I've mentioned before I buy gun estates.  It's been an amusing pastime since I retired.  It's amazing, and disheartening, to see what some people have amassed in their lifetime, and what they've left their families with to dispose of.  I've been able to own, add to my own collection, and use some really interesting guns.  I've passed on brass, ammo, reloading stuff to more than finance my own acquisitions, and to make a decent income.

As I've seen what others have left behind, I'm becoming increasingly aware of my own stock, and have come to think in terms of "I've got more than enough to last my lifetime".

Today, I'm feeling like I'm in the situation of eating an elephant, a bite at a time, and it looks insurmountable.

I have bought 9 estates this summer.  Most were about average, 5 to 10 different calibers, reloading stuff, maybe 500 to 2000 pieces of brass for each.  One had an estimated 3500 pounds of rifles and ammo.  One had a couple hundred knives.  One this week had a pickup load of used brass, reloaded ammo, dies, misc.  Most had bullets and reloading equipment to match.   

Then, the bulk of the elephant hit.  Another 4000 pound load of guns and ammo.  A load of 450 knives.  Another pickup load coming of about 2000 more knives as soon as I can get the present load sorted and stored.   

All of a sudden, I'm sitting on about 50,000 pieces of brass, and 3000 knives to sort, categorize, inventory, list and move.  A bite at a time, it's a big mountain to move.  And, it's on top of the 350,000 pieces of Jamison brass I bought last year.

I've got to slow the incoming, and increase the outgoing, or my heirs are going to have an even worse mess to deal with than I've solved for those I've helped.

Just as one example, a few years ago I couldn't get enough .22 ammo to allow myself to shoot.  Today, I think I've got about 75,000 rounds.  I'd have a hard time taking that many aimed shots in my lifetime, if I worked hard at it.  And, more 44 mag, 45 acp, 9mm, .223, .308, 38 special, 357 mag and other common stuff than I could ever shoot.   

Hopefully, in a couple of weeks I'll feel like I've got it a lot more under control!

Not going to Tulsa.  Have a family event near the time, so won't do both.  I'm not much of a gun show guy anyway.

Biggest factor right now is the court decisions on NFA stuff.  

All buyer dollars are going into suppressors and SBR's right now, nobody is buying much of anything else.  Makes it hard to move common items like .30-06 brass.

Probably the next time I'll be able to get away is the Phoenix rimfire match end of January.   

at 73 I'm already cleaning out the closet. sold the business,its done this spring. will  keep certain tools I can use but the rest goes. Will move in three years and download.Its time! LOL   I have buddies with the attitude of just let there kids dispose and make the $$$. I have none. and there shops you can barely walk thru!  Good luck Dave ! Great story.....

See you in Phoenix in January Dave!

Should be good and winter-like here by then so I'll be looking forward to it.

GT

I have been working on disposing of an estate for one of our club members widows.  Myself and others chipped in to try and liquidate his collection without giving his assets away.  I am down to his last scopes and a couple of bench rifles that are old school and not really what the modern bench rest folks want.  It has been way more work than I suspected and has made me think of my own collection and where it needs to go.  Lots of old timers in the single shot game and most likely lots of collections to be liquidated in the future.  I see prices coming down a bit since there are more items available.  Good luck to all.

There is counseling for your problem, most insurance plans will probably cover it.
Joe S

I apologize Dave!
You posted a question and it was not right for me to make a smart remark. I hope it all works out for you!
Sincerely,
Joe