Ethical quandary in re-selling gear

I'd suggest they sell it all to GC. A long drawn out financial partnership with loosely defined promises is a recipe for disaster. They're not struggling financially? Leave it alone. It'll work out better for everyone involved.

 

I like the buy it now and sell it later deal. I do that a lot and it always works for me...as long as you understand you will be storing gear until you get your price...so get your price, or the deal isnt worth it...you cant be in a hurry to sell as you cant give the stuff away but you cant sit on it too long because life will get in the way so its a fine dance you have to do. Good luck with it.
Rock on.

 

As long as they know your plans up front and are okay with it I don't see an issue.

 

It depends on what you mean by high-end and what tube stuff. It could be worth a lot or a little. GC or any local store is not very good at pricing in my opinion, especially if the equipment is rare or idiosyncratic.

 

I'd still leave it alone. At most I'd advise your friend about value. Something like this is never gonna be simple. Or maybe it could be. Seems unlikely though.

 

Any scenario that takes a big-box retailer out of the equation sounds good to me.

 

Send pics of the EBMM, lets see what you got.
Rock on.

 

I play 5's...

 

Help out as little or as much as you can or care to.
Be fair, be honest. No ethical issues.

 

They could also join TB and list it here with your help on pricing.

 

Just be honest with them in whatever you do and then there is no ethical quandry at all. Ethics are your morals, so if you are having a moral dilemma for whatever reason, talk it out and then it is no longer a moral dilemma, it is a group decision based on the known information. An ethical quandry is when you are faced with doing something that goes against your morals.

 

This would be closest to honoring the last request of the deceased, if that's still important to you. (It would be to me.)

I can see the family appreciating the thought you put into it. They can't handle this chore and they don't want a protracted partnership, and if you can assure them you are paying a reasonable street value for the lot significantly above what a store like GC would pay, that should settle it.

What you do with the gear from there on is your business. If you flip things and end up a little ahead on the deal, that's your fee for being the middle man broker. Or if it gives you good karma you can redirect the profits as you see fit, but I wouldn't see that as a requirement. It's a lot of work listing and selling gear one item at a time, so you would be perfectly justified keeping any profits that arise.

And if you go through with this you are a good man. I am sincerely impressed with your generosity and selflessness.

 

I would take the whole lot into GC, see what they offer then see if the family is ok with that amount. If they are, then I 'd buy the whole lot for more then what GC offered and go about selling it individually on your own. They're paid more than what they would have gotten and you have the opportunity to do with it what you will and are also helping them out in the process.

 

I’d be cautious about getting involved. You don’t know the family and sometimes estates can be lawsuits waiting to happen. Then there’s tax issues.

 

Did this for a friends wife that asked for the same in the field of firearms/competitive shooting gear. He and I went back 40 years together. After he passed, we evaluated what he hadn't sold off before departing and I cut her a check to "make it disappear". Took a decade to move it all and I didn't make much on the deal after refinishing some neglected works and putting a lot of hours into researching most of it. I kept a few things for myself that he had shared with me during competitions that have sentimental value. I take them to the range every year on the day of his passing (or as close to it as I can) and shoot a few rounds in his honor...It's how I commemorate our friendship.

His wife and my family are still in touch and she's considered part of the family. By getting those things out of her life, she was able to grieve and move on. Seems like the OP is in a similar place, even if not 1st-person relationship with the deceased. Karma isn't cheap but it has bigger benefits than just cash.