Reloading room estate sale: what's this stuff worth?

[Ironheart]

No expert but have unfortunately did this a couple of times now after friends have passed and the family wanted me to buy it all which I did in two cases more just to help out and lost money on one
All the costs of your time for packaging, the costs associated with this and shipping factor in NOW
Last one I did I must have used 100 bucks in gas alone just running to the post office after selling on the EE
I will be honest what I seen here in the pics is a lot of OLD gear but not stuff most reloaders is going to want not like my last batch which had stuff like rockchuckers three of them and modern case trimmers and even at that I did not make much more than I paid for the lot and if it wasn't a good friend in the future I would walk away
Cheers

Oh my! You got into this sort of thing twice! I've don't this sort of thing years back with over 10,000 hot wheels and die cast cars.......it was insane......I thought I was going to make substantial profit....but in the end I just broke even.....I do know how it goes but no experience with items like this.......as I've stated this is located 1.5 hours away and would need at least 2 or 3 people to help.....my brother will help but yes I have to factor in there tike. ...my time......fuel.....coffee.....etc etc etc......I might just offer a 1000$ and if they don't take it walk away.........iam just waiting for them to name their price.......they could be highly insulted with my 1000$ offer and then not want to deal with me anymore......I'm really biding my time and waiting for the list of firearms they are preparing....will most likely wait for that before the offer goes in for the accessories

 

[Ironheart]

So your friends family is looking to have you simply buy everything and be done? They don't want to shop around for a better buyer?

Is the furniture, steel and wooden gun cabinets included? Dude it would probably take you a whole weekend just to pack up all the stuff properly and load it into the trailer. A lot of that stuff wouldn't be worth the time it would take to catalogue and post it for sale, but there is enough good stuff in there that is worth while.

IF the furniture is included, then $1000 is more than generous. IF not the furniture, just the tools and bits, then not more than $500. Much more than that and you won't be getting properly paid for your investment into selling it.
Either way with some effort and sweat equity and some patience, you should be able to double your money by putting it all up on the EE piece meal.

Alternatively, as others have said, you can offer to take it all for free, and split the proceeds with them in some mutually beneficial agreeable. Put a deadline on it. Say you have 12 months or so to do your honest best to sell it all, and what you can't sell after a year you will simply own or dispose of.

The stuff needs to go but they haven't gotten back to me with a price......they have known for the last 3 days iam interested but have not been in contact....like a few others have mentioned it might be a complete headache for myself......we will see what they come back with

 

[Ironheart]

There is a lot of money tied up here, if you were to buy it a piece at a time.

You might be well served to advise your friend that the estate will be getting pennies on the dollar if you try to sell it either piecemeal, or as a complete gathering of gear. And has been mentioned, it will take a very long time with possibility half the bits and pieces never being sold.

Lots of that stuff is heavy and shipping will be a deal breaker for bullets at least, and while there is some market in your locale, it isn't huge.

I hope you can get your buddy to see the problem...he might be thinking that the estate will realize $10, 000 or something and will be unhappy to have reality slap itself onto the table. Make sure he or siblings don't think you are taking advantage.

Very well said and I'm with you 100%......just by searching online for some of the items through Google and trying to find info others on websites have mentionedsome of these items are obsolete and basically valueless paperweights.......the shipping and packing of some items would be insane and kill the sale......definitely don't want to insult my friend but they do need to know reality

 

[Ironheart]

I agree totally. If I walked past a table with this stuff on it I would look at the primers/powder and die sets. The shotgun reloaders are about useless now as it costs more to reload than to just buy (excluding specialty stuff like slugs and buckshot). Single stage presses have some value as do the powder throwers but not a lot. Most new shooters are looking for progressives if at all.

Lol i wouldn't look at anything in this table if I were to walk by it at a gun show! I know exactly what you are saying......I've been going to gunshows for only about 10 years and as well all know we see the same vendors with the same items year after year.....and I don't wanna be that guy! Ever!

 

[Ironheart]

Thanks everyone for taking the time out to give me the detailed replies. It's greatly appreciated

Will definitely update as more info is provided!

