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Poker faces? (Share your tales!)


Sabrejet
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I'm a monotone person by nature who makes very few facial expressions, so I'm told...so I guess I do the poker face whether I mean to or not

Robert Crais's character ex-Marine Joe Pike should have been modeled after you !

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I always try to remember that collecting this stuff is as much about honoring HONORABLE people as it is self gratification. I try to conduct myself in a way that reflects positively on the guys who earned the things we collect the hard way, as well as fellow collectors in general. The lesson that taught me this was dealing with an old, street-wise antique hustler here in Kansas City. I met him back in the 70's when I was in High school and he was just amazed that anyone so young could be driven to collect something he had never enjoyed great fortune in selling. He was tough and occasionally worked for some of the "undergound" personalities in the area but had a heart of gold. He came up with group of stuff from an 8th Air Force Gunner and trickled it out through his booth in the flea market close to my home. I made a point to be there soon after the doors opened each Saturday as you never knew what he was going to come up with. About the time I thought we had finished with the Gunner's group (one piece at a time) I glanced into his Jewlery case to see a beautiful Switlik catapillar pin there looking up at me from amidst the lapel pins, watches and jewelry. Up to that point I had only read about them in Duncan Campbell's book and I about popped an aorta when I saw it. He dropped it in my hand wondering why I'd have an interest in a "high school pin". Well, the little devil on my shoulder was working over-time to install that look on my face and the little white lie that followed but I shirked him off and made the seemingly obscene offer, for 1972, of $100 while explaining the significance of the "high school pin". Without a moment's hesitation he closed my hand around it and said - "It's Yours - I would have sold it for $5 to anyone who asked and it doesn't seem right that anyone who cares as much as you do about the damn thing should have to pay $100 for it". We've been friends ever since and we have conducted many, many happy transactions as a result of my honesty that day. He attended my wedding and my children's weddings and even as he advances in age - when I pop a flare in need of help with anything - he's the first one on the spot. I wish everyone in the hobby could experience the pleasure of making a life time friend over something that is now fairly insignificant in comparison to the results of the exchange in which I acquired it! If I can claim any inspiration for 49 years of collecting, it's the people that I've met along the way. Even the best of stuff doesn't make an impression like the people I've met, so many of them gone West now! Great topic - brings back lots of happy memories! Thanks letting me drone on!

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vostoktrading

Jon, you're a God fearing man and I salute you !

Thanks Andrei,

I think it falls under Garth's very sensible ethics code in post #10 that you don't play around when it comes to buying things from the actual veteran or his spouse. Everyone else is game!

I also feel clean, knowing these few valuable pieces (to me) I have to look at are directly from the veteran through his wife and I can sleep at night with no worries.

Jon.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A few weeks back I was in a typical California surplus store (for those who don't know, they aren't usually very good), but I had visited a few times before and occasionally pulled something of value, usually every third or fourth visit. In fact, almost a year ago, I spotted several sets of tigers and mint beo gam there, but another member of our community beat me to them (no hard feelings). Anyway, I walked in to find two sets of CISO produced PJ's mixed in with BDU's and such, two racks over a 2nd pattern CISO Beo Gam shirt. I had to bite my cheeks to keep from yelling in excitement, $10 a set for the black PJ's and $15 for the Beo Gam top. I paid for my items and barely made it out the door without a stupid grin. A good day for trade stock if I do say so myself!

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Hey Sabrejet, yes I was a Manchu from 74-77 charlie airborne at Ft Wainright Alaska. Or as I like to call it my time at the russian front ! Speaking of poker faces, one mistake I made early on was at a gun show where a man handed me a mint afrika corp officers belt and buckle and wanted to know if I would pay $25.00 for it. I instantly said SOLD, upon my statement the man took the belt and buckle and said that maybe he should think about it. I realized that I said sold to soon and should have been slower to accept his offer.

