Thinning the herd

[FireFlyFishing]

Lots of Ruger No. 1 rifles. As I start dumping calibers, dies and other goodies will go as well.

Do you guys recommend selling optics on rifles, or break apart for separate sales? Obviously, more work with more sales if I separate components.

 

[crazymonkey]

I've sold a few collector guns on here and never a problem other than the ffl not shipping one out quickly enough . Almost didn't make it in time for the birthday present it was intended to be. Good guns will always sell themselves and as for the glass you can list with glass or without on your post.
Love the ruger #1 such a beautiful gun . I've got my dad's 300wm #1 .

 

[memtb]

FireFlyFishing, I've always thought that the #1's were the prettiest mash produced rifles manufactured!

If I were younger, I'd be talking to ya. But, I'm much the same as many others….trying to figure the best way to "downsize"! Made especially difficult, as no one in the family would appreciate or use most of what we have!

Wishing you a lot of strength to get through this difficult time! memtb

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

I've sold a few collector guns on here and never a problem other than the ffl not shipping one out quickly enough . Almost didn't make it in time for the birthday present it was intended to be. Good guns will always sell themselves and as for the glass you can list with glass or without on your post.
Love the ruger #1 such a beautiful gun . I've got my dad's 300wm #1 .

If it was me after going to quite a few Estate sales. If older glass leave on rifle unless it's a collector piece. And newer stuff remove & sell unless it was sold as a combo package then leave it on. Hard to say not really knowing what you're selling. Tough cal for sure. Maybe use Ebay & other sites to see what sells & what doesn't.

 

[sp6x6]

Ive had similar .My father passed a year ago and im still settling things.By then he just had a handful of stuff I grew up with like a ol marlin lever 22.No bolt guns. My FIL, 92 also passed some old stuff down to me too.So harder to pair down.But my son very active and do have a grandson that is 2 tomorrow.So Ive got a few years to pass stuff to him hopefully.

 

[Nimrod]

For me, the gun show route has been the best option. Generally I would sell high end scopes separately and leave the cheaper ones on the guns unless a detraction from a high end gun.

 

[marksman1941]

So…moving on. What do you guys recommend? I started a Gun Broker account and working to build some history there to make future sales. I'm also looking to post stuff here as well. Surprisingly, it's not super easy to advertise firearms in MT for FTF sales…at least where I live in liberal Missoula county. My folks live in CO and we all know how Koo Koo that state has gone.

I'm not in a rush per se. And I certainly don't want to give away things.

Gunbroker can be a pain in the butt. Some folks like it, and it can be lucrative if you're willing to deal with it. I've sold some rifles on GB, some on consignment, and lots on forums. Here, rokslide, and 24hr campfire. Generally forums have been my best return, although they require the most labor.

Were it me, I would make a full accounting of the guns you want to sell, and price them all as package deals AND a price for scope and rifle broken up.

Make one giant post with all your rifles listed on here. You know the trade off between top dollars and quick sales, so make your determination on what price point you're comfy with. The well priced stuff will all sell within a few days usually, and the rest will sit until you drop the price or the right person sees the ad.

Once you've pared down the herd considerably on forums, then I would take the remaining guns that aren't moving and throw them on GB and see what happens.

 

[levers4life]

So…moving on. What do you guys recommend? I started a Gun Broker account and working to build some history there to make future sales. I'm also looking to post stuff here as well. Surprisingly, it's not super easy to advertise firearms in MT for FTF sales…at least where I live in liberal Missoula county. My folks live in CO and we all know how Koo Koo that state has gone.

I'm not in a rush per se. And I certainly don't want to give away thing

So…moving on. What do you guys recommend? I started a Gun Broker account and working to build some history there to make future sales. I'm also looking to post stuff here as well. Surprisingly, it's not super easy to advertise firearms in MT for FTF sales…at least where I live in liberal Missoula county. My folks live in CO and we all know how Koo Koo that state has gone.

I'm not in a rush per se. And I certainly don't want to give away things.

Find a good reputable auction house. There are several in Montana and estate firearms are bringing top dollar these days. Yes, you will have to pay them a percentage of the gross, but they will do all the work and it is over and done within a short period of time. Also, they will be able to sell all the accessories, reloading, ammunition, etc. at the same time. We have been doing estate auctions in Texas for over 30 years. It is my experience that with a large enough collection people are generally well pleased with the proceeds as it draws a large crowd, and everything averages out. Here are some resources to search auctioneers in your state.

National State Auctioneers Association – NSSA, also known as AuctionLook

auctionlook.com

https://www.auctionzip.com/

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Find a good reputable auction house. There are several in Montana and estate firearms are bringing top dollar these days. Yes, you will have to pay them a percentage of the gross, but they will do all the work and it is over and done within a short period of time. Also, they will be able to sell all the accessories, reloading, ammunition, etc. at the same time. We have been doing estate auctions in Texas for over 30 years. It is my experience that with a large enough collection people are generally well pleased with the proceeds as it draws a large crowd, and everything averages out. Here are some resources to search auctioneers in your state.

