What do you do with your groupings?

[ShibaLegend]

Specifically when it comes to the items in that grouping.

 

The way i currently treat my groupings is that i keep mostly everything in the box i bought them in. If it's a smaller grouping of only maybe 5 or 6 things ill put them in a plastic bag. 

 

The thing is, pretty much all of my groupings have items in them that i otherwise don't have another of in my collection. 

 

To explain my issue, one of my groupings has a unnamed ARCOM medal that came with it. I don't have another ARCOM in my collection. The ARCOM is new and probably not worth much.  If i had no idea who owned the medal, i could use it for display.

 

But the fact that its tethered to a grouping, i just don't want to mess with it beyond looking at it briefly and putting it back with the rest of the stuff. It feels like im breaking up the group, like im taking away a vital piece to it, no matter how much worth the item actually has, the fact i know who it belonged to trumps all of that. That's why i almost always buy everything i can from a grouping. Not because i really "want" it, but because it "belonged" to the same person who owned stuff in the group i actually want.

 

The thing im struggling with is how far this way of treating my item's should go. Even little things like small pin's that ultimately don't amount to much, nope. I have to buy it. Gotta stay with the grouping. Can't use it because i don't have another one that i don't know who it belonged to. 

 

I guess my problem is that i don't want to split anything up even when i own the grouping. Whenever i buy loose military pictures, i always wonder what happened to the rest of the guy's stuff. What happened to his uniform, his medals, his documents, etc. Were they sold with the pictures, but then someone decided they didn't want them and sold the pictures off, or did they just buy the pictures, leaving the arguably more "important" stuff behind?

 

I guess you could say im having a moral dilemma here. If i buy what i want, i leave everything else that person had to be split up and possibly never be reunited.

 

If i buy everything i can, yes i have everything, but i can't really DO anything with the items because i don't want to break anything up, even if it is as insignificant as a patch that has 5 duplicates in the group. 

 

I want to treat history with as much respect as i can give. But at what point should that be held back for the sake of having "fun" with collecting?

 

 

Sorry if this is a little scattershot. Im still trying to figure this out, which is why i posted this here. Maybe yall can help me out.

[CavalryCombatant]

I know exactly where you’re coming from, and have been there about a million times myself.

 

Regarding buying groupings, I do my best to purchase as many of the military items in the grouping as I can.  The way I see it, the chances of groupings being reunited are virtually none.   I’m not saying to put yourself in a bad place financially because of a grouping, but I have walked away on entire groupings in (sometimes vein) hopes that someone will come along and keep them together.  If there’s an item you’re really hankering for, but you can’t justify buying the rest of the grouping, try and find a name associated and take a physical note (not mental) and attach it to the item that details who owned it and whatever other information is available. If you can, try and connect with whoever purchases the rest of the group so that the history isn’t entirely lost and if you ever want to sell the item it’ll return where it belongs.

 

When it comes to displaying items from groupings, I do so fairly often but ensure I have a way to return it to the grouping it’s apart of.  Sort of like how museums share items with other museums. I recommend either keeping a ledger when you remove items from groupings, and when you return them, as a way to avoid insanity- but a simple note affixed to an item would serve the same purpose.  
 

I think with collecting, if you’re careful, it doesn’t have to be strictly being respect or having fun, it can and should be both. 
 

With your ARCOM medal,  assuming you’re displaying it in its box, I would either write or print a note detailing what grouping it belongs to and put it behind the felt.  That way, if you get any other ARCOM medals you can still know which is which.  Alternatively, you can make it more of a focal piece including a printout of what the recipient did.  I like short and sweet print outs, including some basic information and sometimes a photo.  I tend to go for visually interesting opposed to cramming every piece of information available onto an index card

 

just my 2¢

CC

[collectsmedals]

I tend to be a little too meticulous when it comes to my collection (and a lot of other things). I keep a spreadsheet which lists my tracking number for the item, sub-tracking number for multiple related items, item description, purchase date, purchased from, what I paid, additional comments, item disposition i.e. sold, donated, etc., sold for, and estimated current value.

 

For groups, each item in the group has an assigned sub-tracking number which if practical is attached to the item by a string and paper tag, or if displayed in a case the item sub-tracking number is on the case, or if stored in a box then the number with a description is on the box. Some of the larger groups have as many 80 sub-group items listed.

 

For example: a uniform and medal group might have a group number of G-1, the uniform tunic would be G-1-1, pants G-1-2, a hat G-1-3, a belt G-1-4 a medal associated with the group G-1-5, etc.,  each of these having a separate but related line item in the spreadsheet. I then have a physical file with any associated documentation for the group or item, and a virtual file with photographs of the items both individually and as a group, along with scans of any documents or related items in the physical file.

 

It took a lot of time to set this up, but it is fairly easy to maintain and it helps me keep everything together so I don't lose track of things and forget what is tied to what.

[ShibaLegend]

Thanks for yall chiming in.

