Anyone ever donated to Dayton AF Museum?

[stratasfan]

I am seriously thinking of donating a grouping to Dayton AF Museum. Anyone ever donated anything there and have any thoughts or comments?

[12A54]

Unless it is something of historic significance it will end up in storage.

[daskrieg]

Museums are known to sell off their storage stock in order to keep their bills paid and going I would not trust any museum with my stuff but that's my two cents

[stratasfan]

Thanks for both of your thoughts! I have a 50 missions grouping from a gunner in WWII/Korea/ and Vn. He got a 50 missions cert. in the MTO. Well, I've tried to sell it, and kind of slacked off when all the offers I got were for about 10% of the piecemeal price. So, it has been sitting here and I am trying to decide what I want to do now. Don't have room to keep it, so I am debating on trying to sell it again or donate it. The 50 missions certs are kind of rare, along with the other things to go along with it. It's a serious box full of stuff! I know that Dayton AF Museum only has a 35 missions cert. I contacted them and asked if they had a 50. So, I was thinking it might be something to donate. But I'm considering.

[gwb123]

First thought... did you try to sell it on here?

 

I understand the economics of what you are thinking. I've donated things in the past and taken the tax right off. Keep in mind in the end you are not getting the full declared value of your write off; you are getting a percentage based on the level of your taxes. (example: $100 declared value, tax rate 20%, your realized tax benefit is $20.) But with the new standard deductions being as high as they are, this may not be worth the effort.

 

I tried to donate something to Dayton... it did not work out in the end for a lack of communication.

 

With respect to the above, I have not heard of government military museums selling off items in storage. With private or foundation museums that is a definitely a risk.

 

If you think the item is so historic that this is where it belongs, go with it.

[BEAST]

I have an item that I am considering offering to the Air Force Museum also; so I am interested in the experience of others.

[cutiger83]

All museums are not the same. Research and find out the truth about museums then make your decision. If not for donations, we would not have the amazing Air and Space Museum or the wonderful WWII museum in Louisiana. There are many amazing museums.

 

Also, all collectors eventually sell their collections. Never have understood why collectors have no problem selling to other collectors but refuse to donate to a museum. While some collectors display their collections, many items sit in a box in a house unseen by others. In my opinion, this is no different than the complaints made against museums.

[stratasfan]

First thought... did you try to sell it on here?

 

I understand the economics of what you are thinking. I've donated things in the past and taken the tax right off. Keep in mind in the end you are not getting the full declared value of your write off; you are getting a percentage based on the level of your taxes. (example: $100 declared value, tax rate 20%, your realized tax benefit is $20.) But with the new standard deductions being as high as they are, this may not be worth the effort.

 

I tried to donate something to Dayton... it did not work out in the end for a lack of communication.

 

With respect to the above, I have not heard of government military museums selling off items in storage. With private or foundation museums that is a definitely a risk.

 

If you think the item is so historic that this is where it belongs, go with it.

 

 

Actually, it wouldn't be a tax right-off issue at all. It would simply be donated. I'm not considering it for tax right-off . . . just because of the thought that it might be something a museum would like to have. I know collectors so far have practically scoffed at me for thinking the 50 missions thing is worth more that pocket change, but they are kind of rare. And if one day someone realises that they have mostly disappeared, it might be cool for a museum to have one. Also, the vet was from Van Wert, Ohio, so I thought maybe an Ohio museum would be a thing. And I have a photograph of him standing in front of the plane after his 50th mission, and the hometown newspaper when he came home on furlough after the 50 missions, and some pictures he took from the air during those 50 missions, and lots of pictures from his USAAF days (he was a camera fan!) - of himself and airplanes and even the barracks he was stationed at in N. Africa. Also have his yardlong picture from training, and his gunnery certificate, and his Army GCM and some of his KW and Vn wings and his Vn dog tags, and his discharge in fold, some promotion certificates, his USAF Commendation medal and folder with the citation, his framed USAF Vn-era portrait, a couple pieces of insignia, his private pilot's log book, lots to do with his wife (who was Japanese, and they married while he was stationed in Japan during KW), and some of his web belts, and even a piece of his WWII flight bomber pants that he wore on the 50 missions! So, I'm debating with myself. I really wanted to sell it, to help with some of the bills, but I'm not willing to sell it off for tuppence. It seems like it is cool to me, and I'd rather donate it really. And being that he was from Ohio, I thought Dayton might be a cool place.

