After Death: sale of your guns

[Cameramonkey]

This is an issue that I have given very little consideration to at this point. This is just one of my hobbies and I have shared it with family and friends. I have no biological children, but two step kids I have always treated as I would my own. My daughter loves to shoot, son wants to shoot but has had struggled with mental health issues especially when he was a teenager. My wife doesn't give two hoots about my guns but she has a good idea for what has been invested in their purchase. Then again she was told what was spent but it likely went in one ear & out the other. If I leave this world in an untimely manner, she can get help from my dad, brother, daughter and figure out who might want what etc.
I don't like the idea of leaving her the burden of going through all of my guns, hunting stuff, fishing stuff, racecar, race parts etc etc. But unfortunately it is part of life and I plan to live it to the end as much as I can. Death often brings out either the best in a family or the worst. All I can do is hope for the best

Haven's job is to swoop in after I die and slide that spreadsheet across the table to my wife and remind her that she shouldnt shoot the messenger. "When I die, I hope my wife sells them for what they are worth, not what I told her I paid."

Another option is some shops like USDS will sell on consignment. Thats a FAR better deal than just giving you 60% of their sticker price.

 

[Mgderf]

I have the opposite problem of the O.P.
I have no wife, and no kids.
The only people who will see my guns are my two brothers, and their kids.

My sister has zero interest in firearms, but both brothers are avid fans with collections of their own.
They both know what my meager collection is worth, and would not be taken advantage of.
I think the bigger issue would be who gets what...

Doesn't matter to me at that point.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I have the opposite problem of the O.P.
I have no wife, and no kids.
The only people who will see my guns are my two brothers, and their kids.

My sister has zero interest in firearms, but both brothers are avid fans with collections of their own.
They both know what my meager collection is worth, and would not be taken advantage of.
I think the bigger issue would be who gets what...

Doesn't matter to me at that point.

You can adopt me. Just sayin... LOL

 

[OurDee]

"I suppose first things first would be for her to know where they all are, what they all are, and how to access them."

I helped my MIL after her husband passed. I had to search the insulation in the attic. I found 20 rifles and pistols she did not know about. There was a .41 magnum that I could not find. I searched 4 stories counting the basement and attic. Out buildings too. Her and the grandkids went to the range for years with out buying ammo. I logged all of them then cleaned them all. Any time a relative wanted to buy one she would check with me on the price before selling or not. A relative I did not know was trying to buy quantity for dime on the dollar. I told her not to sale to them. I think she moved all that she wanted to.

If you have stuff you are not proud of, get rid of it before you can't. I tossed a few things with out saying anything about them. She would not want to know, nuff said.

 

[churchmouse]

Haven's job is to swoop in after I die and slide that spreadsheet across the table to my wife and remind her that she shouldnt shoot the messenger. "When I die, I hope my wife sells them for what they are worth, not what I told her I paid."

Another option is some shops like USDS will sell on consignment. Thats a FAR better deal than just giving you 60% of their sticker price.

My long time friend owns Badger firearms in Mooresville. He will get some of mine on consignment if Ingo friends do not scoop some of them up.
My issue is the overall investment I have. All of what remains is highly modified or total custom builds. I have recently sold off pretty much all of the factory as built's. So what ever the market will bring at that time.
But I will most likely be dead anyway.....

 

[mcapo]

I keep a spreadsheet with not only market values but info on the gun about mods, provenance, history, etc.

If I die in an untimely manner, I have adult children that would help Mom sell and/or take them all home. LOL!

 

[KellyinAvon]

My long time friend owns Badger firearms in Mooresville. He will get some of mine on consignment if Ingo friends do not scoop some of them up.
My issue is the overall investment I have. All of what remains is highly modified or total custom builds. I have recently sold off pretty much all of the factory as built's. So what ever the market will bring at that time.
But I will most likely be dead anyway.....

No auction? As someone from Southern Indiana I appreciate an estate auction and would be proud to bid on your stuff! (assuming I actually outlive you. You survived a whole lotta ****, CM. You might outlive me and a lot of other INGOers.)

 

[King31]

What I don't have is the serial number written down. I'll do that.

IMO, if you are going to go to the trouble of making a list, this is just about the most important thing.

 

[doddg]

"I suppose first things first would be for her to know where they all are, what they all are, and how to access them."

The wife does.
There will be written instructions for those guns that remain in the safe & those in pivotal spots around the house (we have no kids): we will have talked about it in detail.
She will make a phone call & it will be taken care of.
I'll have a price for a quantity buy, and a price for each piece that will be desirable for a buyer for remaining items.
It will be taken care of per a friend that will be designated; I even have a couple of trusted friends in mind.

