USAAF WW2 Pilot Wings ..please help a beginner

[Barnsley]

Hi, after a long time collecting R.A.F. insignia I want to start a collection of WW2 U.S.A.A.F. Wings. Realistically, my choices of sources are limited...i.e. eBay but there are so many listed I don't know where to start! Prices seem to vary and 'most expensive' might not mean 'most original'! Coupled with that the photos are not always very clear sometimes don't show the part of the badge that I read on here I need to be looking at...Any help greatly appreciated, even a kindly scan of todays EBay offerings or the name of a reputable dealer. I guess I want common original at the moment to develop a collection, rather than very rare. Sorry to ask such a pathetic question but don't know who else to ask!

[manayunkman]

What kind of wing do you want to get first?

[pfrost]

I think this is the right place for you to ask questions.  If I were to make a suggestion, it would be to first and foremost buy the Jon McGuire books (Silver Wings, Pinks and Greens and More Silver Wings, Pinks and Greens). Those two volumes show most of the wings you are likely to encounter (and some that are very rare that you will be lucky to encounter). But more importantly, the pictures are excellent and (as far as I am concerned) all 100% legit.

 

There are other books, but I would suggest that these are the MINIMUM number of ressources you should have.

Second is this forum and Bob Shultz web page (http://www.ww2wings.com/) Bob's site is fantastic, especially in the USA section, including WWI, between the war, and WWII.

 

My own strategy when looking through wings on eBay (if I have any concerns) is to go to Bob's site and look at his posted examples, then go to the USMF and do a search then look at my books.  I usually get all the information I need that way.

 

Finally, be patient.  Values are hard to assign and change rapidly.  But if you wait, you will find a lot of really NICE wings for fair prices. We all have stories of finding a gem in the dross or a Buy it now for a great price.

 

Best of luck

Patrick

[bschwartz]

   SCHULTZ!!!!

 

While it's true that "I know nothing" and I do thank Patrick for the very kind words about my website, my last name is actually Schwartz.  😁  I know Patrick knows that and it was just a typo but I figured it's a fitting misnomer as there are definitely days in this hobby when I definitely feel like "I know nothing".  This forum is a god send for new collectors and I wish it was available when I started collecting in the 90s because it would have saved me a lot of money learning lessons the hard way.  I think you are wise to want to start with some common pieces first just to get your feet wet and then build up to more expensive and rare pieces.  Some of the more common maker marked wings you'll come across are from Amico, A. E. Co, Balfour (LGB), Gemsco, etc.  You will also come across a lot of wings that are marked N.S. Meyer.  It would be wise to stay away from those for a bit as they were heavily reproduced from the original dies and telling the good from the bad takes a little practice.  And even then some people will still disagree over what is a good one versus a bad one.  When in doubt the search feature on this forum is a great place to go.  And, if I may, my website is also a good place to see a lot of wings contributed from collectors all over the world.  Ask a lot of questions.  The people on this forum are extremely helpful.

[Barnsley]

Gentlemen, thank you very much indeed. I will get the book, do the research where you have suggested and take the plunge! Looks like a Amico, A. E. Co, Balfour (LGB), Gemsco is the way to go to begin with. Thank you again. And I watched Hogan's Heroes too as a child.😀

[pfrost]

Bob, you are lucky we don't call you "Puddin'".  Sorry buddy, I would like to blame autocorrect, but I fear it was just a senior moment.

 

As Bob S said. He is great and his website is a world class addition to wing collecting. Don't let him be humble

Dr Puddin' Frost

[dmar836]

And watch out for wings marked with the vet's service history on the back. While some did engrave or scratch things on them, this is more commonly done by sellers to sell a "story". Haven't seen it too much lately but it was a thing. Got one like that on a uniform I hadn't even checked.

[pfrost]

Interesting fact, I am starting to collect RAF stuff! 

[Noelle]

3 hours ago, pfrost said:

Finally, be patient.  Values are had to assign and change rapidly.  But if you wait, you will find a lot of really NICE wings for fair prices. We all have stories of finding a gem in the dross or a Buy it now for a great price.

 

My personal litmus is “are our household bills paid, would this amount be ruinous, and would I kick myself later if I passed it up for this price?”  

 

I’ve paid a lot more for a few things that I later found for less, but I don’t regret what I paid because I had the benefit of enjoying them for that much longer and no worry about when or if I’d find what I wanted later.  It’s seeming to be harder and harder to find some things as more gets donated to large museums and stuck in the archives forever.  I think what counts as a fair price is quite up in the air now, partly because of the increasing scarcity of things.

[Bull Moose]

1 hour ago, dmar836 said:

And watch out for wings marked with the vet's service history on the back. While some did engrave or scratch things on them, this is more commonly done by sellers to sell a "story". Haven't seen it too much lately but it was a thing. Got one like that on a uniform I hadn't even checked.

 

There is a flood of engraved wings on eBay lately. 20+ by the same seller.  Hard to believe one collector could come up with that amount of personalized wings.

 

 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144929455015?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=bpSCbP0aR5-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=-y5jSSKmRs6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[pfrost]

I think the seller was selling of a collection of engraved wings.  There were some gems (like this one) and a few clunkers.

 

 

[BHillen]

Welcome to an addicting, but satisfying hobby.

[5thwingmarty]

I would suggest being very careful with LGB/Balfour wings if you are just starting out.  The same dies were used for decades so a WWII pattern wing ight have been made decades later "for collectors".  The first wing I ever bought was a Balfour Pilot wings, which at the time I didn't know what the 1-B on the wing signified, and I bought it at an antique store and paid way too much for a post WWII wing.

[Kropotkin]

Hello Barnsley,

 

Another UK-based collector here. As has been mentioned above, this site, the Maguire books and Bob’s site are my core research sources and have held me in good stead over the last few years as I got my eye in and have never let me down. I also have so much gratitude for the other members on here as their knowledge and generosity in sharing their expertise is boundless and has prevented a good few mistakes being made. 

 

Obviously, it’s much harder to find good USAAF wing insignia over here and even some of the more reputable British dealers make mistakes in what they offer as WW2 examples and generally over-price them, so be careful! Added to which, militaria fairs over here often only have the odd one or two in my experience, so it can feel like truffle-hunting at times.

For me, the majority of my purchases recently have been via ebay due to the lack of these items in general circulation in the UK, which again poses its own issues and is often a case of patient waiting for the right wings to pop up, but does rely on sound research to sift through all the duds, restrikes and nefarious offerings that litter the place.

 

Price-wise from a UK point-of-view, I’d say as a rough rule of thumb a standard price for an AE Co., Gemsco, Amico, or Balfour pilot wing is £50-70 at present. Other ratings will vary a bit, e.g. aircrew wings costing a little less on average, but generally this price band is about right for the more common Aerial Gunner, Bombardier and Navigator wings.

 

Happy hunting!