 

So, I contacted them and asked if they had a 50 missions certificate at all, and they don't. Only a 35 missions cert. So, that's been my food for thought.

 

I did try to sell it on here, but got tired of the PMs with super lowball offers. I'm still considering laying it all out again and photographing it and trying to sell it again. Just have to decide what route I'd rather take. It is a large box of stuff! Weighs 30 lbs, I believe!

[stratasfan]

All museums are not the same. Research and find out the truth about museums then make your decision. If not for donations, we would not have the amazing Air and Space Museum or the wonderful WWII museum in Louisiana. There are many amazing museums.

 

Also, all collectors eventually sell their collections. Never have understood why collectors have no problem selling to other collectors but refuse to donate to a museum. While some collectors display their collections, many items sit in a box in a house unseen by others. In my opinion, this is no different than the complaints made against museums.

 

 

Of course, I wouldn't mind selling the grouping. That would mean I could get something else for my own collections. However, I don't like it sitting here in a box. I'm totally open to donating, if I decide that it is the way I want to go and think a museum would be happy to have the grouping. Of course, I would like a museum to get it where they would like it. Storage isn't terrible, if it is easily accessed by people who ask to see it. Of course, if I found somewhere who'd like to display it, that would be cooler. I actually have his flight bomber pants that he wore during his 50 misisons, but the back has cracked and ripped. You coule display them from the other side, but they are fragile. So, I am keeping them to cut them up and use in projects, as so far people have told me they are worthless to the grouping. So, I included a small piece that separated from the main pants with the grouping.

[Nack]

Unfortunately, cool and/or rare doesn’t always translate well into monetary value. I took a look at your group, and it’s neat, but I see why folks offered you a lot less than you are asking.

Given that collectors are not falling over each other to grab this, I’d have to think the AF Museum would pass as well.

Just my humble observations - no offense intended!

[stratasfan]

Unfortunately, cool and/or rare doesn’t always translate well into monetary value. I took a look at your group, and it’s neat, but I see why folks offered you a lot less than you are asking.

 

Given that collectors are not falling over each other to grab this, I’d have to think the AF Museum would pass as well.

 

Just my humble observations - no offense intended!

 

No offense, but I still don't see why 50 missions items are worht no more than tossing on the burn pile. I don't get it. Totally don't understand it either, as if I were to post in the wanted section . . . I can tell you right now I wouldn't be offered one for the shipping.

[TheMariner]

Paper items are really a sliding scale! Big groupings also are on a sliding scale. A very small amount are very rare and expensive the rest tend to fall into a much lower market value! While the 50 mission certificate my be rare, it is a very small collecting group that collect them. A lot of the "sexy" items are not present with the grouping sadly. Big document groups, with photos, documents etc can be very tough to sell. At the same time I wouldn't donate it, the tax write off is never worth the trouble, on top of that museums hoard things in back rooms, basements and storage rooms. Literally millions of historic items are in some dust box somewhere instead of being cherished and appreciated by a collector who would enjoy them every day. I am never a big advocate of museum donation and at the end of the day they may sell it to pad the museums pocket anyway. Im not sure what you paid but if you dont have a ton of money into the set I would cut about $100 dollars off the asking price that I saw and see if you get a bite. I will say a similar grouping sold recently with the leather AAF bag for $120+ shipping. If you really want to move it I would say reduce the price and cut your loses! best of luck

[Nack]

 

No offense, but I still don't see why 50 missions items are worht no more than tossing on the burn pile. I don't get it. Totally don't understand it either, as if I were to post in the wanted section . . . I can tell you right now I wouldn't be offered one for the shipping.

Well, to be fair, I didn’t say it’s worthless. Let me frame it this way. Is the group worth $25? Totally. Is it worth $250? No. Like Mariner said, it’s largely paper, missing the “sexy” stuff, and is big (which means it’s expensive to ship). So, the question is where between $25 and $250 should the value fall? Tough to say. AAF is what I collect, so I am reasonably informed on the subject. IMHO, it’s more towards the lower end than the upper, but maybe in the middle is the sweet spot as Mariner suggested. Again, just my observation.

