Former Marine looking to start collection of USMC collar & cover emblems

[dbrown0398]

I am a former Marine & my young son & I want to start a collection of USMC collar & cover emblems. I have the 1980's & 1990's covered, as I was in from 88 to 95, but we want to have a full set from every era & of every design, authorized or unauthorized, & I was hoping someone could direct me to some reputable sellers with decent prices. I would first like to start out with enlisted emblems & later move on to officer's emblems & I would love to start at the turn of the 20th Century, as the Corps became involved in the Banana Wars & World War One, work our way to World War Two & the Korean War & into the Vietnam era. If you have any dealers you can recommend, web sites I should check out, or sellers who are trustworthy on Ebay, I would love to hear about any of them. Feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] with any suggestions. Suggestions for reference books would be appreciated as well. If you happen to know of anyone in Alabama, & they are War Between the States collectors, perhaps I might have something that they would be interested i trading.

 

Thanks & Semper Fidelis,

Derek

[Bob Hudson]

There is a new EGA book coming out this year and it could be a great resource. Until then it might be educational to just start picking some topics in the forum's EGA section and read through those. There is a lot to absorb and besides the general discussions we have some discussions borken down (roughly) by time period and going through those will give you a great idea of where to start: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/forum/390-ega-reference-gary-mohrlang-memorial-section-ref/

 

As for dealers and prices: you can still find some decent prices on ebay for the more common things, such as 1930's-40's, but when you start going back to the 1920's and earlier, the inventory goes down and the prices go up and luck becomes more important. I would look through the forum to gain some more specific insights into what you want and then start tracking ebay listings to see what your desired pieces are actually selling for.

 

There are some fakes and even some fantasy pieces being sold and you can learn a bit about that by typing this phrase into google:

 

site:usmilitariaforum.com reproduction ega

 

also use this variation:

 

site:usmilitariaforum.com fake ega

 

One of the things that makes EGA collecting so interesting is the vast amount of styles used over the decades. Until there were some strict standards set in the 50's, there was a lot of artistic freedom in EGA designs and some of the more scarce variants could add a lot of cost to your quest compared to buying more common designs from the same era.

 

Again, start browsing this EGA section and the EGA reference section linked to above, and then when the brain goes into overload, don't be afraid to post your questions.

 

happy hunting...

[b_hinch]

Bob nailed it. Best advice that could be given to start collecting EGAs. I was in the Corps from '86 to '95, so we stomped around the same ground. I started out collecting EGAs just a few years ago, and now I'm full blown into collecting uniforms and equipment - mostly from WWII but all eras as well. EGAs are still my pet. I would have to say the majority of my finds have been on ebay, with my rarest EGAs being found on uniform items as "Buy it Now" in the wee hours of the morning from sellers who just don't know what they have. Good luck and enjoy! What a great hobby to share with your boy!

[normaninvasion]

The best free resource on EGAs is the reference section and discussion section here on the forum.

 

At the moment, the only printed references are The Eagle Globe and Anchor by John Driscoll and U.S. Marine uniforms 1912-40 by Jim Moran both are helpful but far from complete. The new book in the works will be much more helpful.

 

Em collar and cover EGAs WW1-present are abundant on ebay, again there are fakes and harder to find variations.

 

Pre-WW2 officers emblems are harder to find.

 

Scrutinize "matching" sets. There are a lot of minor details that may not match.

 

The market is flooded with shako plates, CW era, and 1890s fakes. Ebay has these offered everyday, many being sold as original.

[Brig]

Getting a set of each pattern can take decades...there are literally several hundred variations out there, and a couple hundred distinct patterns. I have been collecting EGA's for over a decade and, granted I'm a variant collector, am still skimming the surface. The best reference on EGA's is here on the forum, with plenty of EGA guys happy to assist

 

Learn the fakes. Some of the highest faked emblems are drooped winged officer variants, collar disks, and anything Indian War and earlier. Don't even think about touching those eBay shako birds and helmet emblems until you've studied known originals...99% of them on the market are fake, and still somehow fetch hundreds of dollars weekly!!

 

There are only a couple of dedicated EGA dealers out there, and prices tend to be top dollar or top dollar+++.

http://www.flyingtigerantiques.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

http://www.eagleglobeandanchor.com/

http://www.usmcemblems.com

 

Other than those, you really have to scour dealer sites and hope they have something good. Also eBay, military shows, and the sales boards on this forum. Trading becomes a big part when you're focused on EGA's, sometimes you have to give up a good piece or a single to get that single match you need, etc. I don't want to say there's a 'good ol boy club', but I actually get a lot of my emblems offered to me without me contacting them. Don't mistake this for backdoor dealing, it's just that certain collectors often have a list of 'first refusal' buddies they offer stuff to before publicly listing. I have guys who collect various focuses who I often contact first when I pick up something I don't collect, or see something I don't intend to buy. This is where scratching your buddies back can sometimes get yours scratched

 

I often have emblems available, but have had a dry spell lately.

[Fly USMC]

Some Great advice above. Welcome to the hobby!

