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Advice for New Collectors


Dave
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Verify,Verify,Verify...buy the item, not the story, unless it is not directly from the vet., and then be cautious, 60 years is a long time on someone's memory.

My brother sells civil war items for a living, and this is THE primary advice he gave me!!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Buy for as cheep as possible. Don't be afraid to make an offer. In the back of my mind I always think " if I had to liquidate this how hard would it be and how much of my investment would I get back ". Sometimes in life you have to sell and you want to come out in the plus not the negative.

 

There is a valid lesson I learned from a very old book : You have not because you ask not. Ask and you shall receive. One thing I do well in life is ask. Don't be afraid of the answer because it is a numbers game. You will hear no more often than yes . The more people you ask the better your chances are of receiving. If you don't ask you don't receive.

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There is a valid lesson I learned from a very old book : You have not because you ask not. Ask and you shall receive.

There it is, this old book ALWAYS provides the "right answers". It also says: In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom ;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Gentlemen,

 

I am Nicholas (Call me Nick) I am 14 and am beggining to collect Vietnam mostly Arvn rangers and american special forces stuff.. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the advise and will take it all to my collecting notes! :thumbsup: (I am also at the civil war shows with the excelsior brigade, we sell civil war documents, papers, photos etc. You may know me..."

 

 

Thanks again and good luck with your sales and collections.

 

Nick C.

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My advice to any collector who is starting out is as follows:

1. Listen to what experienced collectors have to say. Take in the knowledge and compare what you hear with reference materials. Never take anyboby's word as fact. Put it to the test.

2. Research, research, research. Never quite researching your area of collecting.

3. Trust your gut. If it doesn't feel right, look right, or sound right, then it probably isn't.

4. Buy the artifact, not the story. There are dealers out there who will come up with some incredible story about the item that you are getting ready to buy. Most of the times, the price will match the incredible story. Remember, it is just a story.

5. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is how we learn.

6. Collect what you enjoy. There is no sense collecting something that you aren't interested in.

7. Be respectful of other people. Don't be rude and arrogant to other collectors.

8. Flea markets, antique stores, and estate sales are great places to find militaria. These places are excellent resources for locating militaria. Usually, but not always, the prices will be decent and there is less chance of the item being a reproduction. Remember the term "usually".

9. You win some, you lose some. We all miss out on great deals sometimes. Don't get discouraged, with a little perserverance you will find another great deal down the road.

10. Have fun! A hobby is supposed to be something that is fun and relaxing. It is not a competition about who has the most at the end of the day. It is about preserving history for future generations.

Arch

 

 

Could you please message me that I am new at collecting and would love a copy of this info...

thanks ,

 

nick c.

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craig_pickrall

Nick you can copy that for yourself. All you have to do is highlight it and use your copy function. Then paste it onto any thing you like. You can also copy photos. One thing to be careful of on those is that if they are reduced then open them (blow up) before copying so you get the full size photo.

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  • 2 months later...

Great advice in this thread, my input is something I do every so often. Read this thread over and over, it seems every three months or so I find myself looking at this thread just too constantly remind me of what I am doing. We all have weak moments, trust me.

 

Specialize, specialize, and specialize. When I first started I bought this, that and everything in-between. As I got a little older I realized I cannot afford uniforms, medals and patches all at the same time. So I stopped collecting uniforms and threw the extra bucks into my other two fields. Well than college rolled around and money got tight and I pretty much stuck to patches. It wasn't until I joined the forum that I really narrowed down what I want to collect and why.

 

Having a purpose to collecting is just as important as having an understanding. I took a few years off of collecting heavily; I organized my collection, cataloged and sold the items that no longer fit. Boy was I glad when I got my collection down to a more manageable, focused and logical size. I finally settled on strictly Army patches. Even under this topic there a million ways to skin the cat, USAAF squadron patches, German made pocket patches, Bullion, Vietnam era. In the time that I took off collecting I began to think why I collect patches, what do they mean to me and what outcome do I want from my collection. I collect for me, that’s important also; collect for you not anyone else. This outcome I picked was to attempt to have an example of every authorized patch for a unit. Now this may seem like it’s a monumental task, which I will admit it is, but it fits with my collecting goal and reason. Soldiers come and soldiers go in a unit, it’s a fact of life. Some soldiers are career soldiers who move to other units as they move up the ladder and some soldiers come into the Army for three years/or a wartime service and get out. Regardless the unit lives on, which means the Army lives on. Through my patch collection future generations will see the transition from doughboys to GI's to today’s Grunts. Each era produced its own generation of soldiers and its own generation of patches; from felt to twill, fully embroidered to subdued sew on patches to today’s Velcro patches. Some units only existed for short times; others like the 1st Infantry Division have proud history in almost every single combat action for a century. That is why I collect unit patches, I also collect pocket patches and theatre made for this reason, the locations that our soldiers are in reflects the patches they wore proudly.

