How did you get started?

[der_adler1]

How did you get started collecting/dealing in militaria?

[redleg510]

I'm an ex-Army Officer ( Cold War) and I had a few items I wanted to try and sell. I was new to selling, so I decided to try and sell a Weapons Wheel and some Soviet Weapons Manuals. I heard from others that I should try and sell items I knew something about.

[fight-n-fifth_1918]

While browsing through some papers from when I was in the Marine Corps, I came across a change of command ceremony booklet for the 5th Marine Regiment of which I was a part of. At the back of the booklet was listed the battle honors of the Regiment. I thought it would be great to try to assemble a ribbon display of the honors awarded the Regiment. I soon began acquiring the ribbon bars for this display. Soon after I thought of an even greater idea to acquire the corresponding medals to go with the ribbon bars. To make a long story short, I have now been collecting WW1 4th Marine Brigade memorabilia going on 15 years now and have quite a collection now ranging from uniforms, helmets, photos, documents, medals (both original & duplicates), etc. Anything pertaining to the 4th Marine brigade is my passion.

[philippinescout]

I guess my Dad influenced my collecting habits of today. He fought in WW2. I guess his stories made me interested in WW2. I started collecting in 1983. I mainly collect American WW2 militaria

[lufkincy_1]

My wife and I sold our printing company in 1995 and I had hoped to spend our retirement traveling the world. She is 15 years my junior and decided she was too young to retire. She screwed up my plans by completing her masters degree and becoming a journalism professor at an East Texas college. I had to find something to do, so after a couple of months I decided to devote my retirement to promoting military heroes - foreign and domestic. One thing led to another and I started creating displays of heroes and giving them to the heroes, veterans organizations and museums. This got quite expensive, so I started selling a few on eBay. That has turned into quite a nice little business that more than subsidizes the stuff I do for free. I've had the privilege of meeting hundreds of US Aces, Medal of Honor recipients, German Knights Cross recipients, UK heroes and even a couple of Soviet Hero of the Soviet Union recipients. I've got close to 10,000 signed photos and other signed items that I use in my displays and have built a really nice personal collection. From there I expanded to creating displays using excavated Civil War relics, a few fossils and minerals, and almost anything that interests me. However, my greatest interest is military heroes. With the help of the family support group of Charlie 2/7 1st Cavalry Division I have created an incredible DVD that contains over 150 photos the heroes of 2/7 sent back from Iraq. I gave one to each of the 135 heroes who returned after their year of duty and 2 to the next of kin of the two who paid the ultimate price. We are now using that DVD as a fund raiser to fund scholarships for the children our C 2/7 heroes. The DVD is free for any donation. I show the DVD at service clubs; offer them on eBay; etc. and 100% of the proceeds go to the Charlie 2/7 group. It has been a most rewarding experience.

[der_adler1]

lufkincy-It is truly an honor to have you as part of this group. I think that what you are doing is really inspiring. I was inspired to write about a WWII B-24 pilot after I purchased his flight logs (over 5000 hours of flight time) and his entire personel file here on ebay over 2 years ago. In the meantime, I have been researching his unit and the 60+ combat missions he flew from May 1944 to May 1945. I wish you continued success and if there is any way possible I can be of help, please let me know.

[philippinescout]

Wow! Very intersting!! A written time capsule of an airman!

[philippinescout]

Hi RedLeg510 Just wondering....were you in the artillery????Just a guess from your username "redleg" which connotes an artilleryman. Cheers Richard

[tsa-li]

Basically, I was born into a career military family. It was probably in the late-1950s when I realized that I had a "collection".

[christohilly]

I was surfing eBay and stumbled across a RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) slouch hat. I wanted it so bad so my dad got it for me. That is where my collecting started and I haven't stopped since then! - Chris

[fyertoyz]

When I joined the US Air Force (19 Years ago) I became fascinated with all the different insignia the different squadrons had. While I was in tech school at Sheppard AFB, I came acrosss a fellow who had a truly great collection of patches. He gave me a few color, and a few subdued patches to get me started. While on leave before I reported in to my first base, I visited Mac Dill AFB in Tampa, and tried to scrounge as many patches as possible besides hitting clothing sales and purchasing what I could. When I arrived at my first base, I was lucky to have a supervisor who had been in about 18 years at that point and was an ardent patch collector. He gave me over 200 color and subdued patches to "get me started". He told me someone had done that for him when he started and he was just "carrying on the tradition". I still continue that tradition and help as many new collectors as I can. In 19 years I can't begin to count how many new collectors I have helped as well as getting both my sons started in collecting. It behooves us as collectors to teach the youngsters about our military heritage. Dave

[lyrad_ecnarf16]

I am 15 and have begun my collection this year. Basically I have loved 20th Century History since I first discovered it through my grandparents. My Grandfather fought during WW2 in the French First Army in the Ardennes Campaign (Allied drive towards Berlin), and my Grandmother participated in the liberation of Paris as part of the French resistance. I read and watch movies on this period of time incessantly. I soon realised that it was equally fulfilling to own 'pieces of this history' by buying them on ebay. Ever since... I have been unable to refrain myself from expanding my collection. I have also 'broadened my vision' and come to love any chapter of Modern History as we know it. These last few years have turned my world upside down... the career path I had previously decided on (Civil Engineering), has vanished from my mind. I am currently pondering over a career which would encompass studies in Modern History, and allow me to travel. Sorry to blab on about my life but yea...that's how it all started. Daryl.

[panzerkeno]

as a kid, I was fascinated by War movies. One day I found my dad's old Army uniforms ( he'd been a career N.C.O for 18 years) and I found those insignia and ribbons, um... well, beautiful-and fascinating. My mother was a history teacher- so that didn't help in "detoxicating" from "militaria fever". from time to time I take people on a tour of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, France. I try to answer all their questions- it's my tribute to the soldiers who fought there. Last time I took my dear relatives from Idaho ( he's a WW 2 vet from the pacific) on a private tour of those famous sites. They were moved by the experience- so was I.

[t.wouw]

WHEN I WAS 8 , THAT IS 42 YEARS AGO, I LIVED IN THE NETHERLANDS. MY FATHER AS A BOY GREW UP THERE UNDER NAZI OCCUPATION. ONE DAY I FOUND A BOX FULL OF STUFF THAT HE COLLECTED AT MY OMA'S HOUSE. THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK. WHEN I MOVED TO THE STATES I HAD SEVERAL NEWSPAPER ROUTES AND WAS GETTING STUFF FROM SPAN AM , WW1 , WW2 AND VIETNAM ON MY ROUTES. BY THE AGE OF 16 I HAD HUNDREDS OF HELMETS, UNIFORMS AND OTHER STUFF. I HAVE SINCE PARTED WITH IT ALL AND NOW GO DOOR TO DOOR FULL TIME BUYING AND SELLING ANTIQUES. I RARELY KEEP ANYTHING FOR MORE THAN A MONTH OR 2 BUT STILL PREFER MILITARIA. MAY WE BLESS GOD. JPK

[coastievet]

I started to sell for 2 reasons. 1) I needed money. Reason number 2 is the most important part of the 2 reasons. My way to honor and serve the Past, Current Troops. After 9-11, I wanted to go back into the Service very badly, but by then I have gotten so bad in my health, I could not. Kinda hard to stand watches onboard Ships when you had a hard time standing on dry land. Plus for reason one, I lost my last Job 11 months before then and was fighting SS for Disability. 3 years later I finially got my Disability, so I am not as bad off but still fighting the VA..

About that time I got the Tax refund that Bush gave, and I took it and reinvested it in something I could do both, Show support and Honor, and help with my survival. I started with about 100 pins. Today I have over 1000 pins, Over 4000 Patches, 100 or so New and Used Ball Caps. Most are replicas but some are the real ones.

By selling these, I have been really blessed with many great Friends I have made, and to see many smile.

From this Disable Vet, Thank God for our Combat Veterans... And for The OIF Vets, If I could, I would been there at your side.