Yard Sales/Flea Markets/Estate Sales/etc

[Guest WingedWarrior]

What is the law in Tennessee with regards to buying and selling firearms at yard sales, flea markets, estate sales, etc? I'm know that a private seller has to verify Tennessee residency of the buyer, have no reason to believe the buyer is a felon, etc. I'm not a regular yard sale/flea market attender, but I don't recall seeing firearms for sale at any of these places when I have been. Can one indeed buy and sell like this? If so, it would seem to be a good place to find a bargain. Thoughts/advice/etc? - WW

[nightrunner]

its the same as a private transaction, if they dont tell you they are a felon and they dont tell you that they are not a TN resident, you make the transaction, simple as that. TN does not require a paper trial for private transfers of firearms

[Guest Grout]

I overheard some locals at the last gunshow mention that the ATF came through the local flea market and gave some stern warnings to a couple people set up.These guys always had a table full of mostly single shot long guns and cheap handguns.I have not seen them back there this summer.

[Will]

Yard sales they do not seem to care about because few guns sold overall. Flea

market is watched close by local PD and ATF as they all have been warned,

two busts last year KY/TN&AL/TN Border flea markets netted about sixty people.

They were going flea market to out of state gun shows.

[Guest WingedWarrior]

So, it sounds like I'm not likely to find much of a selection at a yard sale or flea market. That right? - WW

[Reservoir Dog]

I would look heavily at estate sales. I have heard of some very nice finds at some of them.

[Will]

Some estate sales have guns almost all in last 20 years have an

FFL run them through so they are high to begin with and you

pay tax on it. If you really know guns there are some nice and

rare one that do go at a good price.

[Guest Major Pain]

Picked up a colt cobra in 22lr by chance at estate auction last year. Auction had about 30 short and long guns for sale with a lot of other items this man had collected for years. The colt had stopped at $200 and heard someone in crowd say "wouldn't give more than that for a 22" so had to get in, couple bids later and got it less than $3. So I would say estate sales rank ahead of flea markets and yard sales at least for me.----MP

[Guest ordonnanzgewehr]

What's the best way to find these Estate sales in your local area???

[Guest Grout]

Newspaper classifieds.

[molonlabetn]

Estate auctions can be a good place to pick up a specimen... but rarely do they go for what I would consider a 'bargain'.

I wouldn't touch a yard-sale or flea-market gun with a 10-foot pole.

[Guest jp79]

Estate auctions can be a good place to pick up a specimen... but rarely do they go for what I would consider a 'bargain'.

I wouldn't touch a yard-sale or flea-market gun with a 10-foot pole.

Depending on what type gun it is i woudnt worry about it. if i went to a flea market back home and somebody didn't guns for sale i would be worried lol. I dont think you risk any more buying a gun in one of those places than someone walking around at a gun show trying to sale something.

[fizik]

Is there any way to determine if an estate sale will have firearms from the advertisement? I doubt it, but I'd like to hit a few just for kicks, and maybe stumble on a decent deal. And once I did find an old Springfield circa 1930 .410 that I bought for $20 at a yard sale. After a good cleaning I tested it by (don't laugh...) tying a string to the trigger, setting sandbags over the breech, and standing about 50 feet back to fire it. It fired about a dozen times, so I shot it some more from the shoulder. It's been just fine, so I'm hanging on to it for my youngest sister when or if she's interested in learning to shoot skeet.

[Guest Major Pain]

Watch the little shopper papers and local papers and when you find one go and sign up to bid. That will get you on a mailing list and you'll hear about all of them in the area for a while thru the mail.

Most estate auctions that have any guns will usually list the items in the ads. But beware most go high and some go for more than new. Also remember some guns are broke and if not very careful you'll be home before you find out. Get there a little early and look them over. If find something that interest you check it over good before auction. Just a little common sense and you might get lucky but they are fun to check out. Watched a bidding war couple weeks ago and saw a Baby Browning 25 in nickle with pearl grips go for $750 with no box or papers, some get carried away and think it the Barret-Jackson auction.

[Guest Spuds]

I have found that most estate sales do not offer firearms for sale if any were in the estate. Typically 2 to 3 times a year I see an ad for an estate sale that mentions guns, so they do happen, but seemingly infrequently.

If an estate included many guns at all, they will often go to a gun auction, where an auction company combines guns from several estates or if the collection is large enough, the collection is auctioned without adding others to it. Other estates seem to have networks of individuals they've dealt with over the years and sell any firearms they get in an estate to these individual collectors. I've tried to get an "in" but have yet to succeed.

Some recent estate guns were sold by Posey Auction (12/31/07) and Gravitt Auction (7/26/08.) I recall a single estate auction done by Danny Ratcliff Auction a couple of years ago. Jeff Dobson & Associates does such sales annually in North GA.

That's my take on estate sales and guns in SE Tennessee, worth exactly what you paid for it.

[The Average Joe]

I don't do yard sales very much, but when I find myself out with the wife on a Saturday morning in the family van going from house to house, I aways ask if they have any guns or knives they want to sell or get rid of.

You'd be surprised....some guys will sit there a minute, tilt their head, think a minute, then run in the house, and come back out with a treasure....and ask hardly anything for it.

Not a bad habit to get into when you're out "yard saling"...

[jeremiah]

There have been several estate auctions in the Nashville area in the last year. Be careful what you ask for, when a large collector has an auction, the biggest problem is having enough $$ to win a few bids. If you go to an auction, make sure you go to the preview, to examine the guns. I looked at a couple guns in a Carthage sale, at 25 feet they looked fine, up close they were worn-out.

[big mo]

you can also find estate sales in local bargain marts, and trading post.

[jeremiah]

Sunday paper is good source. The guy in Murfreesboro, that had the large auction in November advertised in Shotgun News.

[Guest JavaGuy]

Google "Estate sales [your city & state here] and see what pops up.

Here's a listing for Nashville..

http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/TN/Nashville.aspx

[Guest hustle]

What's the best way to find these Estate sales in your local area???

Since you're in Loudon, check out Craig Bacon Auction Co. from Rockwood. They advertise in Roane County News and Knoxville News Sentinel. Once you register at an auction, they will send you flyers in the mail detailing the upcoming large auctions. My father-in-law bought a sweet ithaca 16 gauge over-under at the last one. We even got half a coffee can of slugs out of a lot of tools one time. They usually have great auctions.

[jeremiah]

If you find an auction house that handles estates with firearms,put them on your internet favorites list. Chances are that they will do more sales in future.