Disposal of collection

[Tim45]

I need to dispose of a number of collectors and sporting air rifles and pistols since I will be moving house and will then no longer have a garden in which to shoot. I am sure some on here will have been in the same predicament and I would appreciate advice as to the best way to secure value for my collection - sell to a dealer ( can one be recommended based on experience) or at auction? Is any particular auction room particularly noted for air weapons sales?

Tim

[ashf9999]

Hi Tim,

It depends on the size of your collection, whether there are any niche or rare guns, and how quickly you want to get rid of them.

Do you have any ideas of current values? If not, you can by all means ask for valuations on here, but you need to be accurate with descriptions and be prepared to take lots of photos.

A dealer is a quick and fairly reduced hassle option, but remember you won't get the best price as they rightly have to make their margin. They may also miss a rare gun/edition that may get recognised here.

Start with a list on here and see what kind of interest you get. Also search previous posts to see if they give an idea of values.

Not everyone wants to, but be prepared to post a well packed gun by Parcel Force so you don't limit your buyers.

Good luck...

Ash

[TonyL]

Good advice above.

Tim, what guns do you have?

I'd certainly start off with some valuation threads on here and then, once you have the required number of posts to access the Sales Section, advertise them there or, where applicable, over in Collectables. Much will also depend on how many you have and how quickly you need to sell them.

Will you consider keeping them / some of them? Might there be a range or club within easy travelling distance of your new home that you could visit? Also, you might have sufficient indoor space at your new house to arrange a nice, safe, short indoor range?

Hope all goes well and you don't have to part with anything you cherish too much.

[rapidresponse1]

good advice from ash

[Logunner]

Obviously you will achieve a much truer valuation from someone with no vested/financial interest, and that is much more likely to happen on here than at a dealer. However you have to consider timescales of the move, convenience and your own free time to sort it.

Personally I would ask on here for valuations, and sell on here even if that is across several months. If that is after the move, well it’s just a few more packing cases in effect and can be stored until you can sell on. Minimise your losses by a patient approach..

[nishijin]

Make use of the forum. Make a clear and organised list of all the items (make, model, year, true condition, visible damage, service history if any) and bright clear photos put on a hosting site. Get a good spread for valuation from the experienced people on here, and then double-check equivalent prices on the online guntrader-type websites.

A dealer will offer a percentage of their retail, maybe as little as 30% value. That's normal. As you have a collection to shift, overall you might be better or worse off because it is a larger outlay for a dealer to purchase the bulk. They may also cherry-pick, leaving you with the less saleable items having sold the desirable ones at a significant reduction.

[angrybear]

I need to dispose of a number of collectors and sporting air rifles and pistols since I will be moving house and will then no longer have a garden in which to shoot. I am sure some on here will have been in the same predicament and I would appreciate advice as to the best way to secure value for my collection - sell to a dealer ( can one be recommended based on experience) or at auction? Is any particular auction room particularly noted for air weapons sales?

Tim

Common &/or modern ish guns, you might be able to find for sale on internet sales sites (google UK gun sales sites) gun trader & gunstar are probably the 2 biggest sites.
Old or rare guns ask for valuations here or in collectors, but remember it brakes the rules to sell on a valuation thread, there is a separate sale section.

[keith66]

A dealer will give you at best 30% of an items value, otherwise its not worth their while.
Auction will cost you the seller & then the buyer.
If the collection is large you have no option but to go the auction route, otherwise get valuations & sell on here.

[AdeC]

As stated, just do it all on here if you don't want to get shafted by a dealer

[Tim45]

To avoid hassle I have taken advice to sell 30 air rifles and 19 pistols through Southams Guns, Bedford on Thursday 8th June (www.southamsauction.co.uk). I have prepared lists with full descriptions as Word documents and if I knew how to would attach here in case anyone might be interested in bidding on the day!

Tim

[BlueAngel57]

I’ll be visiting Southams that day. Be interested to see your lots!

[DanTheMan]

Hi Tim, do you have to pay a percentage seller fees or is it just a flat fiver registration ?