If I see a bargain in something I like I'll buy it and not worry about what happens. That said, if something happens to both of us my daughter will get them and probably head for the nearest pawn shop. I won't care by then. I'm probably going to buy a 2 1/2" model 66-1 and a nice model 17 tomorrow.