Receipts for guns

[Kevin]

I am constantly trying to declutter, especially our home's computer room (which is also my gun room.) It's a catch all for old pictures, books, some junk etc.

Anyway, I ran across some old receipts for guns, including the receipt for my first gun, a Ruger Mark II. I paid $239 and had to put it on lay-away back in December of 1998. I remember I gave it to my wife for her Christmas present. She reminds me to this day, the pistol is still her's.

I scanned these receipts into the computer just now.

My Question: Is there a good reason to hang on to them? (I'm not quite 50 years old, so I still have some time left.)

I found a Single Six receipt I paid $250 for just 4 years ago, which is about the best deal I've found on a gun since the Mark II.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I'll bet there are reasons, but little or none once you have the item for more
than a year. That said, the easy way, since you are decluttering, is to take
a picture of them (I'd do multiple in one picture) and save the then soft
copy on your computer. 8)

 

[AJGUNNER]

If you happen to also save the boxes that the firearms came in, just put the original receipt inside the box. Great place to keep it safely stored away and where you need/want it if you or someone else ever wants to sell the firearm. Nothing better that getting the original receipt when buying an old used firearm.

 

[Kevin]

I do have all these old boxes, some red and black, or yellow and black. Clutter, I tell ya! Maybe I’ll just shred the receipts and recycle the boxes.

 

[CGDustDevil]

I digitize AND keep my receipts. Digitizing is for convenience only to me, and not long term storage. Digital stuff goes away for any number of reasons. I've lost tons of data over the past 40 years... I still have all the paper. Unless you have a robust automatic RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive/Independent Disks) system that cannot be stolen, I would never recommend getting rid of my important papers. I consider gun receipts as 'important papers'.

Just my 2 cents' worth...
Regards, Pete

 

[Rook]

My Question: Is there a good reason to hang on to them?

The way I can guarantee that I will need something is to throw it away.

Can't count the times that I've stored something and then moved it around and put it in different containers and not see it for years. Then one day I'll be cleaning up and getting rid of stuff I don't need. I'll take it out and throw it away and then need it the next day. :roll:

 

[Cholo]

I wish I had all my gun receipts. Many I've forgotten when I bought them or even how much I paid

 

[Aqualung]

My home server went down last year and took my firearm spreadsheet with it. Between that and our camp's being robbed made me know the importance of recording everything.

I've since rebuilt my spreadsheet and expanded it to include purchase dates and prices. I found that my habit of saving everything helped a great deal. I had receipts and copies of my background check forms for mostly everything.

And I learned my lesson. My new server has dual drives and I'm going to set them up as a RAID array as Pete mentioned.

Keep everything and scan it...especially since a lot of register tapes fade, as did the older thermal tapes.

Aqualung

 

[contender]

Kevin,, I'll take any old boxes you plan to shred.

 

[blume357]

For some reason it seems the factory box that a gun comes in is valuable, at least this is implied on the internet.... I put the receipt and any original paperwork in the box that the gun came in and store that away.

 

[Selena]

One person's clutter could easily be a descendant's treasure. Imagine if you will going through the attic and finding a box full of receipts from 1919... I'm trying to imagine how I would react if I should find the receipt from when great-grandpa both the Winchester and Colt that are now my prized possessions. Find a metal can with a tight sealing lid and put the papers in your attic. Do it for the children!