Capable, yes.  Willing?  Oh hell no.

Some of the conduct I've read about in this thread is absolutely disgusting.  Shame on you assholes.  Ripping off elderly widows?  For fuck's sake!

I've bought a lot of guns hanging out at the gun store. They pay a percentage of book value which is under what most people want to sell for.

Where are you storing your collection if you move to Kauai?

What kind of a Communist are you?

Seller sets the price in just about any transaction, how can you, as the buyer, "rip them off"?

People are acting like the ONLY WAY to value something is to have technical wizardry on the internet. That's just ridiculous. Old ladies could always ask a nice guy at the old folks home to help her value her stuff, or a puter capable person to do some Google searches, or many other mechanisms for determining value. Presuming everyone is off sound mind, it's actually a choice not to do your research as a seller.

I recently bought a mess of guns and ammo from a local online estate auction. I got some pretty good deals and lots of other stuff went close to retail some of the ammo went I’ve rin some cases. Probably the best situation for both parties. Far as op goes ide be mor einkcied to,offer more of a fair price than pennies on the dollar hell even offer to sell what you don’t really want for top dollar in exchange for a coupl pieces you want.

had a widow friend tell me her husband had some expensive pool cues in his safe and I could have them.  When she got the safe open,  the cues were nothing more than kindling.  I was hugely disappointed. Why he would put junk in a safe I'll never know.

Tell me more about the canon?

except most jewelry int worth shit, everything I find I sell for spot to the smelter, they send the gems back (if any)

Any business that deals in used items is not going to pay top dollar for it when buying it for resale. The goal of a FFL, Pawn Shop, etc is to get it for as little as possible and get as large of a profit as one can.

Low balling as many here claim is normal. For example, if someone walked in with a Glock 17, I ain't offering more than $200-$250. Why? Wholesale Blue Label price is $340. I need to make a profit. The pistol is used, so I have to price it competitively to sell fast when I have new merchandise right next to it and I have to make a profit. I sure ain't going to spend wholesale on a used gun and have it compete price wise and take of shelf space with new Glocks. It would languish there.

That is a nice story about your friend. Real nice. But it sure doesn't work in business.

Everyone I met like that it’s been the opposite and wanted much more then the gun(s) were worth.

220?   I feel like half the man you are.   (walks off, kicking a can)

Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz had a whole episode on how people tell themselves stories to justify-away whatever they want. Even when it's just taking two or more free cookies when the sign says to take only one. When confronted, the people spun all sorts of stories.

You'll tell yourself excuses to help justify it.

And taking advantage of people is wrong, despite what 'relativists' would say.

This. Plus descriptions, and approx value. My wife doesn’t ask what I pay for this or that, but she’s WELL aware I don’t own crap and to just walk away from a buyer who says what I owned isn’t valuable.

I've only been in this situation once, but told the person what I thought each thing was worth and then gave my offers.

Some things I really wanted so the two numbers were the same.  Some things I didn't care much about so the offer was less.  They decided to sell or not.

However I'm not too proud to admit that  if the seller was on my shit list for one reason or another they might get less than that treatment.  Something like an ex of a buddy I never liked or someone wearing a Hillary shirt, I could see taking some liberties.  Ultimately they decide to sell or not.

For those with significantly valuable collections why not have things planned out in advance with an estate attorney or the executor of your will? Provide them with a list, reasonable prices, and a detailed means to sell them.

I do the same. I keep a list of every gun with every accessory and optic on it. And what I paid for each. Also a list of all Ammo and mags with a note to check what they are selling for in the current climate.

First, if you lie to your wife on how much you paid for your guns, you can't be upset when someone else lies to them when she tries to sell them.  Be honest.

I've always told my wife what I've paid, and I have a list of values.  It is really a moot point though.  All of my guns go to my son.

Now that said.  On matters of buying items from those trying to liquidate, I take from the example that my father and mother show me.  After retirement, they started a business where they buy furniture and other items from auctions, estate sales, and sometimes individuals for resale in their store.  I've been with them several times as help.

Dad has always told people what the retail for the item was new, what the market supports now, and what a fair market value is for the item.  He also tells them what he will need to mark the item at for resale, and what he would need as his profit when he sells the item.  He then gives his offer and acknowledges that they COULD sell it for more-- if they wanted to sit on it for the right buyer and was able to devote the time and energy.

95% of the time, the person selling it will take Dad's offer, and they will get a fair "wholesale" price of the time.  Dad will sell the item for a good profit.

A lot of times, I see a lot of people who get "their bubble burst" when they have an item that they think is a rare collector's item only to discover that it is either worth a lot less than what they think, or is an outright fake.  Dad has always provided them with his research to prove that when he has to break that news to them.  And he won't be a buyer of those items.

Giving a fair offer does not mean that you have to pay retail.  If you are planning on reselling it, you must give yourself room to make a profit.  The key to keeping your honor is being upfront about it.

Mom and Dad's experience is that in order to off-set the cost of keeping a business, the cost of tying up money in an item for possibly a long time, and the reality that sometimes they buy an item that turns out worthless, they must offer a price that allows them a 100% mark-up.  And they are upfront about this.

It seems to be a good way of doing business.  They get calls all the time from "word-of-mouth" referrals when people want to sell their house, downsize, or whatever.

OK... I laughed.  

Years ago, the brother of a co-worker died.   He had never gotten divorced, but was separated from his wife for years.

