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my latest acquisitions

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Edward - you've inspired a photo of the desk in the front room with dates. Royal Arrow and GPO telephone still work perfectly.

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1922 Remington....

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ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
Cost was $120 in the 1920's. Paid half that in South Pacific Pesos (AUD$).

I thought it was broken because the keys didn't work. Fortunate for me the under bidder thought the same. Got it home and Googled a manual, pulled the lever and it was GTG.
 

Edward

Well-Known Member
Cost was $120 in the 1920's. Paid half that in South Pacific Pesos (AUD$).

I thought it was broken because the keys didn't work. Fortunate for me the under bidder thought the same. Got it home and Googled a manual, pulled the lever and it was GTG.
Yeah mine the A key stuck but all it was is dust and grime buildup so if you turn them over and use a little rubbing alcohol in a pipe cleaner and just kind of rub through between all the key arms and connectors you can get all keys unstuck. mine works quite well! never use any oil of any kind no lubrication because that just attracts more dust and grime to get in there to make your keys get stuck
 

Nnatalie

Well-Known Member
My wartime assemblage (plus some modern yarn as a prop). The patriotic-colored needles were sold during and after the war in the 40s. The ruler/needle gauge is from the American Red Cross, who coordinated military knitting much like the British Comfort Committees. The pattern books are a combination of American, British, and Canadian. None of them are military-specific, but general knitting books/magazines of the era usually included some patterns for the troops. I’ve got more from the era, but these are the ones with patterns for soldiers or other direct ties to the war. One or two of them have patterns for knitting for civilian refugees as well.

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The first three are American, the fourth and fifth are British, and the last is Canadian. The copy of Woolcraft is technically postwar (1946), but I included it for its “this book is produced in complete conformity with the Authorized Economy Standards” blurb on the back (that is, Britain was still very much affected by rationing/restrictions). The “Weldon’s Lady’s Journal” is my favorite, as it’s a fascinating glimpse into homefront Britain grappling with its first Christmas (1939) of the war.
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Edward

Well-Known Member
I finally got around to adding an American Red Cross item to my collection as well. this week I went ahead and snagged a pack of playing cards marked Feb. 16, 1943. the earlier dates are the hot ones that always go fast or are priced really high. the 1945 issued sets seem to hang around... guilty as charged, I too held out for an earlier dated set! :D
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Edward

Well-Known Member
Natalie and Ed
You all have collected some pretty unique items . Thanks for posting them.

well, I'm a lonely and bored old man so having a hobby is a nice escapism from life and if I'm going to collect things its gotta be 1940s/WWII related for me whether it be home front or Army Air Forces. my apartment looks like a museum now though. lol! its certainly a unique way to decorate. And to think, it all started with buying an ELC A-2 jacket :D
 

Nnatalie

Well-Known Member
I finally got around to adding an American Red Cross item to my collection as well. this week I went ahead and snagged a pack of playing cards marked Feb. 16, 1943. the earlier dates are the hot ones that always go fast or are priced really high. the 1945 issued sets seem to hang around... guilty as charged, I too held out for an earlier dated set! :D
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Do you use them at all, or do you try to preserve the condition as much as possible?
 

Edward

Well-Known Member
Do you use them at all, or do you try to preserve the condition as much as possible?
I won't use the cards. I will just display them boxed on my desk. most of my items I just display but there are a few things I actually use occasionally.
 

Flightengineer

Well-Known Member
Today received this from my friend who collects old coins , he was impressed by my ATC jacket so he present it to me that I'll use on this jacket.
It is Japanese 5 sen coin from 1939, CBI pilots sometimes used Japanese small coins as a “lucky coin” on collar clip or on zip puller.

 

Edward

Well-Known Member
Added a nice little "Cherry on top" to my vintage WWII AAF office... The 1943 Frank Powolny bathing suit photo which made Betty Grable the number-one pin-up girl of World War II and became the most requested photo for G.I.s stationed overseas surpassing the popularity of Rita Hayworth's famous 1941 photo.
It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photographs That Changed the World".
I had been wanting an authentic vintage copy but these were reproduced long after the war and still are today but I got really lucky to score a vintage signed copy. could still very well be post war however.
Usually autographed photos go for minimum $300 and up over $1000. No COA (which is the norm for vintage photos as a certificate of authenticity wasn't a thing then) and although I need to get it officially authenticated I feel confident its real. the smearing was most likely due to a bulk mass signing and a photo placed on top slid over it while it was still drying in the stack. The demand for Grable's photograph caused millions of copies to be sold and given away. (troops were requesting 50,000 copies every month. ) Its a nice touch to my war room :D I only paid $50 shipped from an old man that didn’t know these went for hundreds... so even if it can’t be authenticated or turns out to be fake I didn’t spend much. One day I will get it properly matted and framed.


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Garylafortuna

Well-Known Member
You have a most wonderful collection Edward. Kudos. Do let us know if you get a lead on an Enigma Machine. I know you've got your eyes peeled for one.
 

Garylafortuna

Well-Known Member
Given your dedication to the hobby Edward, if anybody deserves the likes of an Enigma, it would be you. I wonder if they are still classified?
 

Edward

Well-Known Member
Given your dedication to the hobby Edward, if anybody deserves the likes of an Enigma, it would be you. I wonder if they are still classified?
I don't think they are classified any longer ... seems to me I read recently of someone having bought one at a garage sale or something of the like and the owners thought it was just a personal typewriter. will look to see if I can find the story and when it happened.
 
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