 

Having clear goals is another thing to remember but having a purpose to collecting is more important. So come back to this thread and read it in its entirety every once and awhile as a refresher.

 

Drew

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  • 2 months later...
  • 6 months later...

Great info! thank you all. I am a new collector and I am trying to get an idea of values and ID's. This hobby is slowly sucking me in. I am greatful that I have found this forum to help me understand what I just may be getting into. Believe me, I will be asking many questions to the point of annoying many of you... Bear with me and we will be able to help eachother out. Best wishes to all!!!

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  • 1 year later...

My advise is to buy cheap common things at first. Gain personal knowledge on collecting then shift to the more desirable higher end stuff. If your first purchase is a jump jacket or a painted helmet I guarantee you are going to buy a fake. I saw this time and time again with 3rd Riech stuff. Walk into a gun show to buy SS stuff and you spend $1,000 + on total crap, that person will most likely never collect again.

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Just read through this post again after several months. The one thing that hits me is the suggestion to specialize. I cannot agree with this comment enough. At one point I collected ANYTHING that was attributed to the 17th Airborne. It was too wide of a focus, there was so much stuff and the good stuff was very expensive. I felt like a mosquito in a nudist colony...too many targets and only one suction device. While working on research for the 139th Airborne Engineer Battalion I decided to specialize only on them. I divested myself of anything not related to the unit, but kept common items of field gear and patches that would have been applicable.

 

I cannot tell you how simple my collecting life became. I felt more at ease about the hobby, was able to really look closely at items and when I did find something related to the 139th, once convinced of the authenticity, purchase was easy and satisfying. I have to say that 139th AEB items only come up once or twice a year, and I have missed a few, but when I do see them, I immensely enjoy the final part of the hunt. A few things have come to me unsolicited by way of other collectors as a result. I never bug veterans or their families for stuff. I am happy that they see the personal value of keeping it in the family for future generations. I recently returned some 139th AEB things to a 3rd generation family member that I purchased from a collector and the satisfaction of doing so was terrific.

 

There comes a certain joy in sharing the images and information concerning the items with fellow collectors via this forum and the few small groups I belong to. As a result of the research project and the blog I am maintaining, I have been able to spend time talking with several 139th veterans or family members. They have all shared stories, digital copies of photographs and information about the unit. As a result I almost feel a sense of kinship to the unit. Any previous obsession that I had with collecting ANYTHING 17th is gone. That's not to say I don't immensely enjoy collecting...its just a different twist to the passion now.

 

oz

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This is actually a post I wrote on another forum and I thought I would share it here as this is everything that has happened to me in a little over a year.

This is something I am very familiar with as I am new to the game so to speak. The best advice I can offer are the following.

Pick something that speaks to you. Doing this will help you stay focused and keep you from falling victim to the buy it all syndrome. I did it and I'm sure tons of others have too. It will save you the hassle of having things that don't really fit in your collection. As of late I have been selling off some items I bought because they were cool at the time. But if I can break even on some stuff I will be happy. And it's a pain to list items, pack them and ship them. So don't be a hoarder.

Save your money and buy quality. Sure you can buy a bunch of ratty looking WWII ammo belts. But at the end of the day, they are not as satisfying as a good, solid example that looks great.

Don't over pay for items. I will tell you firsthand that you can get nice stuff for cheap. So be patient and don't overlook ebay. A lot of items are not photographed well or have poor information. I will tell you that a very nice coat in my collection cost around $35 shipped because of these things. So there are deals out there.

Do your research. This is one of the most important things you can do. It will keep you from being the victim of an unscrupulous seller and may help you buy that rare item for cheap. It doesn't hurt to ask fellow collectors. We can't know it all but if you get enough heads in the circle, someone will have an answer.

Talk to vets. They are the reason we have our freedoms today. Just say hi and keep it simple. Don't ask the elderly man down the street about how many Nazis he killed or anything like that. You can ask if he served and with what unit and go from there. But do not ask any offensive questions for any reason. And always thank them for their time and service.

Lastly, the most important thing is to have fun with it. If it becomes a chore you will lose interest quickly. So get out and dig through antique malls, flea markets and yard sale boxes. Sure it seems like hard work but if you are enjoying it, it doesn't even matter.

Sorry if this seems a bit long but a lot of this I learned in just over a year. I hope that a new collector can find this useful and keep from making some simple mistakes.

