Estate Liquidation

[7STW]

A very close friend has recently checked out.He has an excellent collection of rifles, shotguns, handguns etc plus extensive reloading equipment and supplies.

His daughter (sole survivor) is clueless as to how BEST to liquidate/dispose of these possesions.

She has asked for my help which I'll be happy to offer.

What are your thoughts as to the best avenue...short or long term...to allow to help her not get ripped off....but at the same time not take years to sell?

Thanks

[blackbear]

I would take them all to Mountain View sports they are charging $25 a gun for them to sell it. All the paperwork for transfer is done and they will help price them from the book and then you can decide the price you want or need, I currently have 2 on display there.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

I would take them all to Mountain View sports they are charging $25 a gun for them to sell it. All the paperwork for transfer is done and they will help price them from the book and then you can decide the price you want or need, I currently have 2 on display there.

Yep. Blackber beat me to it.

When my uncle died, my aunt was in the same boat. I came to her home the morning of his passing and emptied the gun cabinet. All the guns went to the same FFL/gunsmith that had built both his and my guns, and he sold them on consignment. They didn't sell overnight, mind you, but in the end, my aunt got a fair value for everything. Had she hocked them at pawnstars she would have gotten a pittance. Had she sold them on craigslist, she would have likely priced them too low, or even had she priced them appropriately, she would have been haggled out of them.

If you feel you can trust Mtn View, then that's the best course.

[shphtr]

As Randy B./Snowwolf used to say, "my worse fear is that when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I said I paid them!!"

[redale]

Good for the guns. If the reloading equipment and supplies are here in AK this forum, alaska list and Craig,s is probably the best place to try to sell. I always check those places for reloading and casting equipment.

[Armymark]

I recently went through this. Recommend that you create a list with make, model, SN. Try to identify any that are heirloom or should stay in the family. Then blue book the high and low. Now you have a list and can see approximate value by item or as a whole. You can make decisions or have conversations about what might be something to keep in the family or high value.

[BIGAKSTUFF]

Sorry for your loss.

I always see posts on this forum about guys wanting to get into reloading, I think you would move the reloading equipment fairly easily at a fair price here.

[mtnclimber]

it would be easy to sell the reloading equipment here on the ak forum or ak list. I agree with the others about taking the guns to mountain view.

[7STW]

Sorry...I should have been more explicit.She lives in Vegas.

Anyone have any gunshop contacts there that they trust?

[Halibut Chaser]

You may want to check with Wild West Guns. They have a shop in Vegas. Don't know if they do that sort of thing or not.

[hodgeman]

If you're in a hurry to move them and need fair price then you might consider taking them to an auction house. They do estate liquidations fairly regularly. Most of the good ones are able to generate a fair bit of interest.

[oakman]

I would think an online auction would work well. As long as they are posted well, the guns should get what they are worth. Not sure what sites like gun broker charge. Ebay charges 10% of the sale price to sell, so probably something close to that.

As long as there are two people somewhat interested in each gun, it should get a fair price.

Good luck.

[7STW]

Has anyone on the board dealt with New Frontier Armory in Vegas? Good reviews on this shop on the web.

What "Blue Book" would you use for openers to get a ball park on some very special stuff?

Talking about Krieghoffs...Browning 4 barrel sets...NRA original 22 cal 03 rifles...very high end custom handguns...Beretta 686...Win Mod 24s...and a ton more that I can't detail right now.Totally fills up the biggest safe Ft.Knox makes.Colt Woodsmans...FA 454s etc.All are in very good to excellent + shape.

Thanks...this is just my way of saying "thanks" to a life long friend who was THERE for me when I really needed a friend.

Fred

[Mt Al]

I recently went through this. Recommend that you create a list with make, model, SN. Try to identify any that are heirloom or should stay in the family. Then blue book the high and low. Now you have a list and can see approximate value by item or as a whole. You can make decisions or have conversations about what might be something to keep in the family or high value.

A good friend of mine did exactly this with his father in law's collection and it helped tremendously with the whole process. His father in law had, literally, hundreds of rifles and shotguns in multiple massive safes. As you can imagine the whole family, distant relatives, newly found neighbors who claimed to be life long friends, etc, showed up asking for special guns "to remember him by". They held the hard line and shoved them all off.

Do this list before the guns leave her house or possession, put in a spreadsheet and have whoever sells them fill in the price they received and what they charged for the transaction. Signing agreement on the printed page that all of the guns are accounted for before they leave her house will avoid "Oh...we didn't get that one, must be a mistake".

My friend isn't in a rush at all so they separated into three categories: Keep for years before selling (heirlooms), Get rid of it now (no one wants them, low value, not worth spending time on), and Sell Slowly (guns that have good value that aren't worth dumping).

Worked/working for them, might work for you.

Very sorry for your loss and glad you can help out.