Advice, *Warning* long winded...

TedNugent

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So am a bit torn on what to do. Am off work for at least 3 months after ankle surgery, so am trying to organize the gun room, and make some hard decisions.
As many of you know, my Dad's good friend died quite awhile back, and he(my Dad) and I helped his widow to sell off a good part of his gear. Am still selling some off, will be for quite awhile I imagine. What I found most troubling was that none of their 3 kids, all well older than I am, helped do anything with the house, or the stuff in it. I just couldn't imagine leaving all that work to someone outside my family.
My Dad has been helping the widow ever since his friend died, and this year at 85 she was ready to sell the house. So my Dad worked tirelessly to help her get the place straightened up, and the garage emptied out.
Now my Dad, as with most males, has a habit of collecting what we call "good stuff". Thing is my Dad had a lot of "good stuff" already. He's turning 79 tomorrow and if, by chance, he should die tomorrow(So help me, God) I'd be ####ed. I'm one of 4 siblings, 2 of whom live in Australia, while my other sibling lives in Ohio.
He has a 24x32 garage(with a full upstairs), so full atm, he can hardly get around without bumping into stuff. He also has a good sized shed in the back yard(also with a large attic full of wood timbers), with a lean-to, and a large portable garage all full of "good stuff".
I'm sure many of you can appreciate the mentality, I have inherited the same gene, just trying to get a handle on it so that someday I don't leave my family in the lurch.
So finally to my point, the widow's daughter was in town about a month and a half ago, and happened to call me while I was driving back from work.
I was half worried what she was going to say about how well, or otherwise, we did selling stuff off. We did get rid of a lot, practically gave away a good part of it at the Orangeville gun show, but I was told either you price stuff to sell or you'll be stuck with it going show to show for a long time.
I waited a couple of hours to call her back, and when I did, it just so happened that she had a firearms officer at her Mom's place, and was trying to decide what to do with all the ammunition that her Dad left behind. I was a bit puzzled at first, because I had believed we sold most of it at the gun show. She told me she was about to give everything to the police.
Stunned, I told her NO! Please don't do that. Told her my Dad would come pick everything up so we could sell it for her Mom.
Well, later that week, my Dad called me up and he and the daughter loaded everything up into my Dad's truck, and he brought it down that Friday.
The daughter called that day to tell me that whatever ammo she sent with my Dad, she wanted me to keep, in appreciation for the work I had done for her Mom.
I thanked her, and that was that.
Little did I realize just how much ammo and reloading components my Dad brought.
Here is a pic of the projectiles:

20160915_013829.jpg



7mm Mauser. About half of it.
20160915_024204.jpg


After lots of sorting, organizing and then finally some counting, I was left with 7500 rounds of 45 acp, 5200 rounds of 32 S&W Long, and close to 3000 38 Special.
All reloads, each small ammo box with the all of the load details carefully inscripted. I should mention here, that I would implicitly trust each and every round he loaded, he was a competitive, champion shooter throughout North America, and was the most meticulous person I've ever met.
I was left with about 6 calibers of ammo(.270, 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, .38, 30-30, .22 Centre fire) for which I don't have a rifle with which to shoot it.

This pic shows the 7mm projectiles on the left vs the 8mm projectiles on the right.

20160915_013838.jpg


Now, my dilemma is do I sell off what I can't shoot? Or hang on to it till I get a gun in each calibre?
My family, unfortunately, is in the same boat as a lot of families - mainly a 1 income family, and the last few years have been difficult, and from what I read tonight, things are going to keep getting tougher with this idiotic government and their plan to make me spend more and more money on just keeping the lights on in my house.
My best friend, also a gun nut, keeps telling me not to sell anything, but I know that unless my wife lands a cherry job, I doubt I'll be acquiring any new guns anytime soon.
How do I choose what to sell, the pile of 7mm on the left is a bit bigger than the 8mm on the right, I have about as many or more in .270, a calibre I wish I owned, and likely will get someday, but damn it's a tough one.
Man, am getting sore from just sitting here typing this out, sorry for how long this turned out, can't sleep at night lately due to the ankle pain. Perhaps it's the drugs talking here too.
Try to put yourself in my situation, keeping in mind my gun room isn't as big as I wish it was as well.

Thanks in advance,

Aaron
 
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I would suggest you sell whatever you don't have an immediate use for. Keeping ammunition around in a calibre that you don't own would just cause temptation to buy a gun in that calibre even if you should be focusing on other things at the moment. When things get better for you, you'll be able to afford to buy/reload ammo for that new rifle when you buy it.

The ammo/reloading supplies were given to you as a gift (and you clearly deserved it). If it suits your situation to get some cash by selling it, there's no reason for you to feel bad about it.
 
To me it's like money in the bank. If you don't need the cash, and it's not taking up too much room, there's no harm in hanging on to it. You can always sell it later, but if you suddenly decide you want it, buying it all over again will cost. Or sell it, and put the money towards the .270 that you want.
 
Calahan & 9.3mauser both gave sage advice - even if at first they seem to be going in different directions - your situation will be the biggest determinant, I think. So, when I find myself in such a quandry, I try to focus on something entirely unrelated for a few days; returning to this dilemma with a clearer head may make the 'right' decision more apparent. If that doesn't work, a pro/con list is sometimes helpful, or consider the situation from outside of it: how would you councel someone in a similar position?

All the best. :)
 
It's your stuff, and not estate stuff? Although it's sad when progeny don't embrace all possible joys the parents had if it's equitable and belongs to someone else; sell it off and give it back in the form everyone can use...$s. Your stuff? Do the regular walk-through that us keepers of "good stuff" do... Commercial value vs. immediate need; I've passed on stuff other folks wanted, but of no interest whatsoever to me and was around here long enough to gather dust. Sentimental: This can be beyond value., No immediate use for, or immediate use for but feels better not using. Biggest questionable shelf filler of all.
Motivation for keeping always faces off with ability to store! I look at ammo like I do food now. If I'm not eating it, can't eat it, or don't wanna(real word) process it into something I can eat; get it to someone who wants it. Doesn't spoil real quick, but someone is hungry for it. If I had space for th'"good stuff" I'd keep it all...
 
Figure out how much of it you will shoot in the next ten years or so and do the math.
Do you plan on moving?

That is a nice collection and would move quick at a gun show.

I sold a rifle yesterday with some good factory ammo and still don't know if I did the
right thing or not.
Someone got a great deal.

If our financing goes thru, we're going to be moving and I have yer paw's jeans too.

I can honestly type, I miss the good ole` days of the papered Buy & Sell, nawt this Kijiji chit.

You have lots to keep you occupied Aaron, enjoy it.
 
OP, you must be a relative newbie. IMHO you have a relatively small amount of trading stock there. Why procrastinate??? Trade if for something you do shoot or get something to shoot it. Where is the quandary?

Just do it and don't look back.
 
Take this with a grain of salt because I read it somewhere on CGN but isn't selling reloads illegal unless you have a commercial manufacturer's license?

As implicitly as you trust this man's work you don't want to have the liability for this I'd something goes wrong.
 
Kudos for helping her out...sounds like my family...except they would have taken everything...Lots of good advice, but the best, IMO, was to sit on it a while and then decide what you want to do. I am sure that if your final decision is to sell you should have no problem, I would probably take some off your hands..
I too like "good stuff" my girl calls me a "professional hoarder"--LOVE the title..ONLY one I have had that wasn't derogatory! LOL
Good luck in your decision process.
 
Take this with a grain of salt because I read it somewhere on CGN but isn't selling reloads illegal unless you have a commercial manufacturer's license?

As implicitly as you trust this man's work you don't want to have the liability for this I'd something goes wrong.

I am sure they would be sold off for components. The bigger issue at hand here is not the stuff you just picked up but your fathers loaded garage. Pushing 80 it is conceivable that sometime in the next many years (hopefully not for a long time) you will be faced with the task of cleanup. Now is a great time to talk to your dad and help him pare that garage down. He can be a part of the task, something you can do together rather than it be a burden for you down the road. I know if my parents were to pass tomorrow it would be a hell of a task for me and my brothers to get back home and sort and sell everything.
 
To me it's like money in the bank. If you don't need the cash, and it's not taking up too much room, there's no harm in hanging on to it. You can always sell it later, but if you suddenly decide you want it, buying it all over again will cost. Or sell it, and put the money towards the .270 that you want.

That's my thinking as well.
 
Buy a Gun for each caliber and enjoy the retail therapy and enjoy shooting.
Keep what fits whats in your locker/safe and enjoy going to gun shows.
May people enjoy going to gun shows to shoot the bravo sierra while others try and top up their pension checks.

Your own personal dilemma with your Dads personal collection can be seen somewhere in the future (and hope your Dad has a Long life ahead still).
Your Dad was born in an era where they held onto stuff (depression) and everything had a value if not right now, but in the near future and it is better to have it and need it rather than need it and not have it today...

Then again one mans treasure is another mans junk and no matter what was paid for it it can be hard pressed to get .05 on the dollar.
Take the one experience of your dads Widowed friend and file that away for when the day comes.
In the mean time take the old boy shooting !!!

Tight Groups,
Rob
 
Whew! Tough call!

I think most of the gunnutters here will probably have the same problem at some time in the future. I know I will with my parents and all of the farm stuff Dad has collected over his 80+ years on this planet. Plus all of the stuff he picked up from my grandfather. With the hoarding gene, I think I'm screwed. Or blessed. Can't figure out which, but until I do, I'm having fun.

Personally, I'd say sit on the gear for a while and put out feelers. If you trust the reloads 100%, which it sounds like you do, I'd suggest paying it forward to a younger shooter to help get him started on this lifelong addiction. Might as well be an enabler, right?

I wouldn't give it all away, but at a nice "fire sale" price, with a discount for a larger purchase.

Or, if that's not up your alley, sell it to a gun show dealer. I remember from my cousin, who did this sort of thing for years and is now gone, that he'd pick up all sorts of deals for a song, and eventually he'd sell it. It might take years, but sooner or later somebody would ask and he'd have what they're looking for.

If you don't want to do the sell to a dealer, at least use the items as trading stock. The bad part is that the desirable stuff will go first and fast, and the oddball, orphan pieces will hang around forever until you get lucky. Either way, if you make contacts, the circle of guys in "the know" about what you have will help you have for sale or trade.

I know my Dad gives away stuff he will never use to friends and neighbours that can make use of it. The big problem is that they don't want a lot of the old "junk" that he has. Until they need it, then they show up looking for a wheel from a 1950's harrow...

Sort and catalogue what you have. Write it down in a book or a binder, and see what offers you get.

So sorry about your being laid up. Hope you heal soon
 
What may help you decide is to get an idea of the dollar value of those calibers you will not shoot or don't have a gun for. Are we talking thousands or hundreds $$? You can also trade or sell the lot for a new firearm. Good luck.
 
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