Should I sell now,or wait?

[RussC]

buy low...sell high. This is a sellers market if there ever was one. I'd start selling pronto.

Stainless:

I am not a gun collector but I follow the public pulse and I couldn't agree more with your advise.

There is an east coast Senator pushing background checks to buy a box of ammo. If he is successful the cost of ammo could sky rocket making the demand on guns drop along with the price of the firearm.

Another story I read some liberals are suggesting assessing a property tax on gun owners.

Imagine if a person on this forum has a $100,000 gun collection and Uncle Sam imposed a 2% annual property tax on the collection? $100,000 x 2% = $2,000 annually.

The anti-gun folks don't need to push to abolish the second amendment which would require I believe around 39 States to ratify. The easiest way to remove guns from honest law abiding citizens is to impose regulations that make it an economic hardship to own a firearm.

A good example of a current regulation to control public demand is a gun silencer. The federal permit to acquire such a device costs more than the product. We would be foolish to think the government will not try and impose similar requirement on firearms and ammo.

Russ

 

[410bore]

Bobby,

That is a decision that everyone will have trouble with, I know I will. Do as others have said and pick a couple of your least favorites and sell them and see how it affects you.

From the pictures I have seen you dont have all your eggs in the S&W basket....Your Colts turn plenty of heads so you have lots of perspective buyers from separate arenas.

As for your leather, Turnerriver would be a good caretaker, along with several others.......

I'm a poor young fella but I'll try and muster up some cash to buy some of your grips

I wish you the best of luck with your decision


- Kris

 

[GF]

WOW.

We're gonna' have to rename this forum to smith&wessonsweusetohave.com.

Sad times.

GF

 

[NFrameFred]

Truth be told, in a very practical sense we could all get by with "just a few", though some would naturally disagree with how many constitutes "a few" and which "few" they would keep.

The point is I have been able to afford a "few" over the course of following a hobby and a sport that has given me much please and enjoyment for over 40 years now. I've threatened, harmed, injured, or killed no one with any of them and resent like the devil a bunch of lilly-livered reality-denying control freaks trying to paint me as the problem and mistakenly attacking my rights because they have neither the intellect nor the courage to call a spade a spade and do what it would really take to solve some of these problems, or to even have the tools to recognize that some of this CANNOT be solved since it involves the condition of the human "heart".

I stray into this since I am at a place much like some who have posted and with a fresh eye have gone to the safe and looked at just what I could "do without" as an academic exercise. Truth is, I could "do without" most of them but I saw very few I'm ready to let go of at this time. The reasons and uses for which I acquired many of them may no longer be at the fore and that's OK.

I realize the practical aspect of leaving a"mess" for someone who doesn't have the depth of knowledge, understanding, or interest in our hobby to deal with, but these things have a way or working themselves out, and if and when that applies to my situation I will be past worrying about or doing anything about it and trust it will not be a big deal if they don't recoup every dollar I could have gotten out of them had I been the one to dispose of the collection. Let someone come here and post about what a great deal they got from my widow . . .

 

[yeti]

This thread is kind of bumming me out guys.

As an analytical response, I like Jaykellog's post. It is inevitable that inflation will have a profound affect on the US$. Sell if you have an impending financial need, but if not consider waiting.
Sell your collection over time and in a manner that would net better returns.

 

[Alnamvet68]

Now is the perfect time to sell some of your collection, before the prices go artificially ballistic. PM me with what you have, and see if we can make a deal or two, or....

 

[fat tom]

Thank you to all who have responded. Sounds like I'm not the only one struggling with this dilemna. Didn't think I would be to tell the truth. Kinda why I posted about it. Everybody's situation is different,so answers vary. I guess I'll start selling them off a few at the time,though honestly,I've done that from time-to-time in the past. Only problem with that is that I just bought more with the money. A one step forward,two steps back kind of thing. I think I will start by offering some to a few of my friends locally who have bought from me in the past. I'll also contact a few dealer/collectors whose reputations will allow them to re-sell at prices far above what I could reasonably expect to get by selling them myself. I'll also list some here (as soon as I can bring myself to do it). I don't plan on buying anything else in the foreseeable future,so some of the grips,leather,etc. will be on the block as well. This is really depressing.
f.t.

 

[dewey]

BOBBY-

I know you pretty well and what you like and have .

If I were you, I'd list a few on gunbroker that you bought 15 or 20 years ago that are high dollar guns. You should at least triple your cost.