 

[3macs1]

Oh my! You got into this sort of thing twice! I've don't this sort of thing years back with over 10,000 hot wheels and die cast cars.......it was insane......I thought I was going to make substantial profit....but in the end I just broke even.....I do know how it goes but no experience with items like this.......as I've stated this is located 1.5 hours away and would need at least 2 or 3 people to help.....my brother will help but yes I have to factor in there tike. ...my time......fuel.....coffee.....etc etc etc......I might just offer a 1000$ and if they don't take it walk away.........iam just waiting for them to name their price.......they could be highly insulted with my 1000$ offer and then not want to deal with me anymore......I'm really biding my time and waiting for the list of firearms they are preparing....will most likely wait for that before the offer goes in for the accessories

Actually three times , two I bought out and one I sold for them and gave them the money I got . All because they were old hunting and shooting friends and I was trying to help. Seems as we age unfortunately it happens too often
IMO $1000 is too much for what we can see in the few pics. Too bad you cannot post more pics
There maybe some hidden gems but honestly from the way the guy was set up and what we can see he didnot to me seem like someone that kept up and upgraded his reloading gear over the years like many of us have nor did he buy the top end gear back in the day
Is the powder there even good as an example . Sure doesn't look like a guy that was concerned how he stored anything
I know I could not reload on a bench that looked like that

This will give you an idea of my last experience I think I filled 5 totes of reloading gear from the last one I did .It was all rcbs most modern including NIB rockchucker,plus two used three case trimmers, four power dispensers, electronic scales and beam scales (10/10, 505 and a 510) , 500 new lapua brass etc etc and at least 14 sets of dies 5 ever used etc etc etc
I figured I would make some money. Well in the end I did maybe $500 bucks for almost 2 months work by the time I listed, packaged and sold everything and there is still items I will never get anything for
Yes it would be easier if I was in an area that had gun shows but they are rare here

Just make sure you can make something out of this which I don't think you can paying $1000

Cheers

 

[ZREXER]

Is it just me or do posts like these make you a little sad? One day it will be my kids posting pictures to get rid of dad's 'gun stuff.' Although both have made range trips numerous times with me, neither has enough interest to want my stuff when I am gone. Probably does not help that their boyfriend/girlfriend are fairly anti-gun in nature.
After helping my wife clear out my mother in-laws house (she had a lot of nice stuff) it really opened my eyes how little most estate sale stuff goes for.

 

[fingers284]

Thanks for the reply..and essentially yes it is a fire sale......I cannot confirm the amounts of dies as another poster mentioned......all I have is the 2 pictures to go off of and then basically load up a truck and trailer and sort later.....what you see is what you get kinda deal......and I'm sure there is more....ive researched some of the items from what I can see in the pictures and i totally get your comment about "belongs in the archives" as some items are basically obsolete

By going off the pictures I am thinking 1000$ myself before I even starred this thread......like you say take your chances......in all honesty in was thinking about purchasing everything if the price is right around the 1000$ Mark and setting up a table at a few upcoming gun shows and maybe make a few $.......that was my initial thought........the estate has not gotten back to me with a price.......so do you think for a 1000$ for everything maybe I could possibly double my money over time?

If I were them I couldn't shake your hand fast enough. I am going to be blunt... Let me tell you how your " gun show theory" will work out. The first one you go to you will sell 20% of the stuff on the first day, that is if you have it priced 25-40 % of new price. you"ll say "hey this aint bad "... then you'll pack the remaining "already picked over "stuff to the next 6 gun shows...all the time paying the table fee,gas, lodging etc-etc. and you may sell another 20 % in all those shows-remember all the good stuff was picked over at the very first show. By the seventh show your going to be so tired of packing that sh!t around that you will divide the remainder into 3 Tupperware tubs (RE; 3 macs photo) and put a big "make me an offer" on them.

The reality of the situation is that there may be a 1/2 dozen readily saleable items in your photo's but the rest is "guns show flea market" material.

