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Stone the crows! How many more...

MikeyB-17

Well-Known Member
Not directly jacket related, but has relevance. Just been watching the Antiques Roadshow, got quite excited when a lady brought in a rather lovely WWII Air Ministry Longines pilot’s watch, stamped, dated, rotating bezel, in running condition, although in need of a bit of TLC. She found it in her husband’s drawer and was contemplating throwing it out! Why would you do such a thing? How much of this type of ignorance goes on, how many historic artifacts, jackets included, have been binned because people don’t know what they have? It was valued around a grand.
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
It's a real shame Mikey but a lot of people think anything over 20 years old is probably worthless crap unless it's a painting, a piece of porcelain, a piece of jewelry or a bit of furniture. I shudder to think how many WWII artefacts of genuine historical significance have ended up buried in a landfill.
 

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Often wonder if a jacket might appear (think they have on US version) but a large faced German paratrooper watch turned up on the last series that was deemed quite rare, think it was valued around £4K, Glasshutte I think was the maker.
 

dmar836

Well-Known Member
Sad indeed. I do find it interesting that she would go to the trouble to take it to a show to have it appraised if she really thought it was fit for the bin.
Dave
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
An A2 did pop up on a US series of Antique Road Show and it was a painted version that the “expert” quoted as valued at $1000- $-1200. US.
Obliviously the expert .....wasn’t ....because it was easily a $2000- 2500 Jacket that needed some minor restoration work.
 

Flightengineer

Well-Known Member
It's a real shame Mikey but a lot of people think anything over 20 years old is probably worthless crap unless it's a painting, a piece of porcelain, a piece of jewelry or a bit of furniture. I shudder to think how many WWII artefacts of genuine historical significance have ended up buried in a landfill.

Agree with you.
This is offensive to connoisseurs and collectors, but the reality is that most people do not care about artifacts. Not only jackets but also on many items of the old time. The modern consumer society does think about the new iPhone or something like that and this momentary value for many.
I have many friends, restorers of old aircraft, and can say for sure that most people do not experience especial emotion when they have a part of the old aircraft (for example) in their backyard, people can sell it for scrap. Unfortunately, the government often does the same.
Evaluation of ancient things that were witnesses of the era is the destiny of single people and enthusiasts in this world.
 

Obscurator

Active Member
I do keep "stuff" because it's part of my family history and I want my successors to have it. In 20th century militaria, I have my grandfather's RFC buttons (the moths had the maternity jacket), his flying logbook, demob stuff etc plus a lot of stuff from LDV/Home Guard in WW2. Also my father's cap,pistol holster and other things from TA gazetted 2nd Lt. 1940 via Western Desert to Italy as Brigade Major (aged 26) in 1945.
 

Thomas Koehle

Well-Known Member
here in MEX things ain`t thrown out but used and beaten up until the fall apart

China same - they wanna get rid of old stuff coz it reminds them the "old" times under the more stronger communist regime of Mao (am I right Nahua?) - by accident I ran into Garand bajo with sheat on a famous "antique market" which must be one outta the US deliveries back then to the KUOMINTANG the guys which fought with Chiang Kai-shek before they went over to Taiwan - other than that not so many "real" old stuff there

as for Germany meanwhile people mostly think as soon as something looks old you get a heck of money for it and try to sell it "on the bay" - some with success some not

working in Austria for 3 years I checked Fleamarkets each Weekend - these guys have been much more "traditional" (and the most traditional off the countries i have been working) than we Germans and I found some nice stuff (eg Wehrmacht Splintertarn "Zeltbahn") - they are "preservers" proud of their history
 
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