USMC canteens.
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Derigible crewman, US Navy.
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Lots of gas masks.
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Pack saddle with 81mm mortar ammo tubes.
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M1910 first aid pouches and kits.
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A few holsters.
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Invasion vest. It's real, and it's spectacular.
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ok, the horse and the dog were one thing, but c'mon! a dirigible crewman??!! now I've seen everything!
it just keeps getting better...can't wait for the next installment of this great thread!
Terry

I'm beginning to think your last name might be Bannerman?

And I bet it's a JA Shoe.....

You have still to see Robin's Scubabiker!!!!!

WOW!!! Your collection is awsome!!!! I saw a lot of aaf , navy survival stuff in the second photo... any detail pics???
Do You have more USN stuff, Parachutes etc.???
Best regards,
Jerry K.

Oh, come on! Robin, this is just plain mean. Lol

Whens the museum opening?

Truly fantastic, honestly. You must be very proud.

Will

This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen, Someone on the other thread was talking about the definition of an "Advanced collector" well here it is. I would like to spend a month in that building. I'm speechless.....

What an amazing collection!, love this post!!! keep em coming!

After a peek at your collection and what it cost Its, great to keep history alive.

Hey Robinb,
I meant to combine the 2 posts sorry, When I saw the Horse I thought you might of scored
General George Meades. Cavlelry Horse Baldy.
I know of a Civil War Museum located at 19 and Spruce Street in Philadelphia, Pa.
It was empty of tourists normally but had room after room of items like Robinb just older that took over a 3 story townhouse. I read the Museum was relocated . The General had, family members and owned homes up and down the colonial street..
the Cival War Museum moved a few years ago..
Robert

Robin:
Love the updates....keep em coming! Nice shot of USMC stuff....and that Navy mannequin is something else. Where in the heck did you find a USN deregable outfit? Amazing. I cant wait till you get some more goodies out and have time to snap a few photo's for all us "droolers" out here!

Simply...just, wow to the nth power.

Is it safe to say you have well over a million dollars invested in this?

Good God!!I have been to museums that didn't had this much stuff and don't get me started about the horse simply amazing.So now i have hurt myself in that my yaw just hit the floor from looking at your.. well collection but there must be some other word for it.Truly dedication this is.When it's done and people com over and want to watch you have to ask admittion to enter

Ok I have to ask...
What the hell do you do for a living that you can spent that much on everything!!?!?!?!?!?
Excellent collection!

Well, I work in a sheet metal shop as a fabricator. Blue collar worker if you will. But remember, I started collecting about 30 years before ebay took over the world. Things were a lot less expensive in the "good old days".

Yes, I was just going to reply to that. In pre-Ebay and pre-SPR and BoB days, no-one cared for US WW2 stuff. It was all about TR items and when you said you were collecting US stuff, you were just laughed at...
Well how things have changed.... but sadly prices have too...

Johan

Been there too ..... but regardless of the laughter of those "elite" TR collectors (many of whom have crossed over to US stuff over the years btw), I kept collecting the "ordinary" US militaria.
Never regretted my decision.

(Btw, with "elite" TR collectors I refer to those I encountered at the militaria shows here in Belgium. Not all TR collectors are like that. In case anyone here gets offended.)

Erwin

I think I jumped on at the tail end of the 'good old days', but in the years I've been collecting that's certainly been the case...Sad, but true.

Outstanding collection, again.

Will

What does TR even stand for?

Third Reich mate.
It has been said before but I gotta say that you have THE most amazing collection I have ever seen and I really can't wait for more pics. No pressure!!

Sometimes I feel like I have been collecting marbles not Military items all theses years after seeing all the
items the war building houses. Old timers remember the (good old days) but I would like to know if you are
still actively collecting? Thanks Mate.

I sure am! I spend all of my weekends beating the brush for more stuff. There really is no end to it. Of course, the really neat finds are getting few and far between, but I bring home quite a pile most every weekend.

I'm working on setting out my knife, bayonet, and machete collection. I've never seen them all at once, so it's tough to figure out how much space it's going to take. Stay tuned for pics in the near future.

Well, if you ever do run out of space, and you feel you must part with some USAAF flight gear, look me up! Very nice man.

I must say this collection blows me away. I first started collecting over 20 years ago and the stuff was cheap, it was everywhere and nobody wanted it. I sold my original collection 15 years ago and am just starting over, talk about sticker shock. I am curious though where you still find decent amounts of stuff? I went to NY to visit my family a couple of weeks ago and went to the NY collectors assn show and saw more at that small show (and it is small) than I have seen in the last 4 years here.

I too I'm glad I started collecting years ago. When every town had a little antique store and the militaria was always in the back room for pennies. I would say my collection has doubled many times over in value. No way could I get in the collecting field now. Robert

New photos today. I've been setting out the knives, bayonets, and machetes.
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I didn't mention that there are no two alike.
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Holy cow!, very nice,

I forgot to say that I'm not done with the knives. I need to put up more shelving. Lots of knives to go, yet.

Once again Robin, top notch for sure!

I CANNOT believe that you have no two alike. That is simply an amazing collection. Have you ever passed up a purchase?

Thanks for sharing more....Kat

I see myself also as a advanced collector but i collect ww1 till irakwar and not only us but also Dutch (my nation) , German ,English, Russian.

I have to upgrade my collection a few levels to get at your standards but i have to ask you.
How do you keep track of your items ?

i used excel at my pc and some time when i really looking for something special i will print out a specific section of my collection.
For example bayonetmarks and than i know when i already have it or not.
Most of the stuff i know from mind but how do you do that ?


Just wanna compare it with differant collectors.
You learn something new everyday so you have to be uptrack.

thumbs up on the display.
i am also investing in this (mannequins,display cabinets ) for the last year and glad i did.
Because what is the use of collecting if you can`t display it.
!!

I am amazed by the size & quality of your collection , nothing better than seeing someone happy among all that stuff , be sure to install a lot of fire extinguishers just in case...
Congrats, the best private collection i have ever seen

Don't know if it's been asked yet robinb...Do you actually have an inventory of EVERYTHING in your possession?I can't wait to see more knives when the shelves go up..

I'd been waiting for these pics! WOW. Are there 2 western paramarine jump kinves down there?

Absolute class robin.

Thanks again,

Will

[quote name='Corpsmancollector' date='May 30 2009, 01:04 PM' post='337791']
I'd been waiting for these pics! WOW. Are there 2 western paramarine jump kinves down there?

No, just one Western Parachutist knife.

Finally a room that everything will fit in ----1st Sgt

Hey Robinb,
Did I see a baby shark in you western knife collection? I know in the past stuff was cheap but you are actively buying now stuff that is not cheap. do you have a partner or a club? this is a museum catagory collection.

War building guy .
I love your camouflaged ammo pouches .
Right up my alley!!!!!
owen

Yes, there is at least one Baby Shark in my Western collection. And yes, I am very active buying stuff. My museum is my own private endeavor. No partners. It's always been that way except for the first few years. My brother and I collected together as kids. When he got married, I bought his half of the collection.

Ah, yes. The cammo Reising pouch. That was a flea market find about 15 years ago for $3. It's named on the back, but it's hard to make out. I have never tried to research it.