a2jacketpatches said:
UG, tell me what you think about the other stuff he's got listed. A good FB rating on some high dollar items tells me he's a reputable dealer, maybe high priced, but reputable and not out to mislead or deceive. While this is not an issued jacket, it is still a very cool item.
My initial reaction to this lot was that it likely is a legitimate grouping from an estate. I like the paper and other goodies, and have seen similar groupings over the years from enlisted guys who were attached to Squadrons, but not in positions that would have rated a flight jacket....in this case, a photo interpreter or a guy working in a dark room are good examples....who after the war put their stuff on civilian jackets to commemorate their service.
To zero in on this one, I think one would have to look at the pictures, letters, and other things to get a feel for who the guy was. I'd also want to look hard at the jacket to see how long the patch had been on there.
As far as the seller, I first took him for vintage clothing guy who maybe did not really know. However, your question caused me to look at his other auctions. He currently has a Vietnam era G-1 up with what appears to be fake leather patch on it. That said, in looking at his past auctions, he also has some nice original stuff listed, but at really big prices.
That all makes me nervous, because the jacket we have been discussing is a $75 to $150 jacket without the patch, and it starts to make me wonder if he got the patch loose with the paper, and added it to the jacket to make a "group".
Anyway, I have no idea of what he is up to or his intentions, but his ludicrous price seems to me to be tip off that he is looking to catch a fish.