Mike

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I would to say if a person wants to focus on something particular then by all means then do it. There is a lot of military items to collect. In general most military items will not be in nice shape. Don't be hesitant in getting them. Yes I like both WW1/WW2 items. If I like it no matter what it is or what shape it's in - I will get it. Of course if the price is right. Everyone has their preferences. So be it being a hoarder. :lol:

 

IMO

Chris

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  • 1 month later...

1. my advice to new collectors... buy Russian surplus to start its what i did and i don't regret it a bit, it's cheep cool stuff and you can really tell if you like what your getting into before you get sucked into a life of treasure hunting, you can learn allot and get your training wheals on it. when you learn the market and value you should make the move to more expenciv and even cooler items.

 

2. more important is research. Everyone gets bit, everyone overpays, everyone falls for a lie every once in a wile and there is no shame in it but for the sake of your wallet you need to learn the smallest details in whatever you collect,know your buttons,snaps, rivets, cuffs and fabrics ECT ECT. "Fighting Men of world war II Allied Forces" by David miller (not to be confused with the singer/songwriter from Divo or director of Billy the Kid) is the book I use for reference, I would recomend it to anyone.

 

3.Cherish your collection, It is a peace of history, a part of the past, and it is yours. Tell the story for those who cant do it anymore and have fun doing it.

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  • 1 month later...

Buy what you like! If you really like that dirty 20 dollar shirt, then it will be worth more to you than the 500 dollar jacket.

 

Just enjoy the hobby! Remember, it is a HOBBY

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Haven't added to this thread myself in 6 years. Over the last 6 years, I've become more and more focused and have learned a lot from myself, aside from the advice of others, so I'll add to it now:

 

1) Specialize. Even if it's something as simple as focusing on an era or a branch, it looks much better displayed, tends to be higher in quality, and you get to know the material better. I dabbled in USMC patches for years and finally gave it up, for the most part, 6 months ago. I've never been a cloth guy and, being a metal insignia guy, it was much easier to let it go than try to expand in a completely different direction. I'm not opposed to owning a few quality patches, such as a 2/6 SSI, etc...but other than a few, that's it. One nice little frame on the wall.

 

2) Loyalty. You have your inner circle of collecting buddies who are probably similar in interests to you. Make them your friends, not your competition. If you're interested in a piece you know they're interested in, but you're not in love with it as much as them, step aside and let them have a shot at getting the deal, don't drive the price up just to say to yourself that you tried. They're liable to return the favor in the future. There are numerous collectors both on and off the forum, and we actually discuss a piece to see who wants it the most, financially able to bid for the win at the moment, etc...and the other backs off usually. Even though your eBay name is now 'secret', other collectors know your secret scrambled name and your feedback count, and likely know it was you and will remember it.

 

3) Make allies. This ties in with loyalty. If you have a buddy of parallel interests but different than yours and you stumble upon something that may tickle their interests, pass it on to them. I have specific buddies I inform of specific things I either am not interested in or do not plan on going after. Give them a friendly heads up...especially if you're not going for it...who knows, they may do the same for you in the future. There's all kinds of USMC stuff I don't specialize in that I keep others informed of if I stumble upon it.

 

4) For the love of God, it's a hobby. Cut throats take the fun out of the hobby, one-uppers take the fun out of the hobby, etc. There're collectors out there I will talk to, check out each others collections with, but will never do business with again. People you try to strong arm, bully, talk down, horse trade, etc, etc may tolerate it when they're rookies, but eventually are going to wise up and not deal with you anymore. Some collectors (and dealers) think they can overrun younger guys, or guys they feel are inexperienced. I don't play that game. I'm big into man law

 

5) Don't be a leech. Having thousands of posts here but not really sharing much of your collection makes you look selfish and ungrateful. Not trying the search engine or to do your own research gets noticed when done repeatedly. Invest in an ancestry account or other resources, and then use them to help others, but don't do all the research for them. I pay a lot of money for my ancestry account and don't mind helping out here and there, but when I see collectors post for free research help constantly on everything they buy, I get irritated. Don't take advantage of those willing to help you.

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Great advice Brig~!

 

I'd add: if you collect patches/medals BUY REFERENCE BOOKS. You WON'T be sorry to spend the 60-100 on a book.

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  • 2 months later...

I agree wholeheartedly with specialization. I wish I had done so 25 years ago, a lot of the belts I am looking for would have been a lot cheaper!

 

Another point is do not skimp on reference books. I probably need some additional books, but my basic library has helped me a lot in avoiding suspicious or repro items on ebay. It has also helped me buy a few items for under "market" value by recognizing some small detail in a poor picture, on an item I might otherwise have passed up completely.

