Posted: 1/23/2012 3:50:09 PM EDT
| Ok I'm kicking around the idea of dealing from my home. Are any of guys willing to chat about the best way to get started? I have looked around in a few spot and some people act like I'm taking the food out of there mouth. I'm just looking for a little help and I know that the guys here in the hometown forum are better to chat with anyway. Any help would be great. |
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It can be done, I have looked into it many times and this is what I have figured out;
1. Zoning, don't bother with anything else until you get this figured out. 2. Business licenses, again don't bother with anything else until you figure this out (local, county, state, and don't forget the tax ID's) 3. Records; keep them to a higher standard than the retail store fronts. Log everything in and out, no matter what. 4. Make sure the ffl 'business' remains viable, if you start using it as a means to 'collect' guns they can pull your FFL. |
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There are FFL businesses registered to storage units, utility closets, etc. This is where business has to go down (transfers have to take place), but not where the guns have to be shipped or stored. If you're storing them in the presence of your own collection, you will need to tag EVERYTHING.
The ATF tried to limit the "kitchen table FFLs" years ago, but they could not. With the age of the internet, their is no way to restrict them. A business is a business: doesn't matter if it's out of a house, store, or porta-potty. No where in the GCA does it say "strip mall" or "stand alone store". Be assured they will make sure you have all the proper business licenses, permits, etc. And the other guys are right......if you're using it [primarily] to expand you own collection, you're going to lose it. It's not like back in the 80s where you could get your FFL01 through the mail just so you could get dealer discounts. |
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There are FFL businesses registered to storage units, utility closets, etc. This is where business has to go down (transfers have to take place), but not where the guns have to be shipped or stored. If you're storing them in the presence of your own collection, you will need to tag EVERYTHING. The ATF tried to limit the "kitchen table FFLs" years ago, but they could not. With the age of the internet, their is no way to restrict them. A business is a business: doesn't matter if it's out of a house, store, or porta-potty. No where in the GCA does it say "strip mall" or "stand alone store". Be assured they will make sure you have all the proper business licenses, permits, etc. And the other guys are right......if you're using it [primarily] to expand you own collection, you're going to lose it. It's not like back in the 80s where you could get your FFL01 through the mail just so you could get dealer discounts. What is this dealer discount you speak of? |
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First thing form company, llc, whatever because you will need sales tax id from state. The next and most difficult part of the process is business liscence. ATF will require you have one. That's a can of worms depending where or what you call a shop. I will not have it in my home. Every gun in the house has to be tagged. This includes personal. Just keeping your ATF book up can be a pain.
I'd take some advice from Bladeswitcher. I've fought off the need for ffl by dealing in used guns. Buy, shoot'em a few months or years and sell. You can buy at cost on new guns or lower than a lot of dealers can buy from their distributors on gunbroker. Sad but fact. Having an ffl in your home opens you're home to ATF inspection any time ATF is inclined. Float under ATF radar as long as you can is my advice until dealings reach a level having FFL is no longer an option. That's my advice. then find somewhere other than home to do business from. Jason Perkins has home based FFL, doing business from garage. Every damned gun in the house is tagged, logged and accounted for. He's also opened his home and family for scrutiny from the man anytime he wants in. |
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First thing form company, llc, whatever because you will need sales tax id from state. The next and most difficult part of the process is business liscence. ATF will require you have one. That's a can of worms depending where or what you call a shop. I will not have it in my home. Every gun in the house has to be tagged. This includes personal. Just keeping your ATF book up can be a pain. I'd take some advice from Bladeswitcher. I've fought off the need for ffl by dealing in used guns. Buy, shoot'em a few months or years and sell. You can buy at cost on new guns or lower than a lot of dealers can buy from their distributors on gunbroker. Sad but fact. Having an ffl in your home opens you're home to ATF inspection any time ATF is inclined. Float under ATF radar as long as you can is my advice until dealings reach a level having FFL is no longer an option. That's my advice. then find somewhere other than home to do business from. Jason Perkins has home based FFL, doing business from garage. Every damned gun in the house is tagged, logged and accounted for. He's also opened his home and family for scrutiny from the man anytime he wants in. The man is only allowed to want in once a year IIRC |
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Once a year is one too many. Not that I've a thing to hide. Simply saying why would you subject your home to this type liability. I see firsthand what Jason goes through and its not worth the trouble ATF can bust your door down at 3am with cause. Not that I'd have anything to fear. Again, why ?
Detached garage is fine with seperate address maybe ? If you can get your mortgage lender to break one tract into two. City or county sign off. Lot of trouble for little gain. |
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There are FFL businesses registered to storage units, utility closets, etc. This is where business has to go down (transfers have to take place), but not where the guns have to be shipped or stored. If you're storing them in the presence of your own collection, you will need to tag EVERYTHING. The ATF tried to limit the "kitchen table FFLs" years ago, but they could not. With the age of the internet, their is no way to restrict them. A business is a business: doesn't matter if it's out of a house, store, or porta-potty. No where in the GCA does it say "strip mall" or "stand alone store". Be assured they will make sure you have all the proper business licenses, permits, etc. And the other guys are right......if you're using it [primarily] to expand you own collection, you're going to lose it. It's not like back in the 80s where you could get your FFL01 through the mail just so you could get dealer discounts. What is this dealer discount you speak of? Sorry, I meant the ability to buy things at wholesale or less than retail.......a discounted rate from what the public pays. |
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Sorry, I meant the ability to buy things at wholesale or less than retail.......a discounted rate from what the public pays. After seeing Bud's Guns/Cheaper than Dirt, etc. selling guns for basically my cost, I forget that there is a dealer price . . . . 
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Sorry, I meant the ability to buy things at wholesale or less than retail.......a discounted rate from what the public pays. After seeing Bud's Guns/Cheaper than Dirt, etc. selling guns for basically my cost, I forget that there is a dealer price . . . . Yep. Now a days there isn't much diff. But back then before gunbroker.com, there was quite a bit of savings. Hell, I remember paying more for a glock 15-yrs ago than what I pay now.......not often the case. |
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If you're after the discount at MidwayUSA or Graf & Sons, a C&R will work for that. But again, why open your life to the ATF?
I thought about it, too, for a mad minute. Why invite Holder and his folks into your house? Unlike a vampire, you can't recind the invite. ;) |
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If you're after the discount at MidwayUSA or Graf & Sons, a C&R will work for that. But again, why open your life to the ATF? I thought about it, too, for a mad minute. Why invite Holder and his folks into your house? Unlike a vampire, you can't recind the invite. ;) Those discounts are not true dealer cost. In most cases not even close. |
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If you're after the discount at MidwayUSA or Graf & Sons, a C&R will work for that. But again, why open your life to the ATF? I thought about it, too, for a mad minute. Why invite Holder and his folks into your house? Unlike a vampire, you can't recind the invite. ;) Those discounts are not true dealer cost. In most cases not even close. Good to know! That means I'd be better off opening a web-based business to get the dealer pricing than have 'fun' with the ATF. I'm glad to pay $25 for transfers at my LGC for non-FTF transfers, anyway. |
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ATF can bust your door down at 3am with cause. With cause they can get a warrant and bust your door down whether you have a FFL or not! True.. but you're not a blip normally on ATF radar until you do get an FFL. I'm not talking anyone into or out of anything. I see what Jason goes through, everyone who comes into you're home run business knows a little more about your layout. I'm going through process now. FFL location is miles from my residence. The only guns in my home will be personal weapons. Everything else stays in safe at shop. |
