Thinning the herd as we age

[wolfsong]

In the last two years I've been selling guns that were unused or safe queens. I narrowed my keepers down to concealed carry, secondary sidearms for hunting/in the field use, rifles and shotguns for hunting and an AR-15. Gone are the had-to-haves, the deals-too-good-to-pass-up and most of the duplicates of calibers that I regularly use. My herd went from north of 40 guns to five handguns, 5 long guns, an AR-15 and 3 shotguns. .38, .357, .45, .22, .223, 30.30, 30.06 and 12 gauge are the calibers I kept. Gone are the .40s, the .44s, the 9 mils, the .270s, the 7 mm mags, the 22.250s, the .243s, the 20 gauges, the black powders and many duplicates of various configurations. I invested a good amount of the proceeds in reloading supplies.

It just seemed silly to me to hang on to stuff I no longer (if ever) used. Ammo is abundantly available for the calibers I kept. A couple of family heirlooms along with some tried and true shooters meet my needs. All the rest became surplus inventory taking up space. A number of my friends think I am crazy to offload guns: others (who got some good weapons at fair prices) wanted more! 🤩 I've done the same with other possessions such as tools, antiques, vehicles, and other toys and such, and it feels good to downsize as I get older. Less clutter, less cleaning etc.

I'm curious if others here feel similar as they get older, or if they are content with keeping the "spoils" of their life.

Peace and God bless.

 

[Jeepnik]

Nope not getting rid of anything. The boys can fight over it when I'm gone.

 

[dweis]

When I hit 70 I sold off all but 4 of guns. At 75 I want down to two. At 80 I have only one — my EDC/House gun.

 

[gjgalligan]

You might wish you kept the 20 ga instead of the 12 as you age a bit more.

 

[Gordo]

I have been thinking the same way for a while, I have only one son that would be interested and he does not need any more that he has now, about half of those are mine anyway LOL. Got to start to thin the herd.

 

[Dave P.]

I'm not as old and have only sold off a few cars as interests have changed. What I have done is not buy more stuff, really have too many
toys now that don't get played with. I had a big closet loaded with high end hockey gear accumulated over the years, most either new
or used a few times that was demo or test gear that manufacture reps had given me. Donated all of it to a local youth league and got a closet
back to put other stuff I don't need in. I'm changing but it's taken a while. I've got several pairs on running shoes with 2 to 20 miles on them
that I need to take time to find a good home for. Been thinking of listing a few hand guns on this forum for sale to Michigan residents, not
going to screw with shipping and dealing with the FFLs
So yup, feeling the urge to pare down the "stuff"

 

[cavediver27]

I’ve been thinning my herd a few at a time by giving them to my grandsons. This way they stay in the family and will be a memory of me when I’m long gone. I don’t sell my firearms.

 

[Kevin]

The last few years I have sold a few. I thought I would try thinning down my safe, but I bought more than I sold. I guess my tastes changed.

I don’t have any problems with selling a gun. I don’t have any romantic ideologies tied up in guns. None are family heirlooms.

My only thinking is, I see guns going up in value. So I’m that respect, if I have the space, why not keep them a few more years? I can sell them later for more.

 

[wwb]

Been in the process of doing just that for several years. I'm now down to just the ones I actually use - a 12 ga pump, a 20 ga pump, a 12 ga SKB O/U combo, a M77 .30-06, a 96/44, 2 Ruger 10/22s, a Savage .223 bolt action, a 1911, 2 .357 revolvers (a Ruger and a Colt), a Contender with an assortment of barrels, and 2 Ruger .22 auto pistols. Sold a lot of them, and gave a couple to my son (who will also get all the rest of them eventually).

 

[Mobuck]

NOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[the_leper_colony]

...I'm curious if others here feel similar as they get older...

Yes - got rid of over half of what I owned, over the last 2-3 years. My favorite local FFL was happy to take it off my hands, at what I considered a fair price, back when he had trouble ordering firearms & ammunition from his regular sources. Some was sold, but some got traded, and some went to family. Don't miss most of it; had regrets about one handgun, but found a newer/cleaner example of the same model at the gun shop mentioned above, so I traded something else for it!

