How to liquidate a collection?

[roisigns]

I have a recently widowed relative who has a gun safe with about 10 guns in it. I am trying to formulate a mutually beneficial arrangement to help her liquidate these guns.

Let's assume that the total market value of the guns is $5000.

The options that I am currently considering are:

1) Offer her a lump sum price of $4000 for all.

2) Selling the guns piece meal at a commission to me of 20%.


Too high...too low? I am looking for feedback from fellow INGOers on these options or a better one.

 

[Outlaw]

Both of them sound pretty fair to me. 20% may seem like a lot but there's quite a bit of foot work selling them individually

 

[Zoub]

I would do the lump sum offer. In the long run you will do better because one gun may sell easy and others may be work. You won't have to rush any one sale because you own all the guns. Cost averaging will be your friend.

Selling one by one will be even more work and of course others will come along and cherry pick out from under you while you do all the work.

 

[mistap]

Why not help her get registered on Gunbroker?

 

[roisigns]

She's 80 and not computer literate.

 

[jetmechG550]

Offer her $3K and big knife or a silver bar. Swoop in in your helicopter though for added oomph

 

[yotewacker]

If ther everyday common Walmart type guns, sell them. If there collectors, then auction them.

 

[kludge]

PM sent.

It's your relative, I would do it for free. You might be surprised what you get in return for your helpfulness.

 

[RichardR]

If it were one of my relatives I'd offer to sell them off for her in exchange for "pick of the litter" out of those 10.

 

[Win52C]

PM sent.

It's your relative, I would do it for free. You might be surprised what you get in return for your helpfulness.

Agreed....and why would you charge a relative? especially an 80 year old Lady?? C'mon

 

[rockhopper46038]

Depending On what they are, 10 guns might sell here on INGO in a day. I'd sure like to see what they are. In any case, if it were me, and there was anything I was interested in, I'd ask to pick one (assuming you don't have 1 $4000 gun and 9 Marlin 795's) for myself and sell the rest at the best price I could get her, or just sell them for her as a favor.

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

I am kinda surprised by this thread. I am not sure how anyone with a conscience could charge an 80 year old relative for helping her? I mean taking a $1000 cut out of it or getting to pick one of the guns to keep? Just do it for free, for being family. Its not a 30 year old cousin who is too lazy to do it, its someone who cant do it by herself.

 

[mrjarrell]

Don't take all of her guns away. Even 80 year old old ladies need protection.

 

[indiucky]

I just took a 1896 mauser in on consignment for a good friend. We agreed to a price back to him and because of the mint condition of the weapon it sold for over $600 on Gunbroker. He wanted $350 back to him. When I saw what it went for I called him and said, "You just come in. You know what the gun sold for and you pay me what you think it was worth for me to sell it for you."

I think you should sell them for her, hand her the money at let her decide what it was worth to have you do so. Especially with a friend or family. That way there is no bad feelings. Just IMHO.

 

[686 Shooter]

Bad thing about selling 10 guns to 10 different people is, you might be driving 10 different directions to do FTF sales.



And as others have said, just help her out and sell them for her, most elderly people I know could use the cash and it is tough enough on her having to sell her late husband's "stuff"

 

[roisigns]

Bad thing about selling 10 guns to 10 different people is, you might be driving 10 different directions to do FTF sales.

Yeah...I could see this taking alot of hours including the fact that she lives far away. I have children and we have evening functions 5 nights a week plus games on Saturday. You committed fathers can understand!

I have never sold a gun in my life and dread the prospect of conducting all of those transactions with (armed) strangers.

My hope is that her son will step up and take charge of the situation.

 

[Birds Away]

If this 80 year old woman were your mother, and you weren't around, would you want a family member to charge her or take a cut? I wouldn't.

 

[686 Shooter]

Yeah...I could see this taking alot of hours including the fact that she lives far away. I have children and we have evening functions 5 nights a week plus games on Saturday. You committed fathers can understand!

I have never sold a gun in my life and dread the prospect of conducting all of those transactions with (armed) strangers.

My hope is that her son will step up and take charge of the situation.

I've sold and bought several guns using the INGO classifieds, my collection and shooting interest are always changing, I have met some very nice people using this site. A few of my trades have been at members homes, but most of them have been in parking lots of businesses. Don't really need to worry about the folks on INGO, there may be a few bad ones, but I haven't personally met them.
Try to get a list of the guns she has, with pictures, and post them here in the forum, (not in the classifieds) and we will help you come up with value, then you and her decide how you want to liquidate the collection.

 

[M88A1]

your to kind, id charge here 50% or have her give me 5 guns.............NOT

 

[jimbo-indy]

Alternate method:
Beach Grove Firearms does consignment sales. I've sold several that way (to finance buying something more expensive). They used to charge 10% and were super to deal with. All mine sold within 60 days. A friend of mine sold a full auto Mac-10 this way and again, everything smooth. Highly recommended.