Gun Collection Stolen

[ronbradsher]

Several months ago, a gun collection was stolen from a home in North Carolina.
The thief was a caregiver for the elderly woman whose husband had been an avid bird hunter and gun collector over the course of his lifetime. None of the guns have been recovered so far.
The collection included 27 very nice side-by-side shotguns (and about half of those were Parkers). In addition to the side-by-sides, there were other shotguns as well as rifles and pistols that were taken.
These guns were to have been handed down to the victim's only grandson and I would think that almost everybody who has any gun that belonged to their father or grandfather, any gun with a family connection or history, will understand just how this family feels.
The thief was from eastern North Carolina, she had been working as a caregiver for the victim. She worked on a seven-day rotating schedule with another caregiver and it is believed that after she gained access the gun safe she managed to get the guns out of the house by breaking them down and hiding them in her bags.
The family does not believe that the thief had any idea of the value or the collectable nature of the guns she took.
These guns have not been pawned based upon what law enforcement has indicated to the family. They were likely sold to an individual or to individuals for relatively little money (far less than their actual value). The buyer(s), since there would be no connection other than ownership, may try to sell these guns to collectors - people who appreciate these guns would be willing to pay fair value.
Any suggestions, or just advice, would be greatly appreciated.
The family does have serial numbers for every gun that was stolen.