Estate sale ??’s

[Pilsner Man]

I’m dealing with an estate that has a significant amount of ammunition, guns and gun parts / accessories and reloading equipment.

I’m looking for some input on what the best place / forum would be to sell it all without having to individually list items and deal with low ballers, no shows and shipping.

I was thinking maybe getting a couple tables at a gun show? What’s the best one in Edmonton area?

I don’t want to load up and move it all without a good chance of selling a significant portion of it.

I look forward to your thoughts.

[jungleboy]

Give Wards auction a call . They do all the work and you pay them a fee, but no headaches for you.

[tikka250]

Often it's simple to sell the whole works to one of the gun show guys it saves a pile of work and stress. I have connected a few people before with gentlemen I know and they have been happy with the reduced hassle. Shoot me a pm with where your located and I can maybe put you in contact with someone.

[huntwat]

If you don’t want to move it. Sell on gunpost as lots. Don’t overprice anything. And someone will buy it. Separate it into 3or 4 lots and sell as is.

[Dewey Cox]

My only advice is, if you have a citori trap model, offer it to me first.

[6.5 shooter]

Gun show will run you a ~$75 - $100 bucks or more a table. Then there is set up, hassles etc. IF you can get in normally there is a waiting list and with c..vid not nearly as many shows to choose from. You may sell 50 or you may sell 0 depends on the day and how many "customers" are walking around with their hands in their pockets.

Ward's and other Auctions will charge ~20%-35% (some more) of your realized selling price. Accessories you are charged more, guns less. But with todays market it maybe a good choice.

Private buyers will offer about 50% of what they figure they can get for an item but most will take it all off your hands.

Yes, I know a guy!

[kujoseto]

From what I’ve heard about current auction prices, Ward’s sounds like a good way to go.
If it were me I’d be considering what matters most: getting full value and putting the time into it or ease of selling an estate and just getting decent value worth not putting the time in for.
I value my time for sure but this is a situation that can have many factors plus emotions with several people involved. Gonna come down to what you’re personally placing as priority/importance.

[HyperMOA]

If you don’t want to load up and move stuff several times or deal with low-ballers and silliness I can’t stress this enough; don’t try to sell it at a gun show!!! I’m not sure the size of your estate but if it’s sizeable, it could take 20-25 shows and 5 years to liquidate it all. At a cost of likely $5000-$7500 without fuel, hotels, hamburgers, and your time.

Unless you’re willing to sell it at bargain basement prices, then you may be able to sell it at a show or three.

I find auctions hit or miss, and there is no guarantee.

Find a gun show buyer that will offer a reasonable price and if you are comfortable accept it. Likely it will be done and gone in a few days or a week depending on how many restricted / prohibs there are. No fuss, no muss. Just temper your expectations, they aren’t doing it for free.

The gun show guys are mostly regular Joes that really appreciate the firearms and the community surrounding them. They may have even traded or sold some of the very firearms you are dealing with. They are likely members of forums like this too. I am not one, but have helped a few in the past and it’s a lot of work.

Good luck to you, and sorry for your loss.

[partsman]

Originally Posted by kujoseto

From what I’ve heard about current auction prices, Ward’s sounds like a good way to go.
If it were me I’d be considering what matters most: getting full value and putting the time into it or ease of selling an estate and just getting decent value worth not putting the time in for.
I value my time for sure but this is a situation that can have many factors plus emotions with several people involved. Gonna come down to what you’re personally placing as priority/importance.

I have been buying a few rifles and scopes off Wards, seem alright to deal with.