Collecting U.S. Naval Uniforms from the Second World War (2/28/13)
When I was younger, we used to have this debate: If you were in combat in the Second World War, … More >>

Collecting U.S. Army Uniforms from the Korea Conflict, ‘The Forgotten War’ (11/5/12)
They call it “the forgotten war”, but in the strictest sense, it wasn’t a war at all. More than 36,000 … More >>

Some Uniform Guidelines to Starting a U.S. Military Uniform Collection (9/24/12)
We recently received a large shipment of consignment items from one of our German customers. Among the items of note … More >>

The Birth of a Collector (9/4/08)
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. More >>

Hello Beijing! (9/4/08)
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. More >>

WWII Inland Paratrooper Liner: A Treasure Found in an Unlikely Place (8/26/08)
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. More >>

Always a Marine: Reuniting history with a collectible uniform (5/24/08)
My favorite antiques and collectibles tell a story. It’s been my experience that unearthing the story is more rewarding than the challenge of obtaining the item. My most recent “story” began at the Hastings, Nebraska military collectibles show in March 2008. I had just set up my dealer table and started walking the floor to see what other dealers brought to sell. More >>

William Leigh – Confederate Buttons (3/30/08)
More >>

Special Forces Beret With Provenance (12/14/07)
I recently won a Vietnam era Special Forces beret from an online auction. Prior to bidding, I emailed the seller with specific questions because the auction description was vague and the accompanying image was not great. The seller never responded to my questions, but I could tell that the insignia was a desirable variation, so I took my chances and placed a bid anyway. More >>

Hearing the Veteran’s Story (11/29/07)
I just read an article stating there are only three living WWI vets left. It seems like they all faded away without receiving the recognition they deserved. I’ve only met one WWI vet in my life. He was my great uncle Benny. Benny served with the 88th Division and told me that he survived the war but nearly died on the troop ship coming home because of a serious flu outbreak. More >>