Modern issue A-2: the new collector item?

[MauldinFan]

I still don't get how anyone here could think how something is valued now would be valued the same for all time.
NONE of the things we all drool over here were considered valuable back in the day. If you could go back in time and tell a WW2 vet that future collectors would spend their rent money on the uniforms they just stopped wearing, they'd want to have you locked in a padded cell!

I don't think so- they're not well made and they're poorly designed. They're still made. They have no "panache".

You may think this, but you can't assume everyone thinks so. And as for how they're made, that might make them highly collectible years from now if many of them came apart and got thrown away.
Anyone who collects old military stuff knows that some of the highest-valued items are the ones which got used up in the past.
For example, WW2 class A jacket are still very common, and why? Because once the GI got home, they went into the closets and the families later couldn't bring themselves to get rid of them. Not so at all for fatigue uniforms or boots. Those got used up and are now quite valuable.
Nobody thought they had panache for many years, either.

 

[ZuZu]

I still don't get how anyone here could think how something is valued now would be valued the same for all time.
NONE of the things we all drool over here were considered valuable back in the day. If you could go back in time and tell a WW2 vet that future collectors would spend their rent money on the uniforms they just stopped wearing, they'd want to have you locked in a padded cell!
You may think this, but you can't assume everyone thinks so. And as for how they're made, that might make them highly collectible years from now if many of them came apart and got thrown away.
Anyone who collects old military stuff knows that some of the highest-valued items are the ones which got used up in the past.
For example, WW2 class A jacket are still very common, and why? Because once the GI got home, they went into the closets and the families later couldn't bring themselves to get rid of them. Not so at all for fatigue uniforms or boots. Those got used up and are now quite valuable.
Nobody thought they had panache for many years, either.

The difference is that the old WW2 stuff was extremely high quality clothing made to be actually used. It was used in the conflict almost everyone can agree was just- in Korea the same clothing (flight jacket-wise) was used so it has carry-over panache and in Korea began the dark AF blue stuff which is amazing.

Do you honestly think that some DSCP G-1 jacket or some piece of crap Saddlery A-2 is ever going to be valuable? They are trophy jackets but really serve no function. They are UUUUUGLY! They are poorly designed and are made for the big sloppy people we have become.

Through a lot of revisionism and misty eyed sentimentality the Vietnam war is being salvaged as interesting (and thus collectible) but I really doubt that the GWOT is ever going to be "cool" in our lifetime.
That being said maybe jackets and stuff that was actually used like the CWU series might get valuable.

There is one jacket that might be worth something and that is the US Navy SWO jacket- basically a black ANJ3 jacket which at this point only Navy people can get and which has some interesting foibles.

 

[Chandler]

SWO Jacket Ordering Information

Note the fit instructions for the SWO. someone's got it goin' on at the Navy -- and someone at the Army needs some serious schooling!

 

[ZuZu]

This are good instructions for all jackets- even our OCD repros!

It's kind of weird that the pockets have to be so high but pictures of them actually worn on vessels show they look pretty cool!

 

[Chandler]

This are good instructions for all jackets- even our OCD repros!

I thought the same.

 

[ZuZu]

Here's one of these worn by an actual guy at sea:

I can see these being collectible someday. The civilian versions they make (same companies) are different from the actual military version.

 

[ButteMT61]

I've seen some pilots (airline) wearing these the last few years and to say they're unimpressive is an understatement. They 100% look in person like the gov't made them.
I'll stick to losing money in the stock market, thanks!

 

[ZuZu]

I've seen some pilots (airline) wearing these the last few years and to say they're unimpressive is an understatement. They 100% look in person like the gov't made them.
I'll stick to losing money in the stock market, thanks!

Are you sure you didn't see one of these? It's an official jacket for air crew for one of the major carriers. The SWO isn't available to the public escept for repros which have slight differences.

 

[ButteMT61]

Are you sure you didn't see one of these? It's an official jacket for air crew for one of the major carriers. The SWO isn't available to the public escept for repros which have slight differences.

Sure could be...whatever the case, they were awful. Thanks for possibly setting me straight!

 

[MauldinFan]

Do you honestly think that some DSCP G-1 jacket or some piece of crap Saddlery A-2 is ever going to be valuable?