[KingBee]

I’m having the same problem, the eBay seller split the ww2 soldiers grouping up into 8 different parts, and being 15 I cannot possibly afford all of them, and I cannot connect with the other buyers as their names are private. I’m trying my best but it ain’t enough unfortunately. Any ideas?

[blademan]

I too have simular issues. I am having problems keeping track of items in my groupings. I have put an item here, in display there, and many times i find it hard to remember what goes with what especially after years.  

 

Put a gun in a safe place, a hat on the shelf, uniform in the closet and a few years later no more grouping. 

 

I want to make sure after I am gone, the groupings stay together. 

 

I put tags on most of my items and think a great idea to use a grouping numbering system. I Like the group number, item number, and total items in the group format, such as G10-4-20 (group 10, item 4, of total of 20 items).

 

I also keep many groups in riker mount displays and keep extra items under the matt to keep them all together. 

 

I also keep many grouping in foot lockers to keep the groups together. 

 

I also print out my resesrch and put in a plastic sleave with each grouping when possible. 

 

Thanks

 

 

[manayunkman]

I try to display the most interesting items and the balance gets stored away.

 

Back in the day I did volunteer work for Bruce Bazelon at the state museum in Harrisburg PA and that’s how they handled their groups.

[268th C.A.]

I think most of us are on the same page here, I have WW1 Collar disc that are on uniforms that I wanted for my disc collection but won't take off the uniform. Patches that there are five of I don't feel so bad taking one or selling one or even keeping only one. How ever unless the uniform is full of moth holes, I'd remove a patch, I don't bring that stuff in the house period. I try to keep nice groups together. An unedified patch button and ribbon bar. That stuff gets separated. Use your judgment and good luck. I think most hard-core dealers split it all up. Its yours so do what you like. Good luck collecting! 

[Paul Schroder]

This is a complicated subject for me. I have personal items pertaining to my grandfathers service (Poncho Villa to Korea) as well as his collection of "souvenir" items from that span of time. He was quite the collector, and I have that same disease. Struggling a bit as to how to organize his material. For example, is his collection of German items from the Aachen battle, ranging from helmets, paperwork, mine warning flags, gas masks and more to be marked /stored as his collection, separate from similar items I collected with no known attribution? The same question would apply to his US patch and DI collection. At some point I would look at passing this entire collection on to either a family member or a museum, both having pros and cons associated with them. I do realize that having items properly marked and documented is at least a first step. I appreciate blademan's earlier comment, both in terms of similar concerns and solutions.... I also use tags, ph neutral bags, sleeves and riker cases, and print out copies of documentation and research.

[GAZOO]

    Yes the how to display and catalog Question. It really comes down to space for me
as to what gets displayed, I like to keep the GROUPs together BUT do have a few items
pulled to complete other displays

 The BEST process I can offer would be to have EITHER a Printed catalog of the items
or put it all on a THUMB DRIVE (Maybe even a back up or two)

   I always purchase a large 3 ring binder OR Slip sleeve Photo album to house the
RESEARCH and items included info, I always include the sale description / Price
and any PROVENANCE HISTORY (Who i purchased from where/who they got it from )
I try to include scanned photos of all the originally included items (front and back)

  I dont expect to sell any of my collection BUT Future family members may not
be as interested so the Book Case with EDGE titled binders is located in the
"WINGS OF VALOR" Room

[Paul Schroder]

4 hours ago, GAZOO said:

  " I always purchase a large 3 ring binder OR Slip sleeve Photo album to house the
RESEARCH and items included info, I always include the sale description / Price
and any PROVENANCE HISTORY (Who i purchased from where/who they got it from )
I try to include scanned photos of all the originally included items (front and back)"

 

Thanks GAZOO, I have thought of this in the past, but not done it close to your level..... thanks for the wake up call. Do you have a standard form that you use for your collection information? I don't plan to actively sell my collection, although my East German stuff is more than I want, as I went on a buying frenzy when the wall came down.  I fully expect (and am ok with) my wife selling my collections in the probable event that she outlives me, so attaching a value is important. She and I have frequently talked about marking family related items as such so they can be placed accordingly.

 

 

[GAZOO]

4 minutes ago, Paul Schroder said:

 

  Sorry No standard form used as its always a On Going process .

The research starts after I purchase, and there is NO Order to that :)
it comes as it comes :)

BUT they all start the same way SALE/PURCHASE history first
and
If from a on line listing or other posted type sale I copy that and all
correspondence and payment history.
if from a show or other type sale
I use my phone camera and document what is there, Ask for any
provenance if available (who the got it from or if they have any known history )

I normally purchase a 3 ring binder with 100 oversized slip sleeve pages
and add the information as I find it

I place the Heroes NAME on a white slip card and place it in the binder end for
easy finding, I also add a business card to the back of any wall display INFORMING
any interested party that a binder is on the shelf. My family has little interest in this so I
have to SPELL it out for them :)