Spent the last few days working at MW Reynolds to allow the owner to deal with some personnel matters. It was fun to be back in the gunroom and using the tools I'd used for many years to measure-up a bunch of guns that had come into the shop. When Mark's business started, it was a gunshop that sold a few cloths. Over time things have evolved into it becoming a clothing store that sells a few guns. Oh well, things change, right? What triggered this post is a large number of guns that came out of the estate of a local gentleman we've known and dealt with for many years that time has finally caught-up with. His daughter had stopped at the shop to drop off the last of the rifles she'd removed from the house before it was to be disposed of. This individual (an old school gentleman) was into all types of firearms but rifles were clearly his passion and I found myself measuring Super Grade Winchesters and pre-war Model 70s the like of which I haven't seen in years. There were/are also a number of custom rifles by some makers that I'd only heard of (Jerry Fisher, Keith Stegall, etc.). Really got me to thinking about what will happen to my little assortment of implements and how treasured they were at the time of my acquisition of each. As society evolves (for better or for worse) the tokens of wealth and success seem to change as well. Values also change, both societal and personal, and the result is that once-treasured items (i.e. a Super Grade Winchester) become just another old item that needs to be moved along. When places to hunt diminish, less people participate and the need (and appreciation) for the tools used in that pursuit diminish as well. Wood-stocked firearms will always be beautiful to me but if you ask a 20-something male about his desired firearm treasures these days the answer inevitably will be something far-more modern and military-based. All this makes me a bit sad normally but somehow this time it just made me wonder at it all. Just where do I fit in this passage of time and how will my toys be disbursed upon my passing? Clearly I'm in no hurry to find this out, but for really....the first time I'm considering it dispassionately, and hopefully pragmatically. Those with children will have a course of action in mind, and if their children hunt (or even shoot) then that course is even clearer. But so-many of our clients over the years have either not had children or had children that simply weren't interested in their pursuits and thus those guns inevitably come back to us after their owners move-on. Going forward, this thought process will likely shape many of my decisions.
Right there with you, buddy. I feel lucky the kid will hang out with me at the range, and he is thrilled that he owns Grandp’s SBE that I had no use for, but, the notion of the Silver Snipe, or any of the other doubles is lost on him. He likes to shoot, not hunt. He will go hunting with me, but, to this point hasn’t really developed a taste for meat of any kind, my Dad was not a big meat eater either, but, liked to hunt.
If I go, suddenly, tomorrow let’s say, the burden of ridding the place of my junk would be a big deal. I need to manage that from the side of the ground I am on, now, but, it is daunting even if you know what you are doing.
I have discovered that I’m not really that good at this task.
Best,
Ted
In truth, my plan is to give them away. My son will get a few. His cousins, and perhaps cousins in law may get some. And hopefully I’ll be able to brighten the day of a number of others with an unexpected present. Who knows, perhaps I’ll be able to spark a love for vintage doubles in a few black gun fans. I’m lucky in that I know my son won’t need the monetary value of my guns when I’m gone.
But……I’m far from done acquiring them. Lloyd, it’s a beautiful day here. Don’t be so melancholy! 🤣
Those with children will have a course of action in mind, and if their children hunt (or even shoot) then that course is even clearer.
Or grandchildren, Lloyd. Don't forget the grandkids!
In truth, my plan is to give them away. My son will get a few. His cousins, and perhaps cousins in law may get some.
The Lindner Dalys are really pretty ............ Uncle James.
So it goes with a lot of our hobbies and interests... not just guns. A good friend who died rather young several years ago had a lot of money tied up in collectible Corvettes and other muscle cars. His wife and daughters had no interest in them, and little knowledge about what he left behind. The vultures began circling before his body cooled off, and his wife told me that one so-called friend had stopped by the day he died to make a run at his 1963 Corvette split window coupe... with an offer that would have amounted to robbery.
I immediately told her what she had, and informed her about several vehicles he had in storage that she wasn't even aware of. I encouraged her to put on the brakes and make the effort to learn just what all of these old vehicles and parts were worth. Long story short, she did quite well 6 months later when she had an estate auction to dispose of his cars, parts, and tools. Unfortunately, there were a few vehicles that never surfaced. I found the titles in his shop, and had a good idea where they were stored. But the owner of the building denied knowing anything about them. Without the titles, I assume they were parted out.
