HELP!?

S Newton · January 15, 2011, 10:46 AM

My brother has a friend in need of a antique dealer. His friend has recently inherited a nice collection of 1800s Colt and S&W revolvers most still with original paperwork. He has no IDEA what he has and is not interested in keeping them. They need someone with some knowledge and HONEST to help with the sale of these pistols. Does anyone know of any antique firearm dealers in the Winston-Salem, NC area?

James K · January 15, 2011, 04:00 PM

In his position, I would not go to any local antique gun dealer, and specifically would not go to a general antique dealer. He would probably not get 10 cents on the dollar of actual value. Nor should he try to sell through an on-line auction unless he can get precise appraisals and knows exactly what he has and what it is worth.

Tell him to contact several of the big gun auction houses like:

Rock Island Auction Co. (RIA) - [email protected]

Amoskeag - www.amoskeagauction.com

James D. Julia - www.jamesdjulia.com

There are others which do not have web sites. There are also nationally recognized dealers who will buy outright, but IMHO a good auction house with nationwide sales is the best way to sell those kinds of items.

One way to get more names is to get copies of the NRA collectors' magazine, Man at Arms (54 East School St., Woonsocket, RI 02895), and The Gun Report (110 S. College Ave., Aledo, IL 61231. Both sell single copies. They have numerous ads for antique gun dealers and gun auction houses.

Best of luck to him.

Jim

gyvel · January 15, 2011, 06:58 PM

Flayderman's Guide To Antique American Firearms is a pretty good guide for the approximate general value of your firearms. 9th editiion is the latest. It contains a wealth of information that will at least give you a "jumping off" point in determining the value of what you have.

S Newton · January 15, 2011, 07:38 PM

Thanks for the help guys. I will pass this info on to him.

James K · January 15, 2011, 11:38 PM

Flayderman's comes out at irregular intervals, so prices are not current. If going the book route, first use Flayderman's to identify the gun, then use the Blue Book to get an approximate retail value, then use Google or another search engine to check on-line sales and auction sites for current SALES figures (not what was asked, but what was gotten). Then if there are gun shows in the area, take some of the guns to the show (comply with the safety rules of course) and see what similar guns are bringing.

Jim

January 15, 2011, 10:46 AM	#1
S Newton Junior Member Join Date: October 3, 2009 Posts: 13	HELP!? My brother has a friend in need of a antique dealer. His friend has recently inherited a nice collection of 1800s Colt and S&W revolvers most still with original paperwork. He has no IDEA what he has and is not interested in keeping them. They need someone with some knowledge and HONEST to help with the sale of these pistols. Does anyone know of any antique firearm dealers in the Winston-Salem, NC area?

January 15, 2011, 04:00 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	In his position, I would not go to any local antique gun dealer, and specifically would not go to a general antique dealer. He would probably not get 10 cents on the dollar of actual value. Nor should he try to sell through an on-line auction unless he can get precise appraisals and knows exactly what he has and what it is worth. Tell him to contact several of the big gun auction houses like: Rock Island Auction Co. (RIA) - [email protected] Amoskeag - www.amoskeagauction.com James D. Julia - www.jamesdjulia.com There are others which do not have web sites. There are also nationally recognized dealers who will buy outright, but IMHO a good auction house with nationwide sales is the best way to sell those kinds of items. One way to get more names is to get copies of the NRA collectors' magazine, Man at Arms (54 East School St., Woonsocket, RI 02895), and The Gun Report (110 S. College Ave., Aledo, IL 61231. Both sell single copies. They have numerous ads for antique gun dealers and gun auction houses. Best of luck to him. Jim

January 15, 2011, 06:58 PM	#3
gyvel Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2009 Location: Northern AZ Posts: 7,172	Flayderman's Guide To Antique American Firearms is a pretty good guide for the approximate general value of your firearms. 9th editiion is the latest. It contains a wealth of information that will at least give you a "jumping off" point in determining the value of what you have.

January 15, 2011, 07:38 PM	#4
S Newton Junior Member Join Date: October 3, 2009 Posts: 13	Thanks for the help guys. I will pass this info on to him.

January 15, 2011, 11:38 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Flayderman's comes out at irregular intervals, so prices are not current. If going the book route, first use Flayderman's to identify the gun, then use the Blue Book to get an approximate retail value, then use Google or another search engine to check on-line sales and auction sites for current SALES figures (not what was asked, but what was gotten). Then if there are gun shows in the area, take some of the guns to the show (comply with the safety rules of course) and see what similar guns are bringing. Jim