New member from the South.....backout19

[Backout19]

well gentlemen this is all new to me,i'm over that age of living day to day with a cell phone and computer so i kinda-don't get it all of the time .Instead i have amassed a treasured library of 35 plus yrs of many of the now too expensive to buy at now day prices.when i find a new military oddity at our local flea market,i go home and dive into my books looking for ID or info on this new little treasure.i started collecting edged weapons at 7 yrs. old and that was all i was into until i met the girl of my dreams and needed a good career job,i dropped college at 2 1/2 yrs,so i needed money for trade school. i sold that wonderful collection of 365 pcs. of amazing finds i had amassed at 35 yrs. of age.No regrets, i got the girl and worked 28+ yrs.as a sheet metal mech for the U.S.Air Force.13 yrs. on F-15s then to componet shops for C-130s and the large cargos.I also got a real life treasure, my now 29 yr old daughter. Never thought i would be good as a father,now i know i am.Back to the militaria,i collect a lot by what i find at estate sales and the great flea market.What i mean is if i found a nice VN era badged fatigue shirt and rough ww2 U S helmet a bag full of manuals (all time periods) and a Pal 6" fighting knife that was what i collected that day.Cost was about 32.00 for that lot,then i would go back on sunday and do it again.I was the only guy buying that stuff for about 15 yrs. then in the mid-90s it all changed....EBAY was born.and i'm sure most of you know what that did to my no competition situation.Soon after i started doing military shows in Atlanta and selling and trading extras for things i liked.I made it a point to spend some of that money on a good book on one of the many subjects i was gathering.As of right now i think my favorite items are badged fatigues,rare models,odd color or camo and also just patches by themselves.I am picking up a lot of the sandbox era stuff,there are so many different kinds that i can't help but love it. Well, that's some about me. Now i look forward to talking with many of you and finding out stuff about some things i've found that are not in the books.

[268th C.A.]

Welcome to the Forum! Your story I can relate too. Good luck collecting, and Thank you for your Service! David (TX)

[DaddyDog]

Welcome to the Forum! You will likely find that some of the books and references in your library were authored by some of the members here. I look forward to your active participation as a fellow U.S. militaria collector.