Should probably downsize some more, so boxes full of "hobby stuff" don't turn into a headache for the missus if I keel over while shoveling snow, or fall off the roof & break my neck!

 

[Bob Wright]

I just turned 85 and I'm thinking what my next project might be. I am weeding out 'smiths with long delivery times, though. And just ordered a new holster from Doc.

Bob Wright

 

[gunzo]

Yep, I've sold several in the last year or 2. Need to thin some more. Reality is knocking on the front door.

 

[RC44Mag]

I only sold one firearm in my life. About 1980 I sold my cherished REM 1100 because I needed cash real bad at the time. Still regret it. Guess it hardened me to hoard and keep but as I get older I can see myself losing some extra weight.

 

[JPGLSG1234]

I'm not selling nothing, in fact I've got three new guns in the works that I don't need. My wife has instructions to call Bobby Tyler when I'm gone and let him deal with it.

On the other hand my Niece has taken about 25 of my single action guns that I haven't molested with custom work. She told me they are in safe keeping and one day when she has her family all raised she'll drag them out and start shooting more. She also seems to rid me of 45Lc new and reloads when I get a few together.

 

[bobski]

if youre selling, youre lucky to have something people want to buy!
try selling when old, having things people dont want some day!

one mans junk isnt always someone elses treasure.

 

[bowzette]

I turned 77 and have been thinning the herd. I've been determined to find a way to take the guns with me but I haven't found a good solution yet I have given my son some of ones he was interested in and keeping the ones I shoot often, or have a "need for" or my son would wont when my trigger finger won't work anymore. We live only 10 minutes apart so he has access to all of the firearms. I did sell a PCC I wouldn't shoot often and my son didn't like and bought one we both like. I just bought an Old Model Super Single Six 'cause I wanted it and it is a relaxing change from fast pistol shooting. On the other hand I just sold a Kimber K6S. I have been spending money in upgrading the pistols I'm keeping so some of the money received from sales has gone into "upgrades", magazines, and ammo. But something to consider is that probably all the the firearms are inflation proof and a few I have will increase in value above inflation. Selling a gun worth $100 today during 10% inflation means in a year the cash is worth $90 and the gun sold would be worth $110. Never the less I have sold nine .357 mag. I think I will sell an extra mandolin I just bought and I have some expensive cycling equipment and a great bike now worth very little I need to part with. I was in great health/fitness until I wasn't. so time to part with "stuff". On the other hand I take an introductory class to action pistol shooting tomorrow. I can't run & gun but I can shoot steel challenge which gives me the opportunity to double or triple my cost in a S&W Victory 22 I have so the opportunity to squander money isn't lost😁

 

[vito]

I only own a small number, but even so there are a few that could be called "safe queens". But the small amount of cash that selling them would bring me would end up being frittered away most likely, and its not enough cash that would overcome a feeling of "why did I sell that gun that I liked even if I almost never fired it?". On the other hand I have little doubt that if drop dead suddenly my wife, who dislikes guns and hasn't even touched one in decades, will haul them to the nearest gun shop and get ripped off by the shop owner. And it won't bother her at all. Of my five grown kids, only one is a gun owner, and even my wife knows that there is one particular revolver that he would love to own and she will allow him to take that before the rest get sold.

And when I think about what I actually "need", the truth is that I could probably part easily with the rifle and shotgun, and get down to the one pistol that I carry daily and use that for home defense as well. But what would that get me to reduce to only one, or even just a few guns? Taking a gun out of the safe once in awhile just to hold it, maybe clean it, has a value to me and I don't see that I need to deprive myself of that pleasure.

 

[Hvymax]

Yeah I'm reaching the point where I can start dispersing them among my kids, nephews and grands I suppose.

 

[Hebraist]

Of course each person can only answer the question for him- or herself. I find myself thinking on this question regularly, in regard to what I already have and what I would like to have. I, too, have taken a utilitarian approach to my firearm ownership, giving away or selling some and refining what I keep and why. Admittedly, I did not see things this way as a younger man. In a few years, I imagine that I will be that old guy going out the door to get the paper in Bermuda shorts, a fishing hat, and his only firearm--a J Frame--in the pocket of his bathrobe.