Take the $ and buy junk silver coins and bullion. That's what I did and it's gone up X3 and my wife or kids can sell it in a heartbeat.
( oh, if they don't bring your asking prices lower them some and sell them here to make folks happy ! )

All the Best,

dan

 

[WC145]

I enjoy finding and buying rare or really cool guns, but it's usually the hunt and then the purchase that I enjoy most. Quite often the guns I buy aren't anything I really need and won't use, they're just neat conversation pieces and at that it's mostly for on-line discussions because no one around home cares who Austin Behlert is or how rare an original Bloodwork revolver might be. Last spring I sold a bunch of guns and to finance the purchase of a classic car and it was rather liberating to find that I could part with them and be okay with it. Narrowing down my "collection" has allowed me to focus more on guns I really like and use and has simplified my gun life dramatically, plus we're really enjoying the car.

The guns I have that I like best are guns I use for work, carry, competition or hunting. Most of them are custom and these are the ones that I'll leave to my son because they mean something to me. The rest will be sold over time for new owners to enjoy and the money will go into something else that I enjoy.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

What is about to happen is sad but maybe we can do something about it in four years. Don

 

[sophie]

When and if to sell firearms we have accumulated over the years is a difficult decision to say the least. I am 71 yrs of age and have thought about this a lot lately. I don't need the money right now but we all know that can change very quickly. Both my sons own firearms and have a good idea what firearms are worth. My wife would be lost if not for their help in the matter if something happened to me. I have always enjoyed the thrill of looking for what firearm I wanted and purchasing it. I do have some like a lot of members here that all I really do is pull them from the safe and admire them. I could go ahead and sell some of mine but dang, I really don't like the idea. I am going to have to do it sometime though. In the past I have always regretted selling any gun that I owned but my mental attitude is beginning to change a little. I think age does that. In the past couple of years I bought quite a few more guns and I really shouldn't have done that. I have no advice to the people here on the forum as to when to sell your collection because I don't really know what to do either. I guess we will all figure it out.

As far as this thread being a bummer for some of you younger members it is something that needs to be talked about and you too will face it one of these days. Maybe you would like to buy some of us older guys collections.

_________
James

 

[Mickey D]

I've been thinking the same lately. It's a seller's market and I know I can double my money easy.

But let's not all flood the market. Prices will tank.

 

[boatbum101]

Well I hate parting with old friends , but sometimes it's the lesser evil . If you do sell please wait 'til fall when I've built my gun fund back up . I've seen you post pics of some very nice stuff I'd love to have . I also have no problem paying the going rate for true collector quality S&W's . Whichever way you go , best of luck to you .

 

[moe l.]

The more restrictions they impose the higher the value of what they're restricting. Scarcity pushes up prices - it's simple economics. The only way the values plummet is if a 2A friendly administration is elected and restrictions ease and guns and ammo become easy and plentiful.
Sell if you have to; if you don't have to....don't.

 

[fat tom]

Well,I've actually sold TWO! It ain't easy,but both went to gentlemen who posted WTB ads for a specific gun. I must say that it was somewhat gratifying to help them out. Baby steps,baby steps.
f.t.

 

[judge]

Hi Bob - I'm in the same boat as you. I knew that the wife had no interest in the collection, and no kids in the family. I felt it was time to trim down over the past 10 years. I had about 50 S&W high quality revolvers at the peak, now I'm down to about 6. I miss the ones I sold, however the money was invested and has grown nicely. Large collections are risky business in this political environment - the Govt. can make life very difficult for gun owners. I expect it to happen over time. Best always - Judge

 

[rwsmith]

Man you guys

All you guys that are having to give up something you loved and spent your life doing, it's really sad. But ya'll know when it's time and there is a time for everything.

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

After reading all the posts, I don't feel bad.

I think I'm in good company.

I'm 66+ diabetic and kidney problems.

Wife and my FFL friend have been getting on my case about

lightening the load.

Guess given the unholy state of gun laws here in Hawaii, I may

start sooner than I rhought.

 

[C.S.63]

Fat tom, OP
I wish you all the best with your decision, One positive note is the opportunity when or if you sell any of your collection, Is that it will be going to an individual that will also enjoy it like yourself, I also sold part of my collection and pursued just a few gems. Over the last few years I have simplified my reloading strategy also.

A phrase that we all know well but maybe not so prevalent in today's age
Beware the man with one gun.

Carl

 

[vytoland]

if you have something to sell.....strike while the iron is HOT.