The Group #2 guns all resulted in no profit or loss.
Some of those had been in my collection for twenty years. Of course they all were a loss if you consider the time value of money. These were the least used or carried guns of the collection. In fact, three of them might have been considered Safe Queens. All of the Group #2 were listed on an online auction for ten days to two weeks with no reserve, then shipped through my FFL.
Some of the guns from Group #3 sold for more than expected and some sold for less than I expected. In the final analysis, I was okay with the outcome. Prior to the health issue though, I would not have been pleased. But at this stage in the process, the relief I was experiencing from the reduction in numbers outweighed my reluctance to let go of the guns.
Sometimes, just breaking-even is a good thing.
My average cost in the Group #3 guns had been about $760 each, so I actually realized a profit on these. However, some of those guns had been in my collection for thirty years. I quickly realized that nothing in this downsizing process was going to come close to my luck twelve to fifteen years ago when I sold all of my Colt Pythons. I kept one Python, a 1962 nickel 4” barrel example.
Time to Insert a Gun Photo
31 Guns Gone in 16 Months!
At this point, I had to assess the remaining guns more carefully. In the beginning I had thought that I would be able to reduce the number of guns to 24. But now, I was having a hard time with that plan. During this sixteen month period I have acquired 4 additional guns. Two of those, I plan to keep. Two I planned to write about and then sell.
The thought crossed my mind to limit the keepers to only the Baby Boom Period (1946–1964) as the majority of the remaining guns fell in that category. The idea sounded good, but when I put it on paper, it did not look good at all. At last count, there are seventeen firearms outside my target years, and these seven which I actually use or have purposed.
Purposed Guns not from the Baby Boom Period (1946-1964)At a minimum I knew I was going to keep at least one rifle, two shotguns and five handguns. Whatever else I kept beyond that core group would be just for enjoyment. I've said before that I would like to reduce the numbers in my stockpile, arsenal or collection to only 24 firearms. Ignoring the 7 I just referenced, that means I could have 17 to display in my collection. Perhaps it is doable!
I'm in the process of segregating a dozen collectibles (3 of which are unfired examples that I could never bring myself to fire) to send to the consignment seller in the month of October. If this group does not bring $20,000, I will be sorely disappointed. The closer I get, the more confidence I have that I can reduce the number to my target. But no matter what, I'm going to be in the "stockpile" category for life.
My favorite time of year is just around the corner. Taking my early 1960s Colt shotgun to the Turkey Shoot is always a lot of fun. We routinely have 300 to 400 Trick-or-Treaters at Halloween and my wife and I really enjoy making the time special for all of the children.
