Who gets all your guy stuff when you die?

[GunnyGene]

I know this is a very personal question, and I don't really expect any details of course, but since I turned 70 I've been giving this some serious thought. I figure I've got about 15 or 20 years left so it's something I need to address. I don't have any sons, but do have 2 daughters, 1 grandson, and a couple nephews who might be interested in all the 'guy stuff' I've accumulated - guns, tools, etc. - but the daughters aren't spring chickens anymore. All but one nephew live out of state, so transferring/shipping guns and big heavy tools and so forth probably would be a huge hassle and cost a lot which I'd like to avoid. So I'm thinking I might just do the estate sale thing, and split the money.

All of this is tentative at this point, but I'm interested in y'all's opinions of estate sale or some other way of disposing of all this stuff.

 

[EVILDOCTOR235]

Nobody, I am taking it all with me for use in the afterlife. If i was rich, that is what i would do. There is nothing i have anybody would want. I am the only male in the house and all my stuff is guy stuff.

EvilDr235

 

[picketpin]

My wifes greatest fear is that I fall over dead and or get killed in a ranching accident and leave ALL my STUFF for her to dispose of.

In the last few years I given away the guns that brothers, my first cousin , son and grandson have expressed an interest in. They might as well hunt with them and shoot them while I can enjoy their appreciation of them.

This includes things like custom knives I had made over the years and other hunting related stuff.

I really have no idea how much "Stuff" I've accumulated but it's multiples of nearly everything, Range finders, spotting scopes, binoculars, tents, stoves, lanterns down sleeping bags, coolers. This list goes on and on. I've told everybody on the list to ask first BEFORE they go buy something I already have multiple duplicates of.

I just went through this with mom and dad's estate and it's been a really ugly 4 years and has caused rifts in the family that frankly will never heel. If you don't start now at least leave a real clear disposition of your estate.

If nothing else try random acts of kindness. I have a couple of neighbor kids in their mid to late teens . Okay their 50+ miles away but that's my nearest neighbor. They are still hunting with the grand fathers 94 they just don't have money for "toys". I hunt chucks on their place and from time to time deer and antelope. They have always admired my rifles and I make sure to pack extras so they can hunt with me.

Last year I gave both a #1 for his birthday. Nothing special, nice guns from the 1970s but both were duplicates of better ones and they had not been OUT in 20+ years. I gave a knife to the kid at the tire store a couple of weeks ago. He asked what it was, I showed it to him and let him handle, I explained why it was what is was and who made it etc. He was kind enough to act interested. Before I left with my new tires I took it off and gave it to him. It made ME feel great. ;-)

I'd poll my true friends and family (That you actually like) nieces, nephews etc and start NOW.

You can't take it with you and I would lot rather I know it went to somebody that appreciates it and might actually like me NOW with all my warts.. (I do have a few that fall into that category)

Just a thought. Of course it doesn't help the process much if you go out and buy 4 more #1s in a month............;-(

Ross

 

[TBear77]

I'm also going to pass on the guy stuff before I die. The son and daughter can have what they want. The rest gets posted here on the forum, or given to friends.

Ted

 

[WendyZXZ]

Other than a segment going to our niece and nephews which may pay a year or two of college depending on the school we leave everything to the other here. In the event that either of us die first everything of mine goes to my brother and his family and everything of Kenneth's goes to his.

 

[Fox Mike]

I do have a will. My guns are the biggest thing the wife would have had to worry about and I have willed them to my two grandsons. After that I don't have a lot of "stuff". Lots of tools, but there are enough to go around for everyone. What is not wanted can be sold or given to someone that needs them. Of course the wife gets all my "I love me!" room fixtures from my military days.

 

[Mobuck]

The Grouch Attack can hardly wait for me to kick off so she can have a big gun auction. I'm going to have to update my list of who gets what to include Grandkids.

 

[Xsales]

"I don't have any sons, but do have 2 daughters, 1 grandson, and a couple nephews who might be interested in all the 'guy stuff' I've accumulated - guns, tools, etc. - but the daughters aren't spring chickens anymore. All but one nephew live out of state, so transferring/shipping guns and big heavy tools and so forth probably would be a huge hassle and cost a lot which I'd like to avoid"

Certainly only you can decide where your stuff goes & good for you for thinking about it now

If the Nephew has interest and you decide he should get something, his obtaining the firearms from your estste is not that big of deal (unless he is in a communist state)

Are there son-in-laws worthy of receiving?

Other then that, your best options are giving to worthy friends and/or selling items now while you oversee the sale, price etc...