 

[jethunter]

Looks like a life well spent. There's thousands of hours of enjoyment and pleasure in those pictures.

The 3 MEC presses alone will get close to $400, the single stage presses will get you $50-$100 apiece, and the die sets are worth $25-$30 each. Sell the other loading components for half the price of new and they will sell. Some of it you won't sell at all. The good stuff will sell at a gun show but most of it won't and not worth the effort I think, you'd be better off to sell on the ee here.

But it will take some effort and a lot of stuff won't sell fast. If you have lots of storage space then $1000 wouldn't be a bad price but you will earn it.

 

[3macs1]

Is it just me or do posts like these make you a little sad? One day it will be my kids posting pictures to get rid of dad's 'gun stuff.' Although both have made range trips numerous times with me, neither has enough interest to want my stuff when I am gone. Probably does not help that their boyfriend/girlfriend are fairly anti-gun in nature.
After helping my wife clear out my mother in-laws house (she had a lot of nice stuff) it really opened my eyes how little most estate sale stuff goes for.

Always makes me sad and wonder if the sport we loved so much will even be around in 20 years
Like you my daughter shot and reloaded with me until about age 14 or 15 and then I lost her to boys
Last year at age 25 she took a pal course out of the blue and then her rpal
I thought I was going to cry and like an idiot cleaned up some guns for her and asked when she was going back shooting with me
She replied Dad I have no intention of shooting again I just wanted the courses so I have zero issues when you die and I sell off all your stuff
I kid you not

 

[jethunter]

She replied Dad I have no intention of shooting again I just wanted the courses so I have zero issues when you die and I sell off all your stuff
I kid you not

I'd make gd sure there wasn't any guns left for her to sell off. But I'm like that.

On a different note, have you been target shooting in the woods lately? I have heard from a NS firearms expert that this is perfectly fine now, so I guess they have changed the rules since I lived there. Good to see.

 

[MartyK2500]

Always makes me sad and wonder if the sport we loved so much will even be around in 20 years
Like you my daughter shot and reloaded with me until about age 14 or 15 and then I lost her to boys
Last year at age 25 she took a pal course out of the blue and then her rpal
I thought I was going to cry and like an idiot cleaned up some guns for her and asked when she was going back shooting with me
She replied Dad I have no intention of shooting again I just wanted the courses so I have zero issues when you die and I sell off all your stuff
I kid you not

Ouch that is harsh!

 

[3macs1]

I'd make gd sure there wasn't any guns left for her to sell off. But I'm like that.

On a different note, have you been target shooting in the woods lately? I have heard from a NS firearms expert that this is perfectly fine now, so I guess they have changed the rules since I lived there. Good to see.

News to be but I will ask
Cheers

 

[jethunter]

Always makes me sad and wonder if the sport we loved so much will even be around in 20 years
Like you my daughter shot and reloaded with me until about age 14 or 15 and then I lost her to boys
Last year at age 25 she took a pal course out of the blue and then her rpal
I thought I was going to cry and like an idiot cleaned up some guns for her and asked when she was going back shooting with me
She replied Dad I have no intention of shooting again I just wanted the courses so I have zero issues when you die and I sell off all your stuff
I kid you not

Regardless of what they tell us, I firmly believe men and women are different and hunting/shooting is less interesting to many women. That's just the way it is.

My daughters shot with me when they were young, went duck and deer hunting too. They stopped about age 18 or so although they will occasionally shoot a few targets they aren't terribly interested and probably were only interested because I was, all along . But they have husbands and children and I've done a good job bringing them over to the dark side.

 

[jethunter]

News to be but I will ask
Cheers

I think "the expert" was mostly hot air.

 

[VinnyQC]

Keep in mind everything depends on the conditions. If there's 3 MEC Jr, maybe it's because the first 2 were bad when he bought the 3rd. Evaluating how well something works or not is a tedious job.

