No Heirs. How many of you are in this boat?

[NH Rugerman]

I think Auction is the way to go, you will get a nationwide exposure for your guns and other collectibles. Compare the companies carefully, I believe there is one that is much better for the seller than the others, you really need to pay attention to the consignment agreements and what happens to UNSOLD items….the auction companies are not all the same, for example, some of the companies like to combine 3 guns into one lot which i think hurts the seller…best of luck with your decision, if you have no heirs, you might as well enjoy the benefits, i.e. cash, of your collection!!

 

[Watertender]

My son was killed by a texting driver almost 16 years ago. My things will go to a few younger friends who I have adopted you might as well say. They are appreciative of such things and I know that they will be in good hands.

 

[The Blackhawk Kid]

No Heirs, I'm in that boat.
My daughter has ZERO interest in my knifes and firearms.

I have rifles that were handed down to me that have been in my family since the Civil war, a Remington Rolling block and the Winchester 1892 in 38WCF (38/40) that my great grandfather (mothers side) bought when he immigrated here from Lithuania in the late 1800's.

A few WW2 knifes & daggers my grandfather (dads side) bought back from Germany and a Japanese katana that was brought back by one of my Dads uncles that fought the Japanese in the Pacific.

What do you do with these?

I guess once you pass away it's not your problem, but would hate to see this stuff just be destroyed.

Starting to think about selling some of it off. Can always use a few extra bucks

Mee too! My daughter & step son BOTH dis-owned both of us. I have
next door neighbors that are "Family" nowadays. fwiw

 

[RSIno1]

She doesn't want to bother. Being conservative, we're looking at somewhere around $100,000.00, give or take. I figure she'll let the whole pile go for peanuts to some gun shop that has the cash.

A friend of our daughters father had collected about 75 Lugers. The 2 kids each kept one and the rest were put on consignment at Turners a local sporting goods chain. When I heard of it I checked it out Turners had priced them at about 75% of sold prices on Gunbroker and then when sold kept 30% of the sale. I suspect they only netted about 50% of the value that an auction would have brought.

 

[g5m]

I'm there, too.

 

[Boxhead]

No Heirs, I'm in that boat.
My daughter has ZERO interest in my knifes and firearms.

I have rifles that were handed down to me that have been in my family since the Civil war, a Remington Rolling block and the Winchester 1892 in 38WCF (38/40) that my great grandfather (mothers side) bought when he immigrated here from Lithuania in the late 1800's.

A few WW2 knifes & daggers my grandfather (dads side) bought back from Germany and a Japanese katana that was brought back by one of my Dads uncles that fought the Japanese in the Pacific.

What do you do with these?

I guess once you pass away it's not your problem, but would hate to see this stuff just be destroyed.

Starting to think about selling some of it off. Can always use a few extra bucks

Fortunately I have three sons that are active shooters, hunters and two are handloaders. No worries here.

 

[HW11]

I have a good friend in this position. He and I have talked about it several times. I have more stuff than my son and youngest daughter need. I'm going to leave things to some of my friends that are like minded and will appreciate stuff I have collected over the years.

 

[Threespears]

I’ll buy two cases of stun guns
at My funeral.. last man standing gets all my stuff🤣

 

[vito]

None of my natural children have any interest in firearms, and none of my grandchildren that I am aware of. But my youngest son whom we adopted when my other kids were already grown will get my S&W Model 19 that is the only gun I own that has any emotional value to me. The others are Ruger and Glocks and Mossbergs and I suspect my gun-fearing wife will sell to a local gun shop for pennies on the dollar just to get rid of them.

I am tempted to add an addendum to my will which would specify a specific gun or two to each of my four middle aged children, with plenty of flowerly verbiage in the document about how special the gun was to me and how much I wanted to pass it on to them. Then they will feel obligated to hold on to the gun rather than sell it, and will hate having it. Makes me smile just thinking about it. I love my kids, but those four are all hopeless liberals so making them uncomfortable with a gun sounds like the right thing to do.

 

[Ranger]

Lots of good suggestions. Along the line of neighbor kids... lots of kids now grow up without a father or grandfather type. Having someone who would spend time with them, tell them stories, and teach them to shoot could make a huge difference in their lives. It could also help come up with some potentially worthy recipients who would not only appreciate the firearm and its history; but the person who gave it. Fifty some years ago when I was a little kid, I accompanied and helped an older brother deliver a truckload of firewood to a elderly gentleman and his wife. After we unloaded it and everything, the man brought out and gave us a bb gun. I still think of him and that act when I drive past there 50+ years later.

 

[KS25-06]

I am also in the same boat as everyone who has posted here. I had a FFL and a small shop for over 35 years. I have been selling my guns and knives lately to several friends and others. Have gave some of them to really close friends and my grandson, Also, have started listing them on Gunbroker. Where I am going to take a big hit is all my gunsmithing tools and parts that I have accumulated over the years. I have helped three of my good friends widows who decided to have auctions set up for them and watched the stuff go for little or nothing. Sold all my reloading supplies and lots of ammo at a couple of gun shows. I have been going to gun shows for over 60 years so am also selling some at them, but not fast enough. In my opinion, the worst thing to do is have a local auction.

 

[Ka6otm]

I have only 2 nephews who have devoted their lives to conning relatives and friends out of money or items they could sell or pawn, so as far as I'm concerned, I have no heirs.

I've left everything to Gun Organizations with lawyers on staff to stop my nephews when the time comes. It's all in my will, my wife's will and POD accounts.

 

[Dach Savage]

No Heirs, I'm in that boat.
My daughter has ZERO interest in my knifes and firearms.

I have rifles that were handed down to me that have been in my family since the Civil war, a Remington Rolling block and the Winchester 1892 in 38WCF (38/40) that my great grandfather (mothers side) bought when he immigrated here from Lithuania in the late 1800's.

A few WW2 knifes & daggers my grandfather (dads side) bought back from Germany and a Japanese katana that was brought back by one of my Dads uncles that fought the Japanese in the Pacific.

What do you do with these?

I guess once you pass away it's not your problem, but would hate to see this stuff just be destroyed.

Starting to think about selling some of it off. Can always use a few extra bucks

I am in the same boat. I just decided to start liquidating some pieces and enjoying the $$ and converting into rest into bullion, others I have thought about "who should be the next caretaker and will appreciate" and have made arrangements so that those go to the right person. Either now while I am alive so I can enjoy their joy of receiving with them or after I pass so my wishes are met. For instance I just traded an old friend one of my S&W target guns for some trivial car crap (didn't even want and I am going to dump off) because he and his wife are just getting into shooting and will appreciate it. And I only took his trade stuff so he felt good about the deal. I have made him a note telling him about the gun, how I acquired it 35 years ago and what I think its approximate value to be (5 - 6x what he has in it) in case he ever needs to sell and that I was passing it to him to start a new legacy story. That way I feel like I am passing along my legacy with love rather than "casting my pearls before swine"... My fondest wish is to slide across finish line and get chastised by St Peter for my bank account being overdrawn by $2.00.

 

[mirglip]

I was thinking I could get a table at a guns show and unload most of my collection. I'm in the same boat. No kids at all. This is what we get for not having kids...or not enough kids. Seemed like a good idea back then. The average age of White people today is about 58. In a few years most of us will be gone and the few who remain will be in a weak position to defend themselves against all those who hate them.