There is rampant misuse of the term “crusher cap” in reference to US visor caps in the WWII militaria collecting market. A crusher cap is a type of visor cap that is intended to be soft and pliable. Germans also had a crusher cap designed for field use, but that is another topic. US crusher [...]
MACV-SOG 1-0 Jacket: A Symbol For Vietnam’s Elite Among The Elite
December 12, 2008 – 8:59 pm
Until recently, little was known or published about MACV-SOG, an elite US Special Forces reconnaissance unit in Vietnam. SOG was under joint command by 5th Special Forces Group and CIA with an objective to recon and disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail by running cross-border operations into denied areas, primarily Laos and Cambodia. SOG recon [...]
The Birth of a Collector
September 4, 2008 – 1:37 pm
I was talking with my friend Mike Bockman, a militaria dealer and owner of BBmilitaria.com, when we got on the subject of the Niobrara River that runs across the Northern part of Nebraska. I had canoed this river several times in Boy Scouts and Mike had canoed it with his family when he was young.
Grant Wistrom’s Orange Bowl Jersey!!!
September 4, 2008 – 1:32 pm
I do not follow sports, but even I was amazed to see my wife pull this jersey out a drawer one day. She was friends with UNL Black Shirt Grant Wistrom while she was in college at University of Nebraska Lincoln. She went to all the home games, along with several of the away games.
Selling My Vintage Vans Shoe Collection
September 4, 2008 – 1:30 pm
A few months ago, I decided to redirect some of my collecting energy towards new frontiers. In doing so, I made the decision to liquidate my collection of vintage Vans shoes. Skateboarding was a big part of my adolescence, and I always loved placing my order for a customized pair of Vans, made to my exact color specifications.
Hello Beijing!
September 4, 2008 – 1:29 pm
After spending over 15 hours on a to jet to Beijing, my rubber legs ambled off the plane, through customs, towards the baggage carousel, where I waited to be reunited with my luggage. I was not too groggy to notice the gigantic Kentucky Fried Chicken mural and chuckle over its absurdity. Across the airport, I saw a man wearing something that caught my eye.
Record Hunting
September 4, 2008 – 1:25 pm
On a relatively mild November day, I stopped by Zero Street Records in Omaha, NE to shop for LPs and visit with Mike Garber, the shop owner and WorthPoint Worthologist (check out his profile by clicking the Worthologists link at the top of the page). As I shop for records, Mike and I swap stories about recent finds, the internet, and what we’d been listening to lately.
Rare Vinyl From The Heartland
September 4, 2008 – 1:24 pm
Last night, I met up with Mike Garber, WorthPoint’s vinyl record Worthologist and owner of Zero Street Records in Omaha, NE to see how things were going in the record collecting world. Mike just returned from a buying trip in Colorado and said that he had a good time finding records for the store and for trade.
WWII Inland Paratrooper Liner: A Treasure Found in an Unlikely Place
August 26, 2008 – 1:45 pm
Of all WWII US Airborne military collectibles, Original helmets are one of the hardest items to obtain for a collection. There were three main types used in WWII. A fiber (cardboard) liner was used early on. This was soon replaced by high pressure (fiberglass) liners made by Inland and Westinghouse.
Condition and Provenance in US Militaria
August 22, 2008 – 4:13 pm
Grading condition for military collectibles is not a simple process. Militaria is different from many other collectibles, where flawless examples are ideal and items with condition issues have less value.
