OK, improper as it is, I'm going to follow my post with another.
Family guns are a touchy subject. People value them highly. Some for good reasons, some just out of romance. I don't have my fathers guns. I gave them away. "We" have one that was my paternal grandfathers. Its at my youngest son's house right now. Destined to by his son's gun when he gets old enough. He's not even 6 yet, so give him 10 or 20 years. The rest of the "family" guns are pretty well split between my sons. I don't want them, nor do I want the battles that ensue. They were mine, I distributed them as I saw fit. Anyone doesn't like it, they need to take it up with me (and I can be very "un-nice" when needed.)
It only leaves my guns. When I croak in the near future, I sure hope my wife gives David Carroll a phone call to come get what he wants to sell off. He did a spectacular job of selling off Mike Noe's collection over the last few years. He got her several multiples of what our favorite LGS had offered. He's familiar with my tiny and scroungy collection.
Almost none of the guns I've got have particular value based on sentiment. Surely none that David would be an expert at selling. Those would be long guns that I've had for decades and maybe my son's would like 'ONE' of those. Just because Dad owned it isn't reason to keep them. When Dad (me) bought a gun, it was because it was cool. But a gun I bought last month carries very little of "Dad" along with it. A gun I bought to plug a hole in my collection a couple of years ago might not ever become a family heirloom. That status is for guns that were few in the old guys closet. If Dad owned, say, 100 guns, each of those probably carry along only 1/100th of the sentiment that a single gun, the only handgun "Dad" owned carries.
Dad's favorite gun might be of great value. Mine might be of great monetary value, but only because I paid that much! My son's have never seen me carry my engraved guns. Know why? Its easy, I don't ever carry them, except to gun shows for "show and tell". My carry guns are getting a little beat up now. You know, a coin or key scratch here and there. I see no great value there.
My soon to be widow can use the money however she wants I guess. If she becomes poor in her later years, and she gave away a bunch of $$ worth of guns, I'll haunt her. I have some confidence my son's won't sell the guns off, but they'd sure use the money if they had it. They need to work for their riches, just like old Dad!
As I get wind of plans to dump my guns for drug money or electronic games money, I think I'd sell them off first. Be careful of grumpy old men.
