VaCollector: If you inherited the guns upon your uncle's death, then you enjoy the step-up in basis referred to by an earlier poster. If, however, your uncle simply gave you the guns prior to his death (and there is room for argument about what constitutes "giving" you the guns, constructive receipt and all that), then there may be some lingering gift tax issues to deal with. Either way, you or the estate may need a contemporaneous appraisal as of the time you received the guns, either to establish gift tax liabilities or to establish your stepped-up basis in these guns. Absent fraud, the statute may have already run on the gift tax question. The value of the collection seems to be such that you need the best advisors available, both on tax matters and on the possible sale of the collection.
