How to know it's time to sell your guns

[markshere2]

Inflation should be factored into your decision.
Don't go by historical inflation, unless you go back to the 70's and Carter era inflation (10% annually).

What value will the cash you get now be worth in 5 years? 40% less?

What value will the guns have in 5 years? Guns are durable goods.

If the Ds get any more power, the value may go WAY up.

[ray h]

Given the state of things, I could easily foresee a scenario where the value of guns shoots up sharply in the near/mid-future...

Or down because no one can afford or find ammo. No reason to buy a gun if you can't shoot it.
How many people don't buy large caliber rifles and pistols because they know they aren't willing to spend $3+/round? Given a choice, how many people have bought 22lr guns instead of 45acp guns because the ammo is cheaper?

[widgetman101]

I don't think I'd ever consider selling any of my guns unless I really needed money and I didn't have anything else I might be able to sell. From there I'd probably go with the common guns first or stuff that would unlikely to be blacklisted that way if I wanted to replace later I could.

I'd say if you're not into them anymore and don't use them much or at all and have something else peaking your interest to buy go for it just keep the rare stuff.

[widgetman101]

Given a choice, how many people have bought 22lr guns instead of 45acp guns because the ammo is cheaper?

Ding ding, I bought a Ruger SR22 a few months ago since I got sick of paying so much for 9mm and 45. Lately it's my most shot gun because it's dead cheap to shoot and super quite coupled with a silencer. For general practice it's perfect and cheap.

[Rural Ruger]

Or down because no one can afford or find ammo. No reason to buy a gun if you can't shoot it.
How many people don't buy large caliber rifles and pistols because they know they aren't willing to spend $3+/round? Given a choice, how many people have bought 22lr guns instead of 45acp guns because the ammo is cheaper?

I went the other way on that one. Figured if normal calibers cost 2-3x what they should and big stuff generally doesnt, I might as well shoot the big shit. Sort of a "subsidized" large caliber habit.

[Noah_Zark]

How to know it's time to sell your guns?

For me, primarily loss of interest in a particular firearm, or disillusionment with something connected with particular guns.

Over the years my interests in firearms have changed; I bought some things, sold others as my curiosity was satisfied. I consider myself a sort of "forearms technical historian" and the bulk of what I sold was let go after I tore them apart and understood what made them tick. That was not so much loss of interest as itches that were scratched; I learned how particular guns worked, and let them go if they held no long-term interest.

Other classes of guns I sold not so much for lack of interest but because of disillusionment with other collectors of particular types of firearms. For example, I sold 33 M1 Carbines, thousands of rounds of ammo, and dozens of magazines because the M1 Carbine enthusiasts became all enamored of guns that were "correct" or had to be "correct." The tons of once-cheap USGI surplus M1 Carbine parts made this possible, and owners of these parts hoards took to parts-swapping and even re-parkerizing thousands of the "Blue Sky" import-marked carbines that entered the US in the late 80s and through the 90s, taking $295 to $495 guns and turning them in four-digit "correct" collector-grade pieces. Collectors who picked up M1 Carbines that were rebuilt in Europe or the US post-WWII or post-Korea had guns that had parts replaced, or upgraded, or whatnot. That didn't make them less authentic, but the M1 Carbine crowd developed a thirst for "as-issued" condition because it could be done. I got disgusted with the whole scene, and sold them all. Including ammo and mags, got ~$26,000 for the pile of them. Before anybody says "You should have kept them!" I did other things with the proceeds that over the past 12-15 years has paid back big returns.

