Selling firearms after passing

[Styx]

I'm from a family that dislikes firearms and/or knows nothing about them. They'll more than likely will be uncomfortable touching them or having anything to do with my passing. What suggestion do you all have about how I should go about having my firearms sold for what they're worth so that the proceeds go to my family?

 

[Labguy47]

You need to have them consigned by a reputable auction house. Or just take them to the local gun store. The latter will give you an offer of about 40% of the actual value for an immediate sale.

 

[Styx]

You need to have them consigned by a reputable auction house. Or just take them to the local gun store. The latter will give you an offer of about 40% of the actual value for an immediate sale.

Any suggestions for auction houses that deal with firearms?

 

[AlexanderA]

Name a trusted executor that knows something about firearms.

 

[FROGO207]

If your family dislikes them that much have legal papers drawn up to transfer ownership to a gun friendly entity of your choice upon your passing. ID them by make, model, and SN. If your relatives are that bad then they do not deserve any financial gains from them IMHO. A state firearms organization or maybe a local range or wildlife conservation nonprofit could use them or the proceeds of an auction to help them. Or the NRA/ILA. You have many options to further the shooting sports if you choose wisely.

 

[Labguy47]

You just have to call the ones operating in the area to see if they will even do firearm sales. Some will even come to give you an appraisal and tell you if your better off with a quick sale, because you pay to have them auctioned.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Any suggestions for auction houses that deal with firearms?

Rock Island auction is a big one,
But I prefer James D. Julia and Poulin Antiques in Maine.
The latter will actually mention you in the auction description. If I was going to give my guns to auction before/after I die, it'd be them.

 

[FROGO207]

J D Julia is local to me. They are a stand up organization and have sold many collections for great prices if you go that route. Go on line and look at the adds for the next auction. Impressive

 

[Steve S.]

I was advised by an LGS owner/ friend to liquidate my collection while I am still here, retain a couple of “must have” models - don’t leave that mess for your wife to clean up. I would use the LGS consignment route if I decide to sell things. Funny thing, an LGS owner that sells guns for a living advising me to sell my firearms - hmmm, I wonder if.....

 

[Jim Watson]

A collector here kept an up to date inventory, including the resale value of each gun AND the name of somebody he knew would buy it.
After he died, his widow got out the list and started calling those contacts. The collection was soon dispersed for good money with little fuss.

I have been considering means of "thinning the herd." I think I have waited too long to sell the Pythons.

 

[Mike OTDP]

Ordinary stuff I'd put on GunBroker. Exotica and high-dollar might well go to a specialist firearms auction house. The local gun store? Forget it, they'll offer half price at best.

 

[alsaqr]

What suggestion do you all have about how I should go about having my firearms sold for what they're worth so that the proceeds go to my family?

Sell them while you are alive.

 

[GRIZ22]

If you've passed you can't go on Gunbroker. Depending on how many guns you have that can be a lot of work for your executor. You will need to leave instructions in your will to your executor.

An option I'm considering is a local estate buyer that has an FFL. He holds monthly auctions and like any auction sometimes the guns go for more than they're worth and sometimes a buyer gets a bargain. He charges 20% to the seller which is not a bad deal.

 

[stchman]

Tell your family that you will sell the firearms(after you've taken out the ones you want for your collection). They they dislike firearms so much, they'll be appalled at the notion of taking money from sale of said firearms.

 

[MikeInOr]

My daughters plan is to dig a big hole then dump all my guns in it and toss my body on top of it then cover it up. She did mentioned that she plans to bury me face down with my butt sticking up about a foot and a half out of the ground... so she has a place to park her bike when she comes to visit me.

Besides a decent gun collection I also have a pretty good tool collection. As my sole heir I hope my daughter marries a GOOD man with some mechanical and firearms interest some day.

