Wasp wings Florence V. Acher 43-W-5 former Family and George Connell collection

[TRR]

I never understood reserve price on eBay, why not just start it at the lowest a seller would accept.

 

Either way, it has been fun reading this topic but the wing is out of my league at this moment-the after it sells comments here should be interesting.

[mshaw]

I never understood reserve price on eBay, why not just start it at the lowest a seller would accept.

 

Either way, it has been fun reading this topic but the wing is out of my league at this moment-the after it sells comments here should be interesting.

It's psychological. I have attended hundreds of live auctions over the last 30 years and no matter how rare something is and no matter how high everyone knows the object will go when the bidding is over, bidders will wait for the auctioneer to come down to a rock bottom starting price before they start to bid. I was at an auction last month with a rare Henry rifle and everyone in the room knew that rifle was worth $7,000 - $8,000 but they made the auctioneer go clear down to $100 before they would start bidding. He tried to start it at $1,000 but the crowd would have nothing of it. So it started at $100 and finished at $7,600. A lot of people would be put off by a high starting price and not bid at all even though they know it is a realistic price and the piece is worth it. My guess is that most bidders hold out hope that even though the odds are against them, they will walk away with a great piece for a rock bottom price. The reserve price protects the seller just in case a fluke happens and only one or two bidders show up. It's rare but it happens. I walked into a poorly attended vet's estate sale a few years ago and bought the gold and silver version of the Amico Flight Surgeon wings for $40 as well some photographs of the vet wearing the wings. It's very rare, but it happens.

[Jack's Son]

It's all over!

[RustyCanteen]

It's all over!

 

Looks like whoever picked it up will be happy.

[cutiger83]

 

Looks like whoever picked it up will be happy.

 

 

I agree!

[firefighter]

The winner was one of the three original bidders.So no sniper action.

[LuftStalg1]

Ok, I could not resist, I paid the price! Anyhow, I have been getting some great stuff from Bob in the meantime while he packs everything up for me. I plan on doing something like I did with my Rickenbacker display(One of my thread). So far I think my favorite photo is this one with his mother and father when they were dating. Once I start on this I will probably do a thread on it for fun, like the Rickenbacker. Maybe I can get back on the Richard Bong frame too! As I am visiting my boys in NM it may be a while before I get back to TX too work on this though.

 

Mark D

 

P.S. When I do I will try to post some better close ups. Oh and something else I thought was interesting. Bob said they used prongs from one of his fathers WW2 era wings to fix his moms wings and the jeweler is one the family has used for decades. So I will get all of that information as well.

[cutiger83]

Ok, I could not resist, I paid the price!

 

 

 

I am BEYOND excited that you got these wings! I know they will be in wonderful hands. This just made my day. Please post any information you get. I would LOVE to see what you end up getting. I just love this picture you posted. Congrats!

 

....Kat

[ww2relichunter]

Ok, I could not resist, I paid the price! Anyhow, I have been getting some great stuff from Bob in the meantime while he packs everything up for me. I plan on doing something like I did with my Rickenbacker display(One of my thread). So far I think my favorite photo is this one with his mother and father when they were dating. Once I start on this I will probably do a thread on it for fun, like the Rickenbacker. Maybe I can get back on the Richard Bong frame too! As I am visiting my boys in NM it may be a while before I get back to TX too work on this though.

 

Mark D

 

P.S. When I do I will try to post some better close ups. Oh and something else I thought was interesting. Bob said they used prongs from one of his fathers WW2 era wings to fix his moms wings and the jeweler is one the family has used for decades. So I will get all of that information as well.

Congrats mark i have been watching the wings and this post since they beginning they are very cool !!! and a nice piece of history with Provence !! i was just wondering to all while i was on ebay i saw a wasp graduation class wings i was wondering if they where original !! did anybody else see them ?

[hink441]

Congratulations on your purchase!!! I look forward to seeing more from these wings in the future !!

 

Chris

[pfrost]

I think you got a great deal! I really liked this grouping. But I like my wings to be salty and to have some history behind them, even if that means repairs, polishing, and/or some ill-advised engraving of the wings.

 

Still, the WASP was a lovely lady, you have access to the family and can likely get some really neat insight on what type of person she was.

[RustyCanteen]

Congratulations, keep us updated on it. I think everyone would enjoy seeing the thread when you get them posted.

[LuftStalg1]

Thanks all, I am excited to start on this once I am back!

 

The seller is offering me some other stuff but WAY high in price so they may end up on big "E" but like this thing I don't think they would meet his reserve without me.

 

Like the Cochran signed thank you letter for $1K. Ouch! Now if that was with the certificate and pin it mentions, in a heart beat! But the Cochran signature is not worth that to me even addressed to my girl. Gotta drawl the line somewhere.

[Jack's Son]

Mark, you surprised me, but I know whatever you do, it will be top notch!

[JDK]

Congrats on the buy.

 

I agree on the letter! Way overpriced! I bought original WASP application forms and letters signed by Cochran. I paid $200 for my Cochran signed letter telling the future WASP how to enroll in the program.

 

JD

[TRR]

Congrats on the win! Glad they get to be displayed here and looking forward to the thread. Perhaps he will give you copies of anything he is going to donate. I doubt much else will sell high because you have the wings.

[digi-shots]

Thought I would bring this thread back to the top...

 

I was searching for WASP Wings and came across this thread. Just wondered how the grouping turned out and would love to see pics!

 

Thanks!

[juvatwad]

Well, the class wing and some other bits found their way to me. Here is the wing with the aforementioned engraving:

[5thwingmarty]

I'm confused. The original wing in this thread attributed to Florence V. Acher was a lozenge wing that had been in George Connell's collection. Did George get both of her wings and they have both now come back to light? Did they both go back to the son and then get resold separately?

[juvatwad]

I'm confused. The original wing in this thread attributed to Florence V. Acher was a lozenge wing that had been in George Connell's collection. Did George get both of her wings and they have both now come back to light? Did they both go back to the son and then get resold separately?

 

I had never heard of George Connell until I read this thread, and I didn't get these from her son. I don't know what path they took.

[5thwingmarty]

The engraving on the wings looks lithe same style, although it is interesting her name wasn't done the same on both wings. I am only assuming both wings passed through the collection of George Connell as the engraving is the style on his wings. I have a WASP lozenge wing that had been in his collection that came with the letter from the WASP to George.

 

Your wing is the correct style for an original class 43-W-5 class wing made from a Bell observer base wing.

[LuftStalg1]

The two wings were not engraved by the same person but they are both modern engraving, unless they were both engraved BEFORE George got the class wing? The original wing that started this thread came from her son and was engraved by the family used jeweler. It did not come out of George's collection. Unfortunately, I never got around to doing anything with it and its just been in a box since I moved north. However the two may be reunited soon?