Yeah, but not for fun, but to keep food on the table when my wife lost her job and became disabled, or my job gave me one of the many pay cuts I've had over the years. Guns pawned or sold to pay rent, sucks badly, but it's better to keep a roof over my familes heads than get sentimental over steel and wood. I do try to keep the ones, like you said, most practical AND fun, like my BREN 805 and the Arfcom Trash Panda AR-15.

I've been collecting guns since the mid 80s and twice since then...  Once in the early 90s and once in the mid 90s, I had to sell most of my guns.  The first time was to pay the bills and rent and the last time was when I moved to New Jersey...  Long story, but a temporary condition!!

I'm in my mid 50s and after retiring from two gun carrying careers and finishing up on the last one.  I'm now thinking of selling at least 2/3 of my collection since I'm not shooting them that much anymore.  I'll keep my HK-91, HK-93, HK-94, SP-89, FN/FAL, FN/FNC, Hungarian AKs, Russian AKs several Colt ARs/M4s.  As well as my SBRs.

I'm into modern semi-autos and have odd stuff like a Sterling MK-6 carbine, a Sterling MK-7 pistol, an Uzi pre-ban pistol, Daewoo Max 2 rifle, along with numerous handguns, like S&W Model 19s and S&W Model 29s revolvers that are just sitting around that I simply don't shoot anymore.   I've also told my kids which firearms they will get once I leave this place, so it makes sense in selling off most of my collection to fund my other projects in retirement.  I truly think I'll be OK with it once done.

Since I'm seriously thinking about moving to Florida within the next 2-3 years and I always wanted an IMI Uzi SMG, so some of the funds will go towards buying one and I'm fine with jumping through all the ATF paperwork for it since it couldn't be worse that doing the paperwork for a SBR.

I really don't own any junk or cheap guns and the only thing that would come even close would be my East German Makarov pistol.  Also, I have plenty of gun parts and magazines I'll be selling off as well, once the time is right...  Basically, after the 2020 election cycle.

I think that I'll feel somewhat liberated by seriously reducing my gun collection, parts/kits and magazines in the next few years.  I'll still have plenty of guns on hand to enjoy shooting well into my early/mid 60s...  Basically, just winding things down as I move into my more Golden Years of my life.

Im going to be 90 some days and I'm going to hold a scholarship fund. To get money you have to write an essay about why you love America. Then Im going send every person who participates money and an AR15 . Here lad you might need this some day.

The herd will be thinned out and I can pass on and let the parade march on past me.

I downsized, totally regret it. I find myself now buying guns I previously had and miss.
Sure, I could get by with 5 or 6 guns total, but fuck that.
Also, I have 2 boys, both interested in shooting. I want to pass them a few guns when I go.
All that said, I would sell almost all of it if that is what it took to keep food on the table for my family.

Downsize and upgrade is the best way. You don't miss your Smith and Wesson and Walther so much when you've got a shiny new HK for the money.

You could also just send me any SIG 550s and 551s now. :)

Through my own experiences, it's harder to downsize when you're in your prime.... 20s through mid/late 40s, but once you reach retirement age, late 50s/early 60s, it's way easier since other priorities tend to pop-up.  In my case, I love audio, 2 channel stereo equipment and planning on buying what I really want since it will be my last major audio/video purchase.  I'm also kicking around the ideal of buying a 70s vintage car, a non muscle car and cherry it out back to original factory condition.

This is why I'm planning on downsizing my firearms collection.  Two of my kids will get some nice guns since they swore they would never sell them.  Depending on how my granddaughters and grandson turn out, I'll may leave them a firearm or two.

Am I planning on dying anytime soon or have a death wish? No.  I just know that there is a period in one's lifecycle when all good thing must come to an end.

I’d honestly like to, but availability stops me.

They aren’t making surplus anymore, and a lot of other things could become very expensive or even unavailable with the stroke of a pen.