National State Auctioneers Association – NSSA, also known as AuctionLook

auctionlook.com

https://www.auctionzip.com/

Thank you for the info. I will look deeper into this method for all their general stuff. It's all up to my mom and what she would like to do, but I think she'll dump the guns and reloading stuff to me as that's way out of her depth. I'm an only child, so I'll have a heavy hand in most off it though.

My folks live in CO not MT. I'm assuming these auctions can be held anywhere though.

I hope I'm not hijacking this thread. Hopefully, this information helps others too.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

For me, the gun show route has been the best option. Generally I would sell high end scopes separately and leave the cheaper ones on the guns unless a detraction from a high end gun.

Copy that. I was thinking of dipping my toes into gun shows and see what I need to do there. I'm thinking it would be best to take them out of CO if that were the case. CO has a stupid 3 day waiting period.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Gunbroker can be a pain in the butt. Some folks like it, and it can be lucrative if you're willing to deal with it. I've sold some rifles on GB, some on consignment, and lots on forums. Here, rokslide, and 24hr campfire. Generally forums have been my best return, although they require the most labor.

Were it me, I would make a full accounting of the guns you want to sell, and price them all as package deals AND a price for scope and rifle broken up.

Make one giant post with all your rifles listed on here. You know the trade off between top dollars and quick sales, so make your determination on what price point you're comfy with. The well priced stuff will all sell within a few days usually, and the rest will sit until you drop the price or the right person sees the ad.

Once you've pared down the herd considerably on forums, then I would take the remaining guns that aren't moving and throw them on GB and see what happens.

I've gotten the sense that GB can be a hassle. I'm pretty squared away with selling stuff on eBay, but I know it's not the same thing and there are way more things to consider. What has worked for me on eBay is letting the auction do the work and dictate the price the item is worth. I have seen others use this tactic on GB and it seems to work.

I know it can be sensitive asking folks on a forum what something is worth. Right now I'm following similar guns on GB I would sell and see how much they're getting for an auction to determine a round about price. Does anyone else have ideas on determining starting price?

From what I've seen in the gun world, PayPal is out. Venmo is a maybe? Most seem to use a personal check or a USPS money order for payment. Any other ideas? If I do FTF transfers I think I'll go to an FFL for the transfer. Advice here greatly appreciated. I've seen many here require phone call or video chat prior to a sale and I don't think that's a bad idea either.

 

[crazymonkey]

Remember there is a down side to the auction houses in that you will lose 20 to 25% for there listing fees . If your not pressed for time to sell the classified section here is a great resource. Make sure to list with shipping to the buyers ffl at there cost or split cost . Typically between $50 and $100 bucks depending on pistol or rifle.

 

[crazymonkey]

I went usps money orders there guaranteed funds

 

[marksman1941]

I've gotten the sense that GB can be a hassle. I'm pretty squared away with selling stuff on eBay, but I know it's not the same thing and there are way more things to consider. What has worked for me on eBay is letting the auction do the work and dictate the price the item is worth. I have seen others use this tactic on GB and it seems to work.

I know it can be sensitive asking folks on a forum what something is worth. Right now I'm following similar guns on GB I would sell and see how much they're getting for an auction to determine a round about price. Does anyone else have ideas on determining starting price?

From what I've seen in the gun world, PayPal is out. Venmo is a maybe? Most seem to use a personal check or a USPS money order for payment. Any other ideas? If I do FTF transfers I think I'll go to an FFL for the transfer. Advice here greatly appreciated. I've seen many here require phone call or video chat prior to a sale and I don't think that's a bad idea either.

The auction method on gunbroker does work, especially if the market is running well. It's fairly soft right now but not horrible. Penny auctions tend to sell for more than a reserve price auction, with some exceptions I'm sure.

Asking for prices here is just fine, especially if you intend to sell here as well. Folks sometimes get their panties wadded up and they can suck it. You won't offend the majority if you're having trouble researching and need help. That said, for most items you can look up past auctions on gunbroker (log in, do an advanced search and choose past auctions) and that can give you an idea of what to expect. Forum prices will sometimes be lower, but it's a good ballpark to look at. Ignore what folks have items listed at; look at completed, sold items.

Electronic payment methods are easy, and lots of folks use them. There's caveats to them all. No method of payment for an online sale provides much security for the buyer. If I send you money via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle (all electronic) or a wad of cash, a bank check, or a usps money order, that's all on faith that you'll send me a gun in return. None of those methods of payment are reversible. PayPal and Venmo have some built in protections for non firearms, but since we're talking guns here, there all in the same boat. If someone wants to pay you electronically, as long as they don't indicate it's a firearm purchase it doesn't cause a problem. If they write "Ruger no. 1" in the subject line, you might lose access to your account and the funds in it, which is a risk you take with those services.

I personally hate usps money orders. The post office never has enough cash on hand to fulfill them, so you have to schedule a time to go in and get it cashed. I'd rather someone send me a Venmo with a blank subject line, after a phone call to iron out details.

There's never a foolproof way to get scammed. A phone call helps a lot, to make sure there are no red flags. There moment there's a red flag, back out of whatever deal you're doing.