Was looking at the Thread Giving up some Rugers.

[Skeet 028]

Not about Rugers or any other brands. Like I am sure many of us older folks I have been thinking of selling some of my shooters. I recently had a good friend a year younger pass away. His wife wants help with his "stuff" and I am going to help her dispose of his shooting items. Nothing really collectible or anything and kinda like me all kinds of brands. Gotten me thinking about my "stuff". I am considering reducing my herd. About to hit 77. I recently sold my wife's SBH...late 60s gun but she no longer shot it and neither did I. Guess I'm asking the group here... How many have thought about selling the one's you do not or may not shoot any longer.. I really don't want my wife to worry about my guns. I do have a few really nice things. Not a Lot of Ruger's though...hanging my head in shame. But I was mostly a shotgun shooter. Anybody thought about our diminishing futures??

 

[Mobuck]

I've been giving this some thought also. No longer shoot (or even CAN shoot) the 44's. The big 44 Redhawk SS and Anniversary(?) 44 Flattop would be first to go.
Probably be a good way to start funding one last elk hunt?

 

[arky65]

We have no children, so I have been thinning the herd the last few years, selling some and gifting others to save my wife from having to deal with it if I go before her.

 

[Baxter6551]

I'm a bit younger than Skeet but I think about this also having no kids to leave stuff too. I went a little crazy in the acquiring department the last 20 years. I did manage to convince myself to let go of 4 long guns last year and did well on the prices but…… it's very hard to talk myself into it. I really have talked myself into not acquiring more. It sure is hard to stay out of the gun stores though and equate it to a junkie staying out of his dealer's neighborhood.

 

[thinckley]

Whether you sell or not, if you have anything at all, make sure your loved ones have:

1- A full inventory of your guns.
2- Estimates on values
3- Any special requests (my dad has a collection bigger than mine, but there are three guns that are special to me that I'll get when he passes)
4- The name of someone you trust to help liquidate anything left over

A handful of years ago we lost a member of our family after a brief illness, his wife asked me to help deal with his firearms. Unfortunately, she didn't even know how many or what he had. A "friend" offered to buy everything… for about 25% of the actual value. It took me a month to get 3 different valuations of each gun, then 3 months to sell them all (after I bought half of them at FMV).

No one wants their loved ones to be burdened by these issues after we've gone, it's up to us to make it as easy as possible.

 

[Johnnu2]

I've kept my inventory of junk(s) quite manageable and have inventoried what little I have. Have gifted lots of stuff over the past ten years. Sold my 62' Corvette in 2007 when some NCRS judge made me an offer out of the blue; gave away my beloved torque wrench once it was gone. Married a woman who had 5 grandchildren and now 2 great grand-children; and assured at least two of them became "gun guys". Now, I try not to worry or get too detailed about where things will go; I've left instructions NOT TO WORRY about what "they" get ($$$) for my stuff. That kind of concern can kill those I will be leaving behind. Hopefully they won't turn 'money hungry' and make themselves crazy.
J.

 

[Kevin]

I just bought a gun last month. But it was one I have wanted for a long while.

Other than that I'm just about done buying guns. Unless I find a deal I can't pass up.

For me it's space. And we are thinking to move away from the big city in about 5 more years. So moving them is also a chore just thinking about it.

But I've got guns I really don't shoot. I guess they have become safe queens.

Perhaps in 10 years I'll cross that point and sell some. But I know compared to some of ya'll I only have a meager collection.

The idea of making a list of values is the best idea.

 

[Goldstar225]

Fortunately I don't have that concern. My accumulation is relatively small compared to some but all will go to my son and grandson. I have instructions that they are to chose what they want in alternating picks so that each get at least some of their preferred items.

 

[thinckley]

I will add that the process of dealing with "grandpa's" guns did net me:

A new friend/gunsmith who is as passionate for old guns as I am.
My OM SBH

My Mini-14

This Springfield 1903

Which, after a significant amount of work turned into this:

And an ANIB 10/22 from 2002 that was still wrapped in plastic and had the original receipt taped to the box

That one went to my son for Christmas

 

[gnappi]

I've had to help a couple of widows out. Not fun.

 

[contender]

Read & re-read thinckley's post. It's an excellent one!

We all have stories of what has happened to items once a person passes away.

I keep a VERY detailed spreadsheet of my meager collection. And all of my "kids, (2 boys & their wives) all know to NOT just let stuff go. And they also know about values of such stuff. Not just the guns,, but the reloading stuff, the books, the parts etc.

And being human,, as we age,, we accept that we won't be around forever,, and many do make good plans. If you have a specific gun or item you wish for a friend to own,, gift it to them while you are still capable of doing so. That way,, no arguments with anyone or causing any heartache among the folks you love and have left behind!

 

[Ale-8(1)]

All the above rings true to me. I have maintained a good inventory, and my wife is familiar with it. My one concern is wanting to include a "value" column on the spread sheet. As fast as values seem to change I don't see an easy way to keep this info up-to-date.

Any ideas?

 

[thinckley]

All the above rings true to me. I have maintained a good inventory, and my wife is familiar with it. My one concern is wanting to include a "value" column on the spread sheet. As fast as values seem to change I don't see an easy way to keep this info up-to-date.

