Holy Smokes!!! Another Super Score Today!!!

[a2jacketpatches]

Wasn't really an offer, just what I would take to put everything untouched in a box and sell it (nothing removed), it was a statement at a time before I had to sell because I liked the stuff so much. You mentioned that you couldn't go more than retail, and that tells me that even for you, it boils down to the money and the going rate for each item individually.

I'm just glad it was me who grabbed all the named items that I could and kept them together, I stood in line for 4 hours starting at 3AM to do it. Now anything named to Lt. Shew is going to a collecter that seems to appreciate it based on the groupings he buys regularly.

If it wasn't me, EVERYTHING would be scattered EVERYWHERE. So I give myself a little credit.

 

[dmar836]

Too bad some of it was already scattered at the sale. I do think you would have realized more if you sold all the items together - who can say? Certainly more had you researched it before posting it. Now, how you assume I judge value of a grouping by the individual pieces' retail values I don't get (actually, I'm not even sure what that means) but of course anyone considering a grouping will consider what items are in a group. Some groups are thin with mostly newspaper clippings, common patches, maybe a pillow sham, etc. and tell little of the story. Others have B-3s, A-2s, boots, all paper and medals, etc. - to the point that you wonder how one guys was able to initially obtain and then store all that stuff. Once items from a group are sold separately, it is irrelevant. I think just knowing it was being broken up further(regardless of your concept of a group) caused me to lose interest quickly. I saw the crusher go up separately on Ebay the very weekend we discussed it so I realized it was being flipped already. I know you don't collect these things, don't have the room, etc. - the rationale of groupings is often lost on those reselling them regardless of how knowledgeable the seller is of the items. No offense intended.

The "retail" price this brought was not out of line IMO. Add in another crusher, some brochures, his trousers and shirts, and the plaque, and that would be a nicer group primarily because the flyer himself kept all that together and those of us who display these things prefer the original owner's shirts, etc. (for display, it has to come from somewhere, why not the original owner's? Than often brings a premium). Do I think those additional items would bring it to $2000? Not a chance, not without named medals, an A-2, etc. and with that price thrown out I knew I wasn't your man. It's your time and your stuff so you have the right to ask what you wish. I do think $2000 was way out of line and thought you would ask here on the forum more along the lines of what the group did actually sell for - $600-700. No sour grapes - the market spoke.

I don't go to garage sales, estate sales, etc. I have too many interests and I know I would be dragging all sorts of cool crap home! With the time that takes, I can much easier justify paying you, or guys like you, retail price who find the stuff. I do give you credit for that - it's a lot of hassle.

Keep hunting!
Dave

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I split up a few items initially to get my money back but still keep a reasonable grouping together. I did plan on keeping most of it mainly because of that bush jacket. Love em, and maybe even my first attempt at a repro garment some day. Unfortunately, the needs of my family and lack of funds to meet those needs forced me to sell right away. This kind of thing has been happening regularly. I get a little ahead and something comes up. But getting back, I try to recover cost best way I can in order to move on doing this, and selling a couple of the items was my way. Had to sell everything to fix some problems after already listing just to recover cost. It all overlapped and happened that way unintentionally.

I tried to explain earlier in this thread that regardless of how much we'd all like to keep large groups together, it does have to make sense.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

By the way, I just got a great place in the mountains this week. Twice the room, plenty of storage, a whole upstairs loft to house my shop with a little office. All for 100- less than I was paying for a tiny apartment on Broadway in the city. I do collect and always have, so now my priorities will change. I've been limited the past two years to those scattered items like a wing badge here and there, many loose patches, Ground forces items of all kinds, you name it, anything small that fits in a tote.

The CBI group from Lt. Shew would have been the cherry in my office and I will always miss it, truly, I will see it 10 years from now as if it was yesterday and always regret selling. But the reality, Lt. Shew helped me get a new place this week, and I helped keep his history intact. From one Air Force vet to another, Thank you sir.