Gun show dilemma

[Bro. Dave]

A good friend asked me to share a couple tables with him at a gun show next weekend. I, of course, said yes, but my struggle has begun! I find that as I cull through my eclectic collection that I am torn by the remembrance of why I liked the firearm enough to buy it in the first place! Is there such a thing as "Gunbuyers Anonymous"?
If so, I need to join as soon as possible or have an intervention.
I know intellectually that I should begin to divest myself of some, but I find my fascination with the design, function, utility, (and may I even say beauty) of my firearms makes it a tortuous process.

 

[Faulkner]

I'm with you brother. I know I need to thin the herd, but every time I open my vault I stare inside for a couple of minutes and I reason to myself why every one of them needs to stay.

 

[Grayfox]

I hear ya. I've been thinking very hard about thinning the herd for a couple of years now. I just can't seem to let go of 'em.

 

[moosedog]

I am the same way. I always think back on the thrill of the hunt for certain guns, others that I used at work or hunting. Hard to let them go.

 

[Peak53]

You are at the right place to break your gun buying habit. We will help you. Hello, my name is Ed ...

 

[smith17]

I have been cataloguing our firearms lately since my wife is afraid if/when I kick she won't have a clue what is what. So I find 5 pre-19 Combat Magnums scattered around. Surely I don't need them all and can sell some at our upcoming show.
Except two are nickel and I really like those a lot. Another I got from Chuck and it has the numbered blue leatherette Combat Magnum case with it. A re-blued one is K260357 and there is no way I can let one go when the caliber is replicated in the serial number.
The only one left is dead mint with the nicest target stocks I own on any gun. It walked up to me at the Dallas Arms Collectors show many moons ago when they had it at Market Hall. Sunday morning before the show opened a guy walked up to our table and said a guy named Bettis referred him to me.
He handed me the gun and said he needed to buy something real bad and didn't have enough cash and warned me he knew how much it was worth and to please not low ball him like some attendees on Saturday had done. $600 and not a penny less.
No way I can get rid of that one since it makes me smile every time it gets pulled out.

I see your point Dave.

 

[45Smashemflat]

Sell? What is this sell you speak of?

 

[Max242]

I have been cataloguing our firearms lately since my wife is afraid if/when I kick she won't have a clue what is what. So I find 5 pre-19 Combat Magnums scattered around. Surely I don't need them all and can sell some at our upcoming show.
Except two are nickel and I really like those a lot. Another I got from Chuck and it has the numbered blue leatherette Combat Magnum case with it. A re-blued one is K260357 and there is no way I can let one go when the caliber is replicated in the serial number.
The only one left is dead mint with the nicest target stocks I own on any gun. It walked up to me at the Dallas Arms Collectors show many moons ago when they had it at Market Hall. Sunday morning before the show opened a guy walked up to our table and said a guy named Bettis referred him to me.
He handed me the gun and said he needed to buy something real bad and didn't have enough cash and warned me he knew how much it was worth and to please not low ball him like some attendees on Saturday had done. $600 and not a penny less.
No way I can get rid of that one since it makes me smile every time it gets pulled out.

So what is the best plan? From deer rifles/shotguns/22's/LEO EDCs/war bring backs/ETC... We all hold on to items we have owned, bought or inherited. The biggest question for me is "WILL" the people we leave or sell our items to care for them as we do. I also an avid stamp and comic book collector for decades. I'm dealing with this issue X3 collections wise. The only thing is that I have documented 80% of my collections via Excel with pricing using the most modern collection books for fire or theft insurance. Beyond that any ideas people?

 

[paddlingman]

Same. I am late fifties now and the acquisition history spans over four decades.

There are some that I am less attached to but all have some level of sentimental bond - whether inheritance from a loved one or the recalled sentiment of why I wanted the gun in the first place.

I get it.

 

[greenwellg]

Older brother was diagnosed with brain cancer related to benzine and dioxins from Nam. He lived 39 days after diagnosis. We had become somewhat estranged after an altercation when he gave me an old Toyota truck which I basically resurrected then he tells me his wife said I could not sell it after a year $1500 out my pocket and over a hundred hours labor. The ycalled Greentop in Richmond and accepted an offer that was probably 25 % of the selling price and didn't even want his reloading components.
I could have doubled or tripled what he got and she sold the truck for $2500 3 days after he died and basically stolen my equity as well as a lot of reloading components that I had bought and contributed to his extensive inventory over 3 tons of lead ingots that went for scrap if not given away.
My wife knows who to contact and they will sell my small collection for retail price and take their 20 % off the top.
It sounds to me like time to cull the herd. A lot of my brothers stuff was Civil War era and that market has suffered a significant drop in values in the last decade or so.
I used to collect a lot of Finland's military weapons. going back to when you could buy them in KMart for pennies on the dollar of the current prices.
Just food for thought.

