doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com gun collections disposition upon demise

I have gone to the Nations Gun Show outside of D.C. for years. Used to be a number of collectable guns were there. Now its everything from beef jerkey to black guns and more pistols and ammo then what the Marine Corp has in inventory. Agree with Little Creek. Most of those under 40 don't give a crap about old stuff. I know someone whose mother/father passed away. They called the local antique dealer and said to bring a big truck and a haul all that crap away. I'm sure he paid them something. Then it was off to Belfort and other furniture places to buy new stuff which is pretty much crap as compared to how they built furniture a 100 years ago.

No one in the family wants my stuff.

I've just recently begun to thin out and upgrade. I figure I can get myself down to 10-15 shotguns, 10-15 rifles, 10 handguns. That's manageable. I'll be selling off things to pay for trips to use the ones I'm keeping.

There's a lot of cash in those drawers of vintage scopes and sights.

Karl - Are you aware that there is a gunshop owner in the Detroit area with your last name?

My wife said she's having a yard sale when I pass. Most all my friends know this and are planning to be there!!

Please don't let my wife sell the stuff for what I told her I bought it for!:)

I keep seeing these opinions that the Millenials and younger generation have no interest in the vintage guns most of us like. There are repeated dire predictions that prices and values will tumble.

But year after year, with the exception of relatively short blips caused by recessions or bear markets, the prices of these old guns keeps ratcheting upward.

None of us knows when we will croak. For that reason, we need to let our wives or kids know just what we have and what it's worth so they don't get taken by the circling vultures that frequently smell death. I recently showed one daughter a couple MMC Checkering tools and asked her what she thought they might be worth. She looked at the tiny handpieces and estimated that they might be worth about $25.00 each. She thought the teeny dime sized extra carbide cutters might be worth a buck or two. I showed her some printouts of recent sales on Ebay where MMC Tools sold in excess of $750.00 without the Foredom CC motor and 8D hand piece to drive them, or the extra cutters. Those printouts of completed actual sales are in the boxes with them so that hopefully she will be intelligent enough to not give away valuable items that may not appear so valuable to someone who is not familiar with the item.

On the other hand, a friend texted me some pictures yesterday of a small gun collection that an elderly widow he knows wishes to dispose of. Each one had a Post-It-Note stuck on the buttstock by her late husband, with his estimate of valuation. A couple were on the low side, while most were the kind of extremely high wishful thinking 100% condition prices we see on guns that are relisted for years on Gunbroker and other sites. The only double was a well used brown roach Ithaca Crass 12 ga. with a poor replacement forend. I have no idea if the barrels are pitted, etc. His little note stuck to the stock said "Ithaca double- At least $500.00 on the low end." Uh, no... unless he has some provenance that it was owned by Teddy Roosevelt or something. I will be advising my friend to watch some actual completed sales of the same guns in similar condition on Gunbroker to get a more realistic idea of value.

One final note. I've told my two closest hunting friends along with my family, that those dear friends should each get one of the favorite guns to have in my memory. I really can't think of a better way be be remembered by my two closest friends than to carry those two guns afield and hunt fine birds in my memory. I just turned 70 and am starting to view possesions differntly than I did when I was much younger. I'm sure some of you here know what I am talking about.
tudurgs, yes as I have gone to that gun store a couple of times. Turns out we are related by quite some distance. The store really only deals in protection postols, black guns, and the like. Michigun was the store I was talking about, who carrys the nicer stuff, and I've known the family for years.
Karl

Karl,
I'm older than you and still buying. I plan to hang a number tag on each one, and in a book; list a description, source(especially family guns), and estimated value of each one, including instructions about loading dies, how to make cases, etc. I hope I live long enough.
Mike

Der Ami,
Sounds like a good plan to me.
Life is short........hunt more birds!
Karl

I'm not sure about millennials not being interested in older firearms. They may not be now, but that could certainly change as they like us grow older.

Example, when I was 16 I obtained an Ithaca Model 37 in 16 gauge. My best friend obtained a Remington 870 in 12 gauge. To us, it was all about fast operating action and shells in the magazine. Why would anybody want to be restricted to two shots or worse a single-barrel? Those old doubles were "grandpa's guns" relics of the past that should be hung over the mantel or traded for a pump or semi-auto.

As we got older, we tended to enjoy the history and craftsmanship of older, better guns. My best friend turned to classic Winchester rifles, me towards Parker shotguns.

Working in a museum, I encounter plenty of millennials. Almost all of them are fascinated by the antique and vintage arms held in the collection. Granted, some are surprised that those guns "actually worked," but they have interest.

Remember, our great-grandfathers thought the next group was doomed, then the next, next, etc.

Just my thoughts....