What is the best and most trouble free way to sell an "estate" of firearms?

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Well as in most things I do, I am a do it myself person. I rarely hire anyone. Seems that listing them on the web in some form, auction or forums will bring the most money.

Thanks for several good suggestions. I am on several forums and GB so I can start out with a few and see how it goes. Guess I will have to chip away at it, gotta take the first step.:)
 
Rule3

The hard part of selling via internet for me is packing and shipping. I suggest you look into buying some appropriate size shipping boxes, and shipping materials. Scrounging for these takes up a lot of time, so I have found it better to just buy the right stuff and that saves a lot of potential problems. Make sure the boxes are strong enough, and the packing is more than adiquate.

If you decide to consign guns to any auction, or local gun store, I also suggest that all details be in writing.

I think doing it the way you just mentioned will in fact get you the best results. Plus your in control. Good Luck
 
I was asked by a friend who's neighbor had passed and his widow wanted to sell 30 guns without hassles of individual sales. Most of them were high power bolt action rifles that would be right at home in Montana but could not be used for hunting in Ohio were we are. I inventoried the guns, research at least three successful sales on Gunbroker for similar guns. I then provider her a booklet with each comp plus an average sell price for each gun. We then shopped the list to local dealers and found they were usually offering between 25-50% of the average price. I did find a local dealer who inspected the guns and finally agreed to by the entire lot for 70% of the average Gunbroker price. The widow was very happy because the original LGS she had contacted was only offering 25%. She paid me for my efforts with a pristine 1945 Springfield 1903-3 that I don't think had ever been fired even though I thought we were even when she agreed to sell me a Marlin 1893 in .357 for the 70% price. She also gave me her husbands reloading gear. I sold all the loaded ammo and most of the brass and gave her all the proceeds which she was not expecting. I enjoyed helping her from being taken by shops that knew she had no idea what her husband's collection was worth.
 
You don't need an FFL to ship guns. You do need to ship them to an FFL or a C&R if they are C&R gun. I am still trying to decide how to have my family dispose of my collection after I am gone. Currently they have instructions to contact Rock Island Auction Company. I am thinking of making a list of my non collector shooter guns to put in a local estate auction and have Rock Island do the collector guns. Hunting guns bring big money at estate auctions. Collector guns can be iffy at estate auctions.
 
Rule3 said:
Please do not ask me about what or how many are for sale.

I am trying to determine the best way to sell these and of course get a fair price. Taking them to a local dealer is easy, but of course you get killed on the price. I can sell on the auction sites but what a a lot of time and work (pictures) e mails, shipping etc) I do not wish to become a full time auction site seller.:eek:
There may be a local auction company I can contact but that is iffy. Some are worth above average prices not just run of the mill guns.

I have of course bought and sold guns but are there companies that buy in "bulk" so to speak?

Any ideas appreciated.
Click to expand...
If you want to maximize your return, you have to do a little work yourself, i.e., sell them on GB, for example, or in the Classifieds sections of all the gun boards you're a member of.
If you don't want to do the work, then be prepared to take big hits, i.e., sell them in bulk to bulk buyers.
You cannot have your cake and eat it, too.
 
Sorry but unless money isnt a worry for you selling them in bulk is just being lazy. Id get maximum value for each one or I wouldnt sell it. I dont sell my guns anyway once I have them they will have to either get stolen or ill die with them then theyll be handed down.
 
Best bet, take them to a local shop and put them on consignment. Just go by when they call you and tell you yo come pick up a check. You can make it a bit quicker by posting a little info around that there's rare guns or very fine examples of guns or even just a whole bunch of guns at the shop. You could post it here, or elsewhere.
 
"Best bet, take them to a local shop and put them on consignment."

No...that's one of the worst bets.

There has to be someone in your immediate area who has the experience and inherent honesty to fairly evaluate the collection.

Here's the key:

Remain in possession of the pieces and transfer them only when you have been compensated; consignments and payment after sales can stretch out for months if not years.

Don't forget to generously reward the expert you choose...it will be money or treasure well worth the advice.
 
There was a guy on here a couple of years back that was selling off a very large collection that had been his father in law's. It took him a while but he sold it off and got good prices for the guns. I bought one of them myself.
 
