How many of you peddle your guns during tough times?

onpoint

onpoint

Active member
or are they off limits when the budget gets tight?

Just asking, as things have been tough for many.
 
I have certainly sold guns when money is a bit tight. For example, I wanted a new duck hunting boat. There was a time when I would have simply bought it. However, given that things are a bit lean just now, I had to take a look around at what I might be able to liquidate to help to buy the boat. I sold three (of about 12?) guns to help to fund the boat purchase. I chose guns I didn't use much anymore, especially ones that are easy to replace if I have the need for one again. For example, I used to do a lot of work in polar bear country, so I had an 7-shot 870 Marine Defender. THat one was an easy sell - I don't work up north anymore, and not really attached to it, so off it went. If I start working up there again, I'll replace it. Others were deer rifles - since I've been bow hunting they have not left the safe. So, I kept one 30-06 that will do me for just about any big game opportunity that might come up, but flipped the other ones. There are others though, that are nearly off limits (nearly, because I obviously wouldn't starve my family to keep them, but I wouldn't sell them to fund a boat either!). The last to go would be either of my OUs, because they are professionally fitted to me as a lefty, so they are not immediately replaceable (and I use them very frequently). Because I'm not from a family of hunters, none of my guns have sentimental value in terms of inheritance, so that makes things less complicated as well.
 
2010 was a bad with a capitol B year for me. I sold some guns. You do what you have to do. I have one shotgun that was an heirloom from my grandfather that I'll never sell and a .257 I treasure. Everything else is negotiable. Time has whittled down my collection anyhow. Now I just keep what I shoot - no safe queens.
 
I have been blessed to not have to make that choice myself. I can remember my step dad having to while I was growing up though. Hate to see anyone have to make that choice. I have purchased a few guns from people in that position over the years and when it felt appropriate told them they could come back to me anytime in the next 6 months and I would sell it back to them for the exact same price I paid as a way to try to help them out and let them get their gun back Guess I always looked at it that If I was forced to do that would hope someone would give me the same option.

Matt D
 
I sell guns. Sometimes to buy something else! Sometimes I just can't justify a gun I like but can't shoot! I think I have to many guns. I went through the phase where I was seeking old nice doubles, first American, then British, problem is I shoot an 11-87 or a Winchester SX-2 light better. I guess I am a peasant at heart!
 
I've got a pile of guns, and for a while said I'd never get rid of any, heard too many stories of 'man, I should have kept that one'.

A few years ago I traded a pair of 870 12 guages that I didn't use on a Savage 99 in .300 Savage. Good trade I think.

Then just last week I sold a 700 Mountain Rifle, BDL, in 7-08 and a Ruger 77 MKII in .257 Roberts to fund a Kimber Classic Select in .257 Roberts. I'll probably regret selling the original Mountain Rifle as they don't make that kind anymore, but it went to my brother in law, he's killed more animals with it than I have anyways. I hope my new Kimber shoots as good as the one I've got in .308.
 
It seems like you wouldn't sell guns to pay for food, fuel or rent unless you were really up against the wall because you probably wouldn't get that much help from their sale. If you have a bunch of really expensive guns you probably have enough assets to convert something else to needed cash. If your guns are more pedestrian, you would only buy yourself a month or two grace before you're back in the crack. A month or two isn't anything to sneeze at but I'd bet you wouldn't have a computer or internet service before that dire a situation happens and probably couldn't respond to the question about selling guns. People who really are in a vulnerable financial situation I'd bet don't belong to this forum.
 
calamari said:
It seems like you wouldn't sell guns to pay for food, fuel or rent unless you were really up against the wall because you probably wouldn't get that much help from their sale. If you have a bunch of really expensive guns you probably have enough assets to convert something else to needed cash. If your guns are more pedestrian, you would only buy yourself a month or two grace before you're back in the crack. A month or two isn't anything to sneeze at but I'd bet you wouldn't have a computer or internet service before that dire a situation happens and probably couldn't respond to the question about selling guns. People who really are in a vulnerable financial situation I'd bet don't belong to this forum.
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I'll agree that selling a gun or two would only buy a person a little relief. In a short time the money from the gun would be gone and a person would be right back in the same crack as Cali said.

Some folks get in a bad situation by foolish ways but others get there by things totally out of their control. I have numerous elderly folks in this rural area who have lost their homes and property to medical bills. Tough to watch, 70-80 year old couples selling heirloom family treasures to pay for their meds or gas to stay warm. I see several more elderly in my surrounding area that are going to be in the same boat shortly. All in their early to mid 80's with only social security to carry them. The county will get those places as well. Most have been in their family since they were homesteaded in the early 1900's. Makes a person augury seeing 100 plus years of family ownership being taken in that manner.

Some of the high rollers here that spent like drunken sailors and are/have lost their place. I don't know how but in a short period of time. They are back into a near new ride and living the high life right over again.

My father in-law got in a pickle a short time ago. In his 70's and struggling...still working everyday. He called and was going to sell his grandfathers SxS to a pheasant lodge, who was going to put it in a display in their hunting lodge. He asked me if we wanted first shot at it. My wife had always thought she would be willed the gun. Of coarse he wanted far more then it was worth but how can you put a price on a gun that has been in the family for 4 generations? We bought it of coarse. He sold 5-6 guns and has only one or two guns left now. Lots of elderly struggling these days. Many of the elderly don't have the knowledge to know how to handle the situation. One neighbor lady had her husband in the hospital in Minneapolis a 175 miles away. They took her to a office, told her in order for them to continue to keep her husband alive. She needed to sign this form. What she did was sign that they could collect or take anything she had including their home and property. Back home her daughter and son in-law also had a home on their property. They had two sons who fought in the gulf war. In the end, they all lost their homes. The son in-law and daughter are in their mid 60's and now find themselves living with one of their adult sons and all of them having to chip together to make a house payment. Both homes and the property they lived on were paid for but still taken for their dad/fathers medical bills.

