Seriously thinking of downsizing

[dsdmmat]

I was raised in the, “one is none and two is one,” mode of thinking. Also contributing to the stockpile of things, living up in NY where one are limited in mag capacity as well as fixed mag vs featureless. I may have acquired a shit ton more than I could realistically use andor pass on to my daughter. She has everything one could use now and stands to inherit all of the guns I own now.
A majority of which are factory guns which she most likely will sell off, the ones I made (80%) will most likely be sold off too as they will all be properly marked by ATF standards and can legally be sold by her as the my heir. And with the proper markings FFLs won’t have an issue transferring them. I of course will continue to make my own guns as I love making things so the gun collection will continue to grow even after I am finished downsizing. The growth will be of my own brand though.

I have a few which will never be sold (by me) as they has been passed down to me by family, and they will be passed down the line by me as well.

My dilemma really is where to start and how to go about it. Obviously stop acquiring more via cash is a beginning. I have started to acquire through trade, by trading more of the less used/ valuable in acquisition of a more valuable firearm is one possible avenue. This will downsize my collection while still allowing me to acquire things which catch my eye. A second Avenue is selling things outright. A third is gifting some of my firearms to family members. Eventually, I suppose I will use all three approaches to get down to what I consider satisfying and manageable numbers.

At least I don’t have a car collection which costs me money in for storage(property tax and upkeep).

as of now it downsizing is just in the thinking stage. I guess I have to come to terms with it before it becomes a must do. Aging is a bitch sometimes.

 

[Mosinitis]

gunbroker.com

 

[4WHLDRFTN]

how many ?

 

[kev74]

. Eventually, I suppose I will use all three approaches to get down to what I consider satisfying and manageable numbers.

There's a 4th approach. Your fellow forum members are here for you!

I've been having similar thoughts when I look at my accumulation.

 

[dsdmmat]

gunbroker.com

Yeah I already have an account with them. There are pluses and minuses to doing things on gun broker. But that is an option.

 

[Carlos Hathcock]

Watching

 

[dsdmmat]

how many ?

I learned not to answer that question as the answer tends to scare people.

 

[4WHLDRFTN]

I learned not to answer that question as the answer tends to scare people.

do i need the truck... or trailer too ?

 

[dsdmmat]

do i need the truck... or trailer too ?

A really big wad of cash and a 20 foot enclosed trailer pulled by a 3500 or larger would probably work,

 

[4WHLDRFTN]

A really big wad of cash and a 20 foot enclosed trailer pulled by a 3500 or larger would probably work,

ok...LMK

 

[dsdmmat]

ok...LMK

Lol this is not a sale thread nor will remain open if it turned into one. Just my thoughts on downsizing and the ways to go about it. The first step is to realize it needs to be done. The next steps are deciding on what stays, goes, to who, and by what means.

 

[Mosinitis]

Any potential grandsons or nephews?

 

[Mosinitis]

I became a grandpa this year. It's a boy. I will slowly work on getting him interested in guns and shooting. If it takes, I won't have to worry about what happens to my guns when I move to the big rifle range in the sky.

 

[dsdmmat]

Any potential grandsons or nephews?

I have 6 nieces, the thought of transferring each one a nice AR has crossed my mind more than once. I doubt there will be grandchildren In My future.

 

[dsdmmat]

I became a grandpa this year. It's a boy. I will slowly work on getting him interested in guns and shooting. If it takes, I won't have to worry about what happens to my guns when I move to the big rifle range in the sky.

Yeah that might be the ticket if my daughter ever decides to have kids. I doubt she will though.

 

[repete]

A really big wad of cash and a 20 foot enclosed trailer pulled by a 3500 or larger would probably work,

So we don't need my big truck and trailer, that's good cause not only is it a bitch backing a 53'er into a driveway it also attracts a lot of attention.
On a more serious note, make a list of family and good friends you'd like to leave a gun to and the guns info. Start compiling that and keep it with your will (just in case) as you get older you may decide to start handing them out early.

 

[dsdmmat]

So we don't need my big truck and trailer, that's good cause not only is it a bitch backing a 53'er into a driveway it also attracts a lot of attention.
On a more serious note, make a list of family and good friends you'd like to leave a gun to and the guns info. Start compiling that and keep it with your will (just in case) as you get older you may decide to start handing them out early.

Yeah, I want to get it to a manageable point before it comes to that. In my will my daughter gets everything firearms related. The wife gets the insurance and the houses. As it sits my daughter doesn’t have the room for more guns so, I have to wait to kick off until after she buys a vault with a house attached to it.

 

[GOPerfect]

A couple of years ago, I decided to downsize much of my life. After my Father in law passed and we had to clean his house really got me motivated.

It is not true the old adage, the one with the most wins. In the past 2-3 years, I have sold well over xxx firearms. I, at first seemed like a mistake, felt okay thinning the lot.

I got rid of many gun related items as well. Extra lights, slings and the little things like that.

Other things as well. I read quite a bit. Read a series of books and never reread, so I got rid of at least three hundred books. Some I sold for pennies on the dollar to a used book store, many I gave away to school PTA groups.

Clothes. I dumped a lot of clothes. I went trough and got rid of all that I do not wear. I am very basic in the clothes that I wear. Very basic wardrobe. Amazing how much space I gained. One of these years, we will be packing up and moving to greener pastures. I do not want to take all of this crap with me. I do not want to spend a month getting rid of that in which I do not need when the move comes.

I look around my gun room, a room decorated to my liking, and I see so much I can dump. Everyday I try to get rid of at least one thing.

 

[1075tech]

As I pack everything up for the, hopefully, pending relocation, I wonder why I have so much stuff. I know I need to downsize, but have a hard time deciding what to get rid of. I don't really have multiples of any one caliber with a couple of exceptions. I have 13 different calibers.

That being said, I would still be interested in seeing what you want to get rid of if/when it comes to that

 

[dsdmmat]

@GOPerfect @1075tech yeah know the feeling about looking at stuff deciding what goes in packing and moving and what goes in the landfill. My house down here is 1300 sqft vs the 2300 I had up there. I downsized a lot when I was figuring out what to bring to NC. Now I am looking at my gun collection thinking the “what needs to go?”

It takes me a while to do the yearly cleaning, while it is mostly light duty days, it is still a lot. There are quite a few in the safe which have gone a decade or two between outings with them. I think I am going to start by laying them all out, putting away the ones I have made and the ones that will never be sold (family heirlooms) then see what is left. Then I will be in a better position to see what I can part with. Like I said in the beginning I am in the thinking stage now.

The one decision I have made is; no new guns come in the house without one or two going out to pay for it. I can downsize a little bit that way since there are a couple on my list I would like to have, a S&W 929, the new M&P 10mm but that is about it. I still have about 20 receivers I will make into guns, so maybe I will make one and sell a factory made receiver gun to balance it out. Lots to think about.

 

[northny]

Your last post has it. Ten years ago I decided to not add a gun until I sold one. Then I went to funding a new purchase by selling. I sold three hunting rifles to pay for my PRS rifle and scope. Then I sold off several when I downsized in move from MA to PA. Sold another rifle to buy a Labradar which gets used a lot. Sold another to pay myself back for my Dillion 550.

Now I’m working on looking at items I haven’t shot in 5 years and I have no plans to utilize.

lots to do yet

 

[Mk44]

I know the feeling. I've collected my share of firearms, knives & ammo over time. As age has creeped up on me, I have started reducing my collection. It's hard deciding what to keep and sell. But I need to reduce the collection to a just few as my wife could care less about them when I'm gone.

A friend owns 2 rifle and 1 shotgun. He tells me that's all he needs. I've tried this concept... to choose only 1 rifle, 1 shotgun and 1 handgun from my collection. It didn't work. lol
I've sold a few guns to fund a more expensive rifle that I've been wanting. It helps reduce my collection ( I think. lol)

 

[Saltwater60]

Cleaning out my basement soon. Not getting rid of guns, but stuff I don’t use.

 

[1075tech]

one decision I have made is; no new guns come in the house without one or two going out to pay for it.

That's what I've tried to do as of late. But I just "inherited" two more.

 

[SmallGameAddict]

I was raised in the, “one is none and two is one,” mode of thinking. Also contributing to the stockpile of things, living up in NY where one are limited in mag capacity as well as fixed mag vs featureless. I may have acquired a shit ton more than I could realistically use andor pass on to my daughter. She has everything one could use now and stands to inherit all of the guns I own now.
A majority of which are factory guns which she most likely will sell off, the ones I made (80%) will most likely be sold off too as they will all be properly marked by ATF standards and can legally be sold by her as the my heir. And with the proper markings FFLs won’t have an issue transferring them. I of course will continue to make my own guns as I love making things so the gun collection will continue to grow even after I am finished downsizing. The growth will be of my own brand though.

I have a few which will never be sold (by me) as they has been passed down to me by family, and they will be passed down the line by me as well.

My dilemma really is where to start and how to go about it. Obviously stop acquiring more via cash is a beginning. I have started to acquire through trade, by trading more of the less used/ valuable in acquisition of a more valuable firearm is one possible avenue. This will downsize my collection while still allowing me to acquire things which catch my eye. A second Avenue is selling things outright. A third is gifting some of my firearms to family members. Eventually, I suppose I will use all three approaches to get down to what I consider satisfying and manageable numbers.

At least I don’t have a car collection which costs me money in for storage(property tax and upkeep).

as of now it downsizing is just in the thinking stage. I guess I have to come to terms with it before it becomes a must do. Aging is a bitch sometimes.

I'm having the same thoughts. You reach an age.

What would I be a damn fool to sell? (Collectibles that appreciate in value).
What do I really NEED?

 

[SmallGameAddict]

Your last post has it. Ten years ago I decided to not add a gun until I sold one. Then I went to funding a new purchase by selling. I sold three hunting rifles to pay for my PRS rifle and scope. Then I sold off several when I downsized in move from MA to PA. Sold another rifle to buy a Labradar which gets used a lot. Sold another to pay myself back for my Dillion 550.

Now I’m working on looking at items I haven’t shot in 5 years and I have no plans to utilize.

lots to do yet

Labrador chrono? I've drooled over them for at least 5 years. Always wanted one.

I'm jelly!

 

[SmallGameAddict]

@GOPerfect @1075tech yeah know the feeling about looking at stuff deciding what goes in packing and moving and what goes in the landfill. My house down here is 1300 sqft vs the 2300 I had up there. I downsized a lot when I was figuring out what to bring to NC. Now I am looking at my gun collection thinking the “what needs to go?”

It takes me a while to do the yearly cleaning, while it is mostly light duty days, it is still a lot. There are quite a few in the safe which have gone a decade or two between outings with them. I think I am going to start by laying them all out, putting away the ones I have made and the ones that will never be sold (family heirlooms) then see what is left. Then I will be in a better position to see what I can part with. Like I said in the beginning I am in the thinking stage now.

The one decision I have made is; no new guns come in the house without one or two going out to pay for it. I can downsize a little bit that way since there are a couple on my list I would like to have, a S&W 929, the new M&P 10mm but that is about it. I still have about 20 receivers I will make into guns, so maybe I will make one and sell a factory made receiver gun to balance it out. Lots to think about.

What I do in cases like that, is start putting all those thoughts on paper.

Rather than haul them all out, review your inventory and just write down what you have, and put into a group, i.e. Heirlooms etc.

You can prob come up with a disposable list real quick

 

[dsdmmat]

What I do in cases like that, is start putting all those thoughts on paper.

Rather than haul them all out, review your inventory and just write down what you have, and put into a group, i.e. Heirlooms etc.

You can prob come up with a disposable list real quick

I have started my annual cleaning Season on so I will be putting hands on everything soon anyway. The nice thing about making my list this way is everything will be clean.

 

[Mosinitis]

I only clean guns after I shoot them. I use Break-free CLP. It will dry up and leave protective Teflon coating. I have guns that I didn't touch in decades, no signs of rust. Do not store guns in leather holsters, they can cause surface rust.

I use CLP on all of my steel/iron gear and tools. Apply it once and never have to worry about rust. If it gets exposed to water or sweat, I just wipe it off and reapply CLP.

 

[dsdmmat]

I only clean guns after I shoot them. I use Break-free CLP. It will dry up and leave protective Teflon coating. I have guns that I didn't touch in decades, no signs of rust. Do not store guns in leather holsters, they can cause surface rust.

I use CLP on all of my steel/iron gear and tools. Apply it once and never have to worry about rust. If it gets exposed to water or sweat, I just wipe it off and reapply CLP.

Yeah with the humidity in this place I like to touch everything at least once a year. As a bonus it helps me keep track of what I have and where it is. Everything gets cleaned when it leaves the house and once a year everything gets cleaned. A routine I developed a long time ago, I have no reason to stop while I am still physically able to do so.