Thread: Some help pricing some items for sale from deceased estate

Hi all,
Some non-shooting friends are selling items from a deceased estate. The late father was a target shooter some years ago and they have uncovered his gear which they would like to move on.
I offered my help in selling the items, but I am in a quandary with wanting to help them get the most they can, but also not over selling second hand goods, so I am putting it to the crowd to help decide acceptable market values, as they will be sold here.

I won't be able to answer detailed questions unfortunately, I don't have ready access to the goods, the photos were sent to me.

Descriptions are slim, e.g. I asked, how many bullets in the container? I was told, 'lots' I also asked, which type of dies are they, and the answer was 'a full set for reloading'.

I understand that 'as-is' pricing based on pictures is likely to be lower when info is lacking, but I'm just trying to get them an honest sale.

Anyway, heres pictures;

I am trying to get an indication on size, but its fairly large.




I don't know what weight the loose bullets are, but they were used for F Class/NRA type shooting





520 Rounds of surplus. I am guessing its some of the SADF stuff that was plentiful a few years back.


Lense is broken Im told. Basically a stand and scope parts.


Thanks in advance for any replies.

Dont envy you, a lot of the stuff looks very well used, if the other dies look like the one in the spartan press they need a bit of a clean up $25?.
The FMJ bullets are of use to someone but not really high on the list for target shooting 10 c ea. The 520 rds could be pulled down for their components or shot as is but then we dont know if the cases are boxer or berdan primed.Maybe 35 c a case if reloadable, dont know how old it is.
The fired brass is reloadable but how good is it now? Looks like Winchester head stamp, maybe 10c a case.
The box of bits is a lottery there could be sights in those plastic cases, $10 for the case?
The scope stand is a Collings by the look of it and to a shooter that wants one maybe $150 it looks complete with all the sections.
The press is pretty tardy and maybe $75 same with the beam and thrower. Cleaned up it could get $150 for the bunch.
The jacket and glove ...older style zip up jacket $40 to someone it fits, Glove $5 same
Hope that helps but not much to go on info wise.

If you got a photo from them of the label on the ammo ( that may be SADF like you said) it would help a bit, If it is that R1M1 stuff its berdan primed and not very grunty. The way primer prices are these days its probably worth the price of the primer to someone.
But "needs work" ie pull it down and use another projo.
I would put the press and all the reloading gear in the pastic box along with the Win cases and loose projectiles and call it $200

PM sent.

The gear in total is strictly for TR ("target rifle", ie .308W shot prone with iron sights and sling on an NRA range). Yep, that loading gear is well-used.. That's not to say it's beyond useful, could possibly revive ok.

Originally Posted by johnd

Dont envy you, a lot of the stuff looks very well used, if the other dies look like the one in the spartan press they need a bit of a clean up $25?.
The FMJ bullets are of use to someone but not really high on the list for target shooting 10 c ea. The 520 rds could be pulled down for their components or shot as is but then we dont know if the cases are boxer or berdan primed.Maybe 35 c a case if reloadable, dont know how old it is.
The fired brass is reloadable but how good is it now? Looks like Winchester head stamp, maybe 10c a case.
The box of bits is a lottery there could be sights in those plastic cases, $10 for the case?
The scope stand is a Collings by the look of it and to a shooter that wants one maybe $150 it looks complete with all the sections.
The press is pretty tardy and maybe $75 same with the beam and thrower. Cleaned up it could get $150 for the bunch.
The jacket and glove ...older style zip up jacket $40 to someone it fits, Glove $5 same
Hope that helps but not much to go on info wise.

If you got a photo from them of the label on the ammo ( that may be SADF like you said) it would help a bit, If it is that R1M1 stuff its berdan primed and not very grunty. The way primer prices are these days its probably worth the price of the primer to someone.
But "needs work" ie pull it down and use another projo.
I would put the press and all the reloading gear in the pastic box along with the Win cases and loose projectiles and call it $200

Thanks for the input John. I didn't realise the SADF ammo was berdan, that will definitely effect the price. Also knew nothing about the Collings stand too, when I visit them next I'll have a closer look at those, cheers.

The ammo looks to be German manufactured MEN from the mid 80's (sold off from NZDF I believe). Far better quality than the R1M1.

Originally Posted by NZShoota

The ammo looks to be German manufactured MEN from the mid 80's (sold off from NZDF I believe). Far better quality than the R1M1.

It does have MEN on the headstamp. I thought it just a random code, and I was guessing at SADF because the box was the same.

Originally Posted by NZShoota

The ammo looks to be German manufactured MEN from the mid 80's (sold off from NZDF I believe). Far better quality than the R1M1.

Sold it cheap to us soldiers. 15 cents/round from memory. I still have my receipt!! MEN 84 from memory? VERY stokey (was machine gun ammo) but put across my chrony it was very consistent. Back then I just pulled the projos and put in 125 gn NBTs and got 2900ish. Will look up my reloading book tomorrow.

Originally Posted by XR500

Sold it cheap to us soldiers. 15 cents/round from memory. I still have my receipt!! MEN 84 from memory? VERY stokey (was machine gun ammo) but put across my chrony it was very consistent. Back then I just pulled the projos and put in 125 gn NBTs and got 2900ish. Will look up my reloading book tomorrow.

Soft iron/steel with copper wash IIRC. Bought hundreds of them from Belmont way back.

MEM was surely grunty. The powder was fine shiny ball bearings. Quite a few NRA shooters made "Mexican handloads" from MEN- replaced the mil FMJ with a proper target projectile and it shot pretty well.

It sucks to say out loud, but it’s junk. All of it.

Maybe you suggest they take it to a scrappy?

Originally Posted by Proudkiwi

It sucks to say out loud, but it’s junk. All of it.

Maybe you suggest they take it to a scrappy?

Sure... brass, bullets, powder throwers, presses and scales are usually items that have only scrap value. Especially the 500 rounds of live ammo, all just junk right.
Do you have any of that kind of junk laying around? I'll take it off your hands for scrap value..

Put the personal piece aside. If there was actually any value in it, why haven’t you bought it?

Leading them on by suggesting they will get cash for it is way worse than being honest and telling them the truth.

Ya know, one man's junk is another man's treasure. I've been given boxes of this stuff in the past, cleaned and sorted it, kept and used some, moved some on to deserving hands, junked a small amount. If you want to stick it all in a box and drop off in NP I'll give you something for it. Won't be much but it won't go to waste. PM me if interested.

Originally Posted by Proudkiwi

Put the personal piece aside. If there was actually any value in it, why haven’t you bought it?

Leading them on by suggesting they will get cash for it is way worse than being honest and telling them the truth.

Now you're being silly dude.
Firstly I already own a pile of reloading gear, and I don't shoot .308. I bought the powder and primers they had and gave them $400 for a start.
They will get cash for the rest, its just plain odd to suggest otherwise. I'm only trying to put a fair value on it.
FYI, the PMC projectiles and half the live ammo have been sold. Theres $500 already right there.
Did you even look at the pictures or is this a wind up? C'mon man I don't know why you think reloading gear is useless because its dirty and that projectiles and live ammo is junk.