[pork_laser]

I'm a gun guy but I've never owned more than a dozen at a time so I really don't know the answer to this. Within the year I'll be helping a friend with this father's estate including about 400 firearms of all types. Here in Wisconsin we can make private sales face-to-face but that's not practical with this amount of guns. I assume if we go to a gun shop and sell them as a lot he will basically earn a half-full bucket of warm spit for all of them.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there online consignment shops that might pay better than gun stores? Should we just sell them individually and as lots through an auction site like gunbroker? Thanks for your time.

 

[ajole]

With that many guns, your best bet is use an auction house. Yes, they'll take a healthy cut, but they handle everything.
Gunbroker is an option, but I despise them.

Consignment is good, but most shops can't handle that many guns. Maybe take out the best, and/or the worst, and set a fair price for them with a decent LGS that will do a consignment that doesn't screw you/them over.

Right now, looking at the empty spaces on many shelves, they might be glad to have more guns on the shelf.

Or....I'll send you my FFL's info, and you can send them all to me....I'll give ya Tree fiddy for all of it, sight unseen.

 

[adam01364]

Should we just sell them individually and as lots through an auction site like gunbroker? Thanks for your time.

I went thru this with my FIL's firearms. I made up a spreadsheet that included Make, Model, Barrel length, and Finish (blued, nickel, stainless, etc.) and took it to a few LGS. They told me what they were interested in purchasing, and in most cases the figure was about 45-50% less than Blue Book. Some of the firearms the LGS said they'd take on consignment, and they'd take 25% of the proceeds. With 400 firearms, an auction house with probably take 10-15% of the bid price. However, unless you put a reserve on the prices, you lose control over the sale.

I've done best with Gunbroker.

 

[TNTRAILERTRASH]

There may be the legal matter of selling that many in one year with the ATFE. Auction sounds like a good idea to me. I'll bid $450! Okay $650!!

 

[lklawson]

Durry's Gun store specializes in this.

Off site link here:

Sell Your Guns - Durys Guns

We Purchase Guns from Across the Nation - No Collection Too Big or Small! Selling your guns at Dury's is safe, and easy, and you can be sure you are getting a fair and honest deal. There are three methods you can choose from to sell your gun. Each provides various benefits, and you

durysguns.com

Peace favor your sword (mobile)

 

[pork_laser]

Thanks for the reply guys. That's great info. When it comes time to sell them I'll run the special stuff past you all so that you can make some low (fast cash) offers on what you want. The rest I suppose will go to an auction house maybe.

 

[harleyboy65]

Talk to local auctioneers about their experience with gun auctions. Online timed auctions and in person auctions people are paying good money, especially older and some specific caliber guns. You could have the buyer pay a buyer premium to cover cost or auctioneer takes percentage, depends on the company. 400 guns could be split into 2 auctions, but an experienced auction company could handle 400 in a timed online auction. Where I live there at least 3 auction companies that do really good organized online auctions, I follow them, online auction seem to be the way to go.

 

[harleyboy65]

There may be the legal matter of selling that many in one year with the ATFE. Auction sounds like a good idea to me. I'll bid $450! Okay $650!!

Selling off a gun collection does not create legal issues, now if you took that profit and built back a collection that big in short order you could get on the radar

 

[cwrgb]

I'm a gun guy but I've never owned more than a dozen at a time so I really don't know the answer to this. Within the year I'll be helping a friend with this father's estate including about 400 firearms of all types. Here in Wisconsin we can make private sales face-to-face but that's not practical with this amount of guns. I assume if we go to a gun shop and sell them as a lot he will basically earn a half-full bucket of warm spit for all of them.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there online consignment shops that might pay better than gun stores? Should we just sell them individually and as lots through an auction site like gunbroker? Thanks for your time.

If your close to Green Bay check out Massart Auctioneers, they’re FFLed and capable of doing gun auctions.

 

[TNTRAILERTRASH]

Selling off a gun collection does not create legal issues, now if you took that profit and built back a collection that big in short order you could get on the radar

On individual sales? There used to be a limit per year. If you made a profit you bet your ass you will need to be an FFL, or it will have to be processed through an FFL. I believe this is for ONE SALE. They recently changed the law and tightened it up.

 

[harleyboy65]

On individual sales? There used to be a limit per year. If you made a profit you bet your ass you will need to be an FFL, or it will have to be processed through an FFL. I believe this is for ONE SALE. They recently changed the law and tightened it up.

What I came across online, just cannot remember where, is selling off your personal collection at auction is not a problem. What can become an issue is you take that money build up a collection and have a sale in maybe a year or two. When you sell your collection the intent is you are going to stop collecting, and ride off into the sunset. High volume individual sales for profit is I believe a different ballgame.

 

[Sirex]

I just tried selling many guns over the last 2 years for an aunt when she became a widow and wanted money to pay the mortgage. Local forums are ok, Gunbroker was ok, but fees went up, and now they charge tax, on both the gun AND shipping. Now that the government is scrutinizing over money transfers and deposits over $600, I was hesitant to keep selling on Gunbroker. Even in a face to face sale state, they are your friend's dad's guns, so if you sold them to help out, chain of custody and ownership is murky. Having had to do this for the last 2+ years, make it easiest for yourself and do as suggested and use an auction house to auction off the whole lot. Saves time and hassle. Gun shops will undercut you, but Gunbroker isn't especially hot right now for old steel and wood guns unless certain collector items. You'll lose a cut to the house, but it's worth it to save the headache. I wish I had gone that route. My aunt was difficult though, and wanted top dollar retail for all her stuff, and I could only move a few items. I gave up just before Christmas, then she asked me to help her sell select their Hess collectible vehicles, which turned into wanting me to sell them for her altogether, which was a big no. A lot of 400 guns is a huge endeavor, let the pros help you. Just my free advice.