I may end up selling my soul for a lot on auction right now - Elizabeth Gardner WASP auction

[Steve D.]

She was part of a test program with Piper Aircraft. She bailed out of a piper after her service in the WASPs. Apparently she was

a test pilot for Piper in 1945. I have no clue as to how high the grouping will go for, but I'll try to get it if the price doesn't go crazy.

[GAZOO]

I can see two interested bidders placing very high last second bids to ensure a win
I was interested but expect considerable interest. At the moment the high bid
points to an easily 8k in the final seconds SO i'm out. I like it but will end to high.
I actually think thats a low estimate on my part so it will be fun to see the FINAL

EDIT: Oh I am not saying I think that is the value of these items ONLY thats what the EBAY MARKET
looks to be headed at

[KurtA]

Regarding early bidding- 
A winning “kill shot” bid should never be placed until the very last second (snipe). However an auction lot  like this is susceptible to “disappearing” after the seller receives a seemingly high offer (which could be well below what other collectors may have been willing to bid) 

So it sometimes helps to throw a good bid early on (but well below your max as not to show your hand) to give the seller confidence that there are other serious bidders out there and continuing the auction is the smart  thing to do. 

[manayunkman]

The seller will run to the end.

 

The only way to beat a killer bid is to put a very high bid in sometime before the end of the auction.

 

 

[stratasfan]

I'm watching it! The listing and  this thread. Super interesting points about the bidding. I've seen things that were pulled when the seller sold  to an offer. So, makes sense to get some serious money going earlier on. 

 

Interesting to know that the pieces look good by someone who knows this area, too! It is super cool, and I hope whoever gets it posts some better pics on here! Definitely a cool group that will make a killer display!

[AustinO]

I once had a grouping to one of her classmates with the same 318th wing.  I have no problem with the wings in this grouping. 

[BigDogMilitaria]

one thing that happens quite often on exciting fresh things like this is you will see people bidding it up, just to see how far it will go. They have no intention or most likely the ability to pay for it, but want to feel like they were in on it at some point, or simply just to cause havoc.

[JDK]

I was interested, but already have a similar group. The main wings are good and most of the rest looks good too. Good luck to the bidders. I will be watching with interest to see what this fetches as it’s already more than I paid for my group. 
 

JD

[Noelle]

7 hours ago, Steve D. said:

She was part of a test program with Piper Aircraft. She bailed out of a piper after her service in the WASPs. Apparently she was

a test pilot for Piper in 1945. I have no clue as to how high the grouping will go for, but I'll try to get it if the price doesn't go crazy.

What I'm trying to do right now is to figure out how much I'd be willing to pay for the wings without a provable connection to her.  If there was a provable link (I really wish the seller had given more info), I'd blow the HELOC we got to renovate our kitchen and have no regrets.  Without one, we're not out of the territory of what I'd pay for the wings.  I'll still be bidding.  Despite my doubts, my gut says to ignore them.  I had doubts on the set I got, but listened to my gut...helps that the seller is local and was willing to meet in person...and I doubt a legit set will go for just $1,074 again, which I got.

 

What's in my head now is I don't want to be second high bidder to someone here so that someone here pays more than they would have had I not bid.  I don't know whether to hold back though since I have no doubt that some people here can wipe the floor with me if they wanted (how many of y'all have multiple sets of wings plus multiple sets of uniforms, docs, etc., that would cost more than my house?), or go all in an hope that every other bidder out there shows some mercy.

[jeff41st]

5 hours ago, Noelle said:

What's in my head now is I don't want to be second high bidder to someone here so that someone here pays more than they would have had I not bid.  I don't know whether to hold back though since I have no doubt that some people here can wipe the floor with me if they wanted (how many of y'all have multiple sets of wings plus multiple sets of uniforms, docs, etc., that would cost more than my house?), or go all in an hope that every other bidder out there shows some mercy.

You shouldn't worry that your second high bid will cause the winning bidder to pay more than had you not bid. You have to assume that the winning bidder was comfortable with his or her maximum/winning bid whatever that amount was. And no buyer that is seriously considering this group is going to show any mercy. As others have stated, the winner is going to throw out a big number (one that they are comfortable with) right at the end of the auction to increase their odds of winning it. 

 

The seller did tell me that they bought this grouping at "an estate sale in NYC" I don't know anything about the estate that this grouping came out of, but you might be able to put some of your fears about the legitimacy of this grouping to rest if you can link the grouping to a recent death of one of her descendants. Not much time to do that I know, but maybe worth a shot. It seems very likely to me that the family of someone this well known would have kept all of her service items and I doubt that the seller needed to add anything to the mix. It's always possible the seller added to the group, but in messaging the seller he/she did not seem to have a real idea on the worth of the group. I gave the seller my opinion on the value of the group, which has recently been surpassed, and his/her response was "nice."  After looking at the listing photos, talking to other knowledgeable collectors and reading over comments on this thread I would certainly not have any qualms about bidding on this group.

 

Not that you asked anyones opinion, but I would not be comfortable using HELOC money to buy this grouping. But that's just my opinion (and advice I would give my kids😁). That said, good luck if you decide to bid on it!

