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RUINING HISTORY!? WWII EBAY GROUPING


stealthytyler
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stealthytyler

Hey all,

I would like to hear your opinion. This gentleman on Ebay is selling an AWESOME WWII marine WIA grouping. However, he is selling everything individually. I personally feel that this is the wrong thing to do. I believe awesome groupings like this should stay together. I contacted him and his response was that not everyone can afford a grouping like this but everyone can afford a piece of this grouping. I understand what he is trying to say... but come on! He has even gone as far as removing the meat can pouch from a haversack to sell separately. All about the $ and not the history I suppose...

 

Am I out of line on this? Thoughts? Here is the lot:

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/jamesoncruz/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

 

post-131595-0-30041400-1422829044.jpg

 

 

 

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Lots of people will agree with you. Lots of people will disagree with you. In the end its up to the current owner to determine how to sell it all.

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ViewfinderGyrene

Way ahead of you man, there's a whole thread on it and a member knew the vet. I personally am working to keep it together. The seller is nice to deal with, be won't put it back together. So I gotta do it the hard way ;) I'm up to the challenge B)

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stealthytyler

Way ahead of you man, there's a whole thread on it and a member knew the vet. I personally am working to keep it together. The seller is nice to deal with, be won't put it back together. So I gotta do it the hard way ;) I'm up to the challenge B)

 

Sorry I never did see the post! Would be awesome to see this group come back together in the end! Good luck!

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ive felt the same way at times. but if he needs it sold and couldnt get what he wanted from it together then breaking it up may be the only option, and whether or not we like it or not it happens. but theres always the option that if someone has the money they will contact the seller and request the entire group for one price, if someone wants it bad enough

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I think I saw this group a couple times months ago being sold together, never reached the reserve

 

I know first hand how expensive it can be trying to save a group when buying it piece by piece...I've done it a couple times, and usually end up paying more than the parts are worth

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Too Much WW1 Militaria

Sad as it is to say, but individual items often bring more than groups. When selling on E-Bay, I'd never break a group, but there are plenty who would. I just blocked a bidder that wanted one of my WW1 helmets to use in a antique planter!

 

John

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Why don't one of you step up and buy the whole group then? He probably has to sell it in parts because no one wanted to pay a fair price for it as a set. Just sayin....

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stealthytyler

Great points that everyone is making. Sounds like he is forced to sell individually due to not being able to sell as a group in the past. I understand...but sad regardless. The thing that really gets me though is how often families just don't even care about this kind of family history so they are willing to give it up.

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ViewfinderGyrene

Why don't one of you step up and buy the whole group then? He probably has to sell it in parts because no one wanted to pay a fair price for it as a set. Just sayin....

 

It's estate fresh and per the auctionhouse website I know what it went for.

 

Offer him a fair price for the lot as a grouping. A seller might just take it.

 

He has an interesting philosophy about splitting. He knows groups are expensive so he likes every financial bracket to get a piece of history. He won't put it back together...

 

I don't see any medals, so this is already a broken group.

 

The son kept the medals, as mentioned to another member before the sale...I like what I see...

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501stGeronimo

Great points that everyone is making. Sounds like he is forced to sell individually due to not being able to sell as a group in the past. I understand...but sad regardless. The thing that really gets me though is how often families just don't even care about this kind of family history so they are willing to give it up.

like many have said, send him a offer to buy it all. Breaking it up like this is nothing new at all. And families not caring isn't either. I have a 9th aaf pilot group from my home town in which I had to dig his medals out of the trash can during the estate sale.
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stealthytyler

I asked him if he would sell it as a grouping and he told me that that he buys groupings all the time and people offer to buy the whole lot but he always refuses because he would rather sell them individually

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ViewfinderGyrene

I asked him if he would sell it as a grouping and he told me that that he buys groupings all the time and people offer to buy the whole lot but he always refuses because he would rather sell them individually

 

I'll be sure to PM you if I can save the most important parts. The Packs and gear, most interesting souvenirs, havea friend who will try for half of the photos for me and I'll try for the other half, his blues and Alhpas with EGAs, and the few paper items. There are a few extras and some Army gear that doesn't seem to fit, maybe belonged to a sibling...plus extra sidecaps, dress cover covers, and ties. I'll look for the best of them and bid respectively :)

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Sad to break up the group. It's a shame when money comes into play.