 

['79 Magnum GT]

Do any of you guys that are looking to liquidate some of your firearms have a S&W M-24 in Nickel with a 6.5 inch bbl. that you'd be interested in selling off to me? It would be going to a good home. 2 29-2's, 629, 24 and 624. The "specials" are looking at the "magnums" with lots of envy and sadness at a missing "brother".

Rick

 

[smith17]

Max:
Look at the new members who signed up because their g'dads left them a "what is this and what is it worth and what is the best way to get rid of it". I have never seen so many guns getting inherited as have been lately, both on forums and personally.

My uncle asked me to sell all of his collection a few years back because not one of his 9 sons and grandsons want to have anything to do with a gun. Same with the female branch.
I made a trip last week to a friend's town to evaluate some pistols and long guns the family is attempting to sell in order to settle an estate. They were convinced they were going to be rich. I have never seen such a collection of crap in my life. A rebarreled rifle with no mfg stamp on the receiver and no caliber marking.
A MK1 Ruger pistol that had a barrel so corroded you could barely make out any of the stamps or roll marks. I told them I wasn't qualified to make any recommendations.
I don't know the answer to your question.

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

I'll let my son deal with it after I croak. I might give some of my toys away if I got a bad prognosis at some future time.

 

[Greyman50]

Older brother was diagnosed with brain cancer related to benzine and dioxins from Nam. He lived 39 days after diagnosis. We had become somewhat estranged after an altercation when he gave me an old Toyota truck which I basically resurrected then he tells me his wife said I could not sell it after a year $1500 out my pocket and over a hundred hours labor. The ycalled Greentop in Richmond and accepted an offer that was probably 25 % of the selling price and didn't even want his reloading components.
I could have doubled or tripled what he got and she sold the truck for $2500 3 days after he died and basically stolen my equity as well as a lot of reloading components that I had bought and contributed to his extensive inventory over 3 tons of lead ingots that went for scrap if not given away.
My wife knows who to contact and they will sell my small collection for retail price and take their 20 % off the top.
It sounds to me like time to cull the herd. A lot of my brothers stuff was Civil War era and that market has suffered a significant drop in values in the last decade or so.
I used to collect a lot of Finland's military weapons. going back to when you could buy them in KMart for pennies on the dollar of the current prices.
Just food for thought.

Stories like this and many, many more similar make me glad I was an only child.
As for what happens to my collection after I'm gone is easy. Son and 2 grandsons that are all into guns gives me a very good feeling.

 

[SAPDretired]

Well Bro. Dave, if there ever did come into existence an organization like Gunbuyers Anonymous we would have to rent out big city convention centers and football stadiums for our weekly meetings because there are MANY of us suffering from this same affliction.

 

[Truckman]

Is there such a thing as "Gunbuyers Anonymous"?

There is, and you're here...Welcome......Ben

 

[OutAtTheEdge]

I hear ya. I've been thinking very hard about thinning the herd for a couple of years now. I just can't seem to let go of 'em.

Same. Last time I took a serious look inside the safe with an eye to thin the herd, I ended up buying a couple more guns!

 

[McPherson]

A good friend asked me to share a couple tables with him at a gun show next weekend. I, of course, said yes, but my struggle has begun! I find that as I cull through my eclectic collection that I am torn by the remembrance of why I liked the firearm enough to buy it in the first place! Is there such a thing as "Gunbuyers Anonymous"?
If so, I need to join as soon as possible or have an intervention.
I know intellectually that I should begin to divest myself of some, but I find my fascination with the design, function, utility, (and may I even say beauty) of my firearms makes it a tortuous process.

 

[McPherson]

Im heading to the Corpus Christi and McAllen Texas shows next month to thin out my 60+ collection…plus move some of my Colts and various others I have accumulated over the years….time for others to enjoy these

 

[Blackwater Butch]

A good friend asked me to share a couple tables with him at a gun show next weekend. I, of course, said yes, but my struggle has begun! I find that as I cull through my eclectic collection that I am torn by the remembrance of why I liked the firearm enough to buy it in the first place! Is there such a thing as "Gunbuyers Anonymous"?
If so, I need to join as soon as possible or have an intervention.
I know intellectually that I should begin to divest myself of some, but I find my fascination with the design, function, utility, (and may I even say beauty) of my firearms makes it a tortuous process.

I know exactly how you feel. I guess you could call me a gun hoarder.