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Type Collecting of US items


IMPERIAL QUEST
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IMPERIAL QUEST

Hi all,

 

I would like to hear from those of you that have been collecting US items for a while now. In the Imperial and TR German areas of collecting (especially badges, and awards) there is a whole sub-collecting culture that focuses on manufacturers variations, years of production (early or late war), differing hardware, and types of metals used etc. As a result, I have personally observed prices skyrocket for the most common of items when variations are sought after. I am very curious to know if this occurs as much in this venue. Your input on the following is much appreciated.

 

1. Is type collecting prominent in the US collecting field.

 

2. If so, has it produced inflated prices amongst those looking to assemble a complete range of all variations known?

 

3. Your personal opinion on type collecting in general, and its effects on the price ranges of items subject to this

practice.

 

Thanks in advance for your input. I am not asking you to write a thesis (although that is ok if you want), I just want to get your ideas on the subject. thumbsup.gif

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My collecting strategy is simple. When I was young a poor I just tried to get one of everything I could afford... patches, unit crests, badges and medals. Now that I'm a old fart and have a bit more disposable cash I'll look for variations on patches and different makers marks on unit crests and badges. I'll also look for pin back and screw back unit crest variations. Kevin

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I am a type collector anymore focused in Air Sea Rescue Equipment. I collect variations/manufacturers, price permitting! In most cases that is not really important especially when it just comes to the manufacturer name, I will make a documented or mental note.In some cases such as life preservers there are many makers and can get quite pricey if I pay the going $125 average for each.I do collect generations as in models or generation variants with or without scenario,later modifications etc..One example of each basic model is fine IMO but when it comes to cheaper items, collecting makers is all good and fun as in any hobby.

Type collecting is very prominent in US collecting

Prices do inflate due to variants but that all depends on the item as it can get competitive between the right people.

I think that many people collect makers just to keep them going as in web gear canteen covers,pistol belts,holsters,ammo pouches etc.. who really stops at one canteen set (cover,canteen,cup) pistol belt,first aid pouch and 1911 hip holster..mmm

not very many and condition is evrything,that is really where you see the price inflate.

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Steven,

 

You ask a good question. I generally collect by cateogries such as edged weapons, uniforms, etc. but I also collect by type. For instance, I collect variations of the 1902 Army Officer sword as well as other items. I tend to tell my wife that this is collecting in depth. I think this is fairly common as some folks collect variations of insignia such as DIs or USMC collar brass. Notice the threads on these types of insginia.

 

I think that this specialization has indeed increased prices because it becomes necessary to spend more and more money to get a specific type variation that one is lacking for a type collection. I think we tend to back ourselves into this position by collecting type variations. So, yes I think this type of collecting does tend to raise prices but we do it to ourselves knowing that it will happen. This is not too bad for low priced items but it does get expensive with some types of militaria.

 

Is it going to stop anytime soon? I suspect not.

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I collect items by general type and could not care less about maker's marks or variations UNLESS they have some significance to the item's use: early production vs. late or US production vs. in-theater. For example, I don't care who manufactured a set of jump wings, but I DO care if they're early production, or if they were manufactured in Britain. I actually prefer common representative items to rare variations (though I don't complain when I run across a good deal on something rare!).

 

Bill

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When I collected USWW2, I liked to have all the different makers of canteens, canteen carrier pouches and first aid pouches.

Back in the 80s, it was a cheap sub-collecting area.

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Being primarily an insignia collector, I do go in for variations of items. Different makers and patterns on wings; older and newer variations on patches and that sort of thing. Usually, if it's a little different, I'm interested.

The end result is to have some fun and if having 25 variations of the 227th Aviation Mess Kit Repair Squadrons pocket patch floats your boat, then GO FOR IT! thumbsup.gif

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I collect variations of WWII airborne items- patches, wings, DI's, ovals, cap patches etc. Most people would agree that WWII jump wings can be found in the $50 range with ease at a big show. Some maker's marks are worth many times that. Why would you want to collect variations? Well, the first jump wings issued were made by the firm of Bailey, Banks and Biddle. I have seen BB&B jump wings soar into the $1,500 range. I have been offered as much for the pair of Tiffany maker marked wings in my collection. I have around 200 different parachute and glider badges in my collection from WWII and the occupation period. I find them fascinating. While I am sure most collectors might be satisfied with a single example in their collections, I would just as soon keep my Gaunt, Ludlow, Firmin, Sendai, BB&B, Assman, Poelath, Tiffany, Robbins, Durocharm, etc. examples.

As for patches like the 101st, there are again, huge variations of the designs and thus huge differences in the prices. I am happy to have examples that I know were worn in Normandy, English made pieces and even pieces normally reserved for officers. They speak to me.

 

Allan

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I collect variations of WWII airborne items- patches, wings, DI's, ovals, cap patches etc. Most people would agree that WWII jump wings can be found in the $50 range with ease at a big show. Some maker's marks are worth many times that. Why would you want to collect variations? Well, the first jump wings issued were made by the firm of Bailey, Banks and Biddle. I have seen BB&B jump wings soar into the $1,500 range. I have been offered as much for the pair of Tiffany maker marked wings in my collection. I have around 200 different parachute and glider badges in my collection from WWII and the occupation period. I find them fascinating. While I am sure most collectors might be satisfied with a single example in their collections, I would just as soon keep my Gaunt, Ludlow, Firmin, Sendai, BB&B, Assman, Poelath, Tiffany, Robbins, Durocharm, etc. examples.

As for patches like the 101st, there are again, huge variations of the designs and thus huge differences in the prices. I am happy to have examples that I know were worn in Normandy, English made pieces and even pieces normally reserved for officers. They speak to me.

 

Allan

 

 

WOW! I was just trying to visualise all those badges on a huge display board. Awesome. w00t.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...
the.warlord1944

i do this in depth collecting with the mess kits just trying every years and different makermarks on it.

 

I`ve got four now.

Their hard to find in the Netherlands.

 

With the german ww2 side i try to get as many as i can get from every year marked.

1936 till 1942 (from 1943 they had the RB number on them).

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I never went in for type collecting. I was too busy trying to get 1 of everything. However as my collecting has matured, I now find myself collecting variations of patches, and most recently, CIB's.

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Same as me Walt. When I started collecting about 9 months ago I was just trying to buy whatever I could, (Big Mistake). Now I still collect everything but more wisely. I don't go out and pay way over what an item is worth on the market and I also buy less then I use to.

 

I'm not sure if I would ever go into type collecting, such as collecting patch variations. It is to costly for me and I would rather buy different items that I could add into my collection and use at displays I plan to put on. Just like a book I bought on Ebay recently called, "My Part In The War" which tells about kids and adults doing their parts on the home front to support the war. I will have to post some pictures of it some time under the documents section.

 

- Jeff

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  • 3 weeks later...

I don't look for different makers but try and get evey different pattern. All the canteens/meatcans gear etc. Same with uniforms. One of everything

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  • 3 weeks later...

When collecting EGAs, I think you have to be a type collector. For instance, officer M37 collar devices. Each maker seems to have had an entirely different design to their birds! Collecting the types is fun because of that. As for makers varients on medals, well, it's not as much fun when the only difference is the name stamped on the suspension ring

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teufelhunde.ret
When collecting EGAs, I think you have to be a type collector. For instance, officer M37 collar devices. Each maker seems to have had an entirely different design to their birds! Collecting the types is fun because of that. As for makers varients on medals, well, it's not as much fun when the only difference is the name stamped on the suspension ring

 

I agree with Tim. EGA's are my exclusive interest, however, enjoy reading and learning from all the Marine related posts here. This specific area of EGA collecting is in its baby steps right now and when folks become aware of the limited numbers of these sets are still around from the pre WW2 period, this area will explode. We saw a tip of the iceberg this summer, prices got out of hand for a time... its was a precursor of whats to come as folks understand the number of variations these early makers / jewelers produced. Beware of singles... matched sets and quality is what its about. You can spend a life time looking for a mate to a uncommon bird... and there will be others looking for the same pinch.gif s/f Darrell

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I believe that there are different areas of it, look at the forum, everyone is not posting in every catagory. I have a friend who isn't into medals but I am and I like M3s he has no interest in them. We both agree on M1 helmets though. I don't collect new stuff or try not to but a lot of guys here buy and sell BDUs. But yes certain things went up. Look at Airborne stuff after Band of Brothers came out!

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IMPERIAL QUEST
I believe that there are different areas of it, look at the forum, everyone is not posting in every catagory. I have a friend who isn't into medals but I am and I like M3s he has no interest in them. We both agree on M1 helmets though. I don't collect new stuff or try not to but a lot of guys here buy and sell BDUs. But yes certain things went up. Look at Airborne stuff after Band of Brothers came out!

 

 

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, but I think you may have misunderstood the posting. What I mean by type collecting is for example...if I were to collect differing makers and variances of say... Bombardier wings, I would have different "types" of the same item by different manufacturers, construction, materials, pins, clasps, etc.

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Collecting is a nutty human endeavor that is as varied as there are people. I collected "back when" and still have a huge accumulation of stuff. I was more into collecting an example of primary variations rather than every maker, year and material.

 

In the process of researching and writing a book I have seen that trying to collect every maker and year of some items would make a very large and to me boring collection. With some items there was more than one contract in a given year so one could go bonkers trying to get variations by contract.

 

I have consistently advocated that you all give up collecting anything larger than pennies. There is always that one SOB that has the one variation you think you need to complete your collection that won't give it up for anything! If you insist on collecting militaria acquire (collect) a library of reference material (a bibliophile be) and be very selective about what you "collect."

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  • 2 weeks later...

I try to buy what is offered at a fair price. Not at shows or auctions, but at estate sales and garage sales. Different items and a wide selection of things, some I sell and some I keep. I guess it is the thrill of the hunt, in the wild, not in an enclosed sale where all their ( the sellers ) friends have seen it and passed. I have bought every thing from ejection seats to coffins at sales. You just never know what is going to turn up. Last week I found a Luftwaffen M48 helmet at a sale.....sometimes just an item, or a whole grouping. Dave

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