It Is Here! 2024 SOS!

[CavalryCombatant]

Tomorrow is the big day!!!

[Persian Gulf Command]

Anybody willing to help me enter early (before 12 noon) on Thursday? I’m a OVMS member. 

[Ronnie]

On 2/19/2024 at 4:08 AM, max0073 said:

Hi,

I am going this year for the first time from Europe. Planning to go on Thursday afternoon and Friday (I am going to get the membership for Thursday entrance)

 

Any advice you would give to a first-timer ?

 

thanks,

Max

Wear comfortable shoes. Bring lots of cash. When you see it buy it. It won’t e there when you go back. Have fun.

[Gear Fanatic]

Quick question, is SOS always the same time of the year, I’ve never been and have wanted to go, I have family in ownesborrow and need an excuse to go. Just was curious if the dates stayed consistent. Thanks have a good time!

 

Gear Fanatic

[Ronnie]

3 hours ago, Gear Fanatic said:

Quick question, is SOS always the same time of the year, I’ve never been and have wanted to go, I have family in ownesborrow and need an excuse to go. Just was curious if the dates stayed consistent. Thanks have a good time!

 

Gear Fanatic

Yes About the same time of year each year.

[max0073]

Hi,

today is the day. Heading around noon from Hitlon Garden !

Max

[CavalryCombatant]

Some show photos for those following along at home.

[Dirt Detective]

Thanks for the pic's..I would be stopping at that table with the Carbines...

[CNY Militaria]

Sos pic. 

[tdogchristy90]

A friend of mine says he is looking for a WW2 issued ribbon and pin to complete an air medal set. If anyone seeing anything a heads up is appreciated.

[Jake the Collector]

The line to get in is quite lengthy. 

[CavalryCombatant]

The line is INSANE!  To anyone thinking about going, it’s definitely worth getting an OVMS membership.  It’s game changing.

[CavalryCombatant]

Some more photography, for any interested.  Some really cool pieces at the show.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of enameled AP badges, it was super cool to be able to see them up close in person.

[USMCR79]

Today was a good day for selling

 

Bill

[CNY Militaria]

I heard that some people waited in the admission line for over an hour and a half after the show opened to the public. I was in the dealer line which took me 30 minutes to get through. 

[tdogchristy90]

1 hour ago, CNY Militaria said:

I heard that some people waited in the admission line for over an hour and a half after the show opened to the public. I was in the dealer line which took me 30 minutes to get through. 

Wow. Sure makes the OVMS worth it!

[CNY Militaria]

TODAY! Show of Shows HALF PRICE SPECIAL! From 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM, EVERY item at Table H36 will be HALF OFF the sticker price. We will be liquidating a ton of paper groups, helmets, uniforms, field gear, patches, misc. items, and much more! We are ready to move items at blowout prices, and you will not want to miss this. The photos show some of the items we will be stocking the half price table with.

[mortaydc60]

Kind of surprised to see dealers offering 50% off. Were sales off in general ? What items were selling the best? In the past lines were long but this seems out of the ordinary. Was wait really due to numbers or just poor entrance control? Is the show having less emphasis on German items.? How was the show for rare patches? Thanks for any info and replies. 

[Marshallj]

19 hours ago, CavalryCombatant said:

Some more photography, for any interested.  Some really cool pieces at the show.  I was pleasantly surprised by the number of enameled AP badges, it was super cool to be able to see them up close in person.

How much for enamel AP badges? $300? They are ridiculously expensive now.

[Marshallj]

Half off means the stuff was overpriced to begin with. 

[CNY Militaria]

6 hours ago, Marshallj said:

Half off means the stuff was overpriced to begin with. 

Well aren’t you salty. Most of what we marked at half price was very fairly priced to begin with and we just wanted to give some good deals and make more room for the way home. I’m not the only dealer that does it on the last day of the SOS. 

[CNY Militaria]

I posted this on the USMF Facebook group but it’s relevant here with regard to high prices and deals at the show. 

 

The SOS is the premier military show in the world. The best deals at any show in the world are here. Some dealers completely sell out their tables before the end. Some host 1/2 price sales off entire tables on the last day. I did it because it was fun for me and I got to pass on even better deals to a ton of people who were shocked to pay so little for nice things. Many buyers didn’t even want the items they bought but remarked that the price was too good to walk past. 
 

Most of the items in my ten or so crates of buys cost me half or less than “retail”. Where else can you get full sized WWII sterling wings for $10? SOS today. WWII M-1 garand bayonets at $25? Today at the SOS. WWII split brooch navy Purple Heart for $35? Today the show of shows, even after thousands of buyers have “picked” the show since Wednesday. I could go on and on, but I don’t think there is any need. Outside of this, the networking is beyond comprehension until you have experienced it.

 

I don’t recall crowds this big before and it was hard to make it through the aisles due to the number of people. My experience, and that of every dealer I spoke to, was that this was one of the best selling shows in recent memory. Lots of money and items changing hands and some really happy collectors and dealers alike. I am coming home with a lot of empty plastic totes that were full on Wednesday of items to sell. 
 

There were some logistical issues at the expo center and with OVMS that I hope can be fixed next year, but hiccups are expected at big events like this. 
 

While the German material is there, I bypassed it all, and US is very prevalent. I noted the unrealistic prices being asked that are driving collectors toward US collectibles. 
 

I sold all of the groupings I brought, and almost all of the medals and medal groups. Patches sold exceptionally well for me to include common ones I brought in priced bins. Top sellers also included dog tags and swords. My field gear and uniform sales were weak and I priced all the items well below eBay completed prices.  The interest didn’t really seem to be there but the show is also oversaturated with those types of items. 
 

Overall it was a great show for the books!

[Jhos71]

Great first show for me, but the wait to get in on Friday was close to 40 min and that was an hour or so after opening. Definitely joining OVMS and looking forward to next year.

[Ronnie]

Here is a photo of my table. Kind of cobbled up…..meaning not very neat but I guess it is what it is. My show started off kinda rough after I had a crash of sorts on Wednesday evening. Spent the rest of Wednesday night and a good bit of Thursday morning in the hospital. Really bummed out. Made it to the show at about 1100 hrs Thursday. At any rate I finally made it and although difficult at best I survived the show. Hope you that were there had a great time. Those of you who couldn’t make it look forward to making it next year. You will not regret it.

[Dirk]

Another SoS in the bag. After a “friendly” send off from the Maryland State police and having watched a van in front of us lose a tire we made it. Entry and set up worked well this year. I always forget just how vast the Expo Center is. The

 show always produces some amazing discoveries.