Help with selling please!

[DolceFarNiente]

My husband and I moved to Washington a few years ago from Texas. He passed away shortly after we moved here.

I have decided I need to sell his guns (18 long guns and 5 handguns) , but my circle of acquaintances doesn't really include any gun people locally. I have looked at GunBroker, and I see there is a classified section here, but I'm really unsure as to how to go about this.

I have gone to a couple gun dealers but wasn't happy with their offers (I suspect they think a woman who doesn't know much about firearms an easy touch). Any advice would be appreciated!

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[robertvarner]

I'm not in your neighborhood or I would be glad to help. I've done this similar thing for a neighbor. You will likely find a person on NWFA who is nearby and can help.

I found this an invaluable help:

How to Sell A Gun Online

Selling a gun online is a great way get the best price for your gun! You can safely and legally sell your gun online while picking up a few bucks.

www.gunauction.com

Basically anyone in WA can sell a rifle and send to the buyer's local firearms dealer, where it is legally transferred. There are some exceptions for 80% firearms (an AR15 or Glock handgun) or what is called an NFA registered firearm (like a full-auto rifle).

Handgun transfers need to be sent from one licensed firearms dealer (local) to the buyer's firearms dealer.

I've used GunBroker.com before and you need to be familiar with how that site operates to avoid getting trapped into a lowball sale.

An NWFA subscriber may be your best option to keep everything on the level.

 

[DolceFarNiente]

I'm not in your neighborhood or I would be glad to help. I've done this similar thing for a neighbor. You will likely find a person on NWFA who is nearby and can help.

I found this an invaluable help:

How to Sell A Gun Online

Selling a gun online is a great way get the best price for your gun! You can safely and legally sell your gun online while picking up a few bucks.

www.gunauction.com

Basically anyone in WA can sell a rifle and send to the buyer's local firearms dealer, where it is legally transferred. There are some exceptions for 80% firearms (an AR15 or Glock handgun) or what is called an NFA registered firearm (like a full-auto rifle).

Handgun transfers need to be sent from one licensed firearms dealer (local) to the buyer's firearms dealer.

I've used GunBroker.com before and you need to be familiar with how that site operates to avoid getting trapped into a lowball sale.

An NWFA subscriber may be your best option to keep everything on the level.

Thank you; I'd love to find someone who could help. Just wanting to sell these reasonably.

 

[CountryGent]

I am sorry to hear of your loss.

I've used Gunbroker for years and have had no real issues. You can also sell here for free. If I may be of any assistance with that, I would be glad to be of service.

 

[11Charlie]

I am sorry for your loss!!

If any of the mods can be of assistance please let us know.

 

[DolceFarNiente]

Thanks so much. We were married 47 years.

 

[11Charlie]

I'm not exactly sure but @Caveman Jim might be up in your neck of the woods. If so he would be a great person to help you and honest as the day is long. Would trust him helping my wife do the same thing.

 

[AMT]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

GOOD ON YOU for not taking the low-ball offers from the "local dealers". With the bad ones, too many people fall for their "stories" and end up selling for pennies on the dollar.

If you are in no hurry, there are straight up good folks on here that might be willing to help. I know that there are a couple of folks that are in your neck of the woods. Not "right next door", so you may have a short drive to meet up with them.

Good luck & again, sorry for your loss.

 

[AMT]

BTW, I had to look up your user name.....

History and Etymology for dolce far niente
Italian, literally, sweet doing nothing


I like it!

 

[DolceFarNiente]

BTW, I had to look up your user name.....

History and Etymology for dolce far niente
Italian, literally, sweet doing nothing


I like it!

Yep, I translate it as "the sweetness of doing nothing" AKA retirement.

 

[DolceFarNiente]

Thanks to all for your kind words.

 

[JuglansRegia]

If you take the guns to a gun shop you basically have two options. You can sell them on consignment and the shop will take 15-20% of the sale price, or you can ask the shop if they are willing to buy them outright, in which case they will give you 50-70% of what you see them selling for on gunbroker. You can also try to sell them yourself but that can take a lot of time and effort and you have to be knowledgeable about all the laws and regulations.

 

[Member 34319]

Terrible to hear of your loss.

Many good people here. I'm certain someone close by will offer help getting them listed. If you were close to me, I wouldn't hesitate helping you get them up on the internet.

If you are able to, putting pictures on here, most here will be able to tell you what it is if you don't already know and what a good price is.

 

[User 1234]

My condolences for your husband's passing.

It depends which type of guns they are. You don't need to use a licensed dealer to ship (FedEx, UPS) guns to the buyer's licensed dealer unless the receiving FFL dealer has a store policy requiring that. Www.shipmygun.com sells discounted UPS labels. Non-NFA rifles and shotguns can be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. Their Postal Service Manual has details.


For values check completed auctions on Gunbroker.



If any of his items are National Firearms Act items (silencers, short barreled (less than 16") rifles, short barrel (less than 18") shotguns, or full auto, then you should discuss those items with an attorney before deciding how or whether to sell / dispose of them. Note that I am NOT asking you to answer whether any NFA items are included.

 

[DolceFarNiente]

I'll post pictures later; thank you. Looks like the pix I took last summer have disappeared; I'll have to take more.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Convo replied to.

 

[Alexx1401]

Also sorry for your loss, that was a long marriage.
Its a bad time to sell here.Very soft market and new laws that all sales have to go through a dealer. Best price would be put them up for someone to buy but, given where you live may be hard to find buyers. Many shops will take them on commission, normally around 10%. If you decide to go this way maybe find a larger shop in a larger city, bring them all with you and drop them off.
Sadly no shop is going to give you a real good price since they have to make money too. A good shop that will sell on commission is the best you will do unless you can find someone to come to you and buy.