 

Treat others fairly. Golden rule time here.

 

Here is one I have to be careful of myself. You cannot buy everything. (Unless you are very wealthy. I am not.) I have learned to prioritize things and manage money better. It is a hobby, but you do not want to unnecessarily put your self "underwater" on too many items.

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  • 2 years later...

I agree to most of all those comments; my input may be small to this subject of starting out in Collecting, as I’ve been collecting for over 40 years. (1). Yes, specialize on the area you want to collect in: via a year, type of service, one of the Military Services or Gender of the Service members example: Men’s uniforms or Women’s uniforms, maybe a part of the type of service example: military police, training instructors, armored units, wars, flight line, aircraft, ships, units and many more. (2). When first starting out never pass up that item you have never seen, you can always have two of the same, but it may come up once in a life time, example in 1975 the USAF came out with a ball cap, navy blue for basic training recruits, purchase in 1976 only lasted three years. (these are rare and show up in basic training photos of 1975 only) would you pick one up if it was worn or thinking you may find a better one? You can always luck out and find a better one when you have one already (you can always trade). (3). How much do you want to spend, depending on the Quality at times, Thrift stores, Flea markets, on military Base Thrift stores, Ebay and more on the internet are a few examples, You can find many items that cost only a few dollars or cents just keep checking in the same stores, Army & Navy surplus stores don’t always display items they have in the store room, ask about an item you are looking for (example: wanted a USAF woman’s handbag, ask an Army & Navy surplus store if they had any in their warehouse, I now own 4 mint handbags from the 1960s that are rare to find). Don’t be afraid of bargaining or asking and don’t show you are excited about it, bundle or point out what’s worn! (4). Start a network, but never let everyone know what you have… that way you are at the same level of other collectors within your network, reason some may not look at you at the same level, be the gambler like in poker. You will become respected as what you know or others think you own. (example: Coin collectors don’t let other Coin collectors what they have, but they are always respected as collectors) You will be amazed how much respect you will gain, next on this item find mentors that have been collecting for a while, they will help you and times will give you items. (5). This is an area beware of: Those who want items of your collection: Book writers will want those rare items that you may have for info and photos… they will befriend you for those items, then not drop you once they have them (remember collecting is long term and enjoying the friends you make). The other two are Foundations and Museums they will entice you at tax credit for your donation (You thinking that your collection will be on display (maybe with your name beside it), it won’t, it may be sold off or traded for some other items: when a Foundation does not flourish it sells everything off. When a Museum attendance drops it will close and disperse for cost of items or used for other items that you did not wish for). Now we get back to Starting out in Collecting, only collect for fun and if it gets too big leave it to those who over the years you have enjoyed it with that’s to family or friends. That’s my advice… who has a collection that has amassed over 40 years… remember everything has value…

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  • 1 year later...
vostoktrading

Time to bring this thread back up.

 

Staples & rubber bands. Get rid of them. Also some plastic pouches/sheets. If you're going to store stuff for a long time, consider removing any items that deteriorate over time. They will just mess up your treasures.

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Time to bring this thread back up.

 

Staples & rubber bands. Get rid of them. Also some plastic pouches/sheets. If you're going to store stuff for a long time, consider removing any items that deteriorate over time. They will just mess up your treasures.

 

I personally don't agree with removing old staples from old documents, but hey, do what you want to your own.

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Wow...this is quite a resurrected thread!

 

Eleven years later though...I still agree with my comments in post #1. :)

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vostoktrading

 

I personally don't agree with removing old staples from old documents, but hey, do what you want to your own.

Yea, Thor, you're right, I should clarify. If the staple isn't doing any damage, then better to leave it alone. You will just decrease the value of the documents if you remove them.

 

But I live in a salt-air climate (middle of the Pacific) and the reason I made this post is that I've begun digging through stored old boxes of militaria this summer that some haven't seen the light of day for 25 years. Needless to say, I've found (or re-discovered) treasures I forgot I had. I've also been appalled at what rubber bands will do when they deteriorate over time. Take bundles of old WW2 patches with a rubber band, all stuck to patches and brittle.

I had some stapled documents that were already rusty (iron or steel) from the Pacific Theater (WW2) when I stashed them away years ago and now have rusted away and burned or fragmented the paper documents that they were attached to. So if you plan on storing militaria and you don't know when you will get back in to look at them, think about stuff that is already showing heavy rust and consider removing the rusty item and storing it separately.

Some of the plastic pouches I have patches in were ok and others had deteriorated and became sticky with nasty residue on the patches.

Jon.

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