Personally, should my wife & I go at the same time our living trust takes effect and our 3 children own it all = split 1/3 each

We have dicusssed, in detail, with our 2 boys, daughter, son-in-law & daughter-in-law what to do with our stuff

The easiest, most seemless, transfer of stuff is with a living trust not just a will
(countless benefits VS just a will)

This is something we ALL have to think about

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I gave myself a gift when I turned 64 (just recently) by putting together my will. I only have one son. He'll get what he wants. Hopefully McKnight 77 will help sell the rest of the guns. It's only me, my wife and my son. So not that many folks involved.

 

[WIL TERRY]

Gonna give it all away. Have already started.

 

[nlocke]

I am 70 years old and my wife and I have discussed this issue several times. She tells me she is going to keep it for her new husband!
On the serious side, the guns,etc. will go to my sons along with anything else they may want. I've thought about getting started in selling my tools and the like so she won't have to worry about it if I pass on first.

 

[Ugly Hombre]

Told my wife to sell my stuff- make sure she knows what its worth before she sells it.

 

[contender]

This topic comes up here from time to time. Different people have different approaches to it as well. Only you can decide what works best for your "stuff."
The BIGGEST thing I could possible recommend is at least do a proper & legal will. A living trust is also excellent. My wonderful Miss Penny works for an attorney, and the estates they handle can be true nightmares. (And expensive.)
An example. A person we knew quite well, had one son. He was her only heir. He was appointed executor of her estate. As her health was failing, her moved her back to their home state, one of the states with more restrictive gun rules. He took with them, her 2 guns. He inherited them, legally, when she passed. If they had lived here in NC, there wouldn't be any paperwork involved in the transfer of them to him other than her will. Yet, in his home state, they require a legal judgement from NC that he's the heir, and he has to go through a legal hassle in his home state. So, he has to pay for an attorney to go to court here, get them to "legally give him the rights of ownership," before he can keep them in his home state. He arrives back here this friday to handle some of this. Stuff he shouldn't have to do, but is required by laws.

Many people have a list of the major items they want to go to whomever. Some give away stuff before they pass, knowing that the person they want to have it gets it before any legal arguments start. But there is still a LOT of smaller items, general man stuff, that gets overlooked.
Estate sales can be good, IF,,,,,,,,,,, IF your executors get a good auction house to handle it. That's the biggest problem. I've seen a lot of good items sell for pennies on the dollar at many auctions because the auction houses have NO CLUE about what they have to sell, & do not advertise properly.
A better way to handle stuff is to sell of the stuff you don't NEED slowly & carefully before you pass & while you can sell it where it gets the top dollar.
Firearms, can be donated to the NRA & they can sell them as well, putting the $$ in a fund of your choosing. If you are a NRA member, consider joining the Heritage Society. It's a codicil in your will specifying an amount of your estate or a portion of your estate, (guns) to go to whatever division you choose.
Just another idea.

As for my guns, Miss Penny & I enjoy a good joke. When I buy guns, she doesn't complain. She tells folks; "He working on my inheritance!" Or, another of our favorites; Miss Penny will say, "I have my gun collection & then I have a REAL gun collection!"

It's good you are looking at things & making plans. Makes lives easier for those you love when you are gone!

 

[Specs]

I created a transfer document which transfers my guns to my sons as of December of a few years ago, notarized, witnessed, and signed by my wife and myself. That document resides in my safe deposit box and will be handed to them along with my guns when I'm gone. Since they already own them I am simply storing them until I pass. I did this against the possibility of another "grandfather" process. They are not inheriting my guns since they already own them.

 

[cas6969]

Probably the garbage men.

I'll be dead, I probably won't care.

 

[vito]

Wow, I guess there are a lot of us "old guys" on this forum. I'm 71, and a recent diagnosis of a tumor on one of kidneys (I find out soon if it is cancer or not) has suddenly made me think about things like this. I had been thinking I probably have 15 or 20 more years (my Mom turns 100 next month) but now I must admit that maybe I have far less time on this earth than I had hoped for, even after the upcoming surgery to remove part or all of the "bad" kidney. And as I get older I guess I get a bit more ornery. I have a will, but it is very general and like my wife's will, it just leaves everything to the one who survives the first death. None of my grown kids are into guns, and in fact, other than one daughter who is sort of neutral about guns, the others are outright anti-gun. So I am now thinking of designating each of my current ten guns to a specific one of my ten grandchildren (who range from 18 to 1 year of age). I can state in this addendum to my will that it is my dying wish that each of the grandchildren have the gun given to them held safely until they turn 21, and to then retain it in memory of their beloved grandfather (me!). It will drive my wife and grown kids crazy (which makes me chuckle to think about it) but they just might feel obligated to honor the last wish of their father. I'm sure my sons and son-in-laws will find good use of my tools, and my wife can just dispose of my reloading equipment that I have never used and my stash of ammo. She'll sell my motorcycle and that's about it for my "man" stuff.