 

[AMT]

If you take the guns to a gun shop you basically have two options. You can sell them on consignment and the shop will take 15-20% of the sale price, or you can ask the shop if they are willing to buy them outright, in which case they will give you 50-70% of what you see them selling for on gunbroker. You can also try to sell them yourself but that can take a lot of time and effort and you have to be knowledgeable about all the laws and regulations.

This isn't necessarily true.

I have on exactly ONE (1) occasion had someone out-of-the-blue "offer" to buy a pistol (that i took to a gun show, to speak with someone about). The guy saw it and asked if it was for sale. I said "Everything has a price. What were you thinking?"

He looked at it, and said to give him a little bit to come up with a fair offer.

I went and talked to who i needed to, then went back to the table of the guy to listen to his offer.

The guy pulled out a gun Blue Book and opened it up to the page of my pistol. He points to a price and tries telling me that is the best he could do. Because it wasn't "Mint in box, and didn't feel that it was even 50%. He points to a price that said (something like) 20-30% value (and the value said $285).

He says, "I need to make a little something on it too when i go to sell it. And in that condition, it's going to take me a while to sell it."

I couldn't believe that he actually did all this BS with a straight face, and made me feel like he was doing me a favor for taking it off my hands for the "very generous offer" that he made.

Needless to say, I was at a loss for words, and just turned and walked away and the Auto Mag came home with me (and is one of them in my avatar. I forget which one.)

You sound like this isn't your first rodeo. Stay away from the people that pull out the gun Blue Book to find pricing.....

As mentioned, if you have time, go through the "sold" area of GunBroker and get an idea of what they were selling for. Not the auction ended price, but an actual selling price where there were multiple bids.

Because GunBroker is worldwide, i'd guess that taking ~10-15% off the sale price, would be a "fair" price for local sales only. Then again, they are yours to determine a "fair price".

And by all means, DO NOT sell them for what your husband told you he paid for them!!! (That right here is my biggest fear my wife will do when i die).

 

[DolceFarNiente]

This isn't necessarily true.

I have on exactly ONE (1) occasion had someone out-of-the-blue "offer" to buy a pistol (that i took to a gun show, to speak with someone about). The guy saw it and asked if it was for sale. I said "Everything has a price. What were you thinking?"

He looked at it, and said to give him a little bit to come up with a fair offer.

I went and talked to who i needed to, then went back to the table of the guy to listen to his offer.

The guy pulled out a gun Blue Book and opened it up to the page of my pistol. He points to a price and tries telling me that is the best he could do. Because it wasn't "Mint in box, and didn't feel that it was 50%, he points to a price that said (something like) 20-30% value" (and the value said $285).

He says, "I need to make a little something on it too when i go to sell it. And in that condition, it's going to take me a while to sell it."

I couldn't believe that he actually did all this BS with a straight face, and made me feel like he was doing me a favor for taking it off my hands for the "very generous offer" that he made.

Needless to say, I was at a loss for words, and just turned and walked away and the Auto Mag came home with me (and is one of them in my avatar. I forget which one.)

You sound like this isn't your first rodeo. Stay away from the people that pull out the gun Blue Book to find pricing.....

As mentioned, if you have time, go through the "sold" area of GunBroker and get an idea of what they were selling for. Not the auction ended price, but an actual selling price where there were multiple bids.

Because GunBroker is worldwide, i'd guess that taking ~10-15% off the sale price, would be a "fair" price for local sales only. Then again, they are yours to determine a "fair price".

And by all means, DO NOT sell them for what your husband told you he paid for them!!! (That right here is my biggest fear my wife will do when i die).

Oh dear. Are you saying he might have fibbed a little when he told me "But honey, I only spent $XX.00 ! "

 

[11Charlie]

This isn't necessarily true.

I have on exactly ONE (1) occasion had someone out-of-the-blue "offer" to buy a pistol (that i took to a gun show, to speak with someone about). The guy saw it and asked if it was for sale. I said "Everything has a price. What were you thinking?"

He looked at it, and said to give him a little bit to come up with a fair offer.

I went and talked to who i needed to, then went back to the table of the guy to listen to his offer.

The guy pulled out a gun Blue Book and opened it up to the page of my pistol. He points to a price and tries telling me that is the best he could do. Because it wasn't "Mint in box, and didn't feel that it was even 50%. He points to a price that said (something like) 20-30% value (and the value said $285).

He says, "I need to make a little something on it too when i go to sell it. And in that condition, it's going to take me a while to sell it."

I couldn't believe that he actually did all this BS with a straight face, and made me feel like he was doing me a favor for taking it off my hands for the "very generous offer" that he made.

Needless to say, I was at a loss for words, and just turned and walked away and the Auto Mag came home with me (and is one of them in my avatar. I forget which one.)

You sound like this isn't your first rodeo. Stay away from the people that pull out the gun Blue Book to find pricing.....

As mentioned, if you have time, go through the "sold" area of GunBroker and get an idea of what they were selling for. Not the auction ended price, but an actual selling price where there were multiple bids.

Because GunBroker is worldwide, i'd guess that taking ~10-15% off the sale price, would be a "fair" price for local sales only. Then again, they are yours to determine a "fair price".

And by all means, DO NOT sell them for what your husband told you he paid for them!!! (That right here is my biggest fear my wife will do when i die).

I have two well known members here that my wife knows and would turn to if things needed selling. In my gun trust everything is pretty much laid out for who gets what.