I thought about a serious downsizing several years ago when I wasn't shooting much. Didn't do it in part because it's such a pain to sell guns now.  I still wouldn't mind thinning out some stuff that has minimal SHTF/CWII value that I don't shoot:

* Couple extra Swedish Mausers
* 1917 Eddystone
* Shiloh Sharps in 40-65
* a few com bloc pistols
* couple of bolt action rifles
* a couple collector 1911's I will never shoot

I do regret selling a couple things over the years:
* High Standard Victor 22 target pistol
* Colt Gold Cup
* the first 2 handguns I ever purchased as an adult - S&W M39 and M19 4" (I bought an identical M39 like new still in the box of a similar vintage several years ago at a gun show)

Stuff I'm thankful I didn't ever sell:
* Colt Gov't model I bought brand new in 1978
* 60's vintage Belgian Hi Power
* Colt Custom Shop 6" Python
* Colt 22 Diamondback

Sorry - M96 rifle and a M96/38 short rifle

I’ve streamlined over the last several months. Let go of under used guns with no sentimental value. Put money towards quality upgrades. No regrets.

When selling guns:

1) something rare/expensive or otherwise appeals only to the niche market (say an FS2000 or an albanian SKS):  gunbroker, you get a national audience, commision is reasonable.  Always set auction to end sunday night (and think timezones, you want it to be around 7pm PST - 10pm EST) , people are home and likely to remember to look/bid.  Preferably the first sunday of the month people are flush with cash.  Its not going to sell for top dollar locally as there may be only 2 people in driving distance who are interested, but perhaps 1000 people nationally.

2) something common / near commidity.  Like a plain jane GLOCK 19.3.  Sell that in a local board to meet FTF for cash with valid DL/CCW.  Otherwise you'll lose on the sale because the buyer is not going to buy your used one (total cost)for more than 90% cost new, and if they have to hassle with paying shipping, waiting, going to FFL, and paying FFL fee, thats going to cut into your profit as they would just go buy new or local

3) custom items:  I would find boards with WTS/WTT sections that specialize in whatever it is that you have.  if you can strip it down for parts and sell those individual parts and return the gun more to "stock condition" and sell that on GB thats the optimum route.  But if you can't, find your target audience.  If you are selling a tricked out race gun, go to a board where race gun shooters frequent.

Time will eventually down-size your collection for you. Live long enough and finances, dementia or death will force you to give them all up

Personally, I really need to start culling the collection. I just don't really want to

I have trimmed down the quantity in a big way. I used the proceeds to up the quality on a couple guns and to add some Class III things and some badly needed optics.
Optics, IMHO, are one of the most commonly neglected components. I have seen some impressive collections topped with low end or no optics. Yeah, great collection, but not reliable and even usable in their current condition. The rational is that "they arent going to ban scopes"
I get it and it took some thinking to wrap my head around the idea of basically trading 2 nice firearms for a scope and mount for 1 other firearm.
I dont regret it and am actually happy to just have 1.5 safes worth of high quality things. Now if I can just get rid of some of the 50 or so soft cases I need at one time.

Wife got sick starting in 2008 and stopped working by 2012 it was clear she would eventually need a liver transplant and we quickly went through savings.
As everyone knows first to sell are the precious guns because that’s what bring in the most $’s.

Sold a Wilson Combat .45 I had personally built not one of thier stock pistols, 5 FAL rifles I built, Vector Arms 93 & 53, 5 AK-47, 3 AK-74, 2 M1A1 rifles, 4 AR 15 rifles and an Armalite AR-10, an FN 2000 and a PS90.
Those are the ones that come to mind immediately, I know I’m missing a couple.

I seriously miss most of them but not likely finances will recover any time soon enough to replace any of them.
I especially miss the Wilson Combat pistol, it was a very bad time and let it go very cheap??

I dumped $20-25k worth this year.  Paying down the mortgage.

Feels okay.  Didn't sell any that I actually shoot.  

Around 08 or 09-----I went from over 50 down to a 10/22 and a P95 plus my boyhood Sheridan Blue Streak.

Medical bills and reduced hours at work forced me to downsize just to make ends meet----my collection has come back but its much more focused these days and no where near 50.

I'm doing this now. I had built up a respectable collection as I liked to shoot and planned on passing it all down one day. But my son has been diagnosed with autism at 1yr old(now 6) and while he is high functioning we are still unsure if gun ownership may be appropriate. So I'm just getting down to a few items for defense and fun. So the safe queens are going first.

I’m in the process of doing this now, have some that I’ve only ever taken to the range once and simply have no use for, others that I thought I’d CCW but I have better options.

I never had to downsize but have sold a few common ones to fund some more collectible guns.