WW2 5th Army jacket Dumpster Find…. NO JOKE! Post your own dumpster trash save stories too

[HBT]

Recent purchases have forced me to sell some items. This uniform group is currently on ebay if anyone is interested in watching or bidding. Thanks.

 

ebay link

 

---Chris

[CNY Militaria]

I thought i recognized it! I had it bookmarked since the day you listed it.

[grovb]

Recent purchases have forced me to sell some items. This uniform group is currently on ebay if anyone is interested in watching or bidding. Thanks.

 

ebay link

 

---Chris

 

 

what are officer groups like this going for? In general what is the going rate for officer uniforms?

thanks,

Brandyn

[CNY Militaria]

It depends on a lot of things.

[gunbarrel]

This week the local Goodwill had two USCG jackets with rates, and a USAF woman's cammo jacket with the last name and all the patches, for $6 ea. I'm fairly certain that their dumpsters are located in the fenced-in area, inaccessible after hours.

[rambob]

My "dumpster" story is also I little sad. I was driving out of my driveway on trash day and at the curb were two leather briefcase looking things. I stopped and looked and they were a Type A-4 Case, Navigation, Dead Reckoning and a Pilots Navigation Kit. They were absolutely packed to the gills with just about every piece of paper/documentation that could be generated for a pilot during a four year WWII career. Pay stubs, insurance forms, transfer letters, replies to letters sent to airlines, post war looking for a job, etc., etc. This just touches the surface of the treasure that were inside those two cases. I realized immediately that our neighbor Doris had basically thrown out all of this stuff from her dead husband Phillip Culler, who was a ferry pilot during the lions share of WWII. After gently reminding her, once again that I collect this stuff and to please notify me if anything else turned up, I ended up giving them a good home.

[37thguy]

Here's my rescue story.

 

About 25 years ago I was offered a footlocker ID'd to a 1st Lt in the 145th Infantry, 37th Division, WW1. When I opened it up here's what was inside, as I recall:

 

Officers Overcoat with Div. insignia and cuff braid for 1st Lt, named

Tunic with O/S stripes, Dsch stripe, all rank and collar insignia, division patch, named

Overseas w/rank, dress Visor, campaign (w/cord) hats

Mint condition multi-camo helmet with name and rank inside

2 Sam Browne belts, named

swagger stick with name and unit

blue wool swimsuit

breeches with belt

officers calf length boots

wrap leggings

Footlocker with name, hometown, Division emblem

gloves, scarf, socks, whistle, compass, various belts...

 

Everything is just about like new.

 

Unfortunately no photo or dog tags but oh well, not bad for being at the curb on trash day with the garbage truck coming down the street! I still look at the group and can't believe that someone (not me) grabbed it just in time. Whew! That was too close!

[Bluehawk]

Actually, I do have a small story:

 

I work at a library as a page, and one day as I was emptying the trash, I found a copy of "American Soldier" by Gen. Tommy Franks headed to the dumpster. When I opened the inner cover, I was surprised to find it was actually signed by the General.

 

It really infuriated me that someone would discard such an important piece of history!

I worked for a Public Library myself, on sabbatical a few years ago.

 

Who would discard such a book?

 

It dismays me to report that the administration of MANY local public libraries have next to zero interest in collecting military history of ANY kind, regardless. Not only are many of them run by very left-leaning Boards and managers, but their acquisition policies are pretty much totally influenced by what appears on the New York Times bestseller list of Fiction writing... THAT, is what most visitors to most Public Libraries borrow most often.

[1stDivVet]

I've had many saves over the years.. Footlockers, duffle bags, helmets, insignia.. Allkinds of stuff. When I was landscaping at a school that was being remodeled, someone in the neighborhood cleaned thier house and used the contract dumpsters at the school.. I got several thousand baseball cards dating from the 50's up.. Just a couple years ago, I found an original 1863 dated Army Regulations manual ID'ed to a field surgeon being thrown out by the local library. Our little theatre was remodeling and I stopped in (knowing it had been around since the 20's) and told them I was a military collector and would be interested in any uniforms they found.. I'd be willing to pay.. They called me a couple days later and told me if I would be willing to do the cleaning, I could have any militaria I found in the props and costumes. I had an 86 Mustang at the time. I filled it from behind the seats to until you could barely close the hatch, and a pile in the passanger seat 5 times.. There was stuff from WW1 up. The best being all the ID'ed dress uniforms of a WAAC/WAC, with insignia, her field jacket, and best of all, her mint/unissued Italian camo rabbit fur lined SS parka.. Most recent trash pick was a Civil War era barrel and stock for an Austrian Lorenze. Sad what people do, but without them, we wouldn't get a lot of this stuff.

 

Fins.

[101combatvet]

Ummmmmm..... never mind.... you just topped any stories I had.

 

I've had many saves over the years.. Footlockers, duffle bags, helmets, insignia.. Allkinds of stuff. When I was landscaping at a school that was being remodeled, someone in the neighborhood cleaned thier house and used the contract dumpsters at the school.. I got several thousand baseball cards dating from the 50's up.. Just a couple years ago, I found an original 1863 dated Army Regulations manual ID'ed to a field surgeon being thrown out by the local library. Our little theatre was remodeling and I stopped in (knowing it had been around since the 20's) and told them I was a military collector and would be interested in any uniforms they found.. I'd be willing to pay.. They called me a couple days later and told me if I would be willing to do the cleaning, I could have any militaria I found in the props and costumes. I had an 86 Mustang at the time. I filled it from behind the seats to until you could barely close the hatch, and a pile in the passanger seat 5 times.. There was stuff from WW1 up. The best being all the ID'ed dress uniforms of a WAAC/WAC, with insignia, her field jacket, and best of all, her mint/unissued Italian camo rabbit fur lined SS parka.. Most recent trash pick was a Civil War era barrel and stock for an Austrian Lorenze. Sad what people do, but without them, we wouldn't get a lot of this stuff.

 

Fins.

[nedwiar]

I have a family member that threw away her husbands 8th AAF Uniforms, Medals, Painted Bomber Jacket, Hats, and two japanese officer swords. In 2005

[kjones5452]

I have a family member that threw away her husbands 8th AAF Uniforms, Medals, Painted Bomber Jacket, Hats, and two japanese officer swords. In 2005

OUCH.