 

[jmr40]

No one in my family is anti-gun. But none are nearly as interested in guns or hunting as me. I'll soon be 62 and have already sold or given away many of my guns to my kids. I have a few more that will be sold, but most of the rest will be earmarked for certain family members after my death.

If I had no family that wanted them I'd sell everything I didn't actually use before I got too old. Leaving a ton of guns for family to do something with can be a burden. They'll either worry excessively or give them away for next to nothing.

Leaving instructions with a trusted friend might help. I never knew the man, but a mutual friend was asked by the widow to help her sell her husbands collection after he died. My friend contacted everyone that he knew that might be interested. The guns were priced to sell quick, but not so low that the widow was getting ripped off. I bought one Smith revolver from her.

If something happened to me suddenly my wife knows to contact my brother to help with anything none of the kids want.

 

[FL-NC]

Have a trusted friend take care of this, and name him as the appointed party to do so in your will.

 

[gunlaw]

They may not like firearms but I’m pretty sure they like money. Sell your collection and use the money as you please. You can put them in a will but the guns will grow feet before they can be inventoried for your estate.

 

[SwampWolf]

I, for one, appreciate the question the op posed and the answers we are getting. Disposing of a collection of firearms, especially when there's no one in the family who has much interest in guns and/or who do not appreciate the many potential nuances involved in the sale of them, becomes increasingly a legitimate concern as the runway of life gets shorter each and every day.
Keeping good records is a minimal start.

 

[jmorris]

If you want them sold for what you think they are worth, you would have to sell them before you die.

I have gotten great deals of firearms after people have died though and I don’t think they lost any sleep over it. I have a few friends that know if I die, don’t let my wife sell the firearms for what she thinks they are worth.

For me it would be a death by 1000 cuts to sell them off one by one. I do have a number of them that are to go to friends upon my passing, none of them are close to the most valuable but my buddies might remember the good times we had whenever they play with them.

 

[Obturation]

Sell all but a few favorites. Use the money for something you've always wanted/ wanted to do. If the few you love too dearly to sell don't have a place to go when you pass, have them placed proudly beside you in the coffin so they will be yours forever. Not perfect but it beats having some dork with blue hair sawing off your favorite rifle into the pirate pistol he dreamed up after a glue sniffing binge .

Both my daughter's are just babies now but when they deem me too old to keep my collection I hope they value my favorites as family heirlooms. I never had that , my parents are/ were liberal extremists . I know my one grandpa hunted but I'm sure his guns got sold for next to nothing to buy tie dyed junk and incense or whatever hippees spend other people's money on.

 

[Riomouse911]

If there is no one to will them to I’d do the following:

My wife likes travel, so I would sell them and use the money to take my wife on a nice trip or cruise we can enjoy together. When back home I’d make a picture book at Costco and caption the pages about all the places we went. Those pictures and memories will live on for her and others who view the book long after I’m gone.

Fortunately two of my three are gun kids, so I think they’ll have several to choose from once I shake off this mortal coil and head off to the great shooting range in the sky.

Good luck finding the answer to your question!

Stay safe.

 

[cadet3]

I was advised by an LGS owner/ friend to liquidate my collection while I am still here, retain a couple of “must have” models - don’t leave that mess for your wife to clean up. I would use the LGS consignment route if I decide to sell things. Funny thing, an LGS owner that sells guns for a living advising me to sell my firearms - hmmm, I wonder if.....

I think that's sound advice. None of us know when we're going to check out but if you're older and know you aren't in the best of health then it might be worth starting to liquidate some of that gun collection. I wouldn't want to put that burden on my wife or kids.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

I think I have waited too long to sell the Pythons.

I think you did too.

I've been watching a Python on the local Armslist for the past several months. It started at $3500. It's down to $2500.
I expect it will go a good bit lower before it sells.

 

[bassjam]

If none of my kids end up liking firearms, I think I'll be forced to adopt someone who does to pass them on to.

Also, I'd like to offer myself up for adoption to anyone who feels the same.