Jeff

[dmar836]

Nobody asked me and people may do what they please but I learned early in life to not finance toys. It's a fairly basic principle but goes double if it puts risk on one's primary residence.

Sorry, had to say it but as the new generations say, "You do you."

Dave

[doinworkinvans]

Dave Ramsey would have a stroke

[rathbonemuseum.com]

I too believe all of these items to be Elizabeth's original items and nothing has been added. There is an organic quality to the HS items plus the military items plus the post-war items that line up exactly with Ms. Gardner's life story. 

 

I note with interest these notes from her Wikipedia entry:

 

The Piper badge 

In December 1944, the government disbanded WASP, and Gardner returned to the private sector. She was a commercial pilot after World War II, flying for Piper Aircraft Corporation in Pennsylvania.[10][21] In that capacity, she became involved in public relations, using her piloting skills to ferry Piper customers, meeting with the Department of Defense, and writing all of William T. Piper's speeches.[21]

 

The two parachute award badges

Gardner worked as a test pilot after the war, including for General Textile Mills, which was working on an aircraft parachute that was intended to safely land aircraft that became disabled in flight. She participated in at least two tests with the device in December 1945, both of which forced her to bail out of the aircraft when the parachute became tangled in the test aircraft. During the second incident, the aircraft entered a dive when its elevators were jammed by the parachute; Gardner escaped from the cockpit, but she was only 500 ft (150 m) from the ground when her own parachute opened.[22]

 

The auction being located in NYC out of an estate sale

She died in New York on December 22, 2011.[10][23] 

[manayunkman]

The seller has more photos including these

[manayunkman]

1 hour ago, dmar836 said:

Nobody asked me and people may do what they please but I learned early in life to not finance toys. It's a fairly basic principle but goes double if it puts risk on one's primary residence.

Sorry, had to say it but as the new generations say, "You do you."

Dave

A dangerous road but tempting.

[KurtA]

16 hours ago, dmar836 said:

Nobody asked me and people may do what they please but I learned early in life to not finance toys. It's a fairly basic principle but goes double if it puts risk on one's primary residence.

Sorry, had to say it but as the new generations say, "You do you."

Dave

Totally agree.  Accumulating trinkets should be a fun enjoyable hobby, not an obsession that affects your quality of life. There are lots of collectibles out there j would like to own, but I understand I just can’t afford them. No big deal. I enjoy acquiring what I can and understand “You can’t have it all.” 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

Also, i would add, patience is a wonderful virtue as these things do come around. Many of us whom would like to own this set, will not. But that does not mean we have not had other chances to own other wonderful pieces. It just may not be now. 

[Wharfmaster]

I have a few interesting groups to women.  I like this historic group very much and would love to have it in my collection.

However, I would not pay crazy money for it. (More than it is worth)

 

I have only one group in my collection that I paid crazy money for.  It is to an officer that saw a considerable amount of combat. 

He published a detailed book about his war service and I have an autographed copy of it.

If I had to sell this group, I am 100 percent certain I could sell it immediately and for a profit.

 

Like it or not, when it comes to militaria collectors, combat sells quickly. Everything else, not so much. 

I would not invest big bucks and pay too much for a group that few people collect.  Too risky.

 

 

W

 

 

 

 

[The Iron Brigade]

At the end of the day you must do that which will make you happy and that which you can afford. 

[cutiger83]

Just curious why there is enlisted medical collar insignia in this group.

 

...Kat

[manayunkman]

35 minutes ago, cutiger83 said:

Just curious why there is enlisted medical collar insignia in this group.

 

...Kat

Could be something she picked up from an admirer.

 

Back in the day you could find all kinds of military pins in a ladies jewelry box.

[dmar836]

It's a good question though. It doesn't look overall as if this is a cobbled together grouping (at all) but those are things that, when added up and not explained, can be problematic.

Dave

[GAZOO]

7 minutes ago, dmar836 said:

It's a good question though. It doesn't look overall as if this is a cobbled together grouping (at all) but those are things that, when added up and not explained, can be problematic.

Dave

 
You would expect anyone who was putting it together to deceive would know
that does not belong, i expect it was just in the lot. Probably a boy friends

[Thor996]

6 hours ago, manayunkman said:

Could be something she picked up from an admirer.

 

Back in the day you could find all kinds of military pins in a ladies jewelry box.

 

I agree. I got a grouping of medals one time that was pulled out of the trash and was in a little box and along with the medals was some insignia that didn't 'belong' to the group but was found with the group and I would infer 'belonged' in that group in perhaps same way -maybe family friend? Who knows. With the original owner gone you may never know how something got into a group. So I wouldn't jump to saying someone humped this group up bc of that. JMHO.

[historylives]

hello. reading the conversations on this topic i find it to be rather interesting on the amount willing to be paid (on Ebay) and would like to ask what would the two wings sell for separately if they were listed alone (wasp and class wing?) i see that upon the comments these are very desirable and extremely hard to find not to mention costly.