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Collector getting old
- Thread Starter cheesehead
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Gonna be hard to find a single collector imo.
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You will take a huge hit on value selling as one lot, but it would save you a ton of time. I guess you have to decide how much your remaining time on the planet is worth to you.
You also have to think about what you would do with the extra money, if you took the time and effort to sell them off individually or in smaller lots.
If you are set financially and have more enjoyable things you would like to do with your remaining time, sell as one lot, preferably to an FFL.
If you are just sitting around on the couch waiting for meals on wheels to show up, sell them individually or in smaller lots.
You also have to think about what you would do with the extra money, if you took the time and effort to sell them off individually or in smaller lots.
If you are set financially and have more enjoyable things you would like to do with your remaining time, sell as one lot, preferably to an FFL.
If you are just sitting around on the couch waiting for meals on wheels to show up, sell them individually or in smaller lots.
Size really does matter! As in how large the collection is worth can limit the buying crowd size. Most people need credit cards to get from be month to the next but there are a few of us who don't have to. But……if the collection gets into several thousand dollar range, the average American doesn't have much capitol on hand to buy. Selling one by one will always bring the best premium, selling to a dealer of any type will save time but at the same time yield far, far less money due to their overhead. Without a better description of what 50 years of collecting means we cannot accurately assist. Good luck in your endeavor and we can help out with local values of most firearms.
Well, I hate to suggest it. But do you have a Cabela's nearby? They buy entire collections. If the collection is big enough, they will come to you for appraisal. Obviously, they won't pay retail because they are buying to resell. The Cabela's near me says they will pay 60% of what they estimate they can sell a gun for. When I was liquidating some guns I inherited, I took some to Cabela's that weren't moving fast enough to suit me. I'm pretty tuned in to values, and what I got from them I was okay with. One particular gun they overpaid by quite a bit. But it was relatively quick and easy as gun selling goes within the modern legal context. They used to have a reputation for seriously underpaying for guns. And may still have it in some stores, but my relatively recent experience was generally good. You can negotiate an appraisal that they render. Oh, one other thing, some Cabela's appraisers are more generous than others. It's a luck of the draw thing.
As a general guideline, if you have a lot of rare guns, these will bring significantly more money when sold individually.
As a general guideline, if you have a lot of rare guns, these will bring significantly more money when sold individually.
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If they are rare or collectible, Gun Broker auction them would be what I would do.
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I have been downsizing slowly, myself and have taken several firearms at a time to a local gun shop that sells them on consignment at a reasonable rate.
If you don't have younger family members that are interested in your collection, this is a convenient way to let a local gun store assist you.
If you don't have younger family members that are interested in your collection, this is a convenient way to let a local gun store assist you.
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As an FYI, old school guns aren't selling for as much. For example, old Smiths or hunting rifles don't command much these days. Also, we're in a bit of a strange market for gun sales.
If you don't have seller reviews on gunbroker, you may run into the same problem as me trying to move a few guns. I've currently got four listed for a pretty good starting price, accept credit cards and nobody's bidding.
If you don't have seller reviews on gunbroker, you may run into the same problem as me trying to move a few guns. I've currently got four listed for a pretty good starting price, accept credit cards and nobody's bidding.
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Also depends on the 'what you collect' part, like if you have a fantastic collection of pre war Lugers in excellent condition or something like that, it should be easy to find a buyer, but if you have a collection of all the 10/22 variants in random conditions with no boxes as cool as that would be buyers will be few and far between
My guess is that your collection falls somewhere in the middle of that range
My guess is that your collection falls somewhere in the middle of that range
local-ish auction house may be the way to go ,the auction place near me gets really good prices, even better now that they are online. auction house will get 30% however but everything sells and you get one check, also no worries about getting scammed
if really high end or rare stuff than the bigger national auction places may be an option, like Rock Island, Morpheys etc.
if really high end or rare stuff than the bigger national auction places may be an option, like Rock Island, Morpheys etc.
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Honestly your getting tops 50% value if you sell as entire collection. Bluntly other collectors dont want every or most guns you have, shops will take it all but give you 30 tp 50% value. Best option is consignment to local shops, list here with a giant picture of all of them list what you want with prices and if its 70% retail it will (maybe) sell. I have better luck on site specific fourms than here I just dont have feedback on all so not everything sells. Depending on rarity and stuff you may want to do RIA or something.
As others have said, if it's a sizable collection, you're exceedingly unlikely to find a private collector who will want EVERYTHING you have and would be willing to pay fair market value for the entire thing.