Well I went to the co-workers house to pay my respects.   He knew that I was a gun guy, and into the C&R stuff.   He had a trash can filled with old 1911's, revolvers, you name it all beautiful and with holsters.   Two bed rooms with the walls lined with primo rifles.   Two beds in each room layered with rifles.   I still have a picture of the trash can on my photobucket account.   I tried to tell the guy that I would take a mortgage  out on my house to purchase some of the stuff.   But technically it belonged to his brothers "wife."

I never found out what happened to the stuff.

MJBT gets it.

A business CANNOT pay what end-users pay.  Don't go to a business to liquidate anything if you want to get top dollar.

But if you want that top dollar, be ready to list it, be available to take calls about it, be available to show it, etc.

I'm going to be selling a truck soon.  I'm flat out letting my mechanic sell it for me and offering him a percentage of the overall selling price that he gets.  I'll lose some money on it due to that.  But I won't spend my day trying to sell it when I have a real job that prevents that.

Arfcom never disappoint.

When a club member died, and his wife was selling he guns, I bought a fudd bolt action for top dollar and made a gift of it to a friend.

I guess that was wrong. For here.

It isn't wrong.  But it certainly doesn't make a business needing to give a price that they can make a profit on resell wrong, either.

What you described is called "Charity."  And that is your choice.
A business cannot run as a charity for everyone that walks in off the street.  They have to have their profit margin.

I am a wimp...….I can't take advantage of the womenz who know shit about guns and will sell them to me for dirt cheap.

Had a woman say she would sell me a pristing S&W Model 12 for less than $100.  (IIRC it was like $75.)

I gave her $300...…..she started crying while thanking me.

I said.....why the fuck are you crying(?)..... because I was unwilling to steal from you???

That turned the crying into laughing.

It's a good idea to write down values, etc in case anything happens. Also, let the other half know who not to allow assistance from. I think one should have some decency and if an item is obviously low, offer a fair price verses "ripping" people off. You have to sleep at night you know.

Hes not selling the Daewoo.

It's one thing to get a good deal, it's another thing to take advantage of someone. Call it what you want, to me that's wrong.

BLESS YOUR HEART

Guy showed up at the range maybe 10 years ago with a trunk full of guns. His brother had died and he was helping settle his affairs. I picked up an unfired FN-FAL 50.00 with the sear cut for $750. The guy only wanted $500 but at the time I thought the gun was worth about $1k and told him, so we split the difference. I sold it a few days later for $4900.

This.

.....

My greatest fear

There are the values you tell her, and the values you write down in an envelope in the safe with a "I love you, I'm sorry, here's what all this shit is really worth and how to sell the really exotic or NFA" note.

Kharn

Which category will he use for used geese? You expect him to take the reputation hit if they're not sufficiently used?


Kharn

I do. Everything is inventoried, priced, and recorded in detail. Wife knows the difference between Market Value and Blue Book Value. She double majored in Business and Accounting. She knows what to do. Instructions are to get top dollar unl3ss times are tough.

That is what many people don't understand. Some just want it out. Time vs Money. You can get top dollar. But you have to work to get top dollar. If you just want it gone, then you get less.

Yup, and with guns. It is even a harder market. You need to find the right buyer for that rare collector piece. I have a HK SLB2000. A rare commercial semiautomatic hunting rifle made for a few years. Mags alone are $200+ to out things in perspective. It ain't going to sell quick if I want top dollar.

My dad has repeatedly told me that in the event of his untimely death I am to prevent my mom from selling anything until I have a chance to appraise it.

My wife is not nearly into firearms like I am. But I have explained to her the worth of the items and have a list of what they are worth ballpark range...

With that being said...if some guy got a bunch of shit from my wife on the cheap...o well...she is fine because we know how to save money and have life insurance.

I've worked for a few FFLs in my day and my family's businesses too. The same principle applies to anything.

That brick and mortar store is long closed so something didn't work with that business model. I no longer have any loyalty to brick and mortar stores, 20 plus years of supposedly patriotic Americans treating me like shit I'm over that, I order online now.

I see the value in a local finger fuck palace but not on my dime anymore. I have no problem with a business needing to turn a profit but when they say rape twice I'm out of there.

No, I'm not.

I'd offer her about 50% of retail value because that is probably the most she's going to get for stuff that is run of the mill, especially if she wants it gone quick. For high dollar stuff that is collectable I'd tell her what it's worth and go from there.

Closest I've come to the OPs situation was when a lady my wife works with got divorced and wanted her husbands boat gone, it was an old 16' jon boat(no motor) with an old trailer. My wife asked what she wanted for it and she said $50. We went to look at it and it needed two new tires and rewired but it was still worth more than what she was asking. We told her that but she didn't care and wanted it gone so I gave her $100 for it, she was happy and I was happy. By the time I bought two tires, new bearings, andrewired the trailer my cheap boat wasn't so cheap.

Someone that possibly isn't good at sales/purchases for a business and/or pays more than needed?

Charity vs Business. I give folks I know money directly instead of the bullshit of they sell me something because times are hard and they need the money. When I legitimately buy things, I do it as if I wasMiami_JBT LLC and there is a damn budget and profit margin.

Pleasuring one's self and stroking one's ego?

To help her out by pointing out the true value of what she has so she can make a proper decision.  It is how we are supposed to act in this country.  Of course if kicking a person while they are down is your thing, than watch out because Karma is a bitch.

Without pics, OP's trolling.

Perhaps she does know what they are worth and just wants them gone.

If the purchaser knows the true value he or she should then inform her so she can make a proper decision.  Is there any such thing as moral obligations anymore?  Under the same banner is getting screwed if you buy something over the internet.  I guess that in that case it just sucks to be the purchaser and your money is gone.