Items you wish you would've grabbed....

[Duffy]

A humorous thought here......I'd like to hear any stories about how you might have looked at a piece for too long and then it sold.....or the money situation was the pitts....but you couldn't get a certain something, which now later on to this day...you still dream about! I am sure everybody has a story or two......heck, maybe you'll get a reply with that item from someone on the forum, maybe....you never know! But....it's gotta be one of your ultimately missed out on item.....big or small....just one that you regret not doing whatever to get!

[Corpl. Cleaver]

A WW1 era gas mask and bag named to my great-great uncle... only $50......

[Duffy]

Sounds like you had to sell it.....

[Corpl. Cleaver]

No, I saw it for sale....

[37thguy]

Back in the mid 80's I was collecting WW1 collar discs, and was coming out of a gun show in Columbus, Oh when walking in was a guy carrying a stone mint WW2 U.S. Army HBT Camo shirt. I asked how much he wanted and he said that it was really for a guy inside that he was supposed to meet, but if I wanted it he'd sell it for $100. I looked it over and it was perfect, but just couldn't justify it as I had spent about $200 on collar discs.

 

WHAT A *%$#@*> IDIOT! I regretted that for 25 years. Last year I finally found one ever bit as nice, although it was about 7 times more expensive.

 

Moral of the story: If you EVEN THINK you want it, BUY IT! You can always sell it if you change your mind, but you can never go back and get it. This stuff ain't bein' made anymore and one day you may see something for the last time that will be available to you! I've lived with this way of thinking ever since that incident and I've never been sorry. I'd say about 90% of the time I keep the stuff and I'm glad I bought the item.

 

Remember- "JUST BUY IT!"

[Duffy]

I see....

Well, you can only hope you'll run into it again one day......

My story is about an original...rare....Indigenous Peoples ration, most likely CIDG.

I looked and looked and looked at it, waiting to scrap up the cash for it....by the time I was nearly ready

for the purchase....it was gone with the wind.

I have asked about it since, but no news......

I'm more than certain it was produced as a CISO item in Okinawa, Japan.

I saw a photo a while back of these rations and cannot, for the life of me recall where....either way, it doesn't matter....just wanted to add my two cents to your reply, as I never listed my "wishful item".

[Captainofthe7th]

Used WWI cartridge belts for $12 apiece....

 

That's about it. I was young then and thought it was a rip off compared to the $10 WWII cartridge belts. They weren't mint anyway...but that was 2 years ago. It was a deal...

 

Rob

[ROCKET]

I know it's not U.S. military related but about 10 years ago at an area antique mall I passed-up an entire vet collection of medals, badges, and photos crudely displayed in a case from a German Sailor who served aboard the German Battleship Bismark! I've seen fake & replica German awards and I can assure you this was the real deal! Unfortunately I couldn't afford the $250.00 price tag at the time.

 

John

[willysmb44]

When i got into this stuff in the late 80s, there were still plenty of folks who thought it it wasn't German, it wasn't worth anything. Here are a few things I still kick myself over

• M1941 Jump suit (yes, you read that correctly) for only $200!
  
• A transit crate filled with MK-IIA1 frags. I passed because I didn't trust that they were deactivated like the seller said they were.
  
• A complete T-5 troop cute, issing only the back panel and the canopy and the reserve. This thing was mint condition, had painted hardware with no paint rubbed off! Only $750. God how I wish I'd bought it now...
  

[Nkomo]

I have missed out on so many good items due to lack of money or lack of common sense. Because of my experiences in the past, I keep a couple hundred bucks in reserve at all times. If it ever falls below a certain limit, I will pop something up on Ebay or here for sale to replace the moeny spent.

 

Here are some items I have missed out on over the years:

1. US jungle jacket cut and sewed to look like a short tuxedo jacket. Came out of Ft. Bragg area. Price was $8.

2. US jungle jacket dyed black a long time ago. Jacket had turned grey from time and use. Also came out of Ft. Bragg area. Price was $8.

3. A Raven FAC grouping. Could have bought it all for $25. All I bought was his flight log.

 

The list could go on and on, but I'm starting to get depressed.

[militariacollector]

Local militaria dealer has a auction a few times a year and when I just started collecting they auctioned off 2 medic helmets and 2 MP helmets, all WWII issue from an old collection. I believe each one sold for under $100. Wish I would've picked those up...

[SARGE]

Several years ago I passed up a sword on a table at a militaria show because I had not been through the whole show and was short on cash flow at the moment. About two isles later I thought what a dummy I was and went back to buy the sword. It was gone. I found the exact same sword for sale on ebay, from the dealer who bought it there, a few months later and I paid at least $100 more for it than I could have at the show. But, at least my story has a happy ending in that I finally bought the thing. It just cost me more because of my indecision.

[Laury Allison]

My biggest regret in not buying something was probably a Medal of Honor rosette at a Birmingham, Alabama, Gun Show. They were $25 each and I had spent quite a bit of money already. I said I would wait until the next show to get one.

 

At the same show...and the same dealer also had a ton of the state series NG crests. If I could do it all over again, I probably would have bought every one of them.

 

I also regret not buying the Army and Navy versions of the Medal of Honor back in the early 1990's . You could find them at most any gun show for $300 each.

 

I guess we were all busy chasing the more common stuff that we didn't have back then....more bang for the buck. Some of those things we thought would be available later on (and maybe forever). I guess I could say to newer collectors is to not let things that you want to pass through your fingers if you want it...they may not be available later or if they are, they may cost you a whole lot more money later on.

 

Laury

[teufelhunde.ret]

Any EGA of WW1 period - ever offered.