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Selling Dad's Guns

MyfathersdaughterMyfathersdaughter Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
edited March 2008 in Ask the Experts
What advice can you offer? My Dad died last summer and left me with his guns. No particular collection, just the ones he liked and bought, a 38 Colt, 38 Taurus Special, 38 special Charter Arms, S&W22 caliber pistol and a very old 410 Shotgun to name a few. I've registered on the GunBroker.com to sell, but I need to establish value. My father would throw a fit (if he were able) if I undervalue these guns. Thanks,
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Comments

  • brickmaster1248brickmaster1248 Member Posts: 3,344
    edited November -1
    Why! dont you have brothers or a son possibly if you do give em to them they will apreciate them.... at least i would cherish them.

    .02
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  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427 ✭
    edited November -1
    If you are SURE you want to sell them, then here is my advice:

    Take some very good photos of all aspects of the guns individually. Use a good background (like a white sheet) and use good, bright lighting. Host your photos and get them in your auctions.

    Now list them all at a penny start. Disappointed? This is an auction site. Let the bidders dictate what they are worth according to their bids. Otherwise you may have them listed for an eternity here and NOT get them sold.

    If you truley want to make the MOST possible money on them, get ahold of an auctioneer. Poeple that go to auction with guns pay entirely TOO much over actual value. Besides the auctioneer usually takes care of all advertising costs for his commision fee.
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  • peppersacpeppersac Member Posts: 90 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    You can describe the guns and post a a message and see if someone has a blue book and would quote you some prices.
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  • rock,roll,n,loadrock,roll,n,load Member Posts: 698 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Go over to the auction side and do a search of the closed auctions of the model guns you have. Then you can get a real world value of what they've been bringing.
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  • MyfathersdaughterMyfathersdaughter Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    My son gets first pick and I am keeping one. The rest will likely be sold. They won't do me any good in a closet and perhaps someone will enjoy owning them like my Dad did. Thanks for the advice, greatly appreciated.
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  • mulletguter53mulletguter53 Member Posts: 83 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would use "rock and roll's" method to determine the value of used guns.
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  • cbxjeffcbxjeff Member Posts: 17,643 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    mfd,

    You have had good advice. A couple of things from jeff watching auctions live and on GB:

    Unless you have something immensely popular where you can average out a dozen or more sales, the selling price can vary widely. If there are only 10 people in the county interested in what you have, 9 might be on vacation, broke for the moment, or just miss your ad.

    Please post pics and any discription, I.D. numbers, and obvious flaws. Sometimes pics don't pick-up everything. We can give you a Blue Book value for a start. Do you or a friend/family member know a gunshop dealer? If so, get his opinion. You will need one anyway to sell them. That, in itself, will give your dealer an incentive to help. He will charge around $20 - $30 to transfer each one when sold. Given the circumstances, only a real jerk of a dealer would be less than honest to you on this.

    After all this background info I would go ahead and put them on GB.

    Let us know how things are going and when you post.
    It's too late for me, save yourself.
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  • golferboy426golferboy426 Member Posts: 970 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    a dealer is NOT required buy the seller normally . A few states require their dealers to only get transfers from dealers but most don't All you will have to provide is a picture ID which will be sent TO a dealer for an out of state sale. Individuals can sell any gun out of state or in stateas long as the gun is shipped to an FFL.
    Applies to most states
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  • non mortuusnon mortuus Member Posts: 649 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by golferboy426
    a dealer is NOT required buy the seller normally . A few states require their dealers to only get transfers from dealers but most don't All you will have to provide is a picture ID which will be sent TO a dealer for an out of state sale. Individuals can sell any gun out of state or in stateas long as the gun is shipped to an FFL.
    Applies to most states


    And then some FFL's choose to not accept guns shipments from non-FFL's. If the firearms are going to be shipped by a non-FFL make sure this is stated in auction listing. This way potential buyers can have it figured out with the local dealer who will be receiving the shipment and doing the transfer.
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  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I hate to sound crude, but it would be my advice, that if you are keeping a couple of the ones that you listed, to keep them all. For what it is worth, there is not an aweful lot of $$ value there, except for possibly the Colt, and the S&W(but we wouldn't know without pics), and the sentimental value would be much more.

    Best
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    I would never sell my dad's guns. They are in the safe. I may never use them, but they will be there for my sons.
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  • UncleFuddUncleFudd Member Posts: 146 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Very good advice and one more if I may,

    I do not take it for granted that you know better being as you want to sell in the first place.

    DO NOT HAVE ANYONE COME TO YOUR HOME TO LOOK AT YOUR GUNS, EVER. And do not use your home address for any advertising etc.
    You get the point.

    Good luck.

    Kenny
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