Grandchildren are predicated on children Stan, and clearly neither are guaranteed. Both can be the blessed answer here (and even cousins and cousins-in-law). And....while I don't mean to be melancholy James...it just struck me vividly while going through those firearms that yesterday's treasures don't necessarily translate into being tomorrow's treasures as well. It was something of a revelation for me in the sense that the light finally went on. Twenty years ago, I would have never thought that could happen to a fine Parker, a Colt or a Winchester. It may even become an issue for Boss, Holland & Holland, or Purdey some day as well.
They gave him great pleasure during his life, which is all there is to be thankful for. The fact that they may not give pleasure to his heirs is sad for the heirs, but doesnt take away the owner's pleasure at his collection. I will try not to be disappointed if my heirs dont see things my way--it's their life to use as they want. Im just glad I got to live mine and enjoy it. Somebody will end up with bits and pieces of all our collections and make them his own collection, which he will enjoy. So, collections are reborn out of the rubble, like the phoenix. JMHO.
My hobbies are not intended to be money makers. As to what heirs get I a sure they will get enough. If not, I raised them poorly. I do understand the reflection intended by this post. Things once valued are too often not valued by later generations. Just ask anybody who has settled an estate filled with antiques. One where $200,000 is worth $75,000 15 years later and one where ever heirs wants the old value but not the antiques or the current value.
stuff, including treasured firearms are still just stuff...treat them as you would anything else of value...inventory them...assign values...update the list now and then..make sure your executor has a copy of the inventory list of all of your valuables...include specific bequeths in your will...continue to enjoy the life you still have left on this plant...and plan for it to last much longer...set a goal to live to a certain age, like say 88...
I've been doing the mental gymnastics of looking at the treasured possessions I've accumulated over the years myself.
Having never been married & not having any children or extended family that are into hunting or guns. I made the big decision to sell off a major portion of my gun gatherings this year. Many factors came into this decision with the overriding one that I didn't want to leave the headache of leaving a bunch of guns to someone in the family who would need to find a way to dispose of them. My thinking was; I've had my fun & enjoyment out of them and have a bunch of money wrapped up in these material items sitting in a safe 99.9% of the time and I might as well get my money out of them and use it for other things which I have more interest in at present.
I took a good hard look at my guns and decided which ones I really like and use on a regular basis. I kept those guns & the rest have gone down the road to new caretakers. I'm at the stage in life in early retirement that my hunting & travel adventures mean more to me than a bunch of guns sitting in a safe. I'm now going to use some of the funds from my guns to pay for doing adventures on my check-off list. I might as well use my money to do the things that enrichen my life rather than leave a major headache to the family member I've named to dispose of my estate when I'm gone.
I'm not out of the gun game completely-I've just modified the rules of how the game is played for me. I still have the guns I truly like to hunt with and can shoot clays, hunt any bird or game animal in north America & am very comfortable with my decisions at this point.
So it goes with a lot of our hobbies and interests... not just guns. A good friend who died rather young several years ago had a lot of money tied up in collectible Corvettes and other muscle cars. His wife and daughters had no interest in them, and little knowledge about what he left behind. The vultures began circling before his body cooled off, and his wife told me that one so-called friend had stopped by the day he died to make a run at his 1963 Corvette split window coupe... with an offer that would have amounted to robbery.
I immediately told her what she had, and informed her about several vehicles he had in storage that she wasn't even aware of. I encouraged her to put on the brakes and make the effort to learn just what all of these old vehicles and parts were worth. Long story short, she did quite well 6 months later when she had an estate auction to dispose of his cars, parts, and tools. Unfortunately, there were a few vehicles that never surfaced. I found the titles in his shop, and had a good idea where they were stored. But the owner of the building denied knowing anything about them. Without the titles, I assume they were parted out.
Good on you Keith. More people need to behave that way in those circumstances. Don't have much patience for the vultures.
I don't have a large collection of firearms and fly-fishing gear but what I have will go to my grandson and granddaughter. If I live long enough not to be able to hunt and fish I'll present them as gifts. If I go before gifting them my will specifies they go to them, and hopefully, they will treasure them; if not that's life.
Stuff is just stuff, regardless of dollar value. And within a short while after I’m gone no one will care where it came from. And frankly, I don’t care. I’ve enjoyed them and the monetary value isn’t a factor for me or my estate. But at my age (80) a strange thing has happened—things I used to value highly has just become “stuff” and means little to me now though I still enjoy them. Fortunately, I’ve never sought things to elevate my position in life. I am what I am, with little or a lot. My wife has been instructed to have a major dealer collect all the goodies and get what he can and be done with it.