The USMF manifesto

[Bob Hudson]

For most of the forum's life, the following words appeared on the usmilitariaforum.com home page. When the site was redesigned in 2012, this statement got lost in the shuffle. There's nothing earthshaking in it, but it does define the basic goals of the US Miitaria Forum:

 

Welcome to the U.S. MILITARIA FORUM, a forum just for collectors of United States military uniforms, equipment, firearms, bayonets, fighting knives, helmets, hats, visors, insignia, patches, documents, photographs and anything else related to militaria collecting. This U.S. militaria forum has a large, ever-growing membership and an impressive array of United States militaria resources to aid in your research and understanding of collecting. Unlike many forums, you do not have to register to read the posts. Users only have to register if they wish to actively participate in the forum (i.e. make posts, send private messages, etc.). So, feel free to take a look! If you like what you see, then feel free to register! Accounts are free, so what do you have to lose?

If you are a registered member and post a question, we will go out of their way to make sure you get an answer. And, of course, we welcome your "show and tell" posts with photos and details about items in your collection.

This U.S. militaria forum will also try to be as low stress and easy-to-use as possible. As always, if you just want to browse and learn you will not have to register; but, we do encourage you to register so that you can post and reply to topics, share your knowledge and learn from others. Registered users can even post stuff for sale.

Militaria collecting is a hobby for some and for others a business, either full or part-time (and for some it's a hobby AND a business). Hobbyists need dealers and vice-versa. Here we don't consider militaria dealers as the darkside. We do encourage everyone to do their homework before you buy. . .and frankly that's part of the reason militaria forums exist (i.e. to help us make wise decisions when we add to our collections). If you have not done your homework, you can misspend your money at a local garage sale just as easily as you can with an online dealer.

Regardless of whether you come here to learn, share, buy, sell, research, etc., do not forget the two most important things. First, always keep it civil. There are times when we are all ignorant idiots, and life is much better when we are corrected without shouting, bashing, and/or name-calling. Secondly, never forgot those brave servicemen and woman who wore, carried, and used this militaria in the field. Without them there really is no reason to care about this stuff.

With all that said, do not forget that it is free to look around (and free to register if you want to participate). So, what are you waiting for?

[Bob Hudson]

I will add that when we founded this forum in late 2006, it was common on the existing militaria forums for dealers, new collectors and new forum members, and others not part of the forum's various cliques to be ridiculed by the good-old-boys who thought they were the gods of collecting and saw nothing wrong with treating people with a complete lack of respect. Many of them were quite indignant when they joined this forum and found that their type of bluster was not welcome here. A lot of them left in a huff and presumably still lurk somewhere out there in a small corner of cyberspace where they can all get together to boast about how superior they are

 

This little manifesto was our way of trying to say, "We're all equal here and we will treat everyone with respect," and we need to remind each other of that every so often.

[vintageproductions]

Well said.