Hello from central Arkansas

[cannon jockey]

I've accumulated, er--ah, excuse me--collected militaria and other "antiques" for over 65 years now.   It all started with playing army as a kid in the 1950s.   I just turned 75 in November.  Anyway there was a great Army-Navy surplus store in our small town and any time my mom or dad took me to town with them, the first place I went was to the Army-Navy store to shop for web gear.  This was at a time in our society when parents in my part of the South didn't worry about turning a 10 year old loose to wander around downtown.   Of course our town was only about double the size of Mayberry.

 

 I'd usually have a couple of dollars saved from doing chores or my allowance.  One could get a nice WW II web belt, canteen with cover all for about $1.50.   A first aid pouch for another .50 cents.

They had buckets filled with bayonets for maybe $3 each and several walls covered in surplus rifles--most for less than $25 each.  A helmet liner for a buck or two was also a must.  Of course at that age, my folks forbid me to bring a bayonet home but since we used sticks for our rifles and sub machine guns, it didn't matter.  Unfortunately, old habits are hard to kick and since retirement 12 years ago, I added a lot of stuff to the pile.

 

Glad to be here and look forward to posting some of my "finds" and admiring those of others. 

 

Cheers

[tdogchristy90]

Welcome, from southwest Missouri.

[stratasfan]

Welcome and Merry Christmas! Can't wait to see some of your fun stuff! Sounds like you had a fun childhood! Wish I could go to that surplus store! :)

 

[BILL THE PATCH]

Howdy and merry Christmas,

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

[Old Crow 1986]

2 hours ago, cannon jockey said:

look forward to posting some of my "finds" and admiring those of others. 

Don't be shy about posting some of your "finds" - no matter what they are you'll find someone who shares your appreciation for your treasures.

 

Welcome!

[USMC_ROB]

Welcome aboard and Merry Christmas! Look forward to seeing some of your web gear! 

[4th Miss Cav]

Welcome to the forum. 

[cannon jockey]

Thanks all and happy holidays to all.😃

[Blacksmith]

Ah, beautiful Arkansas...  Welcome to the forum.  😁

[Backtheattack]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Ah, the good old times... remember them well.

[OD-Blue-Top]

Hello, and welcome to an "old soldier" here in my home state.  Memories of past finds flood my mind, like what I now know must have been a Chauchat machine gun hanging over the door of a local second hand store.  If I remember correctly the owner ask $50, and my dad wasn't in agreement with me on this deal.  He had just paid $1,600 for a new 1956 chevy pickup.  I also made some good hauls back then, although $5 for a WWII German M42 combat helmet was a "big" purchase, and had to pass on a bin of Span-Am era Mills belts for about $2 per belt, and then there were these..................  Anyway, Welcome!