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"oddest item" in your collection?


Mr.Jerry
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I hope the milk is no longer in the carton! ?

 

Post a picture!!

 

As requested to post #23, here is my very dry and empty Quartermaster milk carton:

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trenchrat1918

Hold my beer I've got this. By far the oddest thing in my collection are tampons in war time packaging. I did a post about these a couple of years ago. I find these really interesting, to me they show how the war affected even the most mundane parts of the home front.Posted ImagePosted Image

 

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

 

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Well, I'm never gonna beat Threnchrat's contribution, hahaha and in itself my item isn't that weird at all. It's what written on it that (in my opinion) puts this item in the 'a bit out of the ordinary' category.

 

I haven't checked the numbers but if they are correct it's quite a coincidence. Too bad the mathematical prediction didn't work out.

 

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Rene

 

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  • 1 month later...
General Apathy

The phrase was recently mentioned in a post on the home-front section on a WW2 lima bean label, and it got me thinking; "what is the oddest item in my own collection?"

 

So what is your "oddball" item that you have to explain to people? (or are generally just too embarrassed to share)?

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Hi Mr. Jerry, a worthwhile topic and some interesting objects shown, and a couple hard to beat if trying.

 

Regarding the definition of ' Oddest item ' it is subjective depending on each persons definitions of an item.

 

This is an ' Odd ' item in terms of how many collectors have a piece in their collection resulting from an American bombing raid during WWII ???. This piece of granite stood above the entrance to the Post & Telegrams Bureau in Vire, Normandy when the town was bombed in 1944.

 

I bought this from the son of a granite stonemason employed in the rebuilding of Vire post war, while buying other pieces of granite from the sons granite yard he was amazed that in 75 years I was the first person to ask a price for it.

 

regards lewis

 

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I have some questionable photos that are a bit odd, and were included in the grouping of a vet. Don't know if I'd want to share them for fear of sullying the vet's name.

 

That aside, would have to be be my Vietnam War era Flower Power helmet liner. Definitely a standout piece, and a conversation starter, but not always a positive one.

 

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.

Hi Mr. Jerry, a worthwhile topic and some interesting objects shown, and a couple hard to beat if trying.

 

Regarding the definition of ' Oddest item ' it is subjective depending on each persons definitions of an item.

 

This is an ' Odd ' item in terms of how many collectors have a piece in their collection resulting from an American bombing raid during WWII ???. This piece of granite stood above the entrance to the Post & Telegrams Bureau in Vire, Normandy when the town was bombed in 1944.

 

I bought this from the son of a granite stonemason employed in the rebuilding of Vire post war, while buying other pieces of granite from the sons granite yard he was amazed that in 75 years I was the first person to ask a price for it.

 

regards lewis

 

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Well, that is a rock solid entry in the oddest item list. But I seem to remember you posting an army dentist chair once that for some reason gave me the willies. I don't recall if it was in the shoebox or not.

 

Mikie

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General Apathy

Well, that is a rock solid entry in the oddest item list. But I seem to remember you posting an army dentist chair once that for some reason gave me the willies. I don't recall if it was in the shoebox or not.

 

Mikie

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Hi Mikie, thanks for your comment set in stone about my granite post office sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^_^

 

Well here it is again the dentist's chair, not really the oddest item, surely every collector has one . . . . . . . :lol:

 

 

thanks lewis.

 

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.

 

 

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General Apathy

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Hi Mikie,

Well here it is again the dentist's chair, not really the oddest item, surely every collector has one . . . . . . . :lol:

thanks lewis.

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In a similar light to Mr. Jerry's issue, I run a group that portrays American veterans through our history and had to put together a colonial "Molly Pitcher" outfit. The 6 pounder rammer and bucket were easy, but collecting the skirts, petticoats and tops was rather different; having to repeatedly explain why I needed those items without appearing weird. Outside of that, it would probably be the non-descript baby food jar containing fuel oil from the USS ARIZONA.

 

You should type up the story about this, so future generations will appreciate it.

 

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Hi Mikie,

Well here it is again the dentist's chair, not really the oddest item, surely every collector has one . . . . . . . :lol:

thanks lewis.

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I don't have any kind of dentist phobia, beyond the usual, anyway. My dentist is quite good. But for some reason, that chair just bugs the heck outta me.

 

Mikie

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I don't own it...but one of the oddest collections I ever saw was an estate sale about 20 years ago where the man had been a WW2 vet, serving in Italy, and was really...I mean...really...into bug collecting and rocks/geology.

 

There were multiple send home crates, addressed from Italy, and hundreds of bugs and rock samples....all labeled appropriately.

 

It was so weird and bulky that I didn't pursue it. I just kept thinking about all of the kraut stuff he coulda shipped in those crates....he was definitely a "collector" of sorts.

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The wedding clothes of William and Helen Wegert of Dravosburg Pa.

 

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The seller told me he found these along with a wedding photo in a neighbors house that he purchased.

He contacted the family, they came and got the photo and left the rest.

I would love to have that picture!

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I don't own it...but one of the oddest collections I ever saw was an estate sale about 20 years ago where the man had been a WW2 vet, serving in Italy, and was really...I mean...really...into bug collecting and rocks/geology.

 

There were multiple send home crates, addressed from Italy, and hundreds of bugs and rock samples....all labeled appropriately.

 

It was so weird and bulky that I didn't pursue it. I just kept thinking about all of the kraut stuff he coulda shipped in those crates....he was definitely a "collector" of sorts.

Wow! You triggered an old memory! My Dad was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama in 1940-41. When I was a kid I was rummaging though his stuff in the attic and found an old bottle filled with a clear liquid and the biggest ugliest bug I ever saw up till then. Some kind of grasshopperish thing 4 or 5 inches long. Turns out to have been a sample of one of the various critters the soldiers were plagued with there. He caught one and sent it home preserved in alcohol. The thing grossed me out and fascinated me at the same time. I haven't seen it in at least 35 years when I moved out. As far as I know, it could still be up in the attic. Thanks for the memories...

 

Mikie

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MAW, What part do you think I should write about, the veteran portrayal and clothing acquisition or the Arizona Oil in the baby food jar?

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Posted this before, it is definitely the oddest military item I have. It's a Purple Heart medal mounted in a German MG34/43 machinegun oiler. No markings or info.

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MAW, What part do you think I should write about, the veteran portrayal and clothing acquisition or the Arizona Oil in the baby food jar?

If you dont mind me saying, all of the above sounds like stories to tell.

Mikie

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MAW, What part do you think I should write about, the veteran portrayal and clothing acquisition or the Arizona Oil in the baby food jar?

The oil in the jar. Very unusual, and very symbolic. People won't appreciate it unless your story is with it.

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That's a great home front piece Major Z. Thanks for showing.

 

Steve

I don't think it's "home front." I think it's for the milk produced by the US Army plant in Korea for consumption by the troops and their families based there.

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I will post a picture when I get off work if you want it. The most oddball thing I can immediately think of is the chest x-ray of Felix Ashinhurst, who was country director for CARE in Vietnam from '66-68. The X-ray is from a sister organization, also in Saigon from the Mercy ship.

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