 

Thanks,

 

Marc

from what has been said it sounds like he may not be doing it just for money, sounds like he might be "looking out for the little guy" in a sense. because people like me cant afford a grouping, but I may be able to afford a holster, a set of dog tags, a single uniform or what ever it may be. I mean realistically Most of the stuff we have sitting on our shelves as we go on debating if its right or wrong is in fact part of a group that was broken up years ago and thats how we started our collecting. I wouldnt have this uniform sitting next to me if a group wasn't broken up... we think too hard on the subject because we know it's happening where as we dont think to hard about it if its already been done. if you want the group you are going to pay way more than its worth in dollars, but that isnt to say it isnt worth more to you because it is still someones history who deserves to have it saved. the only question is if you are willing to save it.

 

if it means that much to you have a group of forum members bid on different items and keep track so even if it is split up, you can easily put it back together

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

Well, if he's breaking it up and wont sell it to one person then I'd say document it well on here so if later on somebody googles the name they'll find the rest and maybe it can be put back together.

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ViewfinderGyrene

Well, if he's breaking it up and wont sell it to one person then I'd say document it well on here so if later on somebody googles the name they'll find the rest and maybe it can be put back together.

 

Tag me lol :D;)

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I strongly considered going after that group, and now regret that I did not.

 

If all you care about is money, why not keep it together for fair value?

 

Why not cut each button off the uniform....somebody might want that, and maybe they can't afford to buy a "complete" one.

 

There are 1000s of pieces and parts out there without him destroying this one.

 

 

Scumbag.

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ViewfinderGyrene

I strongly considered going after that group, and now regret that I did not.

 

If all you care about is money, why not keep it together for fair value?

 

Why not cut each button off the uniform....somebody might want that, and maybe they can't afford to buy a "complete" one.

 

There are 1000s of pieces and parts out there without him destroying this one.

 

 

Scumbag.

 

You and I could have some very good conversations MAW, though they may raise our BP :blink:

 

I'll be doing my level best this week to buy the best parts! *Clears schedule for Monday through Friday*

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This isn't a case of someone trying to get back their money after trying for months to sell it complete. It was just at an estate sale last week for about an hour, then boxed up and sent to the current seller (as discussed on the other thread). This really just seems like it was only bought with the intent to separating it as soon as it arrived.

 

While the thought of "helping the little guy" is nice, well, whatever. There's already tons of individual items out there that if you wait and save your pennies, you can find pieces that have already been out on their own and not taken from a recently split group. There were millions of people in the service in WWII, and if you want a jacket or a holster or a dog tag, there's enough already available in the marketplace.

 

And yes, since the medals are not included, it's not as complete of a grouping as it could have been, but how often is it that the family keeps absolutely nothing from their relative? Not often. Also, we're talking about 70 years where things often get used up or given away by the vets themselves. To see that much original stuff come together at once is still really impressive as a grouping, until it's all sold separately and the historical integrity is lost forever.

 

Most of what us collectors buy is what the family didn't have room or desire to hold onto, and a few medals takes up a lot less room than four jackets and pile of gear. There will come a day, though, when these grouping just don't show up anymore. How often does one see extensive WWI groupings come out the woodwork anymore (barring what was worn and used to shreds during the Great Depression)? Not as much as they used to 40 years ago. So if we as "preservationists of history" (as many of us see ourselves) don't take caution soon, eventually the supply of fresh, honest, largely complete groupings will dry up, and the history will be gone in the name of squeezing every last cent from an item. I'm just frustrated at seeing more and more of these kinds of groups being cast to the winds in recent months.

 

And there's more snow coming tomorrow, so please pardon my general state of crankiness.

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