One option that may not have been mentioned is a consignment auction. They do tend to take whole collections and much (perhaps most) of what you have may end up selling for the typical retail price but then the auction house gets a cut (they're not charities working out of the goodness of their hearts after all). It may be a flat rate e.g. 20% of the final sale price, or it could be sliding scale where the higher dollar amount of the final sale , the smaller percentage they get, e.g. under $500 is 30%, 500-1000 is 20%, above $1000 is 15%.
This may be a way to get most of the dollar value out of your collection relatively quickly.
One option that may not have been mentioned is a consignment auction. They do tend to take whole collections and much (perhaps most) of what you have may end up selling for the typical retail price but then the auction house gets a cut (they're not charities working out of the goodness of their hearts after all). It may be a flat rate e.g. 20% of the final sale price, or it could be sliding scale where the higher dollar amount of the final sale , the smaller percentage they get, e.g. under $500 is 30%, 500-1000 is 20%, above $1000 is 15%.
This may be a way to get most of the dollar value out of your collection relatively quickly.
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If you have a good ffl nearby that has lots of foot traffic I would put the whole shebang on consignment. If you want top dollar they will sit for ages. If you sell a bit under market value they will sell. The last 4 I sold they sold in one day (all at different times of the year). You don't have to do anything except bring them in and collect the $ later. Just make sure it's a stand up ffl that will sell at the agreed upon price and not make up his own price.
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In the past a few folks have found a receptive local FFL and posted the entire lot on here saying that transfers will take place at local FFL's at a particular time and stager the times 10 minutes apart. Not as convenient as all at once, but more likely to get the most out of your investment
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Unless you expect to have a heart attack tomorrow, I would not be in a hurry to sell them all at once. I would post a few classified ads at a time here. If you offer them at a reasonable price and it is a desirable firearm in good condition, you should be able to sell some. Offering them at a small discount to market value will usually work out better than a consignment sale at an LGS, in my experience. Consignments used to be a good deal and an easy way to go a few years ago when some LGSs would take consignments for 15%, but in my area nowadays they all want 25%, or maybe 20% for a repeat customer. I would only take those that don't sell in the classifieds on NWFA or elsewhere to a gun shop for a consignment sale.
If you do go the consignment route, make sure to visit the shop and check the price they have put on your firearm(s) on the rack. I had an experience with a shop here in Salem where the owner said he thought the gun would sell for $575. He wanted 20%. We signed the sale agreement. I went back to the shop a couple weeks later, saw my gun on the rack, and saw a $750 price tag. He was going to take an extra $175 in addition to 20% of my $575. 
He has long since gone out of business, for good reason.
Don't be in a hurry unless there is some exigent circumstance. If time allows, be content to sell piece by piece, and be prepared to wait for the right buyer to come along.
If you do go the consignment route, make sure to visit the shop and check the price they have put on your firearm(s) on the rack. I had an experience with a shop here in Salem where the owner said he thought the gun would sell for $575. He wanted 20%. We signed the sale agreement. I went back to the shop a couple weeks later, saw my gun on the rack, and saw a $750 price tag. He was going to take an extra $175 in addition to 20% of my $575.
He has long since gone out of business, for good reason.Don't be in a hurry unless there is some exigent circumstance. If time allows, be content to sell piece by piece, and be prepared to wait for the right buyer to come along.
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^what has it gots in its pocketses?
Over the years I've watched a consignment seller in Hillsboro, OR. sell vintage firearms for prices generally higher then anyone else on the internet.
He goes by "Jack The Dog" and his one big selling point is the outstanding pictures of the firearms, along with spot on descriptions.
He goes by "Jack The Dog" and his one big selling point is the outstanding pictures of the firearms, along with spot on descriptions.
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All depends what you have.
Right now prices are down on everything except the rarest collectible firearms.
Sign up on Gunbroker and do a sold search for the firearms you have. This will give you an idea what they are selling for nationally. Those prices will not reflect what they sell for locally, generally locally sell for 10-20% less for several reasons.
Right now prices are down on everything except the rarest collectible firearms.
Sign up on Gunbroker and do a sold search for the firearms you have. This will give you an idea what they are selling for nationally. Those prices will not reflect what they sell for locally, generally locally sell for 10-20% less for several reasons.
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Alex over at AL Ammo deals with large estates like your describing. Great guy and fair pricing
Alex 360 931 0464
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