I helped my MIL after her husband passed. I had to search the insulation in the attic. I found 20 rifles and pistols she did not know about. There was a .41 magnum that I could not find. I searched 4 stories counting the basement and attic. Out buildings too. Her and the grandkids went to the range for years with out buying ammo. I logged all of them then cleaned them all. Any time a relative wanted to buy one she would check with me on the price before selling or not. A relative I did not know was trying to buy quantity for dime on the dollar. I told her not to sale to them. I think she moved all that she wanted to.

When my foster Dad died, Mom moved.
Dad had guns hidden all over the place, and being a construction guy (electrician), some were behind a block wall in the basement, some would have probably been hid in in the insulation like your FIL, some in HVAC vents and the like.
I always wondered if she found all the guns & silver that he had stashed.
He had Alzheimers, and I don't think it was all recovered.


If you have stuff you are not proud of, get rid of it before you can't. I tossed a few things with out saying anything about them. She would not want to know, nuff said.

All the stuff I'm not proud of is already gone & much that I had I would have liked to have kept.
I still haven't sold all the comic book collection that I had when my son was young: my son can have all of it it I never get around to it.
Last time I took the trouble to go to a local Comic Book shop in town, I sold about $800 worth & I've got some neat Star Wars series & other Science Fiction items that are cool.

 

[halfmileharry]

Since we all know it's just a matter of when and not if we must put plans in place.
I have a place for my guns to go now. My two oldest could care less about any outdoor activity.
I do have a 24 yr old nephew that has the gift of being able to shoot. He's also starting to have an appreciation and love of a good firearm.
Afterall, why should I worry about anything once I stop breathing. He's welcome to my gun collection. It's been put into print.
IF I should be able to drag out my demise I'll give them to him before I depart.

 

[Ark]

I am fortunate enough to have a brother who I have converted to the gun life. My will gives it all to him and legally forbids him from allowing any of my firearms to fall into government hands under any circumstances.

 

[churchmouse]

Since we all know it's just a matter of when and not if we must put plans in place.
I have a place for my guns to go now. My two oldest could care less about any outdoor activity.
I do have a 24 yr old nephew that has the gift of being able to shoot. He's also starting to have an appreciation and love of a good firearm.
Afterall, why should I worry about anything once I stop breathing. He's welcome to my gun collection. It's been put into print.
IF I should be able to drag out my demise I'll give them to him before I depart.

This is a serious point to be made.

When I find that I am no longer a stable and accurate platform my range time will end. Just like riding fast bikes and driving drag cars all things in their time.
At that point I will let all but a few find new homes and use the funds for something in life at that time. Always a defense pistol on hand and a few I have built for the kids as legacy pieces. Do I give them out while I am breathing or let that happen when I leave this plane of existence.

 

[gregkl]

This is a serious point to be made.

When I find that I am no longer a stable and accurate platform my range time will end. Just like riding fast bikes and driving drag cars all things in their time.
At that point I will let all but a few find new homes and use the funds for something in life at that time. Always a defense pistol on hand and a few I have built for the kids as legacy pieces. Do I give them out while I am breathing or let that happen when I leave this plane of existence.

This is a good way to look at life. Keep doing what we can until we can't. Don't use age as a factor, but ability. Once you are unable to do something at the level you are content with, move on. There are other things to do.

And if I would listen to my own mantra, I'd be putting red dots on my pistols.

 

[Mongo59]

Having had a good chance to cash in 3 years ago I have given this some thought.

If you have a static gun collection then a will could be an answer but if you are constantly trading/buying the cost of updating the will could surpass the cost of the weapons over time.

My answer was simple, talk/teach all parties involved. Next I make a simple index card for each weapon listing the name, caliber, serial number, date of manufacture, if I rebuilt it and when, the original purchase price and anything particular to the weapon. (If it is a family piece and/or any history pertinent to the specific firearm or general info on the firearm.)

I have two children so they are to be divided between them. Whoever gets the first pick concedes the next two picks to the other and then it is a simple 'one for me and one for you'. Anything not claimed is to be sold with the info on the card being used as a guide.

All guns other than 'family' pieces are considered liquidable so I make sure all family pieces are known to all. Ammo is to be allotted to each firearm, any other gun related items will be divided out after the guns. By that time all their brains should be adequately numb.

I also have certain guns for each family member that go to each of them before the great divide, it is also marked on the card and I tell all of them this often.

Teaching and information is the most important ingredient to a fair dissemination so I left myself wide open for the wife to look at the cards and see the ACTUAL purchase price. So far, believe it or not, this has not been an issue.

I have been blessed and the wife will not 'need' the money these firearms represent. The kids and grandkids will be the ones who benefit.

I only have two of the guns that belonged to my maternal grandfather and they are precious to me. I wanted to make sure they stay and my grandkids have many more than I inherited.

 

[gregkl]

I have three handed down to me from my father. If my older brothers outlive me, they get those. The rest can go to my son if he wants them. Or my wife can sell them. I have a spreadsheet also that contains a picture, description, serial number, price paid, current value, date purchased. It has a tab for each firearm I either own or have owned.

