LIST ADDED - Need advice on selling a large lot of guns

[logandiana]

So here’s the scoop. My cousin’s father-in-law, who was a big gun collector, has developed dementia. Since I am the only other gun nut in the family, they asked me to do what can to sell the guns (28 so far, maybe more as they go through stuff)

So I am looking for an avenue to best sell these.
Obviously there’s the sales forums here on this site, and there’s gunbroker, but what are some of the other options? I don’t plan on giving these away, so I’m not taking them all to a dealer or a pawn shop, but I also don’t want to sit on them forever either.

Now here’s some additional detail, several of the guns are AR type pistols with braces. I haven’t been following any of the recent ATF developments on this because it never has been an issue for me, I’ve never cared about guns like that. But do I just remove the braces and sell them as pistols? What about something that has supressor? Am I even allowed to sell that?

I’ve done a quick glance at the guns, but will soon go over them much more thoroughly to gauge what each is worth and what is a fair price for the family.

Just looking for some advice on what you might do if you were in this situation.

Thanks

 

[Evan]

That is a lot to deal with. How valuable is your time? I would take them to a trusted dealer/pawn and let them handle it, otherwise you have a long, annoying road in front of you!

 

[acloco]

Local gun show allow private person to rent a table?

Auction, BUT, they will take a percentage. Auction house needs to be an established firearm auctioneer, not just somebody that holds auctions.

 

[logandiana]

That is a lot to deal with. How valuable is your time? I would take them to a trusted dealer/pawn and let them handle it, otherwise you have a long, annoying road in front of you!

Since it’s in the family, I offered to take up the task. I told them it might take a bit to move them, and they know that, but they also know that guns were his life and they feel they’d be getting half or less if they just took them all to a pawn shop.

 

[Walt Krafft]

A suppressor must go through a class 3 dealer, you can not do it. The AR pistols are easy if you take the brace off. Rock River sells pistol buffers and tubes. Gunbroker is the cheapest way to auction, but you will spend about 4 hours per gun doing it right. If they are highdollar guns an auction house that specializes in them will be worth paying them.

 

[logandiana]

Local gun show allow private person to rent a table?

Auction, BUT, they will take a percentage. Auction house needs to be an established firearm auctioneer, not just somebody that holds auctions.

Yes, and that’s definitely something that we thought of, Fort Worth has one of the biggest shows in the state. Apparently there’s a big ammo hoard as well, if I end up with that as well, it may be worthwhile.

 

[mongo chicago]

I know you want to do good for the family. But as I tell people if you try to sell something for what it is actually worth, what is the incentive to buy from you? They can go anywhere and pay that price. Sell it for what a gun store would buy it from you - usually about half of it's actual value. Good luck with your endeavor.

 

[logandiana]

A suppressor must go through a class 3 dealer, you can not do it. The AR pistols are easy if you take the brace off. Rock River sells pistol buffers and tubes. Gunbroker is the cheapest way to auction, but you will spend about 4 hours per gun doing it right. If they are highdollar guns an auction house that specializes in them will be worth paying them.

So I list the supressor, and then it has to ship to a class 3 FFL so they can hold onto it for 6 months or so until the buyers stamp paperwork comes through? Is that how it works? What if I wanted to buy it, how would that work?

 

[logandiana]

I know you want to do good for the family. But as I tell people if you try to sell something for what it is actually worth, what is the incentive to buy from you? They can go anywhere and pay that price. Sell it for what a gun store would buy it from you - usually about half of its actual value. Good luck with your endeavor.

I was explaining this to my cousin and her husband. That the value is only what people are willing to pay, but the goal is to find that happy medium between giving the gun away vs pricing such that it I am sitting on it for many months.

 

[NateHaler]

We went through this, albeit the late gent had accumulated a much bigger collection. About 311 (three hundred and eleven) guns. Most of them new in the unopened boxes, many of these in the original UPS, etc. boxes that hadn't ever been opened. It was amazing going through the stuff. Time-consuming, but very satisfying. Auction houses charged exorbitant fees. Gun show table is a bargain, and if your prices are reasonable, you could potentially sell all of them in a weekend or two. But you need to know the necessary FFL procedures. Forget the gun stores IMO. Selling stuff for half of retail is crazy. The margins on new guns is small. Check with us first, your online friends.

First step, find out what you have. Inventory them, and then post it here. This is a reputable Forum, and a huge knowledge base. We dealt with nearly one hundred inquiries in the first week of advertising, and dreaded selling one or two items at a time, for what could have been months or longer. Luckily, some buyers wanted to buy in bulk, e.g. 3 dozen NIB Glocks.

Try to enjoy this. The collector would appreciate your interest and time, and the heirs will benefit more if you don't take unnecessary shortcuts. Price realistically, and if the stuff is saleable, then it will sell. Don't price it like way too many D-bags at the gunshows in the Texas Hill Country. For example, a NIB Trijicon TenMile 4.5-30x56 for $2,200. (Euro Optic sells this for about $1,200.) Gunshow dealers must think that the average buyer is desperate and stupid. But don't give the stuff away.