YES, IT WILL. It's downright silly for you to think they will never be valuable at any point in history. Just like any collecting field, after enough time has passed and you don't see these things everywhere, they WILL be valuable, regardless of your short-sighted opinion of what future people will think of something old enough.
We all drool over old stuff, NONE OF WHICH was valuable when it was much newer. Maudlin displays of how one timeframe was somehow empirically 'better' or more important than any other is irrelevant.
As for GWOT stuff goes, you really haven't gone out and looked at what people are paying for some of that stuff these days. I saw a confirmed combat-worn set of BDUs that was worn standing next to the incident where the US flag was paced over a statue of Saddam and then replaced with an Iraqi flag to the cheers of locals, which went for well into three digits at a show. I asked the guy (who was in his early 20s) who bought it why he paid that much, and he said, "Wouldn't you love to go back in time when you could buy WW2 jumpsuits for a few bucks? This is an investment for the long term."
You don't like these jackets. I agree they're not made as well as others. But you're letting your opinion carry into the far future. If you were an actual collector who has seen markets climb for stuff you never thought people would pay real money for them (like how I never thought as a kid anyone would pay top dollar of 'Nam stuff, and it's happening now), you'd understand how silly your comments are.

 

[ZuZu]

YES, IT WILL. It's downright silly for you to think they will never be valuable at any point in history. Just like any collecting field, after enough time has passed and you don't see these things everywhere, they WILL be valuable, regardless of your short-sighted opinion of what future people will think of something old enough.
We all drool over old stuff, NONE OF WHICH was valuable when it was much newer. Maudlin displays of how one timeframe was somehow empirically 'better' or more important than any other is irrelevant.
As for GWOT stuff goes, you really haven't gone out and looked at what people are paying for some of that stuff these days. I saw a confirmed combat-worn set of BDUs that was worn standing next to the incident where the US flag was paced over a statue of Saddam and then replaced with an Iraqi flag to the cheers of locals, which went for well into three digits at a show. I asked the guy (who was in his early 20s) who bought it why he paid that much, and he said, "Wouldn't you love to go back in time when you could buy WW2 jumpsuits for a few bucks? This is an investment for the long term."
You don't like these jackets. I agree they're not made as well as others. But you're letting your opinion carry into the far future. If you were an actual collector who has seen markets climb for stuff you never thought people would pay real money for them (like how I never thought as a kid anyone would pay top dollar of 'Nam stuff, and it's happening now), you'd understand how silly your comments are.

Making my argument for me- huh? A set of BDUs which have an impressive provenance went for a few hundred bucks? Wow! As I said- maybe the CWU series or stuff with actual history will be worth something- but I don't see the crap leather jackets of the 80s,90s and oughts ever becoming valuable. Even if it were somehow the case that they started getting pricey- nobody would be obsessing over the details of these crappy jackets... "oooh- look at that brown nylon thread it looks just like the thread on all the other POSs...wow! the color of that goatskin really looks like mud!...look at the pilling on that lining- definitely a Cooper!...those fuzzy wuzzy cuffs- yep! an Avirex!" The jackets are crap- they served no function and unlike battle proven uniforms or actual aircrew equipment they probably won't cause that much interest.

I'm probably wrong- people are really stupid- so your scenario will possibly play out. It won't make them any less crappy and they are still a testament to the poor taste of Jeff Clyman!

 

[Nickb123]

Making my argument for me- huh? A set of BDUs which have an impressive provenance went for a few hundred bucks? Wow! As I said- maybe the CWU series or stuff with actual history will be worth something- but I don't see the crap leather jackets of the 80s,90s and oughts ever becoming valuable. Even if it were somehow the case that they started getting pricey- nobody would be obsessing over the details of these crappy jackets... "oooh- look at that brown nylon thread it looks just like the thread on all the other POSs...wow! the color of that goatskin really looks like mud!...look at the pilling on that lining- definitely a Cooper!...those fuzzy wuzzy cuffs- yep! an Avirex!" The jackets are crap- they served no function and unlike battle proven uniforms or actual aircrew equipment they probably won't cause that much interest.

I'm probably wrong- people are really stupid- so your scenario will possibly play out. It won't make them any less crappy and they are still a testament to the poor test of Jeff Clyman!

That’s probably exactly what they’ll do.

 

[Ed Rooney]

The concept of an Officer’s only garment rubs me completely the wrong way, but that’s just the Navy being the Navy, I guess. At least let Chiefs wear it.