What do you have Rule3? Might be things that someone here would be interested in and be willing to pay the FFL fees? I'm guessing from the nature of the thread that there may also be some Florida specific things to make it more difficult?
 
Please do not ask me about what or how many are for sale.

I am trying to determine the best way to sell these and of course get a fair price.
Click to expand...

OK, but a safe full of Mossberg 500's is something different than a safe full of Purdeys. IF you have actual collector guns, then Rock Island or James Julia Auction companies are the way to go if you do not want the hassle of doing it yourself. If it is a safe full of Mossbergs, have a garage sale
 
Hi,
One thing that perhaps you did not consider is selling weapons at a gun show. A table can be had for around $100.00 for the week end. Also some will permit the sale of things loosely associated with the shooting sport so you can populate your table with other things as well. Also most Gun shows will allow you to put a sign on a weapon (un loaded of coarse) and walk through the show check with the gate keeper when you enter.
http://reddragonbrass.com/45-acp-once-fired-brass-red-dragon-brass/
 
As stated earlier, don't be in a hurry.

My Dad is still alive, and about to turn 95. Mom died a couple of years ago. We were still dealing with that for at least a year.

Think of this as a simple, easy one or two year project. :)

I'd be very leery of disposing of them locally through FTF in-state sales. With more than a few guns, that might reasonably be construed as being a dealer.

Here in Utah, we just pop them on utahgunexchange.com (which is free and does a lot of traffic, much of it interstate). As stated, you don't have to have an FFL, you just have to ship to an FFL. Locally, I use Troy Gren, 801-825-6393, who works out of his house and has very little overhead. You might see what kind of deal you could work out with him.
 
Depending on the value of the collection, Rock Island Gun Auction will travel about anywhere. They recently acquired two aircraft for transportation
 
What I don't sell off or give away before I pass are in my will to be split between the NRA and TSRA.

I specified shooting buddies whom I think would appreciate my NFA stuff as its a tax free transfer this way and suppressors and SBRs have little resale value at present (because of the defacing of the receiver by the required engraving).
 
Local auction that is widely advertised in advance is probably the best way to go, unless you live in a state that strangles such activities.
 
I have been to a number of estate auctions in Western Colorado over the years and have yet to see a gun go for less than it's worth and many times they go for far more than retail. A lot of those sales were prior to the mandatory background checks required by the state so I know a lot of the purchases were motivated by the paranoia of getting a "clean" gun but if I were wanting to liquidate an estate I'd attend a few auctions and see what guns are going for and also talk to some prominent auctioneers and get their take.
You will pay them for their work and the bottom line is that you will make more if you do it yourself but that is only until you pay yourself for your time.
There are many individuals that will buy collection as well but they like a FFL will still want to pay considerably less.
 
Before the fact, find a trusted friend who is willing to broker the sale of your guns when you're gone. Work out which guns he/she will recieve as payment for this service in advance, and record it. Be his/her broker if the reverse happens, with the same provision for payment.

Or you could do as a friend of mine has; has a 'book' of all his guns, their values, and which ones are to be given to friends when he's gone. (He updates it yearly.) His wife is the type who will make sure she gets top$$ for them, and that I get that Commmander of his... I mean, his friends will recieve those guns earmarked for them.....
 
Rule3 said:
Please do not ask me about what or how many are for sale.

I am trying to determine the best way to sell these and of course get a fair price. Taking them to a local dealer is easy, but of course you get killed on the price. I can sell on the auction sites but what a a lot of time and work (pictures) e mails, shipping etc) I do not wish to become a full time auction site seller.:eek:
There may be a local auction company I can contact but that is iffy. Some are worth above average prices not just run of the mill guns.

I have of course bought and sold guns but are there companies that buy in "bulk" so to speak?

Any ideas appreciated.
Click to expand...

best of luck...
 
Last edited:
Since the original post was from 3 months ago (March 24), maybe the OP has already sold them off?
.
 
Good Steward of A Dear Friend

What would the real owner approve of? Even though they are gone those guns still belong to the deceased.

Let your heart help you find a buyer (s).
 
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