Home-Based Online FFL.. Opinions Wanted!

[nonobaddog]

Thank you - that is very reassuring. It is difficult to get a Type01 FFL here, so far at least, so I might just have to start selling off my collection and take my chances. One good thing is I have not sold a gun in decades, just buying. I hope that shows I am not in business of any kind. At this point I don't care if the guns sell for more or less than I paid, I just don't want to dump all this on my son when I check out.

However that letter was from 1996 and the political climate has changed and possibly the ATF has become more deep state than it was at that time. They are unpredictable at best and a different inquiry might get a different response now.

 

[jy951]

I would agree with all the people that say its more hassle than it's worth. Most likely you'll mainly be doing transfers because you cannot open retail shop in your residential location. And how much are you going to make doing $20 transfers. People will be calling and emailing all the time. Not picking up they stuff on time. And you'll have to make sure someone is home or go to the shipper to pick up or ship items. Not worth it imho.

 

[Indyhd]

Back when I had mine in the Clinton Era the Indy 1500 was only once a year but now with the constant amount of gun shows guys have the opportunity to go somewhere every two weeks or so making it less profitable. I had no problem with personal guns as at the time it just had to be marked as "personaly owned, not for sale."
I bought quite a few at the Marion County Sheriff's Auction before the Indy Star got that shut down.
All in all it was a great tax write off and not too hard at the time. I still have one of the Russian sks that I paid $79.00 for when buying a dozen at a time.

 

[GoBoilers!]

I cannot speak knowingly about the FFL, but I am familiar with the land use and zoning / home-based business side of the question. In Indiana, those rules are all governed by the town or county you live in, not a state ordinance. For example, in my county a home-based business is limited based on how many customers or deliveries visit each day (parking, traffic issues in a residential zone, etc). For example, we have a LOT of in-home salons or hair stylists, and that is completely okay. If it were mostly online, and some folks just stopped by occasionally to pick up goods, that would be 100% permitted. To do a manufacturing business on a residential lot has other restrictions - here, it is all work must be indoors. It is a county-wide ordinance here, so one stop or call to the local planning commission office will answer all those kind of question. In some counties, each town may have their own planning and zoning commission, so you would need to check with them on the rules and regs for in-home business.

 

[carbinekid]

I have a Type03 FFL and have been collecting(gathering) guns for quite a while. Now I am getting older and my son is not very interested in most of my collection. If I just start selling them some ATF agent could say I am in business and ruin the rest of my life, since being in business is explicitly forbidden with a Type03 FFL. One way to sell them is to get a Type01 FFL. So I am trying to do that now.
Like I already said - The first hurdle is the city zoning people and they say it is impossible. I will try with the city attorney but I don't have much hope there either. I think I will have to go out of town.

Like others have said, should not be a problem to sell off what you have collected. Worst case scenario- dump your 03FFL. You don't need a license to sell your stuff- depending on the situation, the receiving party is the one that needs the license.