Another example is an extensive collection of blued and stainless pre-lock S&W revolvers and some semi-autos. Too many to list. I got disillusioned with a couple J-frame 38s whose frames cracked at the forcing cone from plain-jane 158 gr LRN cartridges, and a couple K-frame 357s whose forcing cones cracked. Pouring gas on the fire, I used to spend a lot of time on the S&W Forum and I watched (read) how some ruthless collectors and dealers acted there in search of desirable examples - some forum member whose town or region was listed in his profile would post about being in a gun shop over the weekend and finding a <insert model and details here> and ask if the store's price was reasonable. He'd get responses encouraging him to buy it only to call the shop and discover that another forum member, collector or dealer, had called around and discovered the store and bought the gun, sometimes claiming to be the "guy that was in on Saturday and looked at it." Those types of assholes really soured me on collecting S&Ws, and about 12-13 yrs ago I started moving the majority of them out the door, keeping a few M1917s/M1937s, two M25-2s, one M25-5, an M625-3, a couple M624s, an M65 Ladysmith that belonged to a now-deceased close friend, an M27, an M28, two M696s, an M39, M59, an M915, a couple M41s, and a few M422/622 variants. That seems like a lot, but the collection was at one time significantly more vast. And the proceeds from the S&W sell-off have delivered outstanding returns.

Before contracting Covid in mid-Dec 2020, I further decided to downsize because in the event of my demise I do not want to saddle my survivors with having to deal with a mountain of stuff to dispose of. So about a year ago I started disposing a number of milsurps, some single-actions, and perhaps half of my Marlin levergun collection. Between Sept '20 and now, I've parted with over 50 guns, consolidating chamberings, or selling off particular pieces in which I no longer have interest, or haven't fired in years. Many of those sold in the past year have ended up with three PAFOA members.

I still have a number of leverguns and single-shots in popular chamberings, and in straightwall cartridges which hold a long-standing fascination for me. I have several Glock 17s, Springfield Armory FALs, stamped AKs, a number of ex-PSP Colt 6520 ARs, and Ithaca 37 DS Police Specials that serve defensive purposes which I pray every day that will never have to fire in anger. I have an interest in the M1 Rifle because I heard my late father claim a number of times that the M1 was responsible for him returning from the South Pacific alive in 1946. I also serve as armorer for four local Servicemans' Details who use the M1 and blank cartridges for honor salutes. And there's oddball stuff, like several professionally-done sporterized Krag rifles, a few Broomhandle Mausers, a number of Makarovs, with multiple examples from each country that made them, some Browning High Powers, a Swedish M40 Lahti, my late father's bringback 7.7 Japanese rifle, Type 14 Nambu pistol, and NCO katana sword; a sidefolding Polytech AK with red bakelite furniture, a Kassnar imported stamped Hungarian AK with mint blonde furniture, a few Remington pump-action 7615 Police Carbines in 223/556.

I still own a number of firearms for the sole purpose of being subject matter for firearm magazine articles, a hobby that I've had since my first one was published in 1982, and which will shift into being my principal retirement "job" once I walk out the door at work for the last time. The subjects of previous articles have mostly been sold off, having served their purpose.

In summary, it's been disuse, lack of interest, disillusionment, and reaching the next step in life's journey as one becomes halfway to 134 that have led me to sell guns. It truly is only "stuff."

Noah

[father-of-five]

There's a nice guy from the Monroe county area, who hasn't posted on the forum in a long time, that I believe collected Mosins by the year. It sounds expensive, but also sounds fun.

I haven't sold any yet, even the few I rarely shoot, but that's me.

[TacticalSpeed]

When I need room for something else I will shoot more or need/want to find another project & what I am selling just collects dust

[JAKIII]

For me, it was always about checking off my bucket list firearms, (i.e., I never cared to have 2+ of the same gun). The only gun left on my list is a large caliber revolver, then I*ll be done.

The boys have both started their own arsenals, but they will inherit all of my guns.

[ForeverPA]

In summary, it's been disuse, lack of interest, disillusionment, and reaching the next step in life's journey as one becomes halfway to 134 that have led me to sell guns. It truly is only "stuff."

Noah

I know what has killed my interest in guns: shooting paper. That's all we can shoot at the local range. I like to shoot things; cans, watermelons, bottles, golf balls but I can't. I really don't see how people keep shooting a 1000 rounds a month at paper targets. Booooring! I don't hunt either. What is left for me is just the esthetics of guns. When it's all said and done, I will probably keep my Italian bride in 32 acp and a coach gun. I'll never forget how to work that one. Who knows, a few years later they may go too. What I will be left with is a hodgepodge of ammo. I still have boxes of 380s from my PPK days.