Posted: 3/6/2015 12:21:01 PM EDT
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Thinking about thinning the gun collection down some. Having issues with deciding what one's go. I have a lot that don't get shot at all or much but many of those are reasonably collectable. [like Mil 1911's and A1's] I can thin the AR herd down some but this isn't the time for that with the prices the way they are so they stay for now.
The rest of what I own are lots of 1911s [Mostly older Colts with some stuff like Baer, Clark Sr and Briley mixed in] GI 1903, 1917, Garands, Carbines, Older Colt revolvers, [late 1940s through early 70s and a few later one's like a .22 Diamondback and Python] S&W revolvers [40s thru early 80s, mostly K22s, Kit guns, a mod 28, some older mixed snubbies and Masterpieces [pre mod] ] , Some oddball stuff like an old Luger and S&S 38H and BHP wi WW2 eagle stamps, ect. I have a few shotguns, one or two could go, I don't use them much. Have a couple commercial .22 rifles I can let go,I'd keep the US Property one as I still shoot it. Have a few AK's I can let go if the market is OK on them, I don't shoot them anymore, same with the FALs. Eyes ain't what they once were................ 
Problem is this, How do I determine what to let go on the stuff I do like like the older Colts and S&W's? Most are in pretty nice shape, I was pretty picky when buying them. What criteria do you use to thin a collection sans ''I need money.'' I do NOT need the money and this isn't a post to sell anything because honestly, I'm having an issue on what to get rid of. I've had a lot of fun over the years looking for and buying them and some will go to the kiddo when I kick the bucket. Kind of leaning toward the non US stuff first, then the non US Property stuff, the older Colts and S&Ws are hard for me to give up but make up a lot of what I own. Probably could dump a few Rugers and still keep a couple. I'd kind of like to cut it in half number wise, anything newer that is glutted in the market would stay til it went up. [especially AR's] Been toying with this for awhile now, sold a couple things in the AR madness a while back but none of the older guns. A lot of what I bought was before the older gun market really started to climb. |
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What criteria do you use to thin a collection sans ''I need money.' That's the only reason I've ever sold any of mine... honestly why else would you? Guns typically "hold value" very, very well (many even appreciate significantly), and have practically no upkeep cost. |
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That's the only reason I've ever sold any of mine... honestly why else would you? Guns typically "hold value" very, very well (many even appreciate significantly), and have practically no upkeep cost. Quoted:
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What criteria do you use to thin a collection sans ''I need money.' That's the only reason I've ever sold any of mine... honestly why else would you? Guns typically "hold value" very, very well (many even appreciate significantly), and have practically no upkeep cost. This is truth. I've used the "I'll sell x to buy y" reasoning before, and although I enjoy "y", I still miss "x". |
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Quoted: The AK market is pretty good right now, so I would probably start there. This. AK's are selling at really high prices, and you can probably get back a pretty good ROI. Past that, I would not sell anything that has sentimental value (even a little bit), would be hard to replace, or is in the tank value wise (i.e., AR's) |
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I really have three collections. Ones I will never get rid of, another group of working guns that will always be the same and a group of guns that essentially, I rent. Buy them, shoot them, then get bored and trade them for a new shiny thing.  Very little new stuff catches my interest. I don't even look at new guns anymore when I go to a shop or show. KInd of hard to compare a new S&W with one made in the 50s and be impressed. |
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Shit, everytime I think about it, I can't think of anything I want to get rid of... So don't get rd of anything....if there is no compelling reason to, keep em all.... That's kind of where I am at. Sometimes I think about selling because I have many - including some I haven't shot in years - but that's just not a compelling reason and making that choice of which gun(s) to sell is difficult. |
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The AK market is pretty good right now, so I would probably start there. Yep. I'm looking at getting rid of a few guns (mostly pistols) to buy a semi auto .308. I have lots of pistols and no "battle rifles", so this makes my guns a little more versatile/ rounded. |
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Determine if you are a shooter or a collector.
