Sold? I've been giving mine away. The one's I sell are at giveaway prices, too! My motto, buy high, sell low. Just like you guys with 401k's.
Except guns seem to be doing better these days than most people's investments.
OK, yes, they all get sold or otherwise disposed of. We all die. Its going to happen to everyone here, its happened to everyone who has ever lived, except a billion or so who haven't died, yet. Many here will be taking the dirt nap within 20 or so years. Few of us have wives that are really interested in our collections. If the guns aren't sold immediately, the only reason is because the wife doesn't have the will to part with her hubby's collection. Yet.
Yes, kids tend to pick your bones clean. A better approach is mine, which is just giving them guns now while you're still semi-alive.
One of my friends is selling down his collection. He got a good scare recently, and is dumping stuff. When he turned over his 4" T/L and 3rd 44 to me on Saturday, he said I just took away the heart of his 30 years of collecting. Better that I get them than someone unworthy (like Y'all.)
We don't buy guns for the financial aspects. We buy them because we love the chase. When we die or become too disabled, the value is gone.
One of our friends husband passed away about 5 years ago. She's been holding on to the collection for several reasons. Its a tangible connection to him, she doesn't really know how to sell them, she's afraid of the tax implications, if any. You name the reasons.
I see a lot of pitfalls in the inventory lists and any outside appraisals. First, most of us can't really place a proper value on the guns. If we value them highly and someone comes along and doesn't offer that amount, the widow feels she's being cheated. Guns go up and down in value. Sometimes dramatically. Probably the best advice I can give is that along with the serial number and a good (and accurate) description of the model, is the cost paid for the firearm. Then if you want to list a more current value, go ahead and list that too, but divulge where you got the amount. Just because David Carroll got $30,000 for a similar model that was pristine, you're ratty old one might not bring quite as much!
(thats a real example, by the way, with my old, ratty 3rd target being the one worth less.)
Here's a truth of life. If I've been storing and transporting a nasty old Colt to gunshows for the last 3 years trying to get my investment back out of it, and can't, its not worth what I'm asking. Valuing it at that amount isn't realistic. But I'd rather shoot you with it than sell it for less!