Long post but just had to tell my stories to show, not all folks selling such things as their guns, got in that situation by choice. Many farmed and have little to no retirement or other means to pay expensive health insurance.
 
Those are the situations that break your heart. The part about getting to an age where you don't grasp the technicalities of some of your decisions is so true. Remember when it was considered making Social Security a program where you would invest your money in the stock market? Can you imagine how well people in their 70s and 80s would do with that responsibility?
Ken Burns, "The Dust Bowl" reminded me a lot of what you describe.
 
Lol when the casinos came to kc i had a safe full of guns i sold every single one lost a house pretty sad! Now i am just starting to get my collection of guns back
 
calamari said:
Those are the situations that break your heart. The part about getting to an age where you don't grasp the technicalities of some of your decisions is so true. Remember when it was considered making Social Security a program where you would invest your money in the stock market? Can you imagine how well people in their 70s and 80s would do with that responsibility?
Ken Burns, "The Dust Bowl" reminded me a lot of what you describe.
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Couldn't agree more, folks with the lack of knowledge in such things as the stock market. Have no business taking their life savings/retirement and giving to someone who has no concern about possibly loosing it. The crooks involved in the stock market would feed on the vulnerable like teenagers at a free buffet.
 
I have never had to sell them in tough times, ironically, during this last move we sold a lot of things, myself much much much more than the wife. The reason being not tough times, but simply because there are quite a few items I don't use or have a use for anymore, and I didn't want to move them.

I'd honestly love to go through my entire house and sell a lot of things. I own entirely too much stuff, and most of it never if ever gets used.

I will buy guns from people having tough times, I always do it with the agreement that if they ever want it back, I'll sell it back for the same price. I've bought a few handguns from friends and then a year or so later sold them back.

Otherwise, I have a no sell policy when it comes to guns. I one time sold a Ruger P85MKII, and I have been kicking myself ever since. I still miss that gun, and if I have a chance I will buy another one.
 
onpoint said:
One neighbor lady had her husband in the hospital in Minneapolis a 175 miles away. They took her to a office, told her in order for them to continue to keep her husband alive. She needed to sign this form. What she did was sign that they could collect or take anything she had including their home and property. Back home her daughter and son in-law also had a home on their property. They had two sons who fought in the gulf war. In the end, they all lost their homes. The son in-law and daughter are in their mid 60's and now find themselves living with one of their adult sons and all of them having to chip together to make a house payment. Both homes and the property they lived on were paid for but still taken for their dad/fathers medical bills.
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My grandmother had Alzhemier's and passed away quite a few years ago. In the beginning stages, when it was just setting in, she moved to a assisted living center. It was pretty nice, she had her own apartment and kitchen and everything. But if she needed help they had a little call box in every room. Plus the center had a bank and hair salon and activities going on all the time. She really enjoyed living there.

After a few months, her mind started getting pretty bad, the center saw that. My mother stopped there every day to make sure grandma was taking her pills and had everything she needed. She saw a form on the kitchen table, and when she read it, grandma explained they gave it to her, and pressured her to sign it, but she wasn't really sure exactly what it was, since she could speak English, but not read it too well. So she set it on the table, and was going to read it later. We got in contact with a lawyer. It was permission for the center to take her home (which she still owned, but rented out at the time), access all her bank accounts (for being an immigrant that didn't really speak any English, my grandfather did very well), and sell anything they wanted, including the furniture in her apartment, to get any money they needed.

My mother controlled all my grandmother's finances and personal business, so my mom immediately signed her home and all bank accounts over from grandma to herself. Then she had grandma sign a document stating all the furniture and personal effects were owned by my mother, but on loan. Which was actually sort of true since my mother bought them all.

A few weeks later, the center came with the same form again, grandma, again, not being very good reading English, was pressured and signed it. Grandma passed a few months later. The center went to court, my mother had to go, the center was pretty upset to realize that when grandma died, she technically didn't own anything. The judge scolded the center publically, and had it put in the newspaper what this place was doing to try and get at senior citizens that might not be of sound mind (or even have the ability to read English). Then the judge applauded my mother's quick actions at pretty much confiscating all my grandma's property.

After she passed, the family took whatever they wanted, then the house got sold and divided up among the kids. Which was really all my grandma had left. She gave all her money away to grandkids before she passed. Which was sad to see, but she wanted to see us enjoy the money.
 
I've had to make due in lean times. I didn't like where my life was headed in my late 20's, went to college for my undergraduate degree, downsized and made myself content with an older 870 that I self-customized with a 24" Hastings barrel, oversized safety, minimalist corn cob forend, and that thing clobbered a lot of pheasants, ducks, and grouse. Went on with my masters degree, made more money (not rich...), got back into some more expensive shotguns, and often found myself miserable with fancy guns that I couldn't shoot worth a damn. I'm not quite back full circle, but back around enough to use what works! Less is often more.
 
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