 

[WingAndaPrayer]

If this stuff does appreciate in the long run, will any of us be here to see it? Not many WW2 flyboys still around to spit out their coffee over how valuable their old flight jackets have become. Maybe something to leave the grandkids?

 

[Infanteer90]

I agree that any issued items will be collected in the future, regardless of how poorly constructed or designed. That’s the nature of militaria collecting. Crap uniforms from the 1970’s to 1990’s are now being sought out by some collectors and as they become less common the values increase. Sometimes it’s the fact that something is disliked now that makes it interesting in the future. It doesn’t have to make sense to someone who values quality made items as many collectors only care that it was officially issued at one time.

 

[ES335]

I disagree. Look at the WWII vintage jackets. It took almost half a century for their prices to start to climb to astronomical levels, and we're not there yet with the 1988 USAF issue jackets. No one can predict the future, but I'm with those that say "someday." I firmly think there will come a time when the Cooper issued to me by the USAF, and worn by me during the Gulf War, will bring far more than a pittance. Just my opinion.

Jackets aside thank you for your service, herk.

 

[PilatusPilot]

I think everyone's opinions here have some valid points. However I would like to bring out something. I think most of you forget to look into the future rather than looking into the past. I see a lot of you saying that modern day military issued jackets are poorly made, have terrible leather etc etc etc. Now if we compare a modern jacket to something from WW2 then you'd be correct to say that, however the future may hold some bad surprises for all of us. There is more and more laws/bans on certain items or products because of climate change, look at cars, multiple countries have a set date as to when they will no longer be selling gasoline powered vehicles. Today's cheap Toyota Corolla might be worth gold to someone in 15 years because it will have a traditional engine. Where am I going with this? I wouldn't be surprised if the military standards will one day change, maybe there will be no more leather allowed at all, maybe the a-2 will be replaced by some new material made out of recycled potatoes? And now imagine the people in 50 years, who might not even have leather issued jackets in the army/air force/navy anymore... Well to them, today's "quality" will be like diamonds. They will have their own forum and they will be on the lookout for the cockpit dscp a-2 or whoever makes them nowadays.

I know all of this is speculative, but I think the world might change a lot in the next few decades, so much so that today's poor quality might be tomorrow's high standard.

 

[B-Man2]

I felt the urge to respond here. First off there’s no right or wrong answers here and here’s why. ( This is going to sound self serving and it’s certainly not meant to be) I’ve been around now for 75 years. During that time many of the things I thought would be highly collectable in my later years and that I invested money in buying and collecting … turned out to be crap and not valued as a collectible . On the other hand things that I thought wouldn’t be worth a second look … turned out to be prized collectibles .
So here’s a couple of examples of what I’m referring to . I was born in 1947 in 1955 I was 8 years old and WWII had been over 10 years earlier . Every Tuesday was trash day in my neighborhood and myself and 3 or 4 of my buddies would go trash picking . At least a couple of times a month one of us would pull a German helmet , a German bayonet or youth dagger or arm band or parts of a German uniform or gas mask out of the trash. The stuff was pretty much always found there. As kids this stuff was traded used to play war and generally just thrown about until at some point mom hid it away in the next trash pick up . Had we any idea of what it was worth today …. Holy shit … it would have been squirreled away for safe keeping . At about the same time I was collecting TOPPS Baseball cards. I had the rookie cards of the likes of Joe Di Maggio , Ernie Banks , Mickey Mantel , and one of my buddies had a Honus Wagner card . ( if you don’t know who this is please look up the value of his baseball card) . Once again we traded cards and threw them against walls and even gambled them away in sidewalk baseball card tossing games. If I had know then what they’d be worth … Holy Holy Shit!
Now later on in my life my mother got me interested in collecting Hummels , I won’t even bore you with that story . Needless to say that was a bust …… Oh ….. and as another example of collectables that never made the mark … For some of you younger guys …..
How about Beanie Babies !!
So the point of all this is .. who really knows if the newer A2’s will be collectible in 25 or 50 years ??? I do know one thing …. I won’t have to worry about it !

 

[Chandler]

Honus Wagner? Yike. I hope your friend can fight THAT regret!

 

[B-Man2]

Honus Wagner? Yike. I hope your friend can fight THAT regret!

Unfortunately last I heard about him he died of a drug OD in his later years .