Unless there's a deal to be made on firearms and the reloading stuff comes with those, I'd very well pass on the offer, or take it for a ridiculous amount like 100$. Selling a 50$ item on the EE is usually not worth it because you have to pay (and charge) shipping, while a large store has a deal. But if you offer dies for 5$/set, MecJr for 20$ and bullets for price of bulk, you might sell that stuff quickly. And after 2-3 bump on the EE, you take it all to the dump. But to make it worth your time with that stuff, you need to pay almost nothing for it.

 

[3macs1]

Keep in mind everything depends on the conditions. If there's 3 MEC Jr, maybe it's because the first 2 were bad when he bought the 3rd. Evaluating how well something works or not is a tedious job.

Unless there's a deal to be made on firearms and the reloading stuff comes with those, I'd very well pass on the offer, or take it for a ridiculous amount like 100$. Selling a 50$ item on the EE is usually not worth it because you have to pay (and charge) shipping, while a large store has a deal. But if you offer dies for 5$/set, MecJr for 20$ and bullets for price of bulk, you might sell that stuff quickly. And after 2-3 bump on the EE, you take it all to the dump. But to make it worth your time with that stuff, you need

to pay almost nothing for it.

They are not real old ones the two we can see ( MK5) since they have the later tool sets, bottles and stands plus what can go wrong with a Jr that one cannot fix in 30 minutes. Not to mention a lot of us forget if looking for one the best price new today is at Hummason at $280 each plus tax
Cheers

 

[Rod]

Always makes me sad and wonder if the sport we loved so much will even be around in 20 years
Like you my daughter shot and reloaded with me until about age 14 or 15 and then I lost her to boys
Last year at age 25 she took a pal course out of the blue and then her rpal
I thought I was going to cry and like an idiot cleaned up some guns for her and asked when she was going back shooting with me
She replied Dad I have no intention of shooting again I just wanted the courses so I have zero issues when you die and I sell off all your stuff
I kid you not

Sadly, I'm in the same position. My Son was so eager when he was a boy, shooting , hunting, fishing, I was excited and bought so many doubles of our favorite firearms. Then along came the girls of which most, if not all, filled his head with anti-hunting, anti-guns, anti most of what he grew up with. Me being the optimist that I am, hold out hope for a turn around. I don't doubt there's quite a few of us in the same boat.

 

[3macs1]

Sadly, I'm in the same position. My Son was so eager when he was a boy, shooting , hunting, fishing, I was excited and bought so many doubles of our favorite firearms. Then along came the girls of which most, if not all, filled his head with anti-hunting, anti-guns, anti most of what he grew up with. Me being the optimist that I am, hold out hope for a turn around. I don't doubt there's quite a few of us in the same boat.

I hear you and it kills me. My Dad and grandfather must be turning in their graves. Both were yanks so we grew up paying the NRA before the church and buying groceries and when Dad bought a new super x 1 since he owned a small gun shop he bought 4 one for each of us
Now there is nine boys and two girls in the next generation and even though three live state side even there not ONE wants anything to do with firearms or hunting and my brothers have given up also. One bow hunts the odd time
I am the end of firearm ownership in this family . I guess I will have to bury my grandfathers guns with me

 

[jethunter]

Keep in mind everything depends on the conditions. If there's 3 MEC Jr, maybe it's because the first 2 were bad when he bought the 3rd. Evaluating how well something works or not is a tedious job.

Unless there's a deal to be made on firearms and the reloading stuff comes with those, I'd very well pass on the offer, or take it for a ridiculous amount like 100$. Selling a 50$ item on the EE is usually not worth it because you have to pay (and charge) shipping, while a large store has a deal. But if you offer dies for 5$/set, MecJr for 20$ and bullets for price of bulk, you might sell that stuff quickly. And after 2-3 bump on the EE, you take it all to the dump. But to make it worth your time with that stuff, you need to pay almost nothing for it.

MEC jr is a good strong machine and easy to repair. Chances are if there are 3 it's because it is multiplt gauges, 12-20-410. I wouldn't hesitate to pay $100 each plus shipping just from the pics I've seen here. They will sell fast for $125-$150 plus shipping on the ee.