Selling Parker for Grandma

[C.O.B.]

Jack in regards to Family guns just an FYI I'm open for adoption and willing to retain your legacy for future generations. I'm potty trained (most of the time), employed (except during bird season and deer season then its part time), live in a different country (only sporadic visits during bird season), when you consider all the positives it's a no brainer I'll have attorney call your attorney and get the paperwork started....what ya say....Dad

[TARNATION !!!]

Well, son before anything happens with the guns, clean your room, take out the garbage, help Mom fix the old mix-master (no desserts 'til done) and finish your homework. And please quit bugging me about the car. You can take it for a spin but you're puttin' gas in it. Be back by 10 or no huntin' on the weekend. If you can live with this, don't call a lawyer, call Madonna, as she has experience with international adoptions. If she gets this approved - welcome to the family.
Cheers,
Dad

[Harry Collins]

This little family discussion put a smile on my face.....

[Tim Earney]

Chip,
You can find quite a few examples for sale with pictures at The Gun Room, www.doublegun.com. They are all dealers but you should be able to find some comparable 20 gauge VH Parkers and get an idea about the value. I do however very much agree with the philosphy of keeping such a wonderful heirloom in the family.

[MarketHunter]

Perhaps before we all get off on a crying tangent over Chip selling "grandpa's gun" you might re-read his original posting where he says his grandmother wants to sell her late husbands Parker. Just by the wording I'd say that this perhaps isn't a family gun to Chip but I could be wrong of course.


Destry

[TARNATION !!!]

Thanks to all who have responded and kindly offered advice. It has been very helpful and added some needed perspective.

Best wishes,

Chip Sutton

Let's not forget the OP's follow-up statement. Mr. Sutton may not have had any interest in the gun his grandmother wanted to sell. He may or may not have changed his mind but says he has added some perspective to his thinking. By definition, the gun could be a 3 generation family gun at the moment. If sold outside the family it becomes a non-family gun. Not going to make much of a difference in the overall scheme of life, as most Parkers are no longer in the multi-generation family category. Those that are retain a special connection to the past that is lost once sold outside the family. Again, not a major calamity. I don't think any of us will shed a tear if the gun is sold outside the family, in fact some among us might just want to help out grandma. The discussion simply gave Mr. Sutton pause to think it through, which it appears he has done.
Cheers,
Jack

[David Hamilton]

Jack, There is one thing left unexplored in this post and that is your assertion that you don't know if the next generation will take a real interest in your guns. I fear that many of us face something similar. We need a plan to focus the attention of the next generation on what really matters- my tool pile, my exceedingly large supply of gun stuff, my unfinished projects of a large and diverse nature, not to mention the holy dust that collects on all the previous. I look to you for leadership! David

[Bruce Day]

I won't make any recommendations, but allow me to recount some experiences. I'm at Pheasant Fest in Omaha displaying a bunch of Parkers. We have so many people come by, maybe as high as 20,000 in the past , and we hear over and over about how grandma or grandpa had this wonderful Parker , wasn't much engraving but sure was a nice gun, and it got sold. They wished they had it still in the family. So we hear these regrets about lost family guns all the time.

[Jerry Andrews]

Family stuff should be kept as family stuff unless money is an issue or some other personal reason it needs to be liquidated. Someone in the family one day will be thrilled the gun is still around. Jerry Andrews

[Opening Day]

I agree with Bruce and Jerry, if you can keep it in the family. Eric