From time to time I'm intrigued by the prospect. I've acquired a lot of very common firearms over the years that are nothing special and have sat in the safe unused after initial sight in. Some were set up for "that sheep hunt someday". Some are unfired. Let's face it. A flatlander who is almost 60 isn't going to be chasing sheep up mountains anymore.

The idea of cutting that number down to a fraction of what it is by trading or selling almost everything and replacing it with a much smaller number of really nice guns seems attractive. OTOH: I can see empty spaces in a safe just leading to a repeat of the same problem. Trying to value and sell/trade a bunch would be a daunting task. I know there are places that take in entire collections from estates, but I'd assume you get ripped off since they are in the business of writing a check to widows who just want the guns out of the house.

Has anyone done it? Advice? Regrets?

Define what "a lot of fire arms" means to you.
We have a classifieds section where you would most likely get a higher percentage than a dealer buying the lot from you.
I wouldn't call a dealer discounting the price a rip off. As you mentioned, there's a lot of work involved and they have to make a profit.

I think you have a great idea! End up with several firearms you really enjoy shooting!

My thought is if there is a high volume gunshop that you frequent and trust, I’d talk to them about consignment. You will know up front how much they will charge, they won’t have any money tied up, so knowing you plan on buying a few high quality firearms from them, I’d hope they’d treat you right.
Of course you can sell on line, but selling several can be time consuming and a pain.

For me, the hard part is choosing the ones to sell that I won’t regret selling.

I probably haven't had what most of us consider a LOT of firearms, but had a pretty fair amount at one point. I'm of a minimalist outlook now and have an effective battery with some overlap self-defense pistol & rifle-wise but not much else.

I tried consignment at a local shop and online consignment with mixed results. To be fair, Tallahassee isn't really the most active firearms market though there are a couple good shops here. Ultimately ended up selling most on GB over time by myself.

I'd trust one our our dealer members here that do estate / online sales if I still had a bunch and didn't want the hassle of selling them on my own. SIGforum member Lyman is one I would contact for sure.

At 52 I have been actively engaged in reducing my collection for a while. I’ve had some pretty cool firearms come into my possession over the last 30 years and was honored to be their curator while I had them. I sold off or gave away many most of my vintage Smith and Wesson and Colt Revolvers. Sold off most of the dust collectors that I didn’t shoot or have any plans to shoot. People are hurting and the markets are pretty soft, especially for common firearms. There is no shortage of people that will offer way below market value to resell for profit, but I’m in no hurry. I’ve sold many firearms this past year all at prices I felt were fair. Some took longer than others and I had my share of vultures offended by my unwillingness to counter their offers. I never bought with a quantity over quality mindset. If I wanted a Cooper or a Sako rifle, I didn’t buy a Ruger (no offense to them) just to satisfy an itch. I still add things from time to time but it is nice finally seeing some open space again.

My suggestion would be to make a list of the things you’re willing to sell off and figure out the actual market value (selling price). Then decide if you are willing to sit on them until they sell. I have sold things through message boards, gun shows, my gun club, as well as using auction sites like Gun Broker. I still have a way to go, but for the last decade I’ve been selling more than buying.

I’m only 50 and I’m not there yet to reduce the collection. I’m in triple digits and still acquiring as I see fit. Just this weekend I stopped by a LGS that also does pawn shop business and they had a clean 3 inch 686 with no lock, that’s a gun I’ve hunted a long time. Took a LOT of willpower to walk away from that one. When I do go shooting I grab the same few guns. So I could justify that selling off the bulk of my collection. But these are mine and I like them. So not yet.

About 7-8 years ago I sold about a dozen guns including about half my 1911 collection at inflated CA off roster prices and used that money for a huge down payment on my truck. I had not shot any of them and these only 1 or 2 I wish I hadn’t sold. Mainly becuase they have gone up more and are turning out to be impossible to find to replace

Currently I see them as an investment, haven't sold any in years. I actually have been doing both, I buy used guns when I think it's a deal and have been buying my so called unicorns as well.

If I were 70+ I would consider selling off the majority

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:

The idea of cutting that number down to a fraction of what it is by trading or selling almost everything and replacing it with a much smaller number of really nice guns seems attractive.

Trying to value and sell/trade a bunch would be a daunting task.

I know there are places that take in entire collections from estates, but I'd assume you get ripped off since they are in the business of writing a check to widows who just want the guns out of the house.

Has anyone done it? Advice? Regrets?

Well, what did you expect, someone to come along reimburse you for the full value?
That wouldn't be too smart for any businessman, would it?

We ALL have accumulated a lot, LOT of stuff over the years.
We only have three choices: Keep it. Sell as lot. Sell individually.
Maybe four > buy more and let our next of kin worry about it.

FWIW: it's not getting "ripped off" if you agree to any deal.

I had a customer who decided on quality over quantity early on. He was quite the guy. For his 100th birthday he brought me three pheasants he shot the day before.

Over the years I knew him, he transferred in about 30 uber-expensive (>$5K each, one was £91,000) shotguns through me.

I believe he had about 70 all told.

So, in answer to your question, no, I've never met anyone who went quality over quantity.

I need to do that. I'll be 74 next week and I have multiples of most calibers in handguns.

Despite having once sworn a mighty oath never to own a plastic handgun, the weight penalty of steel, especially in double-stack calibers, has become an issue.

I should look into selling at least one each of 9mm and .45acp handguns and probably a couple of .22's

No real need for a pair of 5.56 rifles either.

Sure do look nice sitting in the safe tho...

To an extent, it’s almost always the correct answer, on any durable good.

I’m at a similar place. With pistols to an extent, but mostly with watches. (Except that I’ve lost interest in higher end watches. )

I will say, I tried to take a higher end shotgun (to me. It was a present from my father) dove hunting.

I couldn’t figure out how to climb a fence, without scratching it, so I took it back to the truck, and got my Benelli.

So, don’t go so high end that you won’t use it.

I did something similar about 7 years ago with my milsurp collection. I discovered that it had become more of an accumulation than a collection, with a bunch of stuff that I had picked up over the years because it was cheap and available, but that didn't really interest me.

So I downsized the collection to just those types of guns that truly interested me, selling off all the rest - almost half of my overall collection. I used the proceeds to pick up a few new additions that were more in line with my interests (as well as to pay for a master bathroom remodel).

I ended up with a much tighter and more cohesive collection of just guns that I actually liked.

A further nice side effect was consolidating the number of different milsurp calibers I had to keep on hand.

Nothing wrong with selling off a bunch of guns you nevervor seldom used and replacing them with a few high quality firearms. I sold off the vast majority of my collection over 10 years ago and honestly I don't miss any of them. Once you downsize you have to exercise a bit of restraint and not buy new firearms to replace the firearms you got rid of.

I've been in that thought process for a bit, however it wouldn't be Q4Q as much as fun to shoot and favorites.

There are guns I have acquired but don't shoot much, and they would be better off in others hands being used.

Better to pair down to the few I like to shoot and of a couple of higher quality but there are a couple of not expensive guns I'd keep like the Kel-Tec PMR30 and CP33, 30+ rounds of 22wmr and 22lr, and I'm not planning selling my Dirty Harry 44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in my collection....

you can sell them?

I have six kids, all can shoot, only 3 own a gun apiece, when their ready, I will split mine up between them and just keep a few quality ones for me and the wife

I’ve practiced this for a long time. I make sure I have redundancy for everything I have. But I keep it simple. I have nicer firearms, most modded to where I want them, vs. quantity. Only a couple of firearms are bone stock. Take AK’s, I prefer modern furniture, new trigger, new grip, handguard, blah. I settled on a pair of 556 rifles, a pair of AK’s, pair of shotguns, pair of PDW’s. Then pistols I have dual subcompacts, compacts, full size, and they are 2 different platforms. I tried for many years to always stick to one semi-auto pistol platform and it just didn’t work. I only shoot or own DA/SA and I always get the triggers worked, preferred NS and in some cases refinishing. I mod all my vehicles and firearms for the most part with some exceptions. After years at this I figured out if I customize and set something up exactly to my preference, then the “want” of having more is completely removed. Primary, backup, set them up to how I want and /

So if you decide to change your MO yes I would go with fewer, higher quality, but make sure you have some redundancy built in. Another thing you can do is condense calibers. That helped just as much as condensing firearms. My safe is medium sized or maybe large, vs. XL or XXL and honestly when I bought it I chose the size to keep my own ass in check. For me guns and vehicles, it’s easy get out of control and have too much. I still don’t have glass for everything yet and thank goodness I don’t have more firearms or it would never get done. Good luck. It is a process and good ol’ economics at play. Unlimited wants vs. limited resources.

Good day all,

3 years ago I found myself in the same position. Had a fair amount of firearms (no long guns with
1 exception my Remington "Old School" 870 police magnum unfired. I dont have children. I do have some very out of control nephews that I would NEVER would not leave a pocket knife. A gun helllll no. I have sold a few Beautiful Smiths (most of which were unfired). I sold 2 pythons, one was a 4" unfired. I gave a few to some of my shooting buddies. When all was said and done. I narrowed my choices to :The Remington 870 police, Sig 365x, Glock45 mos, S&W 686 SNUBBIE. Also a 4" S&W 67 IN PRIRSTINE condition for the mrs. This is all that is left of 33 pieces. I moved to PA. From N.Y. When I moved here I enjoyed TRAP shooting 2 years later I became disabled.

John.

Always wanted a Wilson Combat 1911 but could never bring myself to drop all that change for one. Fast forward to last year when one day I'm staring into the safe looking at all the guns that I don't shoot and mean really nothing to me. I picked out 6 or 7 that I was willing to get rid of and traded (along with a little cash) for a Wilson CQB Elite. One year later (a couple weeks ago) I did it again for a 2-tone CQB this time. Yea the safe is a dozen guns lighter with empty spots but I've put more rounds through those Wilsons, while really enjoying them, in the last 14 months than through those dozen guns in the last 14 years. Zero regrets.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Well, what did you expect, someone to come along reimburse you for the full value?
That wouldn't be too smart for any businessman, would it?

We ALL have accumulated a lot, LOT of stuff over the years.
We only have three choices: Keep it. Sell as lot. Sell individually.
Maybe four > buy more and let our next of kin worry about it.

FWIW: it's not getting "ripped off" if you agree to any deal.

Of course not. OTOH: When they pull the used car trade is BS, look at the lowest value in a 10 year old Blue Book and offer you half, that's not exactly fair, either. Yes you can walk away, but that adds more BS to the process.

Depending on how the sale(s) are done, do you have to have any concerns with ATF of selling too many as an "Unlicensed Dealer" ?