 

Semper Fi,

John

[dbrown0398]

Thanks Gentlemen for all of the tips, links, and suggestions. I belong to a bunch of forums, mostly having to do with target shooting, the US Civil War, or the USMC, and I can honestly state that I have never experienced such a friendly outpouring of replies and emails like I have from the members of this forum. I am really glad that my son, not me, but my son, decided that he thought that it would be cool if we added collecting USMC items to our Civil War collection, which is what made me decide to join this forum. I am blown away by the generosity and courtesy. It is always nice to be surrounded by fellow Marines, or those who enjoy studying the USMC, and I hope to get to know many of you much better in the future.

 

Semper Fidelis,

Derek

 

PS: Brig, that is one amazing collection you have! Maybe by the time my son is grown, our collection will have "grown up" to resemble something along the lines as yours. Incredible display and really enjoyed seeing the pictures.

[teufelhunde.ret]

... and time for me to drop by w/ my2cents. All the suggestions offered above are fine for an aspiring collector. I believe you will find ebay to be the best resource reasonably priced emblems. Not that you can't find emblems priced right offered here, however more often than not they overpriced, unmatched sets, excessive wear, missing nut or screw etc. Don't waste your monies on those (here or ebay) unless it's very uncommon ( ie scarce) and you are not going to see another for years. Don't be afraid to make offers here or ebay, most instances the seller is overpriced and knows it, reasonable offers are the key.

 

The only place your going to get a reasonable idea as to prices AKA market values is ebay. You should have them all you can find on your watch list, 5-6 months you will have a firm grasp as to what these values are on pristine to junk emblems. Dealers can be a fine option to ebay, however, remember they have a profit margin to meet to stay in biz, keep the door open etc. there is also pressure for them to sell above market, as So much of their materials come from other collectors, dealers, pickets and such. Thus margins can be real thin. I can recall 2-3 emblems I've acquired from them that were mutually profitable, and 20-30 reasonable offers that were not accepted. When dealing with militaria dealers comm's are the key. Should you find a dealer to be unpleasant, argumentative, uncooperative, unreceptive, or let emails and or voice mails go ignored past 24 hrs, have weird, strange & unreasonable sales rules and shipping charges... Move on, there allot of others out there.

 

Gaining knowledge, the EGA reference section is a good body of work to start with. Go to the enlisted section and start with the oldest emblem period / era and read, read, read! If you have question about a particular emblem you can post a thread in the discussion area (pls only after you have read every thread re that specific emblem contained in that section, the answer may already be there!) feel free to use the picture of the emblem in question from that thread. You will also see thread on specific makers as well to review. Only after you've read the threads and have a market price idea of what it's worth should you be bidding and buying IMHO. There is also an online PDF by the H&M Division dating to the early 70s. Don't buy one, not worth it. It has glaring problems and crappy B&W pics.... BUT for now worth reviewing the online work until the new EGA book hits the market.

 

Re the forthcoming book, I was asked 3+ years ago to edit a book on the eagle, globe and anchor. 14 months ago the manuscript was submitted to the publisher. It consists of 300 pgs, some 3000 pics, 50 pgs of ref material, etc, etc. We have begun to see the final edited pages prior to publishing... It will be a USMC collector must have. Welcome aboard, good hunting, fire away with you questions. s/f

[capa]

Welcome aboard Derek and Semper Fi!

[Brig]

 

PS: Brig, that is one amazing collection you have! Maybe by the time my son is grown, our collection will have "grown up" to resemble something along the lines as yours. Incredible display and really enjoyed seeing the pictures.

Careful, it can turn into an obsession

 

And what teufelhunde.ret stated above is true, don't be afraid to make reasonable offers. It seems many people are afraid to, but the worst someone can say is 'no'. I list all of my eBay sales with a OBO offer, if you catch a seller on the right day, sometimes they just want it gone

[dbrown0398]

Thanks Gents. I will start looking on Ebay tonight, and the first weekend in February, there is a Civil War and Militaria show in Dalton, GA that I am going to visit to see if I might have some luck. I really hope to find some items from WW I, WW II, and Korea to start. Just the possibility of holding something in my hands that could have been worn as Marines advanced through the wheat while capturing Belleau Wood, surviving the 76 hours of taking Tarawa, or fighting the way down the Chosin Reservoir sends chills down my spine and I can't wait to share that history with my son (I started his indoctrination young when I carried him to Parris Island while on family vacation to Hilton Head when he was four. After spending the day there, my wife accused me of picking Hilton Head due to it's proximity to Parris Island, and she was partially right).

 

Semper Fidelis Gents,

Derek

[American Heritage]

welcome aboard! great advice above. A fun area of items to collect. Seems overwhelming at first but the collections always steadily grow and grow over time...Semper.

[bobgee]

Welcome aboard. You've already gotten some good advice here. As a collector of CW stuff you know you can't get it all overnight. Patience and the acquisition of knowledge will help you and your son find the items you want and build a nice collection over the long haul. Good hunting and Semper Fi.......Bobgee

[dbrown0398]

Welcome aboard. You've already gotten some good advice here. As a collector of CW stuff you know you can't get it all overnight. Patience and the acquisition of knowledge will help you and your son find the items you want and build a nice collection over the long haul. Good hunting and Semper Fi.......Bobgee

 

Thank you Sir and Semper Fidelis to you as well (now I just need to go and find where I left my patience as the more I search this forum, the more I see of items I want to add to not only our USMC collection, but my Civil War collection as well!) Again, thank you for the welcome aboard and good hunting to you as well. Derek