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Thinking of selling a bunch of guns....advice needed.


TomJefferson
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Last week a buddy of mine, retired policeman, wanted to buy my Colt Night Defender so I sold it to him.  If you are not familiar with the Talo Night Defender, they made about 800 of them and sold for $1,100 new.  I got a honey of a deal on mine so sold it for actually what I paid for it, $750.  I do try to give good deals to friends that do the same for me. 

 

I'm going to retire in June so want some cash in the safe and my carry these days is a bit smaller, example Kimber Micro 9/Sig 938.  That and I do have three smaller gun safes and not enough room in my safes.  A lifetime of collecting, I'm a bit gun poor so to say.  I wasn't really looking to do this till I retired but you know opportunity knocked.  Well, its knocking again.

 

My buddy tells his buddies about the deal he got.  If you price Defenders, its like getting a collector gun for regular used price.  Now one of his pals wants to come over and buy a crap load of my collection.  My buddy tells me this guys just a gun collector but seeing my buddy trades and sells guns all the time, I doubt it. 

 

Anyway, I have an opportunity to move some guns at what I paid for them and others for literally double what I did and the buyer will have a big ole smile on his face.   Of course, I won't part with my babies but I have quite a few I bought purely for simply having them.  Heck, many I will be selling, I shot maybe once. 

 

Two question you all.

 

What do you think of this in general? 

 

Any concerns?  I really don't know this guy from Adam other than my buddy swears by him.

 

I already know he's going to want to buy quite a few then offer me a package price but hell I can add. 

 

Tj

 

 

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I too have been thinking of selling some guns.

 

I guess it depends on wheter or not you feel like selling them for what it's worth, or if you just want to get rid of them at some lowball price. I would be willing to bet he will want your good stuff and want it for less than it's value.  You know what stuff is worth.

 

Why not make a list, and talk to him first, before letting him root around your collection. See what he is interested in and what kind of money he's talking.

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1 minute ago, Gmountain said:

I too have been thinking of selling some guns.

 

I guess it depends on wheter or not you feel like selling them for what it's worth, or if you just want to get rid of them at some lowball price. I would be willing to bet he will want your good stuff and want it for less than it's value.  You know what stuff is worth.

 

Why not make a list, and talk to him first, before letting him root around your collection. See what he is interested in and what kind of money he's talking.

Thanks, I thought about you when I did this post because over the years, I figure you are pretty much just like me.

 

I've already thought about the root through the collection thing.   I plan to pull out what I will part with and lay them out.  I don't want to fool with the whole time thing and him playing salesman, don't buy now offer and he'll change his mind, crap. I'm retiring not dead and I wasn't looking to sell the gun I sold that got this started.  I don't want to start relationship with him coming back and coming back. 

 

I actually hope he does know guns.  If he doesn't, it will be too much haggle for me and I'll end up simply saying "No Thanks".

 

Tj

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Did you spell out what you have already? 

 

If not, he's willing to buy whatever just to make money.  I don't know any true collectors just randomly buying guns. 

 

You don't know him, right? A guy wanting to make a buck off you will be easy to find again in the future. 

 

I'd sell a gun or two as needed unless really strapped for cash. 

 

I've seen guns go for high prices at local auctions. I wonder if that's a decent way to sell an entire collection. The popular guns will sell high, the less popular will still sell to the dealers. 

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I understand the wanting to give a good price thing, 

but you said this guy told someone else about the GREAT price you gave him.

 

That right there was very rude, imho.

And you are right, people might wanting to buy from you to resell,

and are basically thinking you can be taken advantage of. 

The hell with that. Unless it is family or a one off for somebody really special, 

I would not be shorting my family on cash for retirement, when the guy I am selling to

is going to turn around and cash in on the investment I made years ago.

 

I know I am doing some reading between the lines here, but this whole thing rubs me the wrong way,'

starting with your buddy telling others what he paid, then others coming around.  Sell your collection for what it is worth.

Take care of your family first. If you want to give somebody a "deal" work of of % of what it's worth. 

If it is somebody special and there is a gun you would like him to have, they are your guns, go for it, that is what gifting is for, very special people. 

(And tell them to keep their mouths shut about the deal they got !)

 

But if the vultures are loose and have dollar signs in their eyes so they can make the money reselling, I don't see the point in that, my friend. 

I hate people who think they can take advantage of others, and that is what seems to be going on here. 

I could be dead wrong, but all I know is what you have written.  It is an angle worth considering.

You could end up with a lot less money then you would have just so you could play"Mr. Nice Guy."  and they make the profit reselling ? !

No way, Jose. 

 

John

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I did take some of my guns to an auction. You have to watch out for how much commission they charge. What do they do for advertisement. When people found out that I was selling off my firearms. They starting asking me about selling something to them. I already had a list and how much I am I into the gun and how much it is worth. Since I did put the guns in the auction a couple months ago, I sold off about 5 more guns to people. 

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You need to be very careful here as the law is pretty muddy about "in the business". Selling 1 to a buddy is one thing. Selling a collection is another. And selling some guns to generate some cash is quite close to "in the business". Hate to see you get jammed up by some overzealous ATF agent but they have done it before and will continue to do it.

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Oh yeah, I totally suspect this guy is looking to resale.  No,, I'm not really hard up for cash.   I initiated none of this.  My buddy called me and ask me if I would sell him my Colt  Then he calls me again about his buddy wants to buy guns and he buys a ton of guns. 

 

He's interested a lot in my 50th Anniversary Blackhawks but that damn sure isn't on my "good deal" list.  Not hard up for cash, I don't plan on taking a loss and how much is as simple as going to Gunbroker.

 

If he's looking for rape and pillage, its going to be very short meeting.  If he's retail no questions asked or close, it will be too.  

 

Making a list of what I will part with a retail value used.  The way resale guys around here work is say "I want this this and this" then throw out a big lot price in cash.  One needs to not be clouded by the lot price and  do the math or bend over. 

 

Tj

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On 2/18/2019 at 6:14 AM, Gmountain said:

I too have been thinking of selling some guns.

 

I guess it depends on wheter or not you feel like selling them for what it's worth, or if you just want to get rid of them at some lowball price. I would be willing to bet he will want your good stuff and want it for less than it's value.  You know what stuff is worth.

 

Why not make a list, and talk to him first, before letting him root around your collection. See what he is interested in and what kind of money he's talking.

You know what you have to do............and what you have to buy!

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