[stratasfan]

Well, to be fair, I didn’t say it’s worthless. Let me frame it this way. Is the group worth $25? Totally. Is it worth $250? No. Like Mariner said, it’s largely paper, missing the “sexy” stuff, and is big (which means it’s expensive to ship). So, the question is where between $25 and $250 should the value fall? Tough to say. AAF is what I collect, so I am reasonably informed on the subject. IMHO, it’s more towards the lower end than the upper, but maybe in the middle is the sweet spot as Mariner suggested. Again, just my observation.

 

 

Oh, I think I have just become rather cynical over the past few years. I think this hobby tends to bog down in the mire of "bloodstained" items being collectible and the rest kind of passed over. Not me or my stuff only, am I talking about either. I've spent two years really watching this forum and some other places, and it seems to me that named items from a KIA serviceman (WIA sometimes, if it was bad enough and at the right place - as in battle) or named items from someone who fell just short of the MOH or one of the few survivors of one of the major remembered battles are all that are truly collectible. And at that . . . it most often has to do with medals and/or the helmets. I am constantly saddened at the noticeable lack of interest in some of the slightly lesser items. Probably goes to the general dying of interest in militaria that I've seen over the past five years, too (just look at the dwindling numbers over the past two year on here alone). Maybe enough public school years have passed so that history really is a dying thing. I don't know. Whatever it is, I've grown cynical or just sad or something. With this grouping, if I had the engraved Air Medal with it, it wouldn't still be sitting here. To me (regardless of how the collecting world views this, just my feeling) that is sad. It doesn't lessen the grouping, other than taking the value of a medal out of it. Actually, you can pick up Air Medals and Engraved Air Medals all the time and really have a choice. What you don't get is the list of his missions that he served and fought on to earn to medal or the pictures from the missions he earned that medal on, or the certificate saying he fought and survived more missions than tons of other young men in a very short time, or the article with the whole story of his time spent on those 50 missions. That stuff is what makes the history. Not the piece of medal and ribbon with a name engraved on it. I find that the personal side gets lost. So, that is why I am considering donating it. Maybe the personal side will survive for a bit longer until someone will be interested in it.

 

for instance . . . my Grampa was a career USCG WO2. Well, wasn't always a WO2. -grin- Started from the bottom and worked as a dentist assistant in a travelling dental trailer across the country. I have a bunch of his military stuff now. He got the USCG Commendation medal, was involved in the rescue team when they picked up German sailors who had been in the ocean with no life vest for over 12 hours. Some really cool stories. All the real collectible items from his service are cool. However, the coolest things, in my mind, are six USCG pictures he had of planes and ships he served on. On these, he typed a paragraph and pasted them along the bottom, telling the story of when he served on each and what happened during that service. The human element. All right . . . the Commendation medal is cool . . . but it isn't the thing. He never once talked about it. He talked about those ships and planes. He lamented until the day he died about getting rid of his pea coat when he retired. I'd rather have had the pea coat than the medal, believe you me!

 

So . . . it isn't that I have a chip on my shoulder towards any one in particular. I think I am just not enough part of the younger generations. I may have been born in them, but I don't always fit in. So, I will take in to consideration the ideas and thoughts all have suggested. I may try to sell it again, I may decide to try donating it somewhere. Being in storage in a museum is probably better than being stored by my piano.

 

As for tax . . . as I said . . . it is a non-starter. I'm not doing this for tax. Sis and I don't work outside the home and we don't need a tax write-off.

 

I probably will keep all the wings, so I can have them in case I ever want to make displays for someone and I need a pair of Air Crew wings. I can't get AC wings for under $30 a piece, anyway, so right there I'm $90 ahead.

[stratasfan]

Now . . .a thought just came to me as I was about to power down . . . there is another Valley museum around somewhere in the Mid-West, isn't there? I think I've done some research for someone on here who is involved with a museum around here. Maybe that's an idea if I decide to really donate it!

[bobgee]

Elizabeth - The Air Force Museum in Dayton is THE USAF Museum. It is fantastic. A must visit for any history-oriented person. They have so much unbelievable stuff on display - artifacts & airplanes and everything in between. Having said that, they also have a HUGE collection of donated relics which are sitting in their storage areas. Most of it will never be seen on display.

If you donate your group it will most likely end up in the back room. Too my knowledge they do not sell. I understand they might trade for a specific needed item but that is unverified gossip.

 

I think listing your group here on the Forum, telling its story and maybe offering it to another collector at a reasonable value may find it in a good collector's home and keep it in circulation. Or, better yet, continue to be be the caretaker of this man's history in your collection. My 2-Cents! Bobgee