 

[Pierow]

Having a will is a good thing but you have to understand that it is not a valid document until a judge says so. This goes back 1200 years or so when the king of England tried to grab as much land as possible by declaring all wills not valid. He established a special court called probate and instituted a new law that all wills be presented in his court for validation when a person dies. This gave the king the opportunity to accuse the deceased of anything like blasphemy against the king, against God or whatever he felt like to take possession of the deceased's land.

The commoners got wise to this and they came up with a great legal document called a trust. The document they created bypassed the king's corrupt court taking matters into their own hands thus eliminating the possibility the king could take their land or possessions. The king actually challenged this document and lost. Funny thing is England did away with probate more than 100 years ago but you bet we still have it here in the states. Billions of dollars go to attorneys through probate court each year.

Having powers of attorney for yourself for both property and health are so very important. Without them you could put your loved ones through living probate. Remember the Terri Schiavo situation and the feeding tube? Having powers of attorney are important and those of you thinking about doing estate planning like Gunny suggests in his post should take a long look at both a will and a trust. If you are dealing with an attorney who only does wills you most likely will not get the full picture. Probate can take 6 months or more than a year and the attorney fees could force your executor or executrix to sell those precious firearms to cover the bill.

Pierow

 

[stevemb]

Vito, the best of luck with that tumor ! Here, at 56 I've already deep sixed the whole "collect" mentality. A little spanish 20ga double went to a great nephew. He was of age and deserving a proper grouse gun. A number of knives have gone to nephews and friends. There are other nephews to discuss what I have that might be of particular interest to them. The Reagan trickle down theory at its best. I have outdoor sporting items, and firearms from 2 of my uncles and a Grandpa. Money would not have been the same. Gunny, thank you for bringing up such an important thread.

 

[radicalrod]

Well I am taking it ALL WITH ME :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I will have MRS RADICAL put me in the gun room and WELD THE DOOR SHUT :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just like the PHARAOHS of ancient times :roll: :roll: :roll: YMMV RR

 

[WAYNO]

Heliman and I have had this discussion, many times.

Yes, I have a will, but that is little comfort now, knowing my kids have zero interest in my guns. So, Dave and I have an agreement. If either of us leaves this planet before the other, the one of us remaining will dispose of the guns for the spouse of the departed.

But that agreement will only help one of us. I haven't thought past that, and this continues to be a concern. I've thought often about getting rid of all the guns that will never leave the safe, and keeping only the guns that I would likely ever use, but even the collection of keepers would remain very extensive.

As far as the other guy stuff...It's just stuff. I assume one of my kids will own my house some day. Having the most complete collection of tools, and other guy stuff, could come in handy when they are homeowners.

I also have a very extensive life-long collection of high quality fishing gear. All just as usable today as it was when I bought much of it, decades ago. Very valuable to me and to folks my age, but I doubt it has much attraction for younger generations. So I guess this equipment also just becomes stuff. It'll remain in the racks in my garage and scattered around my sheds, until one of the kids gets tired of stumbling around it and sends it all to the Goodwill.


So, back to the guns...I s'pose they are also just stuff, and I honor them more than they deserve. When I'm gone I'll likely have no use for them, and their value will not go very far in paying my admission thru the Pearly Gates. But I do have a responsibility to take care of my Wife, even when I'm gone. I figured my guns would be a prepaid life insurance policy that she could cash in, but I fear when our generation is gone, my guns will never have the value they have today.

WAYNO.

 

[GunnyGene]

Some great comments here. Thanks y'all. A couple things I hadn't really thought much about, and I appreciate the input.

To those who are thanking me for starting this thread, you're quite welcome. End of life planning is difficult at best, and it's heartening to see those of us on the downhill side taking it seriously.

 

[radicalrod]

Well my MOM and DAD are doing this as we speak....they have set up a TRUST...

I understand this avoids probate and all those problems.....it is hard to face ones own mortality....RR

 

[Pierow]

RR, if your mom and dad are establishing a trust you might want to ask them if the rule against perpetuities is properly addressed within it. If it is the assets transferred via the trust to the beneficiaries are forever creditor protected. If not, those assets must divest from the trust 21years after the death of the last trustee thus becoming available assets for any creditors, lawsuits and so on.

Some attorneys refer to this as the Kennedy clause. All that money Joe Kennedy made bootlegging whiskey was left to his beneficiaries via a properly drafted trust which is why there have been no successful lawsuits against any of the Kennedy heirs. As always don't take any armchair advice such as mine, check it out for yourself.

