WWI AGS Patch ID

[Brig]

Can anyone tell me what this patch is for? On a WWI vet's uniform, not in my possession

[Bill Scott]

It is the  Aerial Gunnery School patch.

 

[Brig]

thanks. Probably not worth the $300 the seller is asking I take it

[KurtA]

3 minutes ago, Brig said:

thanks. Probably not worth the $300 the seller is asking I take it

Good chance it is.  

[Allan H.]

I'm with Kurt on this one. Assuming that it has the insignia, this ought to bring that kind of money. ID'd will make it go higher.

 

Allan

[Brig]

They seem to suspect that themselves and have apparently raised the price to $500

 

[Allan H.]

13 hours ago, Brig said:

They seem to suspect that themselves and have apparently raised the price to $500

 

My bet is that the sellers are using this as a "draw" item- one to draw customers in to see it. My bet is that they have no real interest in selling the uniform unless it brings a ridiculous price.

 

I've told this story before, but whenever I think about these "draw" items, I think about this. There was a militaria dealer that had a grouping of three navy medals- a named Good Conduct and two early numbered campaign medals. Even forty years ago, he had a very high price on them- $600, which, at the time was at least twice as much as they were worth, and more likely three times. He had them for years and  numerous collectors tried to make a deal with the dealer, but there was no budge at all with him on the price. The sticker price stayed the same for decades, as the price was still well above the established value. One day a guy comes up to look at them and decides to buy them. The seller was gobsmacked! He couldn't believe that someone was willing to pay his price. He didn't want to sell them, so he decided to tell the buyer that the buyer had misread the pricetag. It was not $600, but rather $800 for the medals. The buyer shrugged his shoulders, and said that he had come to the show to buy something nice, so he would pay the higher price. At this point, the seller said that the price was for EACH MEDAL. The buyer decided that he didn't want the medals that bad and the dealer threw the riker mount under the table so that nobody could see them anymore. It all happened years sago, but I still get a chuckle out of it.

 

Allan

[Brig]

Sounds like what Rick on Pawn Stars does. Always suspected he used the show to buy historically interesting things he wanted himself in a way that his wife wouldn't be upset about.