Any ideas?

I actually posted about this on the .net forum. I update a section of my inventory every month so that all values are updated once a year. Some items are "best guess". Some items, like the Sporterized Winchester Model 1917 that was built by my wife's great-uncle for her grandfather, are based on "what would I be willing to spend to reproduce this rifle"

Doing it in small pieces means only updating 3-4 guns per month.

 

[Fox Mike]

I too have an inventory sheet with all the pertinent information for each gun. I probably should look it over as the prices I stated were from a few years ago. At the present rate most all have gone up in sale value (if you watch on Gunbroker).

 

[dannyd]

I have a Gun Trust with everyone in the family over 21 added to it, so when I am gone they can do what they want.

 

[Ray Newman]

I am 78 and 3 years ago, I sold off 30+ years of military surplus as well as a few Ruger revolvers and Marlin rifles. I will probably predecease my wife and she would not have no idea what to do. The remaining few revolvers and single shot rifles will go to my son and my nephew. Don't think that would be that much of a problem selling off my woodworking shop tools, but I was concerned about the firearms.

A few years before, I purchased the cemetary plot for us next to my brother in the "family" church graveyard. Next month we are going to making our cremation plans. Will be a lot easier to transport cremains to NY than a body. No funeral service for me, not sure what the wife would want.

Over the last year,I have also gone over the family trust, life insurance, Gov't. pension, etc., to make sure The Squeeze is the beneficiary.

One thing I will mention. I worked for the VA 1975-77 and it was not unusual for a widow to claim the husband's GI Insurance. And in many cases, it was denied because she was not listed as the beneficiary. It was not unusual for the husband, to take out a GI life insurance policy and then forget about who was the beneficiary. Some ex-wives and girlfriends benefitted from his mistake.

 

[Skeet 028]

I recently helped another lady whose husband passed away suddenly. I sold/will sell his Spolaaar shotshell loader. I woulda bought it but I have 2...Expensive suckers...and sold a whole bunch of powders he had...14 flats of reloads he had(People buy anything these days) but he was a very safe reloader. But he had a couple shotguns worth 18-20 grand each. Gonna be hard to move. I have one shotgun that replacement cost is over 40 thousand...I'll never get that and a nice little SXS worth in the neighborhood of 50-60 thousand. Selling them at auction costs us about 20% from places like Rock Island Auction. For widows and orphans that is a lot of money. I just sold 5 guns from an estate of a young kid whose parents are both gone...I made nothing on the deals but not any high value guns. I even bought one...duh. I'll probably never shoot it. How do we maximize value of some of our toys. My grandkids all have my Marlin and Win 22 lever guns. But they don't have the passion we had for our toys...And I brought up selling the ranch out here in Wyoming...my wife said she doesn't want to....Dread the move! ? I got too much stuff

 

[RoninPA]

The family already knows what to do with the guns I leave behind - they will sell them (or probably hire an auction company). I also have an inventory but I really need to update the values.

As for buying new; There are a lot of guns that when I see them I say, "Man, I'd love to have one of those" and then I step back, think a little and say "Nope, love to have it but I really don't need it and would I actually even shoot it enough to make it worth while". Now, that said, if I see something that will fill a hole in my collection, I'll get it to add to the symmetry of the collection.

I have to get off my butt and stop procrastinating and get started doing what a lot of talked about here, start thinning the herd, sell/trade (for guns to fit my collection)/give away the ones I don't shoot and probably won't shoot anymore.

 

[thinckley]

I have one shotgun that replacement cost is over 40 thousand...I'll never get that and a nice little SXS worth in the neighborhood of 50-60 thousand. Selling them at auction costs us about 20% from places like Rock Island Auction. For widows and orphans that is a lot of money.

There in lies the rub.... 20% is a lot, but you have to weigh that against the time it would take to sell them off individually (if you could) and be able to get the FMV for them (also an issue with 6 digit price tags). For the average firearm (<$2,500), it is usually not a big deal, but when you start talking the "fine art" guns worth more than a new car, you need the reach and client base that someone like Rock Island will be able to provide.

The only gun from "grandpa's" estate that I did not have any immediate takers for (an old Henry 30-30 lever gun), I had my gunsmith sell it on consignment. We set a bottom basement price and away he went. He actually was able to sell it for enough that even after he took his cut it was only a couple points off FMV. "Mom" was very happy not to have to deal with any of it, and she was able to get a lot more through me than she would have in her small Montana town.

 

[Skeet 028]

Back when I shot skeet back east I sold a good many high end shotguns Put 2 people together sometimes I did the dickering sometimes I let them do it. guns to 12,000 I got 10%.... over that I figured a fair price and called it a day. The gun that I shot cost me 4000 bucks. The cost of the wood at the time was that much. Pretty engraved gun Dockweiler wood. . cost to replace just at 40...let me say I think that is crazy...but I sold some 25 years ago for more. Expensive guns don't sell easy now but most of what I have are the standard nice guns we all bought. Never have sold anything or bought on Gun Broker or whatever. Guess I have to learn