Pierow

 

[737tdi]

As we all know, No one gets out of here alive! I have got to get off my butt and do something. If I die before Judy things are fine but if both of us were to die thousands of dollars worth of firearms would go to the crusher. I don't care what happens to the rest of our stuff but that would be awful.

Is it worth giving them to the NRA? What do they do with collections? I don't have anyone to will them too. I just don't want them destroyed by our loving govt..

Also I have thousands of dollars in tools, tractors, implements. I will be honest, I have no clue what will happen to this stuff when I croak.

Karl

 

[Heliman]

Heliman and I have had this discussion, many times.

Yes, I have a will, but that is little comfort now, knowing my kids have zero interest in my guns. So, Dave and I have an agreement. If either of us leaves this planet before the other, the one of us remaining will dispose of the guns for the spouse of the departed.

But that agreement will only help one of us. I haven't thought past that, and this continues to be a concern. I've thought often about getting rid of all the guns that will never leave the safe, and keeping only the guns that I would likely ever use, but even the collection of keepers would remain very extensive.

As far as the other guy stuff...It's just stuff. I assume one of my kids will own my house some day. Having the most complete collection of tools, and other guy stuff, could come in handy when they are homeowners.

I also have a very extensive life-long collection of high quality fishing gear. All just as usable today as it was when I bought much of it, decades ago. Very valuable to me and to folks my age, but I doubt it has much attraction for younger generations. So I guess this equipment also just becomes stuff. It'll remain in the racks in my garage and scattered around my sheds, until one of the kids gets tired of stumbling around it and sends it all to the Goodwill.


So, back to the guns...I s'pose they are also just stuff, and I honor them more than they deserve. When I'm gone I'll likely have no use for them, and their value will not go very far in paying my admission thru the Pearly Gates. But I do have a responsibility to take care of my Wife, even when I'm gone. I figured my guns would be a prepaid life insurance policy that she could cash in, but I fear when our generation is gone, my guns will never have the value they have today.

WAYNO.

Yep, we need a back-up plan for the survivor. Hadn't thought of that..... :wink:

Dave

 

[GunnyGene]

As we all know, No one gets out of here alive! I have got to get off my butt and do something. If I die before Judy things are fine but if both of us were to die thousands of dollars worth of firearms would go to the crusher. I don't care what happens to the rest of our stuff but that would be awful.

Is it worth giving them to the NRA? What do they do with collections? I don't have anyone to will them too. I just don't want them destroyed by our loving govt..

Also I have thousands of dollars in tools, tractors, implements. I will be honest, I have no clue what will happen to this stuff when I croak.

Karl

I tend to frequent local estate auctions, and around here that usually means a farmers estate or plantation, so I can relate. Rural estates usually have 2 general kinds of stuff. Tools & shop equipment/supplies from small to big and firearms, and the wife's collection of crockery, quilts, furniture, and tons of other household items. And of course the land, house, and at least one barn or other outbuilding. In the South, it's not uncommon for the same family to have lived in the same house for 150 years or more & there's very often some serious & unique treasures. Furnishings from the early 1800's, antique firearms, paintings, and on and on. I've seen beds and other antique furniture, go for $60k at some of these auctions.

As mentioned up thread, it can be difficult to value a lot of this and finding a auctioneer that won't rip you off isn't easy.

In my case, I have some items that minimal research indicates value at several thousand$$ each. a couple examples:

A pair of carved Chinese doors from the 1700's:

A hall tree from the late 1800's that has a newspaper from the same period behind the mirror:

A "Cornucopia" sofa from the late 1800's:

A mid 1930's lawyers oak bookcase with my wifes collection of antique teapots, etc.

And a lot of other stuff, that some people would consider junk but has some considerable worth.

Point is that you may have stuff that is highly valued, but buyers will always try to get it at the least cost.

Do your homework.

 

[kentucky yeti]

I started downsizing on here a few months ago. I bought a couple of guns on here that I had always wanted, and sold some that I either never used, or hadn't used in a while. Actually, I just shipped another one today to a member on here. I decided a while back that having just a few guns that I use was better than having a bunch of guns just so I could say that I had them. I was worried how I might feel about selling them at first (sellers remorse), but I actually feel pretty good about my decision now. I have a daughter and a son-in-law who will inherit the guns that I still have when I check out.

 

[Rumrunner]

My nephew said he hopes my wife sells my guns for what I told her I paid for them :twisted:

The only way to take it with you is go out in debt.

 

[graygun]

IDK yet but I'm 65 so should get a will or trust. The guns will go to a friend. Other stuff...tools,boat,outboards,mowers etc perhaps to the same friend. I'm not married/no kids...siblings may get some money but not the guy stuff.

 

[Rancher Will]

I have been told that "your can't take it with you". So I wont go.