This will be valuable if I'm not around.

 

[Tactically Fat]

OP: I promise to sell them for as high an amount as I can upon your untimely demise. Proceeds to your bride. :-D

 

[doddg]

Having had a good chance to cash in 3 years ago I have given this some thought.
If you have a static gun collection then a will could be an answer but if you are constantly trading/buying the cost of updating the will could surpass the cost of the weapons over time.
My answer was simple, talk/teach all parties involved. Next I make a simple index card for each weapon listing the name, caliber, serial number, date of manufacture, if I rebuilt it and when, the original purchase price and anything particular to the weapon. (If it is a family piece and/or any history pertinent to the specific firearm or general info on the firearm.)
I have two children so they are to be divided between them. Whoever gets the first pick concedes the next two picks to the other and then it is a simple 'one for me and one for you'. Anything not claimed is to be sold with the info on the card being used as a guide.
All guns other than 'family' pieces are considered liquidable so I make sure all family pieces are known to all. Ammo is to be allotted to each firearm, any other gun related items will be divided out after the guns. By that time all their brains should be adequately numb.
I also have certain guns for each family member that go to each of them before the great divide, it is also marked on the card and I tell all of them this often.
Teaching and information is the most important ingredient to a fair dissemination so I left myself wide open for the wife to look at the cards and see the ACTUAL purchase price. So far, believe it or not, this has not been an issue.
I have been blessed and the wife will not 'need' the money these firearms represent. The kids and grandkids will be the ones who benefit.
I only have two of the guns that belonged to my maternal grandfather and they are precious to me. I wanted to make sure they stay and my grandkids have many more than I inherited.

This is the exact "been there, done that" input like others have given that you have illustrated so well.
Much of it doesn't apply due to not having to have a "choose-the-gun" between children, but applicable to many.
I especially thought of the, person who picks 2nd gets two picks (to make up for the 1st choice being the "prize piece").
I have heard of huge fights with a table being turned over b/c of unfair property division since with grown (40-50 yr. old) children (5 -6) b/c the demised Dad didn't communicate anything before he died and didn't do things well.
You have mitigated all that with your approach. Well done.
Great thoughtful details with the 3x5 cards and ammo.

I have three handed down to me from my father. If my older brothers outlive me, they get those. The rest can go to my son if he wants them. Or my wife can sell them. I have a spreadsheet also that contains a picture, description, serial number, price paid, current value, date purchased. It has a tab for each firearm I either own or have owned.
This will be valuable if I'm not around.

Great detail about the spreadsheet: smart!
I have those things (except serial numbers) in my yearly planners, but I do need to put it on a spreadsheet also.
Although, I won't want my wife to see it until I'm dead or have sold off everything after I'm done having fun (if I live so long).
I don't think she realizes I have more money in guns/ammo than in our Italian Cruise that got cancelled.

OP: I promise to sell them for as high an amount as I can upon your untimely demise. Proceeds to your bride. :-D

Now that was good! I openly laughed out loud at that. I was actually waiting for someone to say that.
I thought it would be someone like gmcttr that I know better than most & have teased here before.

I actually can think of a few people here on INGO that I would trust that I have had contact with and their profile is similar to myself.
Heck, even though I've driven churchmouse crazy & I have gotten my share of infractions (all in the past, hopefully), I would totally trust him to do right by me & my wife by liquidating my guns, ammo, & supplies if I asked.
Just a simple business deal for a fellow member, with proper monies paid for services rendered.

There is one person who immediately comes to mind that would be the first person here that I would ask, but I realize not everyone would want the "mission."
I would certainly be of assistance to a friend in doing such.
In fact, I have a lifetime friend of 57 yrs. who wants me to sell his hunting rifles for him: he sent me an email just last week.
He was a big hunter with expensive scopes on his hunting rifles, that I actually know nothing about, though, and I told him I'd have to research it alot.
But, he lives out of State, & I don't think I'm legally allowed to sell them as mine in this State, even if he "gave" them to me.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

8< 8< SNIP 8< 8<
In fact, I have a lifetime friend of 57 yrs. who wants me to sell his hunting rifles for him: he sent me an email just last week.
He was a big hunter with expensive scopes on his hunting rifles, that I actually know nothing about, though, and I told him I'd have to research it a lot.
But, he lives out of State, & I don't think I'm legally allowed to sell them as mine in this State, even if he "gave" them to me.

You sure as hell can't do it now that you let the cat out of the bag ... maybe before when this information was just between you and him.

 

[churchmouse]

You sure as hell can't do it now that you let the cat out of the bag ... maybe before when this information was just between you and him.

Yup.

Time and place man. Time and place.
Zip it.

 

[63PGP]

My daughter will inherit an old car with a full trunk.