I have a detailed spreadsheet and an agreement with an LGS owner. I have written instructions that the owner will receipt the and consign them off at auction. I've seen him do this several times for others, and he's always been fair. As far as the kids go, I've already given them their "picks," they need not be involved.

Thought of a story I'd add. A friend of mine loves pawn shops and buys regularly from them, even though I tell him he can spend 25% more and buy new. So he's in a local shop and in line behind a lady selling a pistol. It was an Ed Brown 1911 and they gave her $500 for it (friend said it was in great shape). Not sure of her story, if it was due to a death or divorce, but she had no idea of what she had and they weren't helping her. I would have stepped in and offered to buy it or at least give her info on its value. My friend didn't do anything. Probably happens more often than we think.

This is a tough situation for anyone that leaves a collection behind.

Right now, I've focused on keeping an inventory up to date while providing realistic values.

Thank you everyone. I believe the most important thing I am trying to say is to have some idea of someone or an entity who can come in and buy the collection as a lot The widow who isn’t into guns and is frightened of selling due to legal restrictions or whatever should not be required to go way outside her comfort or safety zone to make a whole lot of individual sales transactions over a long period of time. Make arrangements for someone who can come in and buy a lot of guns.

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
Thank you everyone. I believe the most important thing I am trying to say is to have some idea of someone or an entity who can come in and buy the collection as a lot The widow who isn’t into guns and is frightened of selling due to legal restrictions or whatever should not be required to go way outside her comfort or safety zone to make a whole lot of individual sales transactions over a long period of time. Make arrangements for someone who can come in and buy a lot of guns.

One of the widows I helped I sold each and every gun individually, but I did it nowhere near her house and when people asked if they were mine, I told them no, but I was selling for a widow and I expected a good price and would settle for nothing less.

Took a while but I sold it all.

I don’t have children and my wife will likely only keep a couple guns for self defense. I’ve talked to my niece, nephew, a cousin and his son. They’re on a list of who gets what that were my dad’s. The rest, I have a friend that will help with disposal at a fair price.

Sometimes our collections are not only guns. ....... "ham radio operators" when we pass on we say that they became a "silent key". Have seen several collections stolen for pennies on the dollar and then the buyer re-selling for premimun price. But also seen several collection pieces and entire collections sold by friends for the families who were treated fairly. There is a old saying about one mans junk is another mans treasure . Just need to make sure our prior arraingments are known and hopefully carried out the way we wanted. .................................................. drill sgt.

I have a rough inventory list with some values and a list of trusted friends my wife should contact for help selling. Friends will be compensated for their help in either proceeds or goods.

What I collect has personal value. I don't expect that value to translate to others. So what I collect I expect will add up to one big nothing at all to others.

It seems to me there's a business opportunity in here, especially for someone already in the gun business.

I am fortunate to have two sons, a daughter, and some grandkids who have an interest in guns. I have a spreadsheet inventory on my computer indicating who gets what. My wife and sons know where the list is. I have also taken a critical look at my collection and even though I have no junk, asked myself whether I will ever use these things, or do I really need them for someone else to deal with when the time comes? I have started paring down my own collection of items that I am not attached to. Another good friend my age has started selling off some of his collection as he has no heirs who are interested in them. At least this way he knows what they are worth and can leave the cash. He already socked away enough to pay for a couple grandkids college.

A precise will is the best solution to this.

If you know no one wants your stuff but you'd like to leave them something, then you should sell it all yourself and figure out the best way to store the proceeds until your demise.

I would have loved to find one ounce of gold sitting in an empty house with a note on it instead of what I had to deal with after my parents passed.

Having kept records as I went, out of curiosity, I can tell you that the value after all the hassle would have been nearly the same.

My wife is downsizing her mother right now, if not against her mother's will, at least not with her enthusiastic cooperation. She can't stay in the house any more. She shouldn't have been there for the last year or better, but that is another battle.

My mother-in-law has been upsizing since 1930. Meaning that her house has so many possessions in it that it rivals the British Museum. They will have to be sold in bulk, because it is just too much to handle any other way. Much of it doesn't have much value now even though it is "nice" stuff and some was even expensive when new. It is just someone else's stuff, and the kind of stuff that people just don't want any more.

So yes, do your descendants a favor; don't make this harder than it has to be.

I am sorry you lost your dad, Melissa Dallas.

quote:

Originally posted by apprentice:
A precise will is the best solution to this.

If you know no one wants your stuff but you'd like to leave them something, then you should sell it all yourself and figure out the best way to store the proceeds until your demise.

I would have loved to find one ounce of gold sitting in an empty house with a note on it instead of what I had to deal with after my parents passed.

Having kept records as I went, out of curiosity, I can tell you that the value after all the hassle would have been nearly the same.

There was some gold, but there was so much silver the dealer had to bring someone to help move it. My dad already had a significant coin collection when I was little and I’m almost sixty. He really liked pretty proof sets too. The dealer commented that it was a shame he hadn’t put all that money into gold instead over the years. His friend he inherited from who also collected silver and stored his in a safe in the garage-humidity seriously degraded the value of all the mint/proof stuff that came from his estate.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
What I collect has personal value. I don't expect that value to translate to others. So what I collect I expect will add up to one big nothing at all to others.

That’s what I realized as well. I had a health scare a while ago that thankfully ended well. It gave me the opportunity to evaluate everything and one of the things that I didn’t want to burden my wife with is my gun collection.

Over the last year or so I have sold all but 7 guns and to be honest I don’t miss any of the other ones too bad. It was more of a mental thing since I had so many that were pristine so therefore just sitting in the safe collecting dust.


My gun collection was really the only thing I collect that had a lot of value that my wife would have been taken to the cleaners for so I’m glad I did it.

She used to give me trouble when I always used the “great investment” angle and would say yeah but if you never sell anything is it really an investment.

She was beyond shocked at the value I had accumulated over the years. It didn’t hurt that my timing to sell all these guns last year was spot on as well.

Melissa you bring up a good topic, and I am sorry to read the how and why it has come to your attention.

My boys live in restrictive states, and have little interest beyond a keepsake. Am now widowed, and understood anything happens to me I have left them a big problem. I have started downsizing, and eased the pain by telling myself to get a nicer car with the proceeds.

Kids do have an Excel list, and a local shop where they are to take what's left.

You folks have shook up my world, I previously thought "Whoever dies with the most toys wins"