I have been collecting antique Civil War and pre Civil War firearms for some time. I want to start selling the collection. The market in the U.S. isn't too bad but it's becoming more annoying to ship south these days. I am wondering if the Canadian market for these items is strong or if I'm better off to ship south to the auction houses or dealers I know. Thanks for any sound advise.
market for antique guns
- Thread starter spencers
- Start date
It really depends on models and condition. There will always be more money in the States just by size alone. There are of course serious collectors over here and some on this site have a great knowledge on Civil & pre War pieces. I'd try this side of the border first & see if you can get the prices you want. If not then go south... Just my 2 cents of course.
It would be nice to see them stay in this country, but as always in sales, it's what the market will bare.
Civil War stuff will sell better/higher in the US, but that has to be balanced with the border issues.
Civil War stuff will sell better/higher in the US, but that has to be balanced with the border issues.
my experience has been that auction fees paid by the seller and by the buyer and sales taxes amount to 30% to 40% of the selling price. In a lot of cases, you would be better to sell them at gunshows for a reduced price
cheers mooncoon
cheers mooncoon
I'd concur with Mooncoon - unless it's a very rare item, prices are generally lower in the USA than Canada, and you have to be aware of the hidden costs with selling in the south (Seller's fees, auction house handling fees, tax, exchange rate, shipping/insurance, shipping back if it fails to sell, etc etc etc). Mooncoon's estimate is about right, and if it fails to sell at auction you can end up significantly in the hole in set costs. Easier to set a price on here and at gunshows and see what interest there is. You can always float rare antiques for sale on USA sites with the understanding they need to figure out how to get ahold of it.