Another time at the same show a few years later where I offer free appraisals for the promoter a young couple asked if I was the guy who could tell them the value of what they had. I said yes but was somewhat startled at the two hand carts full of stuff that they wanted me to look at. the man opened up a early DFC medal case and handed me 3 pairs of gold flight wings. At first I did not know for sure what I was looking at until I turned them over and saw some oriental writing on the reverse of the wings. The pin devise was somewhat crude and the wings seemed rather soft to me. I did recognise the Chinese Nationalist symbol on the front of the wing and then the man told me that his father was a flying tiger. OK I thought this makes sense now, the next item was a cloisonne pin which I was told later was given out by madam Kiang Chek to the members of the original flying tigers. He also showed me a ID card with Claire Chenaults signature on it with this mans name Fritz Wolf. I also saw a fantastic framed hand sewn flying tiger with many chinese glyphs under the tiger, chinese made and very striking. By now a crowd had gathered around and the gold wings were being passed around as many of the mans medals and other items were too. I began to get worried that some of this stuff would walk away and promptly ended the session. Turns out that this collection was his fathers, Fritz Wolf and that his dad never talked about the war and all of these things were found in the attic after his death. I told the couple that this would take me weeks of work to properly appraise and that even then final value would be determined by it's actual sale. I never even looked at what else they had in the hand carts. Turns out that Fritz Wolf shot down two Mitsubishi bombers as well as two fighters. I also learned that instead of selling their fathers relics they donated all of it to the Wi veterans museum in Madison WI. Probably the most historically significant group that I ever had the chance to look at, and needless to say my jaw was on the floor!

Hi Jeff: My name is Rick Wolf and I'm the guy you are making reference to. I just joined this forum. How did you find out that Fritz Wolf's memorabilia was donated to the Veterans museum? I made a post under new members if interested.
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About 10 years ago I was in a new antique store in town and found a group of early collar disc's and some WWII sterling di's and a sterling silver pin-back CMB. When I asked how much the owner replied 3 bucks a piece. After I set them all aside, I asked if he had any other military items. He took me to the back room and showed me a mint with cutter tags M-1941 in a size 38L. When I asked him how much I almost fell down when he said $10.00. At that point I gathered all my items and promptly paid. Unfortunately that store did not last to long.

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Collector .45

Last summer, I received an email from a Vietnam veteran asking if I was interested in his items. I said sure and met him several days later. When I arrived, he had all his items laid out and asked if I liked WWII items. I said sure, not knowing what I was getting into. He came out with a trunk that said "Captain" on it. He opened it up and and all of his dads items were in it. His dad served as a major in the 9th Infantry Division HQ during WWII. Inside we're all the uniforms, his dads fixed bail captains helmet with matching liner. Also in the bottom was a German officers dress dagger. He brought it back along with a German officers sword. I ended up purchasing the uniforms for a $100 and then we got to the helmet. I asked him what he wanted for it. He said $50. I agreed. In the end, I have met with him many times to talk about old cars and willies jeeps. Every so often, he will find more items of his dads and I head out to make another purchase. Not being a German collector, I passed on the dagger and sword. But I plan to head back out and buy them.

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Last summer, I received an email from a Vietnam veteran asking if I was interested in his items. I said sure and met him several days later. When I arrived, he had all his items laid out and asked if I liked WWII items. I said sure, not knowing what I was getting into. He came out with a trunk that said "Captain" on it. He opened it up and and all of his dads items were in it. His dad served as a major in the 9th Infantry Division HQ during WWII. Inside we're all the uniforms, his dads fixed bail captains helmet with matching liner. Also in the bottom was a German officers dress dagger. He brought it back along with a German officers sword. I ended up purchasing the uniforms for a $100 and then we got to the helmet. I asked him what he wanted for it. He said $50. I agreed. In the end, I have met with him many times to talk about old cars and willies jeeps. Every so often, he will find more items of his dads and I head out to make another purchase. Not being a German collector, I passed on the dagger and sword. But I plan to head back out and buy them.

 

Hope you get the other items.Would be great to keep it all intact as a group as brought home.Sounds like a great group.

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