I've promised my wife and friends that if something happens to me and my estate is not handled properly, that I will haunt them.

 

[Walt Krafft]

If the suppressor was in his name not a trust, it needs to go to a class 3 dealer now. You can not have it legally.

 

[logandiana]

We went through this, albeit the late gent had accumulated a much bigger collection. About 311 (three hundred and eleven) guns. Most of them new in the unopened boxes, many of these in the original UPS, etc. boxes that hadn't ever been opened. It was amazing going through the stuff. Time-consuming, but very satisfying. Auction houses charged exorbitant fees. Gun show table is a bargain, and if your prices are reasonable, you could potentially sell all of them in a weekend or two. But you need to know the necessary FFL procedures. Forget the gun stores IMO. Selling stuff for half of retail is crazy. The margins on new guns is small. Check with us first, your online friends.

First step, find out what you have. Inventory them, and then post it here. This is a reputable Forum, and a huge knowledge base. We dealt with nearly one hundred inquiries in the first week of advertising, and dreaded selling one or two items at a time, for what could have been months or longer. Luckily, some buyers wanted to buy in bulk, e.g. 3 dozen NIB Glocks.

Try to enjoy this. The collector would appreciate your interest and time, and the heirs will benefit more if you don't take unnecessary shortcuts. Price realistically, and if the stuff is saleable, then it will sell. Don't price it like way too many D-bags at the gunshows in the Texas Hill Country. For example, a NIB Trijicon TenMile 4.5-30x56 for $2,200. (Euro Optic sells this for about $1,200.) Gunshow dealers must think that the average buyer is desperate and stupid. But don't give the stuff away.

I've promised my wife and friends that if something happens to me and my estate is not handled properly, that I will haunt them.

Apparently this is only part of it that’s left. A year or so ago they think he knew he was on the downhill slope so he sold a lot of it himself already.

 

[NateHaler]

I bet quite a few of us should use that strategy, i.e. thin the herd gradually.

 

[logandiana]

If the suppressor was in his name not a trust, it needs to go to a class 3 dealer now. You can not have it legally.

There’s so much about these laws that confuse me, I need to read more into it.

That I’ve found so far, there is a small 22 supressor, and a Ruger Mk2 with an integral suppressed barrel.

So I need to take these to my class 3 dealer, and have them hold them, while my tax stamp goes through, then I can have them back?

I would think it’s probably in his name and not a trust, but who knows. If the paperwork for it is as scattered about his house as much as the guns were then we may never find out.

 

[GAnderson]

If the suppressor was in his name not a trust, it needs to go to a class 3 dealer now. You can not have it legally.

Walt Krafft is correct...you are not even to have the suppressor in YOUR POSSESSION...a family member needs to take this to a class 3 dealer.

Gene

 

[STS]

Unless one of the family members is on the suppressor trust (if there is one), it's not even legal for them to posses it. In the strictest sense, the class 3 dealer needs to have the paperwork in place from ATF in order to legally have it in his possession. There needs to be a transfer of possession form every step of the way. The ideal scenario would be for the family to find the original tax stamp and see who the owner is. Either individual or trust, and go from there.

 

[logandiana]

Unless one of the family members is on the suppressor trust (if there is one), it's not even legal for them to posses it. In the strictest sense, the class 3 dealer needs to have the paperwork in place from ATF in order to legally have it in his possession. There needs to be a transfer of possession form every step of the way. The ideal scenario would be for the family to find the original tax stamp and see who the owner is. Either individual or trust, and go from there.

And if they can’t find it?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

And if they can’t find it?

You cant take the suppressors away from his possession. One option is to get everything gone and have the atf come get them to destroy them. The bad thing about a ruger mk is the serialized part is the upper with the barrel. You can have the frame and get a new barrel/ upper for it to sell it. Do not take the suppressors away from his possession, not even to go talk to a dealer!

 

[NV_Dmax]

And if they can’t find it?

There are variances for this kind of scenario. There are people at the NFA branch of the ATF that can help, I would give them a call but don’t give up too much info just yet. You’ll probably have to get power of attorney somewhere along the line for the NFA stuff.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

That is a lot to deal with. How valuable is your time? I would take them to a trusted dealer/pawn and let them handle it, otherwise you have a long, annoying road in front of you!

As a former Gun Dealer ( over 20 Years ) Myself,..
I cleaned out my safe of, Rifles and Pistols that, I wasn't using anymore ( close to, a Dozen ) and, the 15% that I paid to, get TOP Dollar ( Sold on, Consignment ) for them was, well worth it to,.. ME !
Selling guns to Private parties "can be",.. a SERIOUS, Time consuming,.. PITA !!!
Plus, the Liability "Issues",.. IF gets into, the "wrong" Hands,.. ahh,.. NO,.. thanks !
Personally, I'd find, an Honest Gun Dealer that's doing, a reasonable amount of,.."Traffic" ( one of, the better known, larger Shops ) and Pay him, a Fair percentage to, sell them, on,.. CONSIGNMENT !.