When I got to the third giant safe and more than 300 guns I decided I was a gun hoarder. Since I had the ability to just walk outside the door and shoot I decided that UI would narrow down my collecting; basically decide what I wanted to collect in a very narrow way, and with anything else if I hadn't shot it in the last 2-3 years it would be sold and the money put back into my hobby in I some other way. I eventually got myself down to just one safe full of stuff I like to shoot, and two small safes for stuff I collected. Dropped the collection size by 2/3rds. So the basic rule was if I didn't use it, it was up for sale. |
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Don't sell any, give them all to your kid. What if he has 2 or 3 kids one day and you can't buy them anymore, or they're insanely expensive? Kids already have their own guns. Every damn one of mine is going to get sold and the cash given to the wife when I croak. |
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That's kind of where I am at. Sometimes I think about selling because I have many - including some I haven't shot in years - but that's just not a compelling reason and making that choice of which gun(s) to sell is difficult. Quoted:
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Shit, everytime I think about it, I can't think of anything I want to get rid of... So don't get rd of anything....if there is no compelling reason to, keep em all.... That's kind of where I am at. Sometimes I think about selling because I have many - including some I haven't shot in years - but that's just not a compelling reason and making that choice of which gun(s) to sell is difficult. My problem is if I run across a really good deal, I tend to buy it even if I don't need it. I've gotten better in the last couple of years but still occasionally go off the wagon then wonder why I bought the damn thing. |
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I started collecting guns in the 70's. At one time I had about 150. I bought high quality guns of all kinds and shot most of them. My daughter started college, and the vast bulk of them were sold to fund her schooling. I now have less than 20 left. The ones I have left are those that have some sentimental value. I never lost any money when I sold the guns A python I bought NIB for $300 in the 80's, went for $1800.
I don't miss any of those I sold since I regarded them as long term investments to fund my daughters schooling. On the other hand, my brother was an accumulator, and had a similar number of guns when he died. His kids took the guns to the local pawn shop and took pennies on the dollar because they didn't want to bother with taking the time to sell them for full value. There is a mental shift you go through when you start selling off a collection. They become less a representative of you personally and more merchandise you can make a profit on. Once I started selling, guns became less a fun hobby and more of a business transaction for me. |
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Sounds like you are a collector; why not keep the collection? The only thing I could think of with collectibles is duplicates, but I'm not now nor ever was what I would call a collector. I buy what interests me and sell what doesn't; or I bought stuff for specific needs and when that need no longer existed I sold. |
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I've been shedding some of my also-ran mil-surps and vintage .22s. I even parted with a SKS the other day. I go through spells like that every so often. No real regrets. I usually just use the money to enhance the collection anyway as it takes a different track.
I sold a Finned M91 the other day and bought a Anschutz Modell 64 Match with the proceeds. I have plenty of M91s but wanted a Anschutz 64. |
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I don't own any....... 
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I'd say start with modern hunting-type rifles. They are boring, replaceable, and do not appreciate. I don't own any.......
Dump the first few shotguns, wait a few weeks, and see how the feeling sits with you. If you're okay with getting rid of guns you don't use, then get rid of a few more you don't care about. If you're suddenly stricken with regret, then oh well, at least you're only out a shotgun or two. |
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It is easier to thin things out if you have a specific stated reason. My first big purge was to consolidate calibers. I had 74 different centerfire bolt action rifles alone. The only shotgun gauge I didn't have was 28GA. Deciding on what calibers I was going to stock made it a lot easier. The last purge I've had was to get rid of any that had substanial recoil due to the cervical vertebrae issues I now have. Anything with a recoil > .243 Winchester was sold off. The only thing I have left is the CavArm SEBR lowered M4orgery, a .17HMR bolt action, the Glenfield .22LR I bought on my 18th birthday, T/C Dimension with .22-250 & .243 barrels, and a 20GA break action for varmit control. The only thing that I'm looking at adding is a Glock 35 with the GSSF ticket for IDPA/USPSA games & a Ruger AR-556 as a dedicated host for a NV scope.
Having a definite plan helps focus the mind. |