People always like to know how much their possessions are worth, including their firearms. However, just because you want to know what your gun is worth, that doesn’t mean you want or need an appraisal of your firearm. We will discuss some of the reasons you might, or might not, want to get your firearms appraised.
Why might you want or need an appraisal? A firearms appraisal is a formal evaluation of the current market value of a firearm, conducted by a professional who is trained in appraising firearms. If you have rare firearms or a large collection, you may need a formal written appraisal for insurance, estate, or probate reasons. A formal written appraisal will include several different steps. The first is looking at the firearm to determine the condition, and documenting that condition. Condition is extremely important when determining value of a firearm, and is nearly impossible to accurately determine without having the firearm in hand. Once condition is determined, then research will be conducted to find comparable items that have sold recently. This data can be found from a number of written publications, along with finding comparable items that have sold at auction. Accurately gauging the value of a gun requires an in depth knowledge of firearms, along with up to date knowledge of the current firearm market locally and nationally.
If, on the other hand, you are just looking to know what a firearm is worth as a potential trade-in or to sell to us or someone else, you probably don’t need or want a formal appraisal. Our value estimates are still best conducted in person so that condition can be ascertained, but will be given verbally without cost.
As an American Gunsmithing Institute Certified Firearms Appraiser, with decades of experience buying, selling, and collecting firearms, we can help with your firearm appraisal needs. If you need a written appraisal of your firearms for insurance or estate purposes, we will provided you a written estimate for what your firearm or collection is worth. We believe appraisals must be done in person for my most accurate results, so appraisals are not done over the phone or via email. You can bring the firearms to us, or we will travel throughout Central Kentucky to provide appraisals for large collections.
Written appraisals start at $30 per firearm, but if you have a large collection call us to discuss the option of having us use an hourly rate instead.