Policies

U.S. SALES

• Please note that your receiving FFL may charge a state sales tax. This is particularly true in California, and totally out of our control. It is the Buyer’s responsibility to verify their state sales tax obligation with their receiving FFL. We encourage you to review this potential cost with your receiving FFL. 
• Please call or email to find out if the item is available. Calls take priority over emails. If available, we hold the item 5 business days awaiting payment. After 5 days, if payment has not been received, the item will be returned to inventory.

• VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club International, and JCB debit and credit cards accepted for all items. If you pay by personal check, cashier’s check, or money order, you are entitled to a 2.5% discount off the purchase price (unless you are placing an item on layaway). There will be no change in the shipping charge.

• Personal checks (both sent via mail and eChecks) will need to clear before shipment. Waiting time is usually 3-5 days.

• Iowa residents will be charged an additional 7% sales tax. Sorry, no exceptions unless you send us a copy of your tax exempt resale number.

SHIPPING

• We will always try to ship your firearm as fast as possible, but please note that we are a small business and not Amazon. 
• We strongly prefer to ship only on Monday through Wednesday to potentially prevent firearms from sitting in a FedEx facility over the weekend if a shipping delay occurs. However, please note that we will ship on any business day per the Buyer’s request. 
• All purchases are carefully and reliably packaged for shipment. Handgun shipments generally cost more as most carriers require either next day or 2-day express shipping. Historic Investments complies with all carrier firearms regulations. After payment has been received and FFL/C&R licensing verified, your order will usually be shipped within 2 business days.
• We will exclusively use FedEx as our shipping carrier. We have had significant challenges shipping firearms with USPS and UPS. We can not ship using any carrier other than FedEx. 
• Shipping notifications are enabled so that you can track your order. You will receive FedEx tracking notifications to the email address you provided upon Check Out.  

• A Federal Firearms License is required on all shipments of modern guns. A legible, signed and dated FFL, whose validity may be verified of ATF’s EZ Check website, may be mailed, faxed, or emailed. Curio and Relic (C&R) eligible firearms may be shipped to the licensee as permitted by state law.

• Occasionally, state law will mandate certain restrictions. For example, handguns with high capacity magazines (more than 10 round capacity) cannot be shipped to CA, CO, CT, D.C., HI, MA, MD, VT, and NJ. All of these jurisdictions, except CO, also ban assault weapons. Furthermore, no C&R shipments to CA or NY.

• A minimum of $45.00 shipping will be assessed on all handguns, more depending on value and location.

• Long guns will be shipped 2nd day air or ground. A minimum of $75.00 shipping will be assessed, more depending on value and location.

INTERNATIONAL SALES

• Historic Investments cannot ship guns internationally. However, we can direct you to an exporter so that you may determine the feasibility of exporting your purchase and shipment costs.
• Please call or email to find out if item is available. Remember to account for time changes. If available, we will hold the item for 10 business days awaiting payment. After 10 days, if payment has not been received, the item will be returned to stock.
• International credit card, debit card, and eCheck transactions are prohibited. 
• Antiques and Firearms: We only accept wire transfer. Contact us for banking information and to assess sales feasibility. 
• Accessories: We also accept Paypal with a 7% surcharge. 

• Invoice on all shipments will reflect the correct purchase price. No exceptions.

• The purchaser is responsible for the legal status of the order. Any items seized by foreign agencies/customs are the responsibility of the purchaser. There will be no refund on any items not returned to Historic Investments.

LAY-AWAYS

We offer a lay-away service under the following terms, only for items that cost more than $1000: 

• For $1000-$3000: 50% down payment within 10 days of the sale with the balance paid off within 30 days.
• For > $3000: 25% down payment within 10 days of the sale with the balance paid off within 60 days.

Once a deposit has been placed against a layaway item, it cannot be transferred to something else. If the balance is not paid off within 60 days, all deposits will be forfeited. You may place a maximum of 2 items on layaway at a time. 

Layaways are only valid for items purchased on our website, and payment in full with a personal/business check, certified check, or money order. The 2.5% non-credit card discount is NOT applicable to layaways. 

Our consignment fee, standard in the firearms industry, is 20%.  As you may note from our website, our photography is superb!  We handle all the questions, make sure all the paperwork is in order, and ship your items securely.  Your item gets sold at a fair price that is discussed in advance and you get a check within 30 days of the sale with an accounting statement.  

We want to make this a totally transparent and trustworthy process.  You can deliver your guns to us directly or ship them to our shop address.  If your collection is large enough, we will be available to inspect and pick up your collection.  After your items have been with us for 60 days, you are free to retrieve any guns that have not been sold or on hold.

The above is true for all items with a market value of over $1000.  If lower, we are happy to group several items to meet the minimum threshold.

Desirable but lower grade guns are offered at a reduced price point with fewer pictures and a different marketing strategy. If the value is over $1000, the 20% consignment fee remains. Lower value items will arranged for a group sale to reach the $1000 threshold. If there is no sale in 60 days, the listed price will automatically be reduced 10% per month, a process that will remain in effect until the items are sold.

Anytime after the first 60 days, any unsold items may be returned at consigner’s expense. Should the consigner wish a more immediate sale, we would consider an outright purchase or list the items on a general auction site, such as Gunbroker, with a penny start and consignment fee based on the sale price.

We will be happy to help you with your import needs but be aware that this involves a lot of paperwork and time. To start this process, you can either fill out the online PDF import application (click here to download) and send it to us, or give us the following information.

Name, address, phone and FAX of foreign seller.

Name, address, phone and FAX of foreign shipper, if different than #1.

Name, address, phone and FAX of U.S.A. end-user.

Name, address, phone and FAX of U.S.A. FFL dealer, if different than end-user.

Manufacturer, country of manufacture, type (pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun), model, caliber, barrel length in inches, overall length in inches, whether it is new or used, and dollar value for each firearm.

End-use of firearms (i.e. collection, resale, sport shooting, consignment, etc.).

Military or police surplus firearms, categorized as curio and relic, require additional documentation. BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) needs a “5 year letter” stipulating that they have been in the country of export for the previous 5 years. The documentation is in the form of a receipt or signed statement on an original document. A fax or email is not acceptable. If you wish, we can provide a sample “5 year letter” to send to your contact for their signature and have them mail it back to us.

After the documents are received, we will apply for your license. In most cases, your application will be submitted in a few days. BATF generally takes 8-12 weeks to render a decision, sometimes longer.

As you may be aware, there are some guns that cannot be imported. That includes most .25 ACP, .32 ACP and .380 ACP pistols. Pistols have to have an overall length of 6″ and revolvers have to have a barrel length of 3″. Smaller guns are prohibited from importation as are most US military weapons, all assault weapons and machine guns. On occasion, the US Department of State will change the list of “friendly” countries from which we can receive firearms.

If your application is approved, we will email the foreign shipper a copy of the import permit and give them the instructions on how to address and place their documents on the parcel. Be sure to advise your shipper to place your guns in a sturdy container that can be opened by the US Customs Service, if needed, and resealed.

As for shipping, many countries require that their firearms be shipped Air Freight, especially for larger quantities. If Air Parcel Post is acceptable, the shipping will probably be less expensive. Should you choose that rate, let us know, as some of the shipping details will be different. We will not accept any packages with collect charges.

Cost: Our minimum fee to prepare your import license is $200.00 for the first gun, $150.00 for the second gun, and $100.00 for every additional gun. This fee, that includes the cost of laser engraving the required import marks, must be received before we submit your application. It is not refundable in case of BATF rejection or for any other reason. If the original application is denied and you modify the gun to meet ATF’s concerns, our reapplication fee is as per a new permit. We are very sensitive to the collector’s view regarding import marking that will be performed as discreetly as possible. For the record, BATF requires a character height of at least 1/16″ and a depth of at least .003″.

Be aware that there are additional costs outside our control including the customs brokerage fee, storage fees, insurance, duty, shipment to our office and the shipment to you. Duty is approximately 3% the value of the rifle/shotgun and 6% the value of the pistol/revolver. If we have to repackage your shipment to the US end-user, add $10.00. You will need to pay all of those costs before we forward your shipment.

Although we will expedite your application process to the best of our ability, there are many factors outside our control. BATF’s response to your import request may be delayed or other countries may be tardy in their export approval. For example, Hermann Historica, the largest auction house in Germany, advises a 2-3 month wait for an export permit.

All items, except lay-aways, have a 3-day inspection period. If you are unhappy for any reason, we will cheerfully refund the purchase price of the merchandise. Your purchased item must be returned to Historic Investments (at your expense) and inspected by us prior to any reimbursement. The price of your purchase will be refunded (minus a 3.5% service fee if payment via credit/debit card). If you change your mind during the 3-day inspection period, Historic Investments has the right to charge a $75 re-stocking fee. If there was an error in the description that is mutually agreed upon by both the Customer and Historic Investments, Historic Investments will offer a full refund inclusive of shipping and no fees will be applied. 

Please email before returning an item and be aware that all returned items must be in the exactly the same condition as shipped. We meticulously photograph all inventory (both interior and exterior). If the gun has been fired, any parts exchanged, or if there is any disassembly related marring (including damage to the screw slots), the return policy is void. No exceptions. There will be no refund on shipping costs. To avoid any concerns, we are always happy to provide additional photographs and/or present an item during an online video session.

While we are always open to trades, our interest is limited to top quality, collectible firearms. Due to the difficulty of evaluating guns online, your items will need to be sent to us for a hands-on review. If we are unable to reach an agreement, you will need to pay the return shipping charge.