Hi all, hoping to get some advice from knowledgeable gun law people to help my situation.
Basically, I don’t have any US based licences or certification to hold a firearm as I’m a UK citizen, sadly my US Citizen brother in law passed away and has licensed firearms that I’ve been asked to sell whilst on vacation here. There is a local gun show next week, and I’d like to get a valuation and a sale from the traders who attend. How can I get these to prospective buyers without falling fowl of the law?
Move here and you won’t ever have to worry bout UK gun laws again, HA!
Sorry for the loss of your brother that’s always tough.
Keep in mind that at a gun show the dealers are all going to try to low ball you on purchases so they can turn around and make at least a 25% profit immediately.
Get at least 3 offers from different dealers not close to one another.
Once you have those offers walk around comparing their offers to the prices posted on similar models.
Don’t be afraid to sell to an individual as long as the prices offered are equal to or better than the dealer is offering you.
For your own peace of mind and safety don’t however do any “parking lot deals”.
Even if not required by law in your location if you sell to an individual go through one of the FFL’s so that the sale is recorded and a background check has been performed.
Look up similar models, similar condition etc and write down what you see them selling for. That’ll give you a good idea of what to expect when you get to the show.
Keep in mind, many of those running booths at the GS’s are there to buy as cheap as possible so they can turn around and sell them the same day, next show, or to post them on sites like Gunbroker.
Many will likely offer you a set price for the whole package to “save you the trouble” of selling them individually.
Another thought is to go to some gun shops in the area that have good reputations and get them appraised before hand and you can always talk to them about making a deal to sell them for you in the brick and mortar stores on commission.
Private sales and selling for commission through the brick and mortar stores are likely to be the most profitable.
One more thought, since you are here for a limited time… you may be able to place them with an FFL to sell on commission. That way you don’t have to take a low offer just to complete the sale in the time you have. If what you are selling is unusual or a bit of a specialty item, you will find a better price or buyer that way. If you do this, you may want to look for an ffl with a real store and a solid reputation over years.
Dont know what area you’re in, if you are willing to share that, we might have someone local on here who can make a recommendation.
Sorry to hear about your brother.
Great advice everyone.
I’m in Yuba City ~ California if anyone can recommend a dealer. Don’t mind travelling a bit if it means using someone more reputable.
It’s been a long time, but I remember back in the late 80’s or early 90’s even if the deal was between two citizens of the great state of Kalifornia there was a law on the books indicating an FFL was required to intercede to perform State’s required background check and cool off period. I may be outdated, I haven’t been there since 2007.
No problem I get this all the time.
My suggestion is to contact the gun show company and ask them to give you a recommendation on the participating companies.
Some folks specialize in estate sales.
Also make a spreadsheet with the name caliber date of mfg and condition of the weapon.
Buy a new blue book of gun values and enter the price high and low.
This way you will be able to get a fair price
me
Hello @Kev condolences, I’m in Southern California so I don’t have any resource contacts up north. Word of caution seek, advice from an attorney who knows ca firearm law. If you’re not familiar with firearms or what is in the estate you may find yourself having to surrender or be open to legal penalty possibly the under the way CA law is all about definitions, if you happen to have a firearm that may under current law be illegal it could be a bit of a mess.
I’m pretty certain that under CA law the beneficiary must be legally eligible to have a firearm in their possession, be over 21, have an FSC card, be within the immediate family, finally be able to pass a background check in order to conduct a transfer even if person to person.
Being prepared is better than just walking in and wading through the darkness.
Hi
I am a big lawyer and in order to sell the weapon one only needs to execute the sale from the